Tom Thibodeau spoke on the criticism that he plays his key players too many minutes during the regular season, which leads to exhaustion on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart’s ‘Roommates Show’ podcast.
Thibs mentioned that it is not uncommon for teams to have players play big minutes in the regular season. He added that almost every coach does so, but this reputation for overworking his players only seems to have stuck with him, although he did mention he didn’t care too much about the criticism.
“Yeah, I don’t ever worry about that. Like I always tell you guys at the beginning of the season – you begin with the end in mind and you prepare yourself for what you’re going to have to do all season long. There could be a game that you play extended minutes.”
“So if I said to you, ‘Josh, how many minutes did you average over the course of the season?’ – No one would say 33… Most teams right now look at the playoffs, there are three top players who are playing in the 40s. But no one says that. For whatever reason, it’s stuck with me. It is what it is, I don’t really care…”
Tom Thibodeau says that most playoff teams have their top players on the court for over 40 minutes per game, and he isn't concerned about the criticism he receives for giving his players heavy minutes
(🎥 @Roommates__Show / https://t.co/ZYPQP8BqrE) pic.twitter.com/5hw4KrFO3q
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2024
Thibodeau seems to disagree with this criticism. Thibs has had a reputation for playing his players long minutes during the regular season for much of his career, and he hasn’t wavered regardless of the results of the criticisms thrown his way. And from the conversation he had with Brunson and Hart, they don’t seem to mind playing those big minutes when asked.
Thibodeau Must Change Strategy Ahead Of Next Season
Despite his resistance, there is some merit in the arguments made against Tom Thibodeau playing his players big minutes. This season, the Knicks had several injuries to key players, including Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Julius Randle, among others.
While almost everyone except Randle was able to make it back for the playoffs, the team picked up more knocks in the postseason, and by the end, most of the roster was playing through injuries until they got knocked out by the Indiana Pacers.
Thibodeau isn’t expected to go anywhere, with most reports suggesting he will sign an extension with the Knicks in the ballpark of $10 million.
But Thibs will have to reconsider his strategy with the Knicks in some capacity if they want to improve on their playoff performance from this year. Whether that be through a big trade or a free agent signing that could put them over the top and make them a contender in the Eastern Conference.
A free agent signing could be possible, especially with reports suggesting that Jalen Brunson will take a slight discount and sign a 4-year, $156 million contract extension, which should give the Knicks ample cap space to sign another big player to pair next to Brunson and Randle.
Regardless of the roster moves, Thibodeau will have to start trusting some of his bench players more during the regular season and curtail the minutes his starters play, as it made them vulnerable to injuries in the playoffs this year, something he cannot afford a repeat of next season.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
