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Tom Thibodeau’s Heavy Starters Minutes Concerning Knicks Fans

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Tom Thibodeau’s Heavy Starters Minutes Concerning Knicks Fans

The New York Knicks sit at 24-12 on the first Monday of 2025. They are having their best season in over two decades, but lingering worries remain. The loudest of these concerns, at least for the fanbase, is the heavy minutes the starters have played. Knicks fans are growing more and more unhappy with the extreme workload their guys have shouldered early in the year. Are they right to be upset?

Tom Thibodeau’s Heavy Starters Minutes Concerning Knicks Fans

Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has always operated this way. He trusts his guys above all others, and it takes years for young players to earn meaningful minutes. If he doesn’t think you’re ready to play, he won’t play you, regardless of the effect on his worn-down rotation players. New York’s lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges has played 610 minutes together. That is 192 more than the second-place group, Minnesota’s starters.

To be fair to Thibodeau, New York’s depth has been an issue all season, with injuries to several of their playable bench guys.

Is Thibodeau Being Unfairly Criticized?

The question of whether NY’s headman deserves the ire of Knicks’ fans is more complicated than it seems. Sure, having the top three guys in minutes played seems less than ideal, and likely won’t result in perfect health when the games really matter in April, May, and June. However, there is no proof that playing more minutes throughout the year leads directly to injury.

Furthermore, there are benefits to the heavy minutes the starters have played. For a lineup that was assembled just this offseason, the reps are crucial. This factor has been obvious already, as the Knicks have clearly gelled from all this time on the floor and are playing their best basketball of the season. Being the most commonly used five-man group in the league will help New York be at their best in the postseason.

Depth Is An Issue, But Thibs Has To Trust The Bench More

As mentioned before, injuries have tested the Knicks’ depth this season. Mitchell Robinson is still out with an ankle injury. Deuce McBride, Precious Achiuwa, and Landry Shamet have missed 58 total games. This has given Thibodeau the choice between playing starters absurd minutes or trusting unproven rookies Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti. Although it is understandable to lean on his reliable guys to win as many games as possible, Thibodeau should keep a long-term perspective. It could be better for the future to keep the starters more rested and give opportunities to help young players develop.

Thibs Must Stop Keeping Starters In Blowouts

Easily the most indefensible aspect of the Thibodeau minutes debate is his tendency to keep starters in fourth quarters where the result is no longer in question. He regularly has his entire top five still out there in situations where it is essentially impossible to lose. This puts unnecessary wear and tear on starters, risks injury, and prevents young players from developing with in-game minutes.

Last Saturday in Chicago, Towns suffered a knee injury, but stayed in for nearly the entire fourth quarter until a hard fall forced him out for good. Towns’ scoring was the only thing keeping NY in a game that was slipping away, but Thibodeau has to be able to use context and sit him down.

Leon Rose and the Knicks front office are surely looking for trade options to deepen their rotation. Getting Robinson back healthy will help lessen the burden on their best players.

However, playing starters heavy minutes together is beneficial when the game is still in the balance. Putting extensive tread on their tires in meaningless regular season situations could hurt NY in the playoffs. There’s simply no reason for it.

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