If it looks like Tom Thibodeau can’t coach a club unless he lets both Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose sneak through the locker room, so be it.
Gibson and Rose have a lot in common: the typical Thibodeau disciples.
They both played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota. And this season, Thibodeau took a big step to get them both to New York for second stints.
On Sunday, the Knicks basically agreed to trade for Rose in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and a second round in 2021 to add more offensive firepower.
“I have known [Rose] my whole career – we came in together, ” Gibson said after the Knicks lost to the Heat on Sunday. ‘He’s a competitor. He’s a great guy. “
Only a bit of a player these days, Gibson stands out as a backup center when Nerlens Noel’s knee is acting. With Noel from a second game in a row, the 35-year-old Brooklyn native had signed his best game since last month – scoring nine points and shooting 4-for-4 from the floor in 16 minutes.
Rose will play a bigger role, but like Gibson, learning the system will be second nature.
“He’s one of those guys who’ve been through the system – just like me,” said Gibson, who didn’t play in his first eight games after joining the Knicks. “We know what Thibs actually wants. day puts in 100 percent effort, 110 percent defense. At the same time just come in and be vocal and understand what to do. “
It is unclear how serious Noel’s injury is. The expert shot blocker missed games on and off to rest his knee. So Gibson’s role could get bigger. Sunday marked the fifth game that Noel missed this season.
“I thought he played really well and when Nerlens is back he will be ready for any part we ask him to play,” Thibodeau said of Gibson. “It has always been with him. Start him early in his career. “Get him off the bench. Whatever the team needed, he took care of it. He’s a great teammate, a great leader.”
The addition of Rose won’t help Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina’s chances of returning to the rotation. Knox did not play in his fifth consecutive game while Ntilikina was serving his eighth consecutive game.
The Pistons preferred Knox to be included in the rose trade, but the Knicks may be saving him for another deal.
The Knicks complete the home-and-home game against the Heat on Tuesday in Miami.