Knicks' coaching options after firing Tom Thibodeau; Stanley Cup Final preview, predictions

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🏒 Good morning to all, but especially to ...

THE EDMONTON OILERS AND THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

Will Lord Stanley's Cup finally return to Canada, or will we see just the third title repeat of the 21st century? Those are two of many storylines as the Oilers face the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year, with the series opening tonight in Edmonton.

This is the fifth repeat Stanley Cup Final matchup in the expansion era (since 1967), and after Connor McDavid's up-and-down 2024 Final ended quietly, he gets another chance to cement his legacy as an all-time great, Chris Bengel writes.

Bengel: "McDavid has logged seven NHL All-Star Game appearances, won the Hart Trophy as league MVP on three occasions, led the league in points five times, and even won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last season. Realistically, the only accomplishment that McDavid has failed to complete is winning a Stanley Cup. ... While there's plenty of talented players around the league, McDavid has assumed the title of the face of the NHL."

One might not expect a hockey dynasty to come out of South Florida, but that's exactly what the Panthers have built. Austin Nivison says the Panthers' winning is a major win for the NHL, too.

Nivison: "Florida has hit on its high draft picks, found some diamonds in the rough and been aggressive when elite talent hits the trade market. ... The Panthers have built a fun team with legitimate star power, and the community continues to embrace the franchise and the sport. That should give the league some hope that it can expand its reach into less traditional hockey markets well into the future."

So, who wins? Chris and Austin made their picks, and they're in agreement.

👍 Honorable mentions

Micah Parsons says he'll attend Cowboys mandatory minicamp.
Travis Hunter made a crazy interception at Jaguars practice.
Jalen Carter is getting even better.
The Steelers and the Dolphins reignited trade talks regarding Jonnu Smith. Here's why he'd be a good fit in Pittsburgh ... and potentially for Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Macdonald doubled down on Sam Darnold as the Seahawks' starter.
Here are the burning questions for the NFC North.
These are the odds and best bets for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as well as Josh Edwards' fantasy projections for rookie running backs.
Adam Finkelstein has NBA comparisons for the top six 2025 NBA Draft prospects.
The Magic unveiled new uniforms, and I think two of the three are pretty good!
The Rockies finally won a series!
Despite going hitless, Jac Caglianone looked the part in his MLB debut.
TJ Friedl robbed a home run to preserve a Reds victory.
Georgia landed four-star safety Justice Fitzpatrick, younger brother of Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Fever got their first win without Cailtin Clark, beating the Mystics, 83-75.
NIL trailblazer NiJaree Canady has helped carry Texas Tech to the Women's College World Series championship series.
The USWNT cruised past Jamaica, 3-0.
The soccer summer transfer window is open.
Peyton Manning joined the Denver NWSL expansion team's ownership group.

🏀 And not such a good morning for ...

TOM THIBODEAU

Tom Thibodeau's reward for leading the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 was a pink slip. New York fired its head coach three days after losing to the Pacers.

Thibodeau, 67, went 226-174 in five seasons in New York. That included 50+ wins each of the past two seasons, the first time the franchise has done that since 1993-94 and 1994-95.
New York fell to Indiana in six games, struggling mightily when franchise pillars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns shared the court.
After the loss, Sam Quinn explained why firing Thibodeau might be the only way to get New York to the next level, and now here we are. James Herbert unpacked the controversial, multi-layered decision.
Still, the news stunned notable players and fans alike.

There are many ways the Knicks could go, with both their roster and their coach. Sam wrote on a potential Towns-for-Kevin Durant trade, and with the Suns' asking price supposedly coming down, maybe that's the big move.

Regardless of what happens with the roster, it needs a coach. Sam has six names to watch in the Knicks' coaching search, including ...

Quinn: "Jeff Van Gundy -- Can I interest you in a feel-good story? Van Gundy is the last Knicks head coach to achieve more success in the role than Thibodeau did. He resigned in 2001, a decision he's long regretted. ... Van Gundy was out of coaching for 17 years, but his return to the bench for the Clippers last season was an unmitigated success. He served as the defensive coordinator for the NBA's third-ranked defense, and he did so using a variety of creative schemes and flexible lineups."

There are the obvious college connections, too. After pondering the Lakers' opening last offseason, could Dan Hurley leave UConn? David Cobb says maybe. What about Jay Wright, who coached the "Nova Knicks" when they were, in fact, at Villanova?

👎 Not so honorable mentions

Yes, the Steelers are desperate for Rodgers. Given their recent quarterback history, can you blame them?
C.J. Stroud (shoulder soreness) isn't throwing at OTAs.
Jihaad Campbell (shoulder) won't be ready to participate in team drills until August.
Corbin Burnes (elbow inflammation) landed on the IL.
Rafael Devers owes it to those around him to try first base, Matt Snyder writes.
There's still no timeline for Cameron Brink's (knee) return.
Lorenzo Musetti beat Frances Tiafoe despite an unsportsmanlike conduct warning, and Tommy Paul lost to Carlos Alcaraz, extending the American men's French Open semifinal drought another year. Here are Tuesday's results.
What went wrong for No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 2 Texas in the NCAA Baseball Tournament? Here are more takeaways.
Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter apologized for an outburst that included him appearing to use a homophobic slur.
Simone Inzaghi is out at Inter.

🏀 Thunder vs. Pacers NBA Finals: Six big questions

We're one day away from the Thunder hosting the Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a series featuring the postseason's best defense against the postseason's top shooting team.

James has six big questions that will determine the series, including that very matchup.

Herbert: "How can the Pacers pick at OKC? -- The Thunder offer the Pacers no small, overmatched guards or clumsy, slow-footed bigs to pick on. ... Indiana won't be able to run set plays that put two weak defenders in the same action because there will never be two weak defenders on the floor. What Indiana has to do instead is consistently exploit smaller advantages. Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren are excellent defenders, but when they're on the floor together, the Pacers need to test the Thunder's willingness to A) switch them onto Tyrese Haliburton and B) get into rotation."

⚾ MLB's 2025 All-Fun Team

Sure, sports can put you through the wringer. That's fandom.

But at the end of the day, sports are fun. It's fun to watch awesome athletes be awesome. It's fun to watch a game with no rooting interest.

And if that fits you as a baseball fan with the dog days ahead, allow me to share with you Matt Snyder's 2025 All-Fun Team, where I was overjoyed to see James Wood's name pop up in left field. (Hey, let this Nationals fan dream of better days ahead!) Next to him, in center field, is a player whose team just beat Wood's Nationals.

Snyder: "Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs -- He was already fun last year and that's before he was a threat with the bat. He got a little hot down the stretch last season to a point where 1) we knew he had to play every day, due to his value on defense and on the bases, and 2) there was hope for a decent offensive season. Instead, he's become an utter force at the plate. He's on pace for a 40-40 season at age 23 while sitting toward the top of the RBI leaderboard and still having the ability to bunt for a hit. All this from a guy who skates around the outfield like prime Andruw Jones. Are you kidding me?"

This hypothetical roster would indeed be very fun to watch ... and was very fun to read about.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚾ Angels at Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 Game 1: Panthers at Oilers, 8 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🥎 Game 1: Texas vs. Texas Tech, 8 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Mets at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network