Knicks’ Josh Hart Defends Tom Thibodeau Against Criticism Over Player Minutes
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has long faced criticism for playing his star players heavy minutes, a trend that dates back to his time with the Chicago Bulls. This criticism resurfaced following a rough patch for the Knicks, who had won nine straight games before suffering three consecutive losses in early January. Despite the renewed scrutiny over Thibodeau’s rotation, some of the Knicks’ key players are not swayed by the criticism.
Guard Josh Hart responded to the backlash after the team’s win over the Toronto Raptors, stating, “Every year, it’s the same thing. We do the same thing as always. We have a couple bad games, a couple losses in a row, and all y’all cry about minutes, be the minute police and all that. That’s all outside noise. We’re gonna play the game the way we’re supposed to play it.”
Hart, who played 38 minutes in the game, added, “I want to be out there myself personally. So it’s just noise.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, now in his second stint with Thibodeau after previously playing under him in Minnesota, echoed Hart’s defense, highlighting that despite the constant criticism, Thibodeau remains respected and successful wherever he coaches.
The Knicks lead the league in minutes played, with Hart (37.7) and Mikal Bridges (39.1) topping the NBA. Several other starters also rank among the top 50 in minutes per game. Despite this heavy workload, Thibodeau’s coaching approach doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon, as he continues to focus on maximizing his team’s performance.
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