Derrick Rose has been around Tom Thibodeau for major chunks of his NBA career, teaming up in previous stops in Chicago and Minnesota before reuniting this month with the Knicks.
Rose maintains that Thibodeau seems to be having more fun in his first season with the Knicks in improvement than the former league MVP can remember from his past experience with the supposedly intense hoops coach.
“I mean, in Chicago, it was the first time I had a team. So it was different, “Rose said Monday.” But in Minny, it was seen that he was catching up with the new league. Now there are kids who are in the league. They’re young. They’re trying to find out. .
“And Thibs has more patience [now] that nothing. Just being here, appreciating the situation, appreciating it so much more, is a blessing to be here. But it can be said that now he is just a totally different person. Take a smile. I’ve never seen him smile as much as he does now. So I rub. I feel his energy. “
The Growing Knicks (14-15) will attempt to complete their first four-game winning streak of the season on Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, where a win would also move their record to .500 to 30 games after finishing last season. with a 21 -45 mark under David Fizdale and Mike Miller.
Thibodeau laughed Monday when he was handed Rose’s quote about smiling more, but he didn’t deny it either.
“When you get a team that is committed to playing each other and doing things right, I also want us to enjoy it,” Thibodeau said. “But the work component is important and it is important to sacrifice for each other. When these things happen, it’s nice. It’s a great group to be there every day. “
Julius Randle, who once again pushed the All-Star consideration with 44 points in Monday’s win over Atlanta, said something similar about Thibodeau in a pre-match appearance on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN radio.
Randle laughed for a few seconds when asked about Thibodeau, often giving the impression that “he’s never happy about anything.”
“Oh man, honestly, he’s probably going to kill me for saying it, but it’s soft on the inside, man. He’s not as tough as the person, “Randle said.” He’s definitely a beast. He’ll train you hard, he’ll be tough with you.
“But honestly, man, the process, we’re all enjoying it. We have fun with the process. We like to be trained. Viously, obviously, when you see the results of things and how things work and how we’re improving as a team, you have to have fun with the process. And we are enjoying it ”.
Randle added that “Thibodeau’s attention to detail is incredible,” especially at the defensive end of the floor. He also called his coach “a complete, safe culture change.”
“Everyone, when I talked to the boys in the summer and to the people at the reception, that was mine. I wanted someone to come in and train us hard, to make everyone accountable, “Randle said.” That’s exactly what Thibs has done. “
Rose, 32, added that rejoining Thibodeau in New York was her priority for wanting to leave Detroit, where the season began. Pistons coach Dwane Casey had said last week that he believed Rose wanted to leave simply because the team was not committed to winning.
“It simply came to our notice then. I just wanted to play Thibs, practically, ”Rose said. “I had a conversation with [Casey], and raised New York. And I was just praying for the deal to really end. ”