In 2017, Tom Thibodeau identified a lack of toughness as a problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves. To address this, he focused on acquiring players who exemplified this trait, emphasizing durability and resilience in his roster choices. Fast forward to his tenure with the Knicks, and Thibodeau's approach remains similar, yet controversial. The Knicks rank last in bench usage and scoring, raising concerns about the sustainability of relying heavily on starters, a strategy rarely yielding playoff success in recent decades.
One of the quickest ways to increase the team's toughness, Thibodeau suggested, was to infuse more of it into the roster. So despite a slew of teams leaning into the league's load-management strategy to help keep their stars fresh for the postseason, the Wolves did the opposite.
Eight years later, with the Knicks, Thibodeau's strategy remains. So has the debate that has followed the 67-year-old throughout his career.
Looking at this season, no team has played its bench less frequently or gotten less scoring production from its bench than the Knicks.
It's been almost 40 years, dating back to the 1986-87 Boston Celtics, since a team that led the NBA in starters' minutes reached the NBA Finals.
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