Six crucial questions Tom Thibodeau faces as he takes over as Knicks coach

What has long been expected is now nearly official. The Knicks are expected to make Tom Thibodeau their new head coach next week barring some setback, a league source confirmed, with the two sides negotiating on a deal.

Thibodeau, 62, has an impressive eight seasons as an NBA head coach under his belt and is the most accomplished man the Knicks have hired for the job since they brought on Mike D’Antoni in 2008. Still, Thibodeau comes with some questions, and there is some ambiguity about what his hire will mean for the organization.

Here are six things Thibodeau will have to answer for when he takes the job and the Knicks start the 2020-21 season:

— What will Thibodeau’s staff look like? The coach has had mainstays with him on his staffs in Chicago and Minnesota. Ed Pinckney and Andy Greer followed him to both organizations. Rick Brunson, Leon Rose’s first client and a longtime friend, has been with Thibodeau in both cities. He has a number of trusted assistants he can count on. It’ll be interesting to see who else Thibodeau brings in. He has had a tried-and-true approach but would he be willing to bring in some new help in New York? There is a sense that Mike Miller, who served as interim coach after David Fizdale was fired, will remain on staff, but nothing has been set yet. That would bring some continuity for the Knicks and a voice who is already familiar with the players. Thibodeau also gets a head start on putting together a staff because if any other coaches do get hired they won’t get their jobs until September or August, after at least the conclusion of the regular season in the restart or after their new team has been eliminated from the playoffs.

— What will the player development program look like? It’s a significant question. The Knicks have not had much success in this area over the past three years. It’s hard to point to a player who has joined the organization and gotten significantly better. There is plenty of young talent on the roster, and the onus is on Thibodeau to do something with it. David Fizdale did not have any coach devoted solely to player development, preferring to take a holistic approach with his staff. Thibodeau, according to those who have worked with him, has a “the next game is the only game” approach to coaching. That can sometimes be at odds with development. The Knicks front office will have to ensure player development is an organizational priority and serve as a backstop if things get hairy.

— Will his defense work in 2020? Thibodeau has gained notoriety for his defenses. The vision of him on the sidelines screaming “ICE, ICE!” defines him as well as any moment he’s had in the NBA. The Bulls, under his guide, were a formidable defensive team with stalwart defenders who suffocated opponents. That reputation crumbled in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves were consistently one of the 10 worst defenses in the league in the three seasons he was there. The question as Thibodeau takes over in New York is whether the very defense he made popular is still applicable in an NBA that is much different from the one he suffocated in Chicago or whether the personnel just wasn’t there for him in Minnesota. If it’s the former, can Thibodeau change and shift to a philosophy that’s shown to be more successful now? If it’s the latter, he has a step up because Mitchell Robinson would serve as a much better defensive anchor than Karl-Anthony Towns, though other personnel limitations still apply.

— What will the offense look like? This has been addressed but really is crucial. The Knicks were once ahead of their time on offense — in 2012-13 — and have been living in the middle ages ever since. What will Thibodeau bring? His talk about running a multifaceted offense doesn’t quite put forth a true philosophy. As of right now, the Knicks don’t have any kind of bulwark they can pin the offense on either, as Thibodeau had with Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Towns in his previous stops. The Knicks need to figure out a way to develop and unlock RJ Barrett, help Kevin Knox take some strides and still allow room for Robinson to terrorize the rim.

— Does this mean the Knicks are not looking at a slow rebuild? The Knicks have been mum about their future outlook since Rose was hired — nary a word about what they intend to do. But the perception among some league executives and agents is that a Thibodeau hire means the Knicks are not in the long, slow rebuild business. Thibodeau has no history as the maestro behind a franchise’s gradual incline, and the Knicks might not have any interest in taking that route after trying the slow-and-grow approach under presidents Phil Jackson and Steve Mills. It seems difficult to imagine Thibodeau, with his “grind every possession, win every game” approach, signing up for one or two rebuilding years before the postseason is a possibility. If that’s the case, how quickly do the Knicks intend to power up, and what moves does that plan include?

— What kind of support will he get from Rose? Thibodeau had a fractured relationship with the Bulls execs by the end of his time in Chicago. Some of his issues in Minnesota, league sources said, stemmed from his two sources of power: head coach and team president. It might have done him more bad than good, less so in player acquisition and more so in how he handled the personalities in the organization. Thibodeau will just be the coach in New York. He’s good at that. He is a smart tactician. He’ll still need to be in alignment with the Knicks front office and on the same page as Rose, though, in case any disputes arise and in navigating sticky situations.