As the NBA playoffs are coming to an end, the New York Knicks have been eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Pacers. With the Knicks lineup ravaged by injuries and underplaying, fans and players have begun questioning the Knicks’ coaching. The Knicks losing out have a great chance of winning the finals, but the coaching may become problematic as they play more formidable opponents. As the season ends, we will see the effect of the injuries on the Knicks’ elimination against the Pacers.
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau has recently been a target for the Knicks’ injury problems. Knicks’ stars Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Bojan Bogdanovic have all suffered injuries during the playoffs, and it is suspected that Thibodeau increasing them in minutes has caused these injuries. If more Knicks’ players go down with injury, it could be the end of Tom Thibodeau’s coaching tenure.
With star players going down, the criticism of Tom Thibodeau has only increased with the Knicks’ recent elimination in the playoffs. Many fans believe that the reason for the loss against the Pacers came from the injuries of Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. Knicks fans on Twitter/X have mostly had the same opinion, with one saying, “Tom Thibodeau is a sick man … this is his 3rd franchise where he has run his players into the ground come playoff time.”
Although his coaching led the Knicks to the playoffs, his coaching style led to the injuries of the star players who got them to the playoffs. However, Tom Thibodeau has been most heavily criticized for the surplus of minutes he gives his players during playoff time. These extra minutes have led to injuries, which were the main reason for the eventual series loss to the Pacers. For this reason, many people believe he should be in a role like bench coach, where he has previously found success, instead of being a head coach. A deeper analysis of his coaching methods reveals that during the regular season, he is excellent at limiting minutes and going into surpluses when needed. Nonetheless, during the playoffs, he puts his players on lower rest and higher minutes than any other coach in the league.
Although the public does not perceive Thibodeau as an amazing coach, his players love him. Knicks player Josh Hart says, “None of those guys are here watching us practice. This is the seventh year of my career. I probably had the most off days over the years. …. Everybody thinks we do three-hour practices of scrimmaging.” Hart’s remarks reflect what many Knicks players think: Thibodaux is not responsible for the team’s injuries. However, many fans and other people around the league are dissatisfied.
Despite the controversies surrounding Thibodeau, the Knicks are looking to give him a new contract extension, and he is staying in New York.