It’s been a while since the New York Knicks made the All-Star Break as a top-8 team in the Eastern Conference, and all signs point towards putting an end to their playoff drought once and for all.
The Knicks have developed a strong defensive identity under coach Tom Thibodeau and, for the first time in years, fans actually have something to look forward to every single night they set foot on the Madison Square Garden.
And, even though the coach deserves a lot of credit for such a quick turnaround, you also have to give Julius Randle his flowers, as he’s been the best player on the team and even got his first All-Star nod.
That’s why ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith – who’s also a well-known Knicks fan – is so concerned about Randles’ load ahead of the second half of the season, as Thibodeau is infamous around the league for wearing his players out before the playoffs:
“You can’t have Julius Randle playing back to back, 38 minutes and 40 minutes per night like he did prior to the NBA All-Star break. You can’t have stuff like that happening, you don’t want to do that to him… You have to monitor the minutes guys play because of Thibodeau’s reputation in Chicago. That’s what you have to be careful of,” Stephen A. Smith said.
Stephen A. has a valid point here. Even though Randle is still just 26 years old, Thibodeau has a history of completely draining his players. That just can’t happen again.
Thus far, the former Lakers forward is averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.9 three-pointers per game on 48/40/80 shooting splits and nearly 37 minutes a night, and it’s pretty clear that they’ll only get as far as he can lead them. So, hopefully, for the first time ever, Thibodeau will be more careful with his players’ minutes as the playoffs approach.
