Back in 2017, after a disappointing season where his young Minnesota Timberwolves infamously blew numerous double-digit leads, then-coach and team president Tom Thibodeau clearly identified the problem.
“I reviewed the game footage, and it consistently pointed to toughness,” Thibodeau stated during that year`s media day. “We weren`t tough enough in many aspects. Our goal this summer was to change that.”
Thibodeau suggested that one of the quickest ways to toughen up the team was to bring in tougher players. So, while many teams were adopting load management to keep their stars fresh for the playoffs, the Timberwolves went in the opposite direction. They focused on acquiring a specific type of player.
“Last year, three of the 17 players who played all 82 games were on our team. And we added two more, Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague, who also played all 82. Now we have five of the 17,” Thibodeau said, expressing pride in these acquisitions. “That`s important.”
These additions didn`t even include Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, known for their resilience and having previously played all 82 games under Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls.
Eight years later, with the Knicks, Thibodeau`s strategy persists, along with the ongoing debate that has followed him throughout his career.
This season, the Knicks have utilized their bench the least and received the lowest scoring contribution from their reserves in the league. ESPN Research notes that it has been nearly 40 years since a team leading the NBA in starters` minutes reached the NBA Finals, the last being the 1986-87 Boston Celtics.
The two-time Coach of the Year`s philosophy regarding his heavy reliance on top players is a contentious issue for Knicks fans. Despite this, Thibodeau, who recently tied Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley for fourth in team wins, has guided the franchise through its most sustained period of success in a quarter of a century.
Thibodeau, whose 58% win rate is the best in NBA history among coaches who haven`t reached the Finals, believes that championship-caliber teams must develop resolve and “mental discipline” throughout the season. However, his demanding, win-at-all-costs approach raises a crucial question that could determine the team`s peak and his future with the organization:
Will this high-minutes strategy exhaust the Knicks when they need peak performance the most?
“I believe everyone has to follow their own path,” Thibodeau stated last week.
For any other team, these comments might not raise eyebrows.
However, in New York, where starters have consistently played significantly more minutes than on other teams, and where key players have often been injured come playoff time, Mikal Bridges` reflections were bound to spark discussion. Bridges leads the NBA in minutes and has played every game in his seven-year career.
“Sometimes it`s hard on the body,” Bridges told reporters in Portland last month. “We have a team good enough that our bench players can step in, and we don`t need to play 48, 47 minutes. We have many capable guys who can take on minutes, which benefits our defense, offense, and reduces fatigue.”
Ironically, the issue seemed to fade by the end of that night as Bridges, in his 41st minute, hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Blazers in overtime. Still, it was significant that a newcomer like Bridges publicly mentioned potential overuse.
Even if other Knicks players haven`t been as outspoken as Bridges, data clearly shows the team is an outlier in terms of starter minutes.
When Jalen Brunson severely sprained his ankle in overtime against the Lakers about a month ago, the Knicks had three of the top four minute-leaders in the NBA: Bridges at No. 1, Josh Hart at No. 2, and Brunson at No. 4. Even with Brunson`s absence, the starting five has played 885 minutes together, 255 more than the next closest team.
If Bridges and Hart finish the season as first and second in total minutes played, it would be the third time in Thibodeau`s coaching career (2016-17 and 2020-21 being the others) that two of his players led the NBA in minutes. Remarkably, there have only been two other seasons in the league`s 79-year history where one team had two players leading in minutes.
Thibodeau explains that he believes playing his wing players extended minutes is necessary because many of the league`s top players, like Boston`s All-Star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (potential second-round opponents), handle the ball frequently and are constant scoring threats.
“We aim to keep them matched up. If you look around the league, these top guys are playing 36, 37 minutes,” he said. “[Bridges and Hart] are primary wing defenders. That`s how it is.”
Some might argue that the Knicks` slow pace of play means the workload isn`t as demanding as the minute totals suggest. However, New York`s starters might be exerting themselves more than it appears.
Brunson, the team`s point guard, has possessed the ball for a league-high 8.7 minutes per game and leads the NBA in clutch baskets with 47. Hart, known for his physicality, is constantly diving for loose balls and has recovered an NBA-high 80 this season.
Bridges, when switching to defend ball-handlers, runs through 25 screens per game – a Herculean task, and more than any player in the league`s 12-year tracking era. Looking at potential first-round playoff opponents, NBA tracking data shows that Bridges has run 37 miles more than Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, 41 miles more than Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, and 66 miles more than Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard this season.
This context highlights why games like December`s 24-point victory against the Charlotte Hornets are notable.
The Knicks dominated Charlotte, who were missing key players. New York built a significant lead and maintained at least a 20-point advantage for the final 25 minutes.
Hart played 38 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns 39, and OG Anunoby 40. Bridges played the first 46 minutes and 30 seconds before finally being substituted.
Thibodeau has explained his reasoning for keeping starters in late, even with large leads. He refers to his time as an assistant with the Houston Rockets in 2004, when Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs to complete an improbable comeback.
“In this league, no lead is safe. I`ve seen it all,” Thibodeau said last season. “People might say, `He needs to take the starters out.` Well, my experience tells me otherwise.”
OG Anunoby`s entrance from the Madison Square Garden tunnel and his quick scores against Indiana to begin Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, after returning from a hamstring strain, had the potential to be a memorable moment.
Instead, it became a brief resurgence. Anunoby clearly lacked mobility defensively.
“You could see it on the last two plays: OG Anunoby just doesn`t have the movement,” ESPN analyst Doris Burke commented during the broadcast. “On that post-up by Pascal Siakam, [Anunoby] barely moved.”
Shortly after, Anunoby attempted to close out on Andrew Nembhard at the 3-point line but was too slow, resulting in a three-pointer. Thibodeau called a timeout, and Anunoby was taken out of the game after just five minutes. It was his last play of the season.
Things worsened. The Knicks, already missing key players due to injury, also lost Brunson to a fractured hand in the second half.
After the Pacers shot a Game 7-record 67% from the field to defeat New York, Thibodeau praised his team. “The guys gave everything they had… there was nothing left to give,” he said.
Thibodeau`s critics might point out that last year`s injury-plagued playoff run was not isolated. The Bulls frequently suffered injuries during the Thibodeau era, including Derrick Rose`s knee injuries and issues with Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. The Knicks also potentially had their 2023 postseason shortened by injuries when Randle and Brunson were hampered in the second round against the Miami Heat.
In Thibodeau`s defense, the Knicks` bench is not as deep as last year. They lost Isaiah Hartenstein and traded Donte DiVincenzo. However, a positive aspect in New York is a potential shift in their playing style.
Brunson`s recent absence might have provided him a chance to rest before the postseason. There were signs that the Knicks might have become overly reliant on him; before his injury, Brunson had scored a league-high 49% of the team`s clutch points.
During his absence, Anunoby and Bridges have increased their scoring, averaging over 22 points each, up from 16.5 and 17.2 respectively. The Knicks` defense has also improved, ranking in the top 10 since Brunson`s injury, compared to 17th before.
Are these changes, along with a healthy and rested Brunson, enough to close the gap between the Knicks and the top Eastern Conference contenders? Perhaps.
Ultimately, like Thibodeau`s demanding, persistent approach throughout the season, it comes down to perspective.
“There`s no right or wrong,” Thibodeau said. “It`s about what you believe is best for your team.”
