SHENZHEN, CHINA – OCTOBER 04: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
How Tom Thibodeau can help unlock New York Knicks young star Mitchell Robinson
Tom Thibodeau has agreed to become the 30th head coach of the New York Knicks. Over the course of his 30-year career in the NBA as an assistant and as a head coach, Thibodeau (Thibs) developed a reputation as a defensive-minded coach. With Thibs’ help as an assistant, the Knicks of the late 1990s, the Rockets of the mid 2000s, and the Boston Celtics of the late 2000s ranked among the league’s best defensive units. As the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Thibs anchored a Bulls defense that was also one of the best between the 2010-11 and 2013-14 seasons.
His rosters with both the Bulls & Timberwolves featured a group of veteran players that helped complement the younger core of players. Additionally, both teams featured #1 draft picks in Derrick Rose, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The progression of top draft picks generally subside the need for significant coach-to-player development.
The Knicks, on the other hand, are a team that mostly features players under the age of 25. Their two current blue chip prospects – RJ Barrett & Mitchell Robinson – are 20- and 22-years-old, respectively, and they are both light years away from reaching their respective potentials. Therefore, a greater emphasis is needed on player development than ever before in Thibs’ coaching career.
As a result, Daily Knicks curated a multi-part series known as the Thibs Files. The Thibs Files will evaluate some very pointed goals of improvement for the (most likely) returning players on the roster. There will also be a focus on specific areas of improvement from a coaching perspective, on both the offensive and defensive fronts.
Part 1 of the Thibs Files focuses on Mitchell Robinson. The 22-year-old center has set the league ablaze with his uncanny ability to block shots and dunk anything and everything with authority. His 74.2% will be the new NBA record once the regular season ends. Despite surprising many pundits with his performance so far into his career, Robinson has a significant path to improvement—beyond simply being able to shoot the ball.
Here are 3 specific goals that Thibs should set to achieve with Mitch:
New York Knicks</a>. Over the course of his 30-year career in the NBA as an assistant and as a head coach, Thibodeau (Thibs) developed a reputation as a defensive-minded coach. With Thibs’ help as an assistant, the Knicks of the late 1990s, the Rockets of the mid 2000s, and the Boston Celtics of the late 2000s ranked among the league’s best defensive units. As the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Thibs anchored a Bulls defense that was also one of the best between the 2010-11 and 2013-14 seasons.</p>
<p>His rosters with both the Bulls & Timberwolves featured a group of veteran players that helped complement the younger core of players. Additionally, both teams featured #1 draft picks in Derrick Rose, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The progression of top draft picks generally subside the need for significant coach-to-player development.</p>
<p>The Knicks, on the other hand, are a team that mostly features players under the age of 25. Their two current blue chip prospects – RJ Barrett & Mitchell Robinson – are 20- and 22-years-old, respectively, and they are both light years away from reaching their respective potentials. Therefore, a greater emphasis is needed on player development than ever before in Thibs’ coaching career.</p>
<p>As a result, Daily Knicks curated a multi-part series known as the Thibs Files. The Thibs Files will evaluate some very pointed goals of improvement for the (most likely) returning players on the roster. There will also be a focus on specific areas of improvement from a coaching perspective, on both the offensive and defensive fronts.</p>
<p>Part 1 of the Thibs Files focuses on Mitchell Robinson. The 22-year-old center has set the league ablaze with his uncanny ability to block shots and dunk anything and everything with authority. His 74.2% will be <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://dailyknicks.com/2020/06/04/new-york-knicks-mitchell-robinson-fg-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the new NBA record</a> once the regular season ends. Despite surprising many pundits with his performance so far into his career, Robinson has a significant path to improvement—beyond simply being able to shoot the ball.</p>
<p>Here are 3 specific goals that Thibs should set to achieve with Mitch:</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1) Improve Defensive Rebounding </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-110806" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1207994289.jpeg" alt="Knicks" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1207994289.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1207994289-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 21: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks catches a rebound during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><em><strong>1. Increase Mitchell Robinson’s Defensive Rebounding Percentage</strong></em></h2>
<p>Despite racking up minutes as a reserve, Mitchell Robinson’s accomplished several impressive feats as a defender. His 2.4 blocks/game as a rookie ranked 2nd in the NBA. While he suffered a slight regression this season, his 2 blocks/game ranks 7th in the NBA. This has helped keep the Knicks in the middle of the pack in terms of blocking shots/game.</p>
<p>While Mitch earned a reputation as an intimidating shot blocker, it has come at the cost of defensive rebounding. When analyzing the Knicks’ rebounding numbers, it’s important to emphasize that leading the league in offensive rebounds/game has helped bump up their total rebounding numbers to rank 7th in the NBA. Their defensive rebounds/game rank 17th in the NBA. In other words, the Knicks are an average team at grabbing defensive rebounds, thus are average at finishing defensive possessions.</p>
<p>One of the downsides of contesting every shot is that Mitch exposed the defense to losing the rebounding battle on the defensive end. His defensive rebounding rate (DRB%) of 16% (as per <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://stats.nba.com/player/1629011/">NBA Advanced Stats</a>) ranks him 43rd out of all qualifying centers that played at least 40 games. The top 10 centers, in terms of DRB%, all average a minimum of 26%.</p>
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<p>Like life, basketball games are often determined at the margins. Each missed defensive rebound opportunity allows the offense to either get an easy opportunity to score at the basket or a wide open jump shot due to poor positioning. The defensive rebounds can be the difference between wins and losses.</p>
<p>During the 2019-20 season, the Knicks were one of the worst teams in the league in terms of opponents 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal percentage. At 38% opponents 3P/FG%, the Knicks gave up a lot of really good perimeter shots. Securing some defensive rebounds might reduce those open three-point opportunities. Securing defensive rebounds allow the Knicks to get on the fast break, resulting in better looks from the perimeter or the paint. The Knicks were one of the worst offensive teams in the league, ranking in the bottom in FG% (24th), 3PTM, 3PA, 3P%, FTA, and PPG.</p>
<p>On the flip side, a greater focus on the defensive rebounds can also help Mitch avoid fouls. While Mitch put a lot of effort in minimizing unnecessary fouls, his 3.2 fouls/game is tied for 13th in the NBA, a feat further amplified by the fact that most of the leaders ahead of him played significantly more minutes. Getting better positioning on the glass will help reduce fouls going forward.</p>
<p>Thibs’ main goal for Mitch is to emphasize the importance of finishing a defensive possession. The inability to grab defensive rebounds has a domino effect on the team’s defense and concurrently limits the upside of the offense.</p>
<p>Mitch must learn how to be judicious in contesting shots and setting himself up with better positioning to intimidate shots, box out to grab rebounds, and minimize fouls. Thibs knows all too well the temptation to block every single shot, as he was front-and-center to Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng in Minnesota. For Mitch to be a full-time starter, he will need to sacrifice contesting every single shot – and potentially reducing his blocks/game – in order to be a true defensive anchor.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2) Improve Post Defense </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-110824" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2036,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1206698307.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2036" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1206698307.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1206698307-768x489.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Memphis Grizzlies In action against Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><em><strong>Improve Mitchell Robinson’s post-up defense</strong></em></h2>
<p>For Mitchell Robinson to take the next step as an All-NBA Defender, he needs to transition from just a shot blocker to a defensive anchor. One area for improvement is his 1v1 post defense.</p>
<p>Contrary to public perception, the post-up offense is still an integral aspect in a basketball player’s repertoire. All of the elite big men – from Joel Embiid, Karl Anthony Towns, and Nikola Jokic, to name a few – utilize an excellent post up game to not only score, but to create easier opportunities for their teammates to score. The key tenets to being an excellent post-up defender include lower body strength, proper positioning, and deft footwork.</p>
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<p>During the 2019-20 season, opposing players didn’t frequently target Mitch in the post-up, but he (Mitch) wasn’t quite effective defending the position. Mitch allowed opponents to shoot 44.1% from the post, which probably doesn’t seem all too high. However, Anthony Davis only allows opponents to shoot 18.2% from the post. Factoring out superstars, Mitch’s opposing FG% looks embarrassingly high compared to guys like DeAndre Jordan (22.2%), Mo Bamba (27.8%), Ivica Zubac (28.2%), and Davis Bertans (35.5%). To add insult to injury, both Kevin Knox and Julius Randle have a lower opposing FG% in the post than Mitch.</p>
<p>In conjunction with his high foul rate, Mitch’s FT Frequency Rate of 35% – the percentage of plays that a player shoots free throws because of a foul – is effectively the worst amongst all qualifying big men. Likewise, Karl-Anthony Towns allows opponents to shoot 42.1% from the post, but his FT Frequency Rate is 14%.</p>
<p>Surely, opposing teams will target Mitch in the post as he receives more minutes. It will be up to Thibs to help Mitch improve his footwork and positioning to reduce the effectiveness of post-up plays. The Knicks are one of the worst teams in the league in fouls and opposing FT attempts. Mitch’s improvement in the post will go a long way in improving the team’s interior defense. Thibs’ experience coaching both Joakim Noah & Taj Gibson will come handy here.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3) Develop a go-to move </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-110825" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1209902935.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1209902935.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1209902935-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 27: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><em><strong>Help Mitchell Robinson develop a one-or-two dribble go-to move </strong></em></h2>
<p>During Tom Thibodeau’s coaching career, he’s been able to coach big men who are are adept with the basketball. Joakim Noah was, at one point, one of the best passing big men in the league during the Thibs era. Karl-Anthony Towns is also no slouch when it comes to having the ball in his hands.</p>
<p>Over the course of his first two years in the league, Mitch has had minimal contact with the basketball. When he does, it’s either to dunk the ball or block an opposing shot. Mitch rarely puts the ball on the floor unless there’s nobody guarding him nearby.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="light" data-text="Mitchell Robinson shows off his sick handle in workout" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/18/new-york-knicks-mitchell-robinson-sick-handle/" data-call-to-action="Related Story"> <div class="story-link-related"> <a class="story-link-related-btn" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-related-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/18/new-york-knicks-mitchell-robinson-sick-handle/"> <span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> Mitchell Robinson shows off his sick handle in workout </a> </div>
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<p>As the Knicks strive to build a competitive team, they’ll need to understand that opponents will begin to exploit Mitch’s lack of comfort with dribbling the basketball. This doesn’t mean that Mitch needs to be as deft as Nikola Jokic or even Julius Randle. He doesn’t need to have the passing abilities of Joakim Noah or even Kyle O’Quinn. However, the Knicks should entrust Mitch to perform some actions with the basketball.</p>
<p>A simple suggestion would be learning how to initiate a dribble hand-off (DHO) to get an open three. Sure, the Knicks could use more three-point shooters, but we’ve seen the effectiveness of DHOs in both the regular season and the playoffs.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Knicks CAA Files: Potential free agents" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/07/ny-knicks-caa-files-potential-free-agents/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/29/ny-knicks-thibodeau-3-goals-mitchell-robinson/"https://dailyknicks.com/2020/07/07/ny-knicks-caa-files-potential-free-agents/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Knicks CAA Files: Potential free agents </a> </div>
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<p>Another option is learning how to shoot from the post. A simple two dribble post up that leads to a hook shot can keep defenses honest. Any one of these options will do wonders in expanding Mitch’s offensive arsenal and forcing teams to respect his presence on the floor. As a result, this also opens up better opportunities for teammates to get easier drives to the paint or easier perimeter shots.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">