No coach and no team get criticized more for their management of minutes during games than Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks. Practically his entire coaching career, Thibs has been put under the microscope for running his guys into the ground by playing them 40-plus minutes each and every game. This trend has continued into the playoffs with the Knicks' six-man and seven-man rotations. Whether it is Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, or someone else, it seems like anyone who is in Thibodeau's starting rotation needs to be ready to play at least 40 minutes every single game. In Hart's case, he needs to be prepared to play all 48 minutes.
While this may seem bizarre and crazy for a coach to do, what many don't tend to know is that Thibodeau, who has infamously been known for having long, grueling practices with his teams, has changed his philosophy. This season in particular, the Knicks have gone away from full practices, emphasizing a commitment to dominating all 48 minutes of every single game played.
Practice? Are we talking about practice? Brunson is having masterful playoff performances, and Hart is playing every minute of every game, but we are here talking about practice? Listen, we are talking about practice, not a game. Practice. How silly is that?
That's right Allen Iverson: We are talking about the Knicks' practices today and how Thibodeau has invested in his players by allowing them to set the standard.
The Knicks have found a lot of success since Thibodeau became head coach in 2020. They are currently in the midst of their third playoff appearance over the last four years with him as their leader on the sidelines. Obviously, Thibs deserves a lot of credit for completely shifting the Knicks franchise around, allowing their fans to take the brown paper bags off their heads and actually cheer for a product that is worthy of competing for championships. At the end of the day, the players are what make this organization special, and the Knicks have found a slew of players who not only want to be coached but who have 110 percent bought into what their head coach is preaching.
Practice. We are talking about practice.
In order to be ready for games, every professional athlete needs to practice. This is true for virtually every single sport out there. Although the Knicks still hold practices and film sessions, Thibodeau has stressed player availability and longevity for games only. If you take the court for the Knicks and Coach Thibs, you better be ready to sprint for every single second, especially if you aren't going to do so in practice.
New York has held very few all-out practices this season. During the second half of the 2023-24 season, they were virtually eliminated. In doing so, Thibodeau has ensured that his players are more well-rested, rejuvenated, and ready to give it their all for 48 minutes in any given game. The bottom line is that practice ruins players' health over time, not the games. Freak injuries happen, and the Knicks have seen this with a few of their players this season. There is simply no way to avoid injuries.
However, wear and tear tends to impact players more than in-game injuries do over the course of the season. Coincidentally enough, wear and tear occurs and forms during practices. From a player's perspective, many of them do not care or give maximum effort in practice. When it is time for a game, though, everyone is ready to go and be at their best. No player in the history of the NBA has ever complained about playing too many minutes. The Knicks and their guys take a lot of pride in being able to be durable enough for all 48 minutes of every single game, if need be, which is why Thibodeau has found so much success with changing his philosophy on practice.
Practice. We are talking about practice.
By eliminating the taxes and tolls of daily elongated practices, Thibodeau and the Knicks have formed a bond that carries over to the product they put out on the court in games. Now leading the Indiana Pacers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks are just two games away from punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. The Knicks are playing harder, and they believe in themselves a lot more due to the belief from their coaching staff that they can play longer in games than other teams.
We have seen it all in these clutch playoff games, where the seemingly tireless Knicks are still able to outwork the opposition in the final minutes. New York is 6-1 in clutch games so far in the postseason.
Are you still questioning Thibodeau's usage of minutes and the fact that the Knicks are only utilizing less than half of their roster every game? Well, Hart doesn't seem to have a problem, and he has sat for just 15 minutes through eight games in the playoffs.
How's that for practice?
Josh Hart's heavy playoff minutes
Death, taxes, and Josh Hart playing every minute of every game are the three givens in life. At least, this is what it seems like for Knicks fans right now!
Hart has been an incredible story for the Knicks, not only because of his Villanova connection with Brunson and DiVincenzo but also because of his ability to simply go out on the floor and give it his all for every minute of every game. When the Knicks acquired Hart last season, he instantly became a jack of all trades for them. Now, he is doing everything on the court for his team in 48 minutes every game. Well, virtually every game, as Hart has sat out a minute or two here and there in the playoffs.
The last time Hart didn't see at least 40 minutes in a game was on April 11 against the Boston Celtics, a game in which he recorded 16 points and 16 rebounds in the Knicks' 119-109 victory. During the playoffs, Hart has played in every minute of four different games, including an overtime game against the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round series. Many players around the league may say they are tired or sore from not checking out of the game once, but Hart has embraced this role for the Knicks.
“Thibs always asks me if I need [a break], and I always tell him no,” Hart told reporters after the Knicks' 130-121 victory over the Pacers in Game 2, via SNY's Ian Begley. “Me as a competitor; you want to play. You want to play every second. It's something I want to do. Yeah.”
Interestingly enough, Hart said he felt like he didn't “have it all” after playing 48 minutes in back-to-back games. He still managed to record 19 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 8-of-12 from the floor.
If Hart wants to come out of the game, he has the freedom to do so from Thibodeau. In fact, Thibs has checked in with his swingman from time to time during the playoffs to see if Hart needs an extra minute to rest or catch his breath during dead-ball situations. Still, Hart refuses to check out of games on his own because of the commitment he has made.
“My Lord works in mysterious ways. Today, I felt like I didn’t have it at all,” Hart said. “The whole game I was reciting Isaiah 40:29. The weak he renews strength. That was the biggest thing. He allows you to walk and not faint. I feel like I didn't have it today, but he works in mysterious ways.”
Practice. It all goes back to practice. Hart and his teammates are always ready to go for games, especially in the playoffs, because they are not sluggish or tired from long practices. All of the talk surrounding the minutes for Knicks players has been blown out of proportion because they are choosing to play as long as they are. Thibodeau reserves the right to pull them out of the game at any moment, but the relationship he's built with each of his players has allowed the former two-time Coach of the Year to understand his team better than anyone else.
This is something that resonates with those around the league.
Tom Thibodeau's ‘love-hate' relationship with players
Many players have mixed feelings about Thibodeau, given that he expects the best from his players every single day. For some, the grueling practices are just too much to ask for at the NBA level.
Then there are those who want to be coached by Thibodeau. Insert: Brunson, Hart, DiVincenzo, and practically the rest of the roster the Knicks have built.
Around the league, Thibodeau is praised for his ability to get the most out of his players. Not everyone is built to play for Coach Thibs, but when he is paired with the right players, like we are seeing with the Knicks, special things happen.
“Thibs has always been a great coach when it comes to holding guys accountable,” an Eastern Conference assistant coach who was granted anonymity to speak freely told ClutchPoints. “Some coaches don't get on their players enough, but if you do something wrong, he will call you out for your bullshit. He wants to win just as much as the players. It's why he has that personality that players either love or hate. The guys he has on his roster love him, and that's why they've been able to adjust so well to the heavy minutes and usage. Not everyone is made for that type of system.”
Another assistant coach that spoke with ClutchPoints shared similar thoughts on the Knicks' practice philosophy, claiming that player performance and minutes have been increased by the volume of long practices decreasing.
Thibodeau was made for New York. More importantly, this roster was built for him. The Knicks have tough-minded players who are willing to do what it takes and play however many minutes it takes to win games. Not every team in the league can find talents like this, which is why the Knicks have been able to turn themselves into one of the league's most successful franchises over the last few seasons.
Practice. It all starts with practice. We may be talking about the games, but it's all about the smaller practices.
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