The New York Knicks are widely known for playing their starters a large amount of minutes. It’s a method that has followed Tom Thibodeau for essentially his entire head coaching career, and while the strategy has led to one of the Knicks’ best seasons in franchise history, it can have a big effect on the postseason.
The Knicks are taking a big risk with their minutes distribution ahead of the playoffs
The Knicks have started the process of giving some guys a rest before the playoffs. OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson all rested on Thursday against the Pistons, but Mikal Bridges still played 33 minutes and Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each logged 30.
The rotation might look even more different Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but with only two games left, it is reasonable to be concerned about fatigue possibly settling in. The Athletic’s Law Murray seconds that concern.
“The minutes police have been loud all season. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are Nos. 1 and 2 in total minutes played this season. OG Anunoby ranks ninth. Karl-Anthony Towns ranks 26th. And Jalen Brunson ranks 50th. Brunson’s injury allowed others to step up, though, and New York survived his absence by going 9-6. Brunson is back in time with him needing three more games to reach the 65-game award threshold,” Murray wrote.
The Knicks have given their starters a lot more minutes than the bench
Thibodeau has been long criticized for not using his bench players more, though the production they have provided (or lack thereof) has only strengthened Thibodeau’s strategy. The Knicks’ bench ranks dead last in points per game with just 21.3, with the next lowest being the Sacramento Kings at 26.0.
The Knicks starters, meanwhile, have performed as one of the best starting groups in the entire league, which has led to their second consecutive 50-win season. OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns are all having career seasons, and they have all taken the big leap the team was hoping they’d take.
The playoffs are only a week away, and it will be interesting to see how his rotations shape up. The starters will all likely play close to 40 minutes each game of the playoffs, so fatigue will be something to seriously monitor.