Thibodeau tweaks Knicks lineup looking for consistency, defense
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Brad Penner
As the Knicks have struggled to find their footing this season much of the blame from fans — as well as from some factions of the front office — has been placed on the coach, Tom Thibodeau, who is well accustomed to the pressure.
But as the heat has grown, Thibodeau opted this week to make a change — refining the rotation and minutes to reflect the priority he has always placed on defense. If he is going to be blamed anyway he’s at least going to do it his way.
He dropped Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose completely from the rotation — following suit to a move earlier this season to put Evan Fournier on the bench. Now, with Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup, he has limited the backcourt subs to Immanuel Quickley and Deuce McBride.
“I think every player has different strengths and weaknesses and it’s how the group functions together,” Thibodeau said. “I think you’re looking at all those factors. What’s going to make one group — you want to try to cover up whatever weaknesses you might have. But everyone has strengths; play to your strengths, cover up your weaknesses. Putting guys out there that fit what we need is the important thing.”
The Knicks have endured a roller coaster of a season so far, most recently suffering an embarrassing loss to Dallas Saturday at Madison Square Garden in which the Mavericks turned a 15-point deficit into a 32-point lead, and then following it up Sunday with a win over Cleveland in which they held the Cavs to just 81 points.
There certainly may be more changes to come than a lineup tweak. The Knicks have been shopping nearly everyone on the roster, but most ardently looking to move Reddish, Fournier and Quickley. A Daily News report Wednesday said that the team was working with Reddish’s representatives to find a new opportunity for him. But that is still easier said than done.
The Atlanta Hawks worked with Reddish last season to try to accommodate his wishes for a larger role, but when the Knicks were the only team that would bite on the asking price of a first-round pick they shipped him to New York and he was buried in an even lesser role than he had in Atlanta. He is a restricted free agent at season’s end, so he has a stake in proving himself now.
“I mean, these are all the challenges that I think every team has over the course of the season,” Thibodeau said when asked if a trade could alleviate the roster logjam. “Sometimes it’s resolved. It might be injury, it could be foul trouble, whatever it might be. But the whole idea is to move the group forward together. So what gives us the best chance to move forward together successfully? So you have to make some tough decisions somewhere along the way. But everyone has to understand that they are important and an important part of the team. I know for example, with Derrick, if he’s not in there I know he’s helping the team. And that’s an expectation that I have for everyone.”
It’s not a surprise that Thibodeau has high praise for Rose with the long relationship the two have. But Fournier has also taken the high road and waited out his turn.
“I expect everyone to be professional and to put the team first,” Thibodeau said. “Yeah, that is an expectation. I know it’s not easy. We’re asking everyone to sacrifice. For some guys, it’s not starting. Some guys maybe they’re not in the rotation. And that’s not easy. But you have to determine and settle on a rotation, and so it doesn’t mean it’s that way forever. Things can change very quickly in this league and they often do.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
