"That's the reality" - Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau defends decision to play Jalen Brunson and starters heavy minutes

Despite New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges' plea for fewer minutes, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau seemingly has no plans to give his starters additional rest.

In an interview with the New York Post published Wednesday, Bridges expressed apparent concern about his and his fellow starters' workloads. The two-way player entered Wednesday tied for first in the NBA in minutes per game with his teammate Josh Hart (37.8).

Meanwhile, Knicks forward OG Anunoby ranks seventh in mpg (36.6), while stars Jalen Brunson (35.4) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35.1) are in the top 25.

"Sometimes it's not fun on the body," Bridges said. "But you want that as a coach, and I also talked to him a little bit knowing that we've got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in, and we don't need to play 48 (minutes)."

Bridges added that increased bench usage would boost New York's energy on both ends of the court.

"We've got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes, which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points," Bridges said. "It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there."

However, ahead of Wednesday's road matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Thibodeau denied speaking to Bridges about his playing time. The veteran coach, notorious for overworking his top players, added that his need to do so this season has been undeniable.

"Well, we never had a conversation about it, but the facts are the facts," Thibodeau said.

Thibodeau highlighted how the injured Brunson (ankle) and Towns' minutes align with other stars. He then outlined how wing players, like Bridges, Hart and Anunoby, need to play more because they're "matched up with primary scorers."

The two-time NBA Coach of the Year also pointed out that Bridges' minutes "have (gradually) gone down," leaving him fairly content about his usage.

"Are they playing a little bit more than I would like? Yeah, probably 35 or 36 (minutes) is where you — that's where Mikal is," Thibodeau said. "If you look at the last 10 games, he's playing 35 minutes a game, and four of those games (went to) overtime. So, that's the reality."

The Knicks (41-23) entered Wednesday positioned third in the Eastern Conference, so some may argue that Thibodeau's approach is paying off. Nevertheless, they rank last in the NBA in bench scoring (21.5 points per game), a potentially concerning mark for a team looking to contend.

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Tom Thibodeau says critics of his coaching style don't understand Knicks or their matchups

Later in his media availability session, Tom Thibodeau was asked why criticism surrounding his minutes allocation has been so consistent. He noted that it stems from his detractors not paying attention to New York's games.

"You guys follow the team. You should know what the matchups are and how it works," Thibodeau said. "Oftentimes, you have people that look at it (who don't understand)."

Thibodeau further illustrated how if a superstar player like "LeBron James is on the floor for 40 minutes, the guy who's guarding him will be," too. He added that he's "not gonna put in (his) bench against LeBron."

Thus, it appears Thibodeau will continue doing whatever it takes to eke out victories, even if it means regularly overextending his entire starting five.

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