Knicks' Tom Thibodeau Talks Lineup Changes, Says 'Everything Is Always on the Table'
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Thursday that "everything is always on the table" when asked about the possibility of shaking up the team's starting lineup or closing group after blowing a double-digit lead to the Indiana Pacers in the final two minutes of Wednesday's Game 1 loss.
As SNY's Ian Begley noted, New York's starting 5 is a stunning minus-68 in the playoffs.
"You do what gives you the best chance to win," Thibodeau noted in his presser while speaking on the possibility of lineup changes. "You also need players who are effective with the bench unit. Then what starters are you going to play with the bench unit? So I think it's twofold. How does it all work together?"
One option for New York could be moving center Mitchell Robinson into the starting group. The Knicks have a net rating of plus-8.4 when Robinson plays, per NBA.com, and are minus-5.4 when he sits, though some of that could be partly down to him playing against second units.
That would also mean potentially bumping Precious Achiuwa's minutes with the second unit, or largely staggering Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson outside of the start and close of games.
Another option might simply to be to give a number of bench players, such as Robinson and Miles McBride, more minutes. The Knicks have largely run an eight-player rotation throughout the postseason, with Mikal Bridges (523.3 minutes), OG Anunoby (521.5 minutes), Jalen Brunson (505.8 minutes), Josh Hart (487.8 minutes) and Towns (467.6 minutes) out on the court for a huge chunk of the time.
For context, all five Knicks starters rank in the top 10 in playoff minutes. The only other player from the four teams remaining in the postseason who is top 10 in minutes played is Oklahoma City's Shai-Gilgeous Alexander (440.7 minutes), ranking 10th.
Thibodeau has long been known for giving his starters heavy minutes. The downside is that it risks wearing a team out, both late in games and as the postseason progresses.
Expecting him to change in the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals is probably folly, of course. But after watching the Pacers erase a 14-point deficit in less than three minutes to close out Game 1, before winning in overtime, one would think Thibs would at least consider a few potential changes when it comes to the rotation.
