KNICKS ON THE BRINK: New York Knicks Must Expand Rotation to Spark Life into Sluggish Team
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s minutes methods are being questioned, so it must officially be spring.
Thibodeau’s drastic distributions are once again under fire as the Knicks prepare to embark on a third straight playoff run. While the correlation is fairly thin, the recent ankle injury to Jalen Brunson will likely be used as fodder for Thibodeau’s critics as the city holds its breath for news about the Knicks’ franchise face.
Former Knick and 2016 NBA champion Channing Frye is the latest to weigh in on the controversy, analyzing the situation during NBA TV’s pregame coverage of the modern New Yorkers’ Monday matchup with the Sacramento Kings.
“I played for coaches where we have our game plan and it’s not working and the coach yells ‘just do it harder!’ … We go ‘coach, you’ve got to put somebody else in, something has to change,” Frye said. “Let’s say [the Knicks] play Boston … Jayson Tatum’s over here looking at OG Anunoby gassed, he’s chilling.”
“There’s no way you can go dumb hard for 40 minutes every single night in a game,” Frye continued. “That’s why it’s frustrating, because the Knicks have all the talent in the world. Every year, it’s a repeat thing of ‘oh, man, the Knicks are really good, oh hamstring, oh foot, oh hamstring, hamstring, hamstring, knees, knees. They must have a deal with a doctor! What is going on? Give them a chance to be great. You need a break. Just give [the starters] 35 minutes.”
To Frye’s point, the Knicks’ recent postseason runs have been marred by injuries: the last two were missing the since-departed Julius Randle at full strength and there will likely be concerns about what Brunson will be able to do if and when he’s ready to return.
Throughout it all, Thibodeau has remained steadfastly dedicated to a rotation that often stays stationed at eight, even with recent injuries. Only eight, for example, played during Friday night’s 105-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, less than 24 hours after all five starters played at least 41 minutes in an overtime tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ironically, Thibodeau got to empty his bench when the Knicks dismantled the Sacramento Kings by a 133-104 final on Monday. But even then, potential risers in the wake of Brunson’s ailment (i.e. Tyler Kolek) were not inserted until the game was well in hand.
Frye, chosen by the Knicks as the eighth pick of the 2005 draft, encouraged Thibodeau to find his own Ish Smith, a reliable utility depth star that he encountered in Phoenix.
“Ish Smith, greatest dude ever,” Frye recalled. “When I played in Phoenix, he played behind Goran Dragic and Steve Nash. But when Ish came in, he changed the game because, even though he might be in for six minutes, ten minutes, whatever it was, he picked that dude up at fullcourt, we ran different plays, he brought different energy to get us going. Thibs plays six dudes, seven dudes.”
Thibodeau’s chance to heed Frye’s advice lands on Wednesday night when the Knicks hit up the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET, MSG).
