Knicks Rumors: Latest Buzz on Mike Miller, Frank Ntilikina, More

The New York Knicks officially announced Tom Thibodeau as their head coach at the end of July, and they are hoping the former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves coach can help turn the franchise into a winner.

And it seems increasingly likely the Knicks will give former interim head coach Mike Miller a spot on Thibodeau's staff.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported Monday the Knicks are "expected" to offer Miller a position for next season, and he previously noted Miller and former Knicks and Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson both have "strong internal support" from members of the organization.

Miller guided the Knicks through a tumultuous period after the firing of David Fizdale in December. New York was 4-18 at the time of his dismissal, had the worst record in the Eastern Conference and tied the franchise record for the worst start in team history. However, Miller would slowly get things back on track.

While more front-office moves—notably the firing of former team president Steve Mills—threatened to distract from the progress on the court, Miller helped New York attain some semblance of respectability. Miller went 17-27 as interim head coach, and youngsters like R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson appeared to play with more fluidity.

Thibodeau has established a reputation as a hard-nosed coach who demands a lot out of his players, especially on the defensive end of the floor. There are some questions as to how he will be able to coach a young nucleus after his rather unsuccessful stint with the Timberwolves.

At the same time, the 62-year-old seemed to hint at a focus on player development and seeing what young players in New York's pipeline have to offer (h/t Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic):

“You want to set up your development plan for the summer, it carries over into the season. You have pre-practice and then of course practice is part of development as well. Then post-practice. But I think game time is important also. So for young players not getting the appropriate amount of time to develop, we will utilize the G League. I think that's become a big part of our league. We'll certainly take advantage of that."

Thibodeau likely understands he is entering into an entirely different situation than he had in Chicago or Minnesota, where former No. 1 overall picks such as Derrick Rose and Karl-Anthony Towns awaited him. At the same time, this might end up being a slow and grinding process that tests every facet of the organization.

Retaining Miller might serve as a boon for both Thibodeau and the players due to his familiarity and experience handling the various personalities on the Knicks roster.

Knicks Leadership Disputed Player Development

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

There might be a reason Thibodeau alluded to player development at his introductory press conference.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported former vice president of player development/G League operations Craig Robinson had a dispute with general manager Scott Perry regarding the roles and minutes allocated to young players like Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and Dennis Smith Jr.

According to Berman, Robinson suggested these players should have spent more time in the G League to get more consistent minutes and hone their respective games. But Perry felt sending the players to the G League would be regarded as a "demotion" and believed they were better-served practicing and gaining knowledge from the Knicks' coaching staff.

Ntilikina, Knox and DSJ are all former first-round picks who have disappointed in New York.

The Knicks drafted Ntilikina, a French product, ahead of Smith in 2017, but he has shown limited capabilities as a perimeter shooter and offensive playmaker. He averaged just 5.8 field-goal attempts per game, shooting below 40 percent from the field and averaging 6.3 points in 20.8 minutes. While he has shown some upside in his ability to guard, the 22-year-old is often a detriment to the team's floor spacing.

Smith had a strong rookie campaign with the Dallas Mavericks, but he has struggled to replicate his offensive potential since coming to the Big Apple as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

The 22-year-old averaged just 5.5 points on 34.1 percent shooting, while also committing nearly four turnovers per 36 minutes.

Knox was New York's first-round selection in 2018, and the Knicks were banking on his upside as a shooter and someone who could get to the rim off the bounce. But the 20-year-old is shooting just 33.7 percent from deep for his career, and he saw a marked decrease in minutes this past season.

It remains to be soon how Thibodeau and Co. will handle some of the team's young assets going forward. But it is possible the likes of Ntilikina, Smith and Knox will have shorter leashes as the Knicks look to be more competitive next season.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.