Tom Thibodeau Keeps Exhausting Starters In Every Game This Season

Tom Thibodeau’s reputation for overplaying his starters has been a recurring topic in the NBA, and this season has been no different. In the New York Knicks’ recent 132-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Thibodeau leaned heavily on his primary players, with three of his five starters logging over 41 minutes. Josh Hart played 43 minutes, Mikal Bridges logged 42, and Jalen Brunson added 41 minutes to his tally. Even Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby were on the court for 39 and 36 minutes, respectively. 

This reliance on his starters, even early in the season, raises questions about the potential long-term impact on player fatigue and injury risk.

Currently, the Knicks are 4-5, not the start they were hoping for given the ambitious moves they made in the offseason to build a competitive roster. Despite a lineup featuring significant talent, the team has yet to find consistency, and Thibodeau’s rotation has only added to the scrutiny. 

Mikal Bridges, for example, is averaging a team-high 37.8 minutes per game, followed closely by Josh Hart with 36.7, and OG Anunoby with 36.0. Brunson and Towns aren’t far behind, averaging 34.9 and 32.9 minutes per game, respectively. This pattern is reminiscent of Thibodeau’s approach in past seasons, where his dependence on starters led to increased injury risks before the playoffs even began.

The wear and tear on players became evident last season when several Knicks players entered the postseason already worn down or sidelined. Despite a solid start to the playoffs, their exhausted lineup struggled to keep pace, ultimately losing in the second round. Thibodeau’s insistence on short rotations, often limiting his bench players to single-digit minutes, has consistently fueled concerns that his strategies are unsustainable over an 82-game season.

In Sunday’s game, the Knicks’ high-minute starters appeared fatigued in the fourth quarter, allowing the Pacers to pull away. Indiana exploited New York’s defensive lapses, shooting 21 three-pointers at an impressive clip, including eight in the final period. New York’s defense faltered as the Pacers drained shots from beyond the arc, while the Knicks struggled to respond with only seven threes of their own.

This reliance on starters over extended minutes is emblematic of Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy, which values effort and grit but often comes at the expense of player endurance. It’s also worth noting that Thibodeau’s rotation choices limited his bench contributions on Sunday, with Miles McBride being the only reserve to log more than 10 minutes. 

As a result, the Knicks looked overmatched in the fourth quarter, a recurring issue this season, especially during close games against teams with deeper rotations.

Offensively, the Knicks performed well, with Brunson scoring 33 points and Towns contributing 30. But their defense, which struggled to contain Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, ultimately cost them the game.

As the season progresses, the Knicks will need to find a balance that allows their starters to play high-impact minutes without risking burnout. Thibodeau’s tendency to overplay his key players may yield short-term gains, but the potential for injuries and fatigue could hamper the team’s postseason aspirations.