Thankful For Tom Thibodeau

We haven't talked much about Tom Thibodeau if only because there's not much else to say.  The guy is a fantastic defensive assistant coach.  That goes without saying.  He's going to put his name in for head coaching positions, and he has the support of the Celtics organization in that pursuit.  So far he's come up empty.  About the only question still out there is "Why hasn't he gotten a head coaching job yet?"

Some have started speculating that there's some kind of personality or player management concerns that GMs have about Tom.  The Globe has some quotes from Jeff Van Gundy (who Tom worked under in Houston) that seem to dispute that.

"I have no doubts, when Tom gets his chance to have one team, one GM, or one owner to believe in him, he's going to hit the ball out of the park," Van Gundy said. "I think he has every component you would need. He has the X's-and-O's ability, the communication skills, leadership skills, and an even-keeled demeanor. He has great passion, but he is under control.

"He studies everything very thoroughly and he was very humbled to be a part of that process both in Philadelphia and Sacramento. And he thought very highly of both processes and both situations. It was good for him."

Now Jeff might just be pumping up his friend and former co-worker.  But regardless, he's giving Tom a ringing endorsement to someday get a head coaching job.

And if you want to speculate further (why not? it is the summer after all) you can always read between the lines a little bit.  At times Doc has expressed a desire to spend more time with his family and some have speculated that he might eventually take a few years off from the game.  Doc could certainly pick up another analyst job with flexible hours and get paid quite well for his efforts.

That, of course, would open the door for Tom to succeed Doc as the head coach.  I wouldn't bet on Doc walking away while the Big 3 are still together and competing for Championships, but when that window starts closing, it wouldn't surprise me to see Doc exit stage left.  He would even have the option of returning to coaching a few years later with a Championship ring and Coach of the Year award on his resume.  Not a bad position to be in.

Regardless of all that, I'm thankful that Tom Thibodeau will remain in Boston where he can work with KG and the rest of the Celtics to restore the defense to Championship levels.