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If it looks like Tom Thibodeau can’t coach a club unless Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose are prowling the locker room, well, so be it.
Gibson and Rose have a lot in common – the quintessential Thibodeau disciples.
They both played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota. And this season, Thibodeau has made a big effort to get them both to New York for a second stint.
On Sunday, the Knicks agreed in principle to trade Rose in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick to add more offensive firepower.
“I knew [Rose] my entire career – we’ve come together, ” Gibson said after the Knicks’ loss to the Heat on Sunday. “He’s a competitor. He’s a great guy.
Gibson is just a small player these days, fulfilling the role of a save center when Nerlens Noel’s knee acts. With Noel out for a second straight game, the 35-year-old Brooklyn native has enjoyed his best game since signing last month – scoring nine points, shooting 4-for-4 from the floor in 16 minutes.
Rose will have a bigger role, but like Gibson, learning the system will be second nature.
“He’s one of those guys who’s been around the system – like me,” said Gibson, who didn’t play his first eight games after joining the Knicks. “We know what Thibs basically wants. As long as you give 100% effort every day, 110% defense. At the same time, you just have to come in and express yourself and understand what you need to do. ”
The severity of Noel’s injury is unclear. The expert shot blocker intermittently missed games to rest his knee. Gibson’s role could therefore be more important. Sunday marked the fifth game Noel has missed this season.
“I thought he played really well and when Nerlens comes back he’ll be ready in whatever roles we ask him to play,” Thibodeau said of Gibson. “It has always been with him. Even at the start of his career, start him, get him off the bench. Everything the team needed, he provided. He is an excellent teammate, an excellent leader. ”
Adding Rose won’t help Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina’s chances of getting back into the rotation. Knox did not play in his fifth straight game while Ntilikina missed his eighth in a row.
The Pistons preferred Knox to be included in Rose’s business, but the Knicks could save him for another deal.
The Knicks complete the home and away game against the Heat on Tuesday in Miami.
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