NEW YORK — Tom Thibodeau is ready for his next challenge. It’s been nearly a year since he was abruptly fired as the head coach and president of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a franchise that reached the postseason for the first time in 14 years under his leadership.
Overall, the Wolves have played minus .500 basketball since Thibodeau was sacked. Likewise, the Chicago Bulls have not come close to matching the success they enjoyed under Thibodeau, who averaged 51 wins per season and made the playoffs in each of his five years in Chicago.
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Thibodeau’s .589 winning percentage ranks 12th all-time among head coaches with at least 500 games. He has coached in 217 playoff games as an assistant coach, associate head coach and head coach and his teams are 111-106, including a championship with the Boston Celtics and three trips to the NBA Finals.
Thibodeau is an unapologetic basketball lifer who isn’t accustomed to having this much down time, certainly not in the middle of an NBA season. In a conversation with The Athletic, the former NBA Coach of the Year addressed his future, the current state of the league and, of course, load management.
You last coached a game on Jan. 6, 2019. What have you’ve been doing to stay busy during the last 11 months?
I’ve been doing a lot of different things. I’ve been really trying to take advantage of not having a schedule. I’ve done a fair bit of traveling, visiting New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando and Miami.
“I bought a beach house in coastal Connecticut and have been renovating it. I pretty much gutted the property, so it’s been really interesting. I’ve been involved – some would say overly involved – in every step of the process. I’ve also done some TV work for ESPN & NBA TV and been able to visit with some teams, coaches and executives. I’ve been able to do several of the things that I enjoy, like reading a good book and relaxing.
You, relax? I don’t think a lot of people see you as the relaxing type?
Like many people who strive to be good at their profession, it was hard to relax on the job, but I’ve always found ways to relax in the offseason. I was just down in Miami for 10 days hanging out. I’ll go for a walk, workout, find great restaurants to try. I just don’t feel pressed for time. That’s why it hasn’t been that hard. I miss a lot of things about the NBA; the camaraderie and the competition.
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You miss that. But I also have an opportunity to do things I normally can’t do when I’m working, like spend time with friends and family, traveling and just recharging my battery.
Is one of the things you’ve learned over these past 11 months that you want to coach again?
Oh, yeah. I want to coach. I’ve always known that.
You went 97-107 in two-plus seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The franchise also ended a 13-year playoff drought. How would you assess your job performance with the Timberwolves?
I was very proud of what we accomplished there; to end the playoff drought, winning 47 games, having the second-best record (34-18) against Western Conference teams. We did that with Jimmy (Butler) being injured after the All-Star game. It was a great accomplishment for the organization. When our starters were healthy, we went 37-22 and we were third in offensive efficiency and seventh in defensive efficiency.
We had two players in Jimmy and Karl (Anthony-Towns) who were not only All-Stars but All NBA players as well. While I was there, we also recorded a 66 consecutive game streak of not losing more than two games in a row. In Chicago, we had a streak of 86 games. During the 2017-18 season, the team set something like 15 new franchise records. In my last two seasons we also won nearly 70 percent of our home games and had the most sold-out games that they’ve had in a lot of years.
You’ve had a long and successful relationship with Butler. He was your leader that one season but then he asked to get traded. Looking back do you regret acquiring him from Chicago?
No. I don’t regret making the trade. In order to win we had to make a move like that. With Jimmy, Taj (Gibson), Derrick (Rose) and Jeff (Teague) we changed the roster. What gets overlooked is that by trading Ricky Rubio to Utah, it created over $14 million in cap space and we gained a 2018 first-round pick. To get to the playoffs there was going to have to be change. It’s very difficult to get a top-10 player in the NBA, when you have the opportunity, you need to take it. Those moves gave us the opportunity to become a playoff contender.
Thibodeau’s friendship with Jimmy Butler has survived highs and lows in both Minnesota and Chicago. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
What are your thoughts on the NBA’s new trend, load management?
Each team is different in terms of where they might be in terms of age, experience and competitiveness. The biggest improvement now is that your medical team can measure loads very accurately.
There are many variables to take into consideration; age, injuries, condensed schedule, etc. You have to rely on your medical staff and the player to develop the appropriate plan. Most head coaches will meet with the medical staff first, early each morning, then the coaching staff second and then plan the appropriate practice. Recovery and injury prevention are a big part of planning and managing your season.
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So Kawhi Leonard is on to something?
Every team has a medical staff and you have a lot of different ways to measure and manage loads and injuries. You have to trust your medical staff and also trust the player. In Kawhi’s case, he was coming off a serious injury from the previous season. What he and the Raptors did was smart. They managed the regular season and Kawhi was healthy. He played great in the playoffs and led Toronto to the championship.
LeBron is about to turn 35 and he’s still averaging 35 minutes per game. He once averaged 42 minutes per game. Kevin Durant was at nearly 35 minutes per game last season, down from 39.5 minutes he averaged his third season in the league.
If you look at the history of the league, you will find that generally speaking, the best players on the best teams play the most minutes. And most often, they are matched up with each other and playing similar minutes. There has been a slightly downward trend over the last five years. Five years ago, the top wings like LeBron, Durant, (James) Harden, (Carmelo) and Jimmy were all averaging 38-39 minutes. That number is a little less today, down to the 34-, 35-minute mark.
If you have quality depth on your bench, similar to what I had my first two years in Chicago, where we were able to play 10 players, it will bring your minute average down.
One of your former players Brian Scalabrine has said repeatedly that the biggest misconception is that you ran long practices when in fact your practices during the season included a lot of film work and not much running. Is that true?
One of the biggest things for a head coach is to pace a team, not only pace them in the game but what you’re doing in practice. We had very little contact in practice, more days off than people realize. The idea that we had these crazy long practices was never the case. I think most of my former players would tell you that.
You’ve coached some great players who all had a common trait; a tremendous work ethic. Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to be that type of player. What do you make of the Greek Freak?
I don’t know Giannis other than from having coached against him. I’ve also coached against him in the playoffs, when he was a very young player. The way he’s grown physically and as a player is a credit to him. The people around him that I know and respect have told me about his incredible work ethic. That is the best type of leadership a team can have. When your best player has that type of drive, it inspires his teammates and you can see the confidence it has given them.
The mark of a truly great player is not only to bring the best out of himself, but to also bring the best out of his team and Giannis has done that. Every year he has gotten better. Every coach loves him, his teammates love him, he is team first, and all about winning.
You said you spent some time in Miami. Did you see Jimmy Butler and the Heat play?
I was down there relaxing, enjoying the warm weather and looking at real estate. I did have dinner with Jimmy and was able to go to a few games. I’m very happy for him. It’s a great opportunity. That organization fits him well.
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Was the trip to Los Angeles just a vacation or did you spend time with your former boss, Doc Rivers?
I’m very happy for Doc. He’s done a phenomenal job for a long period of time. This team has the makings of a championship team, Hopefully, they’re healthy at the end. I’ve vacationed in L.A. at least once a year the last 10 years and was out there for a couple of weeks and had the chance to spend time with Doc. I watched some practices, sat in on meetings, attended some games and enjoyed some great dinners with Doc. You can see why they’re on the right path. Doc is a great leader, teacher and coach but he’s an even better friend.
The Clippers are 2-0 this season against LeBron and the Lakers. Are the Clips the team to beat out west?
I just know it’s great for L.A. and great for the league that the Lakers and Clippers are both contenders. I do like the Clippers, but I must admit, I’m a little biased. It’s really close between the two teams. The Christmas night game was just great basketball. You look at LeBron and it’s pretty incredible to be doing what he’s doing at that age, He’s the leader. Anthony Davis is an incredible talent. The size of their team is going to pose a lot of problems. There’s a reason they’re top five in offense and defense. When you look at the Clippers with Kawhi, Paul George, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, etc., along with their quality depth…this is a very well-balanced team. Both teams have a lot of star power and are really fun to watch.
As an assistant coach you built a reputation as a defensive mastermind, yet your teams in Chicago and Minnesota were top 10 in offensive efficiency. Do you like the way the league has evolved from an offensive standpoint?
It’s been changing since early 2000’s. The rules changed and it’s been good for the game. It’s a more free-flowing game. There is more skill on the floor. More teams are playing small and there is a lot more three-point shooting.
Look at what wins in the playoffs. The teams that go deep into the playoffs execute in half court and they execute in transition. We had that team in Chicago. We were top five in offense and defense and then Derrick got hurt. I felt like we were getting really close to that in Minnesota with Jimmy.
What are your plans for the next few months?
I definitely want to get out of the cold. There are more parts of Florida I want to check out, and I’ll head back to Los Angeles at some point. Maybe I’ll even pick up the bill when I have dinner with Doc. Maybe.
(Top photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)