The Knicks job is far from desirable

The New York Knicks are searching for a new head coach. Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his duties on June 3, despite leading the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Throughout his five-year tenure, Thibodeau slowly turned the Knicks from a dysfunctional laughing stock into a genuine powerhouse in the East. However, it would appear the front office is looking to inject a fresh voice to help get the team to the next level.

As Brian Windhorst pointed out, the Knicks' job is one that comes with some potential pitfalls.

"It is a flawed roster," Windhost said via ESPN's First Take. "The reason that they are no longer playing is because the flaws in their roster were exploited by the Indiana Pacers...They also just ran a gentleman out of there who was their most successful coach in two decades, who had back-to-back 50-win seasons and made the conference finals. The standard that you're going to have to overachieve on is going to be very difficult, and you're going to do it in the hottest media market in the country. So it is a complex job."

The Knicks' two best players are defensive liabilities. Jalen Brunson doesn't boast the size needed to be a high-level perimeter defender while Karl-Anthony Towns has shown limited upside as a defensive big throughout his career. There's also a lack of genuine depth within the rotation.

Therefore, New York's next head coach will be stepping into a situation that will likely see them fall short. Anything less than the conference finals will be seen as a regression from the Thibodeau era. That's a tough sell, especially for a coach either looking to establish a new home in the league or, worse, to prove themselves at the NBA level. 

Thibodeau overachieved with the current Knicks roster. And now, the next coach will suffer the consequences of trying to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, established coaches would be wise to remain patient and look elsewhere for their next step in the league. Otherwise, their reputation could take a nosedive in the coming months.