Despite the fact that we're still just in the first round of these NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks seem to be running on empty — and it's hard to escape the feeling that their head coach's relentless workload demands are the main reason why. New York wheezed their way to a 106-103 home loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 5, in which both Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson had to temporarily exit due to injury. After the game, Hart told reporters that his "whole body [is] bothering" him.
The former Laker seemingly injured his wrist after taking a hard fall in the closing minutes of Game 5. The veteran would return, but didn't seem to have his typical hard-nosed play down the stretch. As Hart tries to heal up ahead of what he hopes to be a series-clinching Game 6 victory, it's clear that the over-usage of the Knicks' key veterans this season has reached a breaking point.
Fatigue of Knicks top starter shows head coach short-comings
Hart, who operates as a the ultimate role spark plug for these Knicks, averaged 37 minutes per game during the regular season and ranked second in total minutes played. While it's possible that he just needs to put ice on whatever's ailing him to get back on the court for Game 6 on Thursday, it's likely that Tom Thibodeau's failure to manage his usage (and really, the usage of his entire starting five) is starting to take its toll.
Thibodeau deserves credit for developing Hart and others during his time at the helm in New York. Still, it's clear that his penchant for tight rotations are causing his most important players to be extremely susceptible to injuries. It's hard to see a world where Thibodeau changes his ways, not after this long in the league.
Considering this, it's fair to say that the Knicks may need to let him go this offseason, barring some miracle Finals run. While fans in NYC may wish for it, it's hard to see a world where this current core is able to beat Boston, Cleveland or even Indiana right now. Even Brunson himself has started to buckle, asked to play too many minutes and do too much on the offensive end thanks in part to Thibs' refusal to diversify his attack.
It's also worth noting that the squad still needs to win one more game against an extremely gritty Detroit squad, which is certainly far from guaranteed. Whether the franchise may like to hear it or not, it's obvious that the Knicks will likely held back by poor minutes management by their head coach. With this in mind, they should probably look for a different mind at the bench next season.