After falling 4-2 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau says the team faces a “big offseason.” He emphasized the need to review the season, focus on the draft, free agency, trades, and player development to prepare for a stronger 2025-26 campaign.
The New York Knicks season came to a disappointing end after falling 4-2 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
32
|
| Tyrese Haliburton | |
| Points | 21 |
| Accuracy | 9-17 |
| Rebounds | 6 |
| Assists | 13 |
After the 125-108 defeat in Game 6, Tom Thibodeau shared his thoughts on the team’s direction moving forward.
According to SNY’s X (formerly Twitter), he described the offseason as a crucial period for evaluation and growth.
“Like you would do after every season, you take a step back,” Thibodeau said. “You decompress. You take a deep dive on the team, and then you analyze what you think you need to improve upon.”
“We have the draft, and then, we have free agency, then, there are trades, and then, there is the internal development. Then, it’s the study and preparation for next season. So, it’s a big offseason for us,” the coach added.
The Knicks faced an uphill battle, overcoming a 3-1 deficit just to push the series to six games. Despite the loss, Thibodeau hopes the defeat will fuel the team’s motivation in the next season.
“There’s disappointment because you fall short of what your goal is,” Thibodeau admitted. “In the end, there’s only going to be one team that achieves the goal. And so I think the challenge for us is to look at it for what it is. We finished in the top three, but we’re falling short of the ultimate goal.
“So for us, it’s to use that for motivation and determination to work all summer to prepare ourselves to make the final step and keep improving so we can achieve our goal,” he concluded.
