The New York Knicks have a 27-16 record, which is very good and a better pace than they were at this time last year. However, it still feels as though they are playing under expectations and are inconsistent in several areas, especially on defense.
Kevin Garnett believes that the Knicks starters are playing too many minutes
NBA legend Kevin Garnett chimed in on what he believes is the root of their struggles. The Hall of Famer suggested on his podcast with former teammate Paul Pierce, “Ticket & The Truth,” that the reason for the Knicks’ misfortunes is head coach Tom Thibodeau’s distribution of minutes.
“At some point, you got staff, you got assistants, you got a GM, you got presidents [who should tell Thibodeau to stop playing the starters so much]. And, it’s a data league, bro. Data is probably telling you, ‘Hey, the starting 5 is playing way more minutes than the average starting 5 in the league.’ So I’m sure he’s heard this. It goes back to what Paul just said, [Thibodeau] is so stuck in his ways and he knows how to win one way, man,” Garnett said.
There is some truth behind the starters playing a heavy dose of minutes. Four of the five Knicks starters are in the top five in total minutes played, and Mikal Bridges leads the NBA in total minutes and minutes per game.
Two things can contribute to this: One, the starters have done a good job overall at staying healthy and not missing many games, and two, the Knicks don’t have a deep enough bench to justify giving the starters some extra rest. The Knicks rank dead last in bench points per game and are a clear weakness on the roster.
Garnett wants the players to speak up
Garnett added that the players should speak up about the increased workload to Thibodeau.
“On top of that, no one has told Thibs – including the players. If I’m Karl-Anthony Towns or I’m (Jalen Brunson), I’m pulling Thibs in the room and I’m saying, ‘Listen.’ It’s a players league, they can get this off. Thibs so stubborn, though, that I don’t know. But it’s going to have to be something. Because you can’t go up against the Bostons, the Clevelands and not have a bench,” Garnett said.
One of Thibodeau’s signature coaching methods is playing a shorter rotation. With Mitchell Robinson having not played this season, the Knicks have been running a glorified eight-man rotation, and fatigue from the starters clearly settles in late. New York has a -4.1 net rating in the fourth quarter this season, which is the sixth-worst in the NBA.
The Knicks have a very talented roster across the board, but perhaps Thibodeau needs to find a way to give his starters an extra to avoid burning them out. The trade deadline is a few weeks away, and there is a chance that the Knicks could make a move or two to address the lack of depth.