James Dolan says Knicks can win NBA Finals as constructed - ESPN

New York Knicks owner James Dolan, in a rare radio interview, said he expects his team to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Dolan appeared on New York station WFAN Monday afternoon and touched on a myriad of subjects, delivering extensive comments on the firing of Tom Thibodeau last summer and stating he doesn't foresee the Knicks making a big personnel move with the trade deadline one month away.

On Thibodeau, Dolan gave the coach credit for reviving the Knicks and instilling a program but stands behind his belief a change was needed in order for the Knicks to take the next step. Thibodeau had just led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 before he was fired.

«All last year, we were talking to Tom about where we wanted to go,» Dolan said. «He would tell you that he's stubborn but he'd tell you that he's right.

»The team is really built on Tom Thibodeau. He built that core. We went as far as we did last year, so you really have to take your hat off to Tom. But we did come to the conclusion on how we wanted to organize the team, and that meant we needed to evolve, beyond the old traditional coaching formulas."

Developing a bench and not wearing down the starters was a concern Dolan and Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose apparently expressed to Thibodeau last season. New coach Mike Brown has taken heed of the edict, and the Knicks entered Monday night's game at the Detroit Pistons in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Dolan still endorsed Thibodeau as a head coach for another franchise. Thibodeau had similar results with the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

«I won't say you can't win a title with Tom Thibodeau, I don't know that's