The New York Knicks are reeling from a Game 2 loss against the Pistons and head coach Tom Thibodeau sent a major indirect message to one of the stars of the team in his postgame press conference.
Thibodeau told reporters after the game that he choose to keep Mitchell Robinson in the game at the end of the first half because Robinson "was the one rebounding."
Tom Thibodeau said he closed the first half with Mitchell Robinson over Karl-Anthony Towns because "Mitch was the one guy rebounding."
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) April 22, 2025
Towns and Thibodeau have a deep past that goes back to the veteran's second year in the league in Minnesota, with the coach eventually being let go by the Timberwolves during the 2017-18 season. The five-time All-Star is an elite offensive big man who struggles to play in the traditional big man role. He scores inside and out, but is a sub-par rim protector and can struggle on the glass. Towns had 23 points in New York's Game 1 victory on 71 percent shooting from the floor.
In all fairness, he was a lot more aggressive in Game 1 on the boards, as he ended up with 11 rebounds, compared to just 6 in Game 2. Although the Knicks may lose some rebounding power when KAT is on the floor, it's clear that he should be involved in the Knicks offense regardless of whether Thibs likes it or not.
Thibs indirectly tells Karl Anthony Towns to get more physical
While Towns might not always fit the archetype of what Thibodeau wants in a big man, it's clear that New York needs the big man to be involved in the offense if they want to win this series. They're giving up something to Detroit on the interior when he's on the floor but he's what makes their offense work.
Still, it's more than likely that the Knicks will not get past the second round of the playoffs if Thibodeau doesn't adjust to the roster that he currently has. His inability to adjust to the talent that he has on the floor could put him on the hot seat if the Knicks lose to the Pistons in the first-round.