Knicks' Tom Thibodeau pushing all the right buttons, outcoaching his competition

If it wasn’t clear before Game 4, Jalen Brunson’s play on Sunday removed any doubt that he’s the best player in this Knicks-Pistons series. 

Brunson had 15 points and two assists in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks back from a 10-point deficit in the Game 4 win. He finished with 32 points on 50 percent shooting, 11 assists, two turnovers and two free-throw attempts. 

This is no slight to Cade Cunningham, who is an incredible young player. If he remains healthy, Cunningham is going to be one of the top guards in the NBA for a long time. But to say Cunningham is the best player in this series is to ignore what’s happening on the court. 

Another Knick outplaying his competition? Tom Thibodeau. The oft-criticized head coach pushed the right button often in Detroit this week. 

After taking just three shots in the second half of Game 2, Karl-Anthony Towns has gotten the ball – and delivered – over the past two games. 

In Game 3, the Knicks got Towns open looks from the perimeter early on. 

On Sunday, they got him touches deep in the paint.

The Knicks built double-digit leads early in both games.  

If you’re going to criticize Thibodeau for Towns’ play in Game 2, doesn’t he also deserve some credit for what Towns did over four days in Detroit?

“(There’s) a lot of people who don’t give him that credit, but I’m happy to say he puts us in position where we’re prepared, we’re ready, and he lets us play,” Brunson said on Sunday.  “… He lets us talk things out. He talks things out, too. But for the most part, he’s gonna let us play, he’s gonna let us figure it out, and we’re gonna have to figure it out together. He puts us in position to be successful, and that’s how he’s been since I’ve known him.”

The Knicks have succeeded often under Thibodeau. They have reached the playoffs in four of his five seasons as head coach. They’ve won 50 games in back-to-back seasons. Still, the stakes were high for Thibodeau coming into this series. If the Knicks failed to get out of the first round, there would have been a lot of tough conversations in the offseason. Those conversations would include an assessment of the head coach. 

But Thibodeau’s Knicks took care of business in Detroit this week. They come home with a 3-1 series edge. 

The last time the Knicks took two straight road games in a playoff series, Thibodeau was a 41-year-old assistant coach. 

Rick Brunson was a 26-year-old guard. It’s been a while. 

That Knicks team reached the NBA Finals. This Knicks team has the same championship aspirations. 

First, they have to finish off Detroit on Tuesday. No matter how it plays out that night at the Garden, you can be sure Thibodeau will have the Knicks well prepared. 

“We’re always, I feel like, one of the best prepared teams in the league,” Josh Hart said Sunday. “That’s a credit to him and his philosophy. Now we’ve gotta roll that into Game 5.”