A coaching change brings with it with an expectation that the product will look different. You don’t fire a coach to maintain the status quo.

In the case of Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal, the reasons were more rooted in managing relationships and personalities than the Knicks’ on-court product.

But these things are often intertwined.

Theoretically, players and staff are happier and produce when their roles are defined, when they’re playing more often, when they have the ball in their hands, when they feel appreciated, when their problems are acknowledged and addressed, when they identify as an important part of the plan.