Knicks Rumors: Pros and Cons of hiring Tom Thibodeau in 2020

Con: Minutes

The number one issue that people seem to have with Tom Thibodeau is how he distributes playing time. In an era that’s all about pacing and spacing, Thibodeau has continued to play his stars and starters upwards of 35 minutes per game.

The game has changed from being three-point line in to three-point line out, and playing such heavy minutes is a surefire way to overextend one’s body.

The narrative surrounding Thibodeau is that he runs his players into the ground, and thus shortens the length of their respective careers. There have also been complaints that he doesn’t treat injuries with the respect they deserve, with Derrick Rose in 2012 being the most glaring example.

That’s a concerning thought for any franchise, let alone one with younger players who are thus believed to be able to handle increased playing time.

It’s worth noting that Thibodeau has spent the past year traveling the basketball world, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. The reason behind this has been his desire to adapt to modern expectations of an NBA head coach, as well as understand new strategies for team management.

If decreasing the workload for his players is one of the new strategies he’s willing to implement, then perhaps this won’t be a con after all.

It’s simply a matter of seeing it to believe it.