New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is one of the most successful and polarizing coaches of the 21st century. He's led three different franchises to the playoffs, but has also enlisted a controversial strategy of playing his key players massive minutes.
The response has been divided among basketball fans, with many claiming he's running his players into the ground—a criticism he's finally responded to without having to say a word.
Thibodeau's track record can't be disputed. He ended the Knicks' eight-year postseason drought, led the Chicago Bulls to their first Conference Finals appearance in 13 years, and guided the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first playoff appearance in 14 seasons.
The strategy of playing his starters well over 35 minutes has been controversial throughout his career, however, with many players even exceeding 40 on a regular basis.
When Knicks franchise player Jalen Brunson suffered an untimely ankle injury against the Los Angeles Lakers on Mar. 6, however, Thibodeau went back to the drawing board. It was an early struggle, as New York fell 105-95 to the LA Clippers a day later.
Thankfully, in the first game since the Clippers loss, Thibodeau took action to confront the criticism of his minutes distribution and produced a massive Knicks win.
Tom Thibodeau balances rotation, leads Knicks to big win over Kings
New York picked up a colossal 133-104 victory over the 33-31 Sacramento Kings on Monday, Mar. 10. OG Anunoby admittedly played 37 minutes, but only one other player, Mikal Bridges, played as many as 34.
One of the keys to victory was the balanced use of guards to help mask Brunson's absence, with Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Cameron Payne all playing significant minutes.
McBride led the charge with 21 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals in 32 minutes of play. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in a performance that Brunson himself would've been proud to produce.
Shamet stepped up in his own right, providing 13 points in 24 minutes, while Payne tallied six points and three assists in 14 minutes.
Josh Hart added another 31 minutes of action, while Karl-Anthony Towns registered 28 and Mitchell Robinson played 16 off the bench. Even players at the end of the rotation got a chance to see the court, including MarJon Beauchamp, Tyler Kolek, and Delon Wright.
It's only one game, but in the middle of a long West Coast road trip, Thibodeau changed course and valued his depth in a blowout win.
Moving forward, this approach could prove essential to New York overcoming Brunson's absence. Thibodeau has spoken candidly about the need for an all-hands-on-deck approach to filling the void Brunson has left behind, and this utilization of multiple guards is an example of putting his money where his mouth is.
One game won't change a coach's reputation, but it's a promising sign that Thibodeau and the Knicks are open to every option with Brunson sidelined.