Tom Thibodeau’s coaching a big reason why Knicks are on verge of advancing in NBA playoffs

Two hundred and seventy-three teams in NBA history have had a 3-1 lead in a seven-game series. Two hundred and sixty teams have gone on to win that series.

So history says that the Knicks are well-positioned to get to the second round of the NBA playoffs for just the second time since the 2000-01 season.

They have a 3-1 series lead over the Cavaliers entering Game 5 on Wednesday night.

That alone is an indication that Tom Thibodeau and his staff have done a good job coaching this season.

Thibodeau & Co. changed the 2022-23 season when the coach decided to trim the rotation to nine players in early December. At the time, the Knicks were 10-13 and coming off of an embarrassing home loss to the Mavericks.

I firmly believe that they were a few losses away from major organizational changes.

But when Thibodeau shifted to a nine-man rotation (removing Derrick Rose and Evan Fournier and inserting Miles McBride), the Knicks took off.

They went 37-22 in that span and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Thibodeau and his staff have also made some key decisions in the series against Cleveland:

- Switching their screeners from Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson to guards and wings in pick-and-rolls, as detailed by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. This was a major shift from the regular season and has allowed them to take advantage of the Cavs’ pick-and-roll defense against Jalen Brunson.

- Taking advantage of the Cavs’ decision to put Darius Garland on Brunson in Game 4, as noted by Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

- Sticking with RJ Barrett after he struggled with his shot in the first two games of the series. Barrett was instrumental in Knicks wins in Game 3 and Game 4.

- Employing a defensive strategy that has limited Donovan Mitchell to 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 16 turnovers in four games.

- Sticking with a lineup that included Obi Toppin, Isaiah Hartenstein, Josh Hart, Brunson and Barrett for much of the fourth quarter in their Game 4 win. Around the six-minute mark, Thibodeau had a decision to make: go back to Randle or stick with a lineup that had outscored Cleveland by eight points in a three-minute span midway through the fourth. He chose to stick with the lineup, and the Knicks walked off the floor with a win.

Of course, Thibodeau and his staff haven’t been perfect this series. No coaching staff bats 1.000 on decisions in a single game, let alone a series.

Ben Ritholz details how Thibodeau and his staff could have done things differently earlier in the Game 4 win.

But the bottom line is the Knicks have a 3-1 series lead in a season in which they floundered for the first two months. They have a chance to get to the second round for the second time in 23 years. Thibodeau & Co. have battled through the cauldron of coaching in New York and established a winning foundation here.

For that, the coach deserves some credit.