Tom Thibodeau is one of the most celebrated coaches in the NBA, but there are valid criticisms about him.
Some New York Knicks fans are unhappy with how hard he pushes his players, especially throughout the regular season.
But writing on X, Justin Termine said this approach isn’t a bad thing.
In fact, Termine believes it is currently helping the Knicks.
“Thibs playing his guys huge minutes all yr is a good thing, not bad. Knicks spent all season training their bodies for big minutes in important games. Meanwhile on other teams it’s a shock to the system when all of a sudden guys need to play 40+ minutes,” Termine wrote.
He added, “So lay off the guy.”
Thibs playing his guys huge minutes all yr is a good thing, not bad.
Knicks spent all season training their bodies for big minutes in important games.
Meanwhile on other teams it's a shock to the system when all of a sudden guys need to play 40+ minutes.
So lay off the guy.
— Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) May 6, 2025
Thibodeau doesn’t go easy on his players and will demand a lot from them night after night.
It is not uncommon for his biggest stars, such as Jalen Brunson, to consistently play 40 minutes a night.
The problem for many is that this can lead to serious injuries and fatigue.
Last year, for example, much of the roster was hit by the injury bug as they were attempting to get through the playoffs.
With that being said, Termine thinks this sets the Knicks up for big success.
On Monday night, they were playing against the Boston Celtics, and he feels most of the stars in Boston aren’t used to being pushed so hard.
They were caught off guard, and this gave New York the advantage and ultimately the win.
The Knicks have been preparing for these big moments, and it paid off on Monday night.
Now they just have to remain incredibly competitive and healthy in order to overtake the Celtics.
NEXT: Former NBA Player Praises Knicks For Impressive Win Against Celtics
