Knicks' coach Tom Thibodeau is known to be a creature of habit. For as long as he has been in the league, the criticisms about him have remained the same. He doesn't like to change up his starting lineups, it's hard to earn his trust, he doesn't like to switch up his defensive schemes, the list goes on. In Game 5, his stubbornness to stick with Mitchell Robinson's normal sub-pattern cost the Knicks big.
This series, Thibodeau has proved to be more malleable than in years past, mainly by having his defense switch ball screens, even his centers. That was something the Knicks rarely, if ever, did in the regular season. But he still seems unwilling to shake up his lineups or rotations, even with overwhelming evidence that he should do so.
This is nothing new for Thibs. If you look at his past coaching stops, from Chicago to Minnesota, the same conversations were going on. Thibs has coached a very good series, but sometimes, very good doesn't cut it. Thibs will have to stray further out of his comfort zone to close out the Celtics.
Switch up the rotations
For the past few games, outside of instances where Karl-Anthony Towns found himself in foul trouble, Thibs has inserted Robinson into the game with a few minutes to go in the first quarter, played him for most of the second quarter, and then repeated the same pattern in the second half.
Robinson has been one of the Knicks' most impactful players all series. While he isn't the biggest of scoring threats, his screening ability and offensive rebound prowess have incredible impacts on team offense. Not to mention the obvious defensive advantages he brings to the table.
Game 5 was no exception, as the Knicks' best basketball was played in the second quarter with Robinson on the floor. They started the second half with the score knotted at 59 and with Robinson on the bench. Robinson entered the game with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter, at which point the Celtics were leading 86-74.
Assuming Robinson is no longer on a minutes restriction, Thibs needs to be more willing to read the game and play him outside of his preferred pattern. The game got away during the time when his biggest X factor was on the bench and could have stopped the bleeding.
Start him!
The other option is to change the starting lineup, which Thibs has also been unwilling to do thus far. The Knicks' starters have proven not to be effective when sharing the court this series. The Knicks' starting lineup has played 107 minutes together in the second round, the most of any lineup. In those minutes, they are -36, the worst mark of any lineup that has played at least 10 minutes together this round.
If Thibs were to replace Hart with Robinson in the starting lineup, not only would it give Robinson more opportunities to impact the game earlier, but it would also likely overwhelm the Celtics. Towns and Robinson have shared the floor for 85 minutes these playoffs and are a +8.23 in those minutes. Kristaps Porzingis has looked like a shell of himself these playoffs, and Jayson Tatum is out for the series.
The Celtics are at a size disadvantage, and having Towns and Robinson both on the floor could exploit it. The playoffs are constantly evolving, new puzzles are created as you solve old ones. Thibs will need to be willing to change too, the Knicks' fate depends on it.