Study Dispels Looming Concern About Knicks

The "minutes police" may no longer have a case against New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.

The end of the NBA's regular season and its subsequent playoff tournament often brings about debates concerning Thibodeau's supposed overreliance on his primary men. Such a discussion may have reached its fever pitch when Mikal Bridges, well-regarded as the NBA's modern iron man, admitted that he discussed a minutes adjustment with Thibodeau.

But a study from Claire de Lune of The Guardian states that Thibodeau's workloads aren't to blame for increased injuries among his men: with NBA injury data relatively fleeting, de Lune collaborated with independent researcher Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes, which documents medical absences in the Association.

Apr 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The results showed that Thibodeau's Knicks starters average among the fewest games lost due to injury. That carries on a trend from his days at the helm of the Minnesota Timberwolves (where his starters lost less than 10 games a year due to injuries) and such tallies in Chicago were exacerbated only by lengthy departures like those of Derrick Rose.

"Aside from those exceptions, there’s no continuous or notable trend," de Lune notes from the data. "While it’s fair to wonder whether heavy minutes might have subtle or long-term effects – and while Thibodeau’s approach may still be out of step with evolving sports science – the data doesn’t support a definitive link between his coaching style and injury risk."

de Lune notes that injuries as a whole are rising across the NBA, as data from Stotts revealed that averaged missed games are up 50 percent from where they were in 2012-13. Thibodeau, it appears, can't be singled-out for such a trend,

While it feels like the Knicks (50-30) have rarely had a full regiment to work with this year, their starters have remained fairly static: OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns have all made at least 64 starts this season with Bridges once again boasting perfect attendance. All five play at least 35 minutes a game, with Hart and Bridges pacing all NBA participants in the category at 37.7 and 37.5 respectively.

Time will tell if Thibodeau adjusts his lineup for the final two games of the Knicks' regular season, which will give them a chance to officially lock up the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks played slightly shorthanded on Thursday in Detroit, as Anunoby and Hart each sat out due to minor injuries. Brunson and Towns played "only" 29 minutes each as the the Pistons prevailed by a 115-106 final.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!