Bleacher Report's case against Knicks winning 2025 NBA title is extremely weak

The New York Knicks front office assembled the perfect roster for Tom Thibodeau. The arguably best defensive wing duo plays for the Knicks. What more could Thibs ask for? Jalen Brunson? It's a good thing the coach has him, too.

Brunson's arrival helped breathe hope back into the fan base. He led the team to consecutive playoff appearances in his first two seasons in New York. He's entering his third season (his first as Captain), and expectations are higher than ever.

The Knicks pushed in their chips for Mikal Bridges this summer. He's not the star many assumed New York would get, but there's no denying he's an upgrade. Leon Rose has turned the Knicks from an afterthought to a contender. Even in a stacked Eastern Conference, the team is predicted to finish at the top.

What could go wrong for New York? Well, anything. Last season, the Knicks' season was dampened by injuries. The reality is that in an 82-game season, a lot can happen that can derail a team's championship hopes. The Celtics are favorites to win the title again, but there's no guarantee that'll happen.

Bleacher Report says Tom Thibodeau could hold Knicks back in 2024-25

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus compiled a list of the top-10 title favorites and created a case for each team's reason not to win the NBA Finals. For the Sixers, Pincus wrote that Joel Embiid and Paul George haven't gotten it done at the highest level yet. For the Celtics, he wrote that Boston could face a more challenging opponent if the team returns to the Finals.

Every Knicks fan should know what Pincus wrote about the Knicks. Why? Because it's the same narrative that's been used against New York since Tom Thibodeau was hired in 2020. Pincus wrote:

"The Knicks look like they're poised for a strong season, but can Tom Thibodeau manage his players' minutes so they're not burnt out and injured in the playoffs? Historically, he can't seem to help himself—he's a great coach, but he tends to grind his players down with a heavy workload."

Remember last season in the playoffs when New York's roster was depleted, and Thibodeau played Alec Burks? The veteran guard did well, which caused many people to wonder why Burks was out of the rotation in the first place. They didn't watch the Knicks after the Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic trade. Burks was unplayable.

ESPN and MSG Networks' Monica McNutt said it best:

You can't blame Thibodeau for New York's injuries last season. The Knicks were unlucky. Thibodeau did the best with what he had. Let's not forget that he guided the team to a No. 2 finish in the East, even with an injured roster.

If you believed what you heard, you'd think New York players would lead the league category for most minutes played per game in a single season. In 2023-24, Brunson came in at No. 14 with 35.4 minutes per game. DeMar DeRozan was No. 1 with 37.8 minutes per game in 79 contests. Brunson was the lone Knick in the top-25.

The narrative that Thibs runs his players into the ground is old. He hasn't escaped it since Derrick Rose tore his ACL in 2012. Opposing players think playing for Thibs means you're going to go 100 miles per hour in every workout and practice. Donte DiVincenzo addressed that misconception.

Is Thibodeau perfect? No. Does his stubbornness get in the way sometimes? Yes. We have to stop pretending that his main goal is for every starter to play 48 minutes every game, though.