Former Bulls, Knicks head coach visits Cavs’ practice

As Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers gear up for arguably their most consequential season of this era, they are soliciting any and all advice. Former NBA head coach Thom Thibodeau attended the Cavs’ practice on Tuesday, according to Atkinson, to gather his feedback. There has not been any indication that the Cavs have hired Thibodeau in any capacity.

“We’re a continuous learning organization, seeing who can we learn from,” Atkinson said after practice. “I’ll ask for his feedback, what he thought of practice.”

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Thibodeau, 68, did not coach in the NBA last year after being fired by the New York Knicks. Prior to that, he spent five seasons with the Chicago Bulls (2010-2015) and another three years with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2016-2019).

Atkinson said he “pretty much feels comfortable” with anybody in the coaching circle visiting or going to visit them. While the exact reason for Thibodeau’s visit was not explained, it is not uncommon for teams to ask for information from former coaches — or even bring them on board. The Cavs also hired former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger as a consultant in 2023-24, before being whisked away to join Doc Rivers in Milwaukee.

In his time as both an assistant and head coach, Thibodeau gained a reputation for building elite defenses. In his first four seasons with Chicago, the Bulls posted a top-six defensive rating. The Knicks teams he coached also consistently finished in the upper tiers of most defensive metrics, despite not having a traditional anchor center. The Cavs, after losing their edge on that end last season, are looking to get back to being a top defense.

Like those Bulls teams that had Joakim Noah at center, the Cavs have a traditional big in Jarrett Allen. And, again, like the Chicago teams of that era, the Cavs do not have a strong defensive backcourt. Atkinson, mostly known for his offensive scheming, very well could be looking to Thibodeau for tips on upgrading the defensive game plan. Thibodeau ran a heavy help defense with aggressive pick-and-roll coverage, a real “hair-on-fire” mentality that relies on disciplined rotations and strong closeouts. The Cavs, many times last season, were one or two steps late on rotations and looked slack in getting back on defense after a miss. With an upgraded Eastern Conference, the Cavs must be better on defense if they not only want to advance to the NBA Finals, but just get back to the Conference Championship as well.