New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has developed a reputation for running his players into the ground, but Knicks star Jalen Brunson thinks that narrative is largely derived from the torn ACL Derrick Rose suffered with the Chicago Bulls back in 2012.
When asked by Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks why Thibodeau is the coach players are least likely to play for, Brunson blamed it on the injury that happened over a decade ago.
“A narrative, a narrative that has stuck with him since probably Derrick got hurt,” Brunson said. “And it’s unfortunate that that whole situation happened. Once a narrative hits you, it’s kind of hard to shake it unless you do something drastic. So I feel like if we win, that narrative could wipe from Thibs.”
Rose suffered the torn ACL in Game 1 of their first-round 2012 playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls—who were coached by Thibodeau at the time—were up by 12 points with 1:22 remaining, and Rose was still in the game.
Since then, Thibodeau has been widely criticized for pushing his players too hard. In these most recent playoffs, for example, some Knicks players were frequently on the floor for over 40 minutes. To be fair to Thibodeau, that was chiefly due to injuries, but some argued that the injuries may not have happened had Thibodeau gone easier on his guys during the regular season.
Either way, one cannot deny that Thibodeau did an incredible job in New York this season, leading the Knicks to a 50-win campaign. Apparently, New York's brass loves the work he has done and may be providing him with a contract extension soon.
Jalen Brunson may be the Knicks' most beloved star since Patrick Ewing
The Knicks signed Brunson during the summer of 2022, and since then, he has established himself as one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA.
He averaged 24 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 35 minutes per game during his debut campaign in the Big Apple, shooting 49.1 percent from the floor, 41.6 percent from three-point range and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Then, this past season, Brunson one-upped himself, registering 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.1 boards across 35.4 minutes a night on 47.9/40.1/84.7 shooting splits. He made his first All-Star appearance as a result and also finished fifth in MVP voting. On top of that, he was named Second-Team All-NBA.
Most importantly, Brunson led the Knicks on a rather thrilling playoff run, guiding them to a six-game win over the 76ers in the first round before ultimately bowing out to the Indiana Pacers in seven games in Round 2. Brunson logged 32.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game throughout the postseason.
The 27-year-old is probably the most beloved basketball figure in New York since Patrick Ewing. Sure, the Knicks had Carmelo Anthony, but Anthony did not seem to galvanize the fanbase like Brunson. It surely helps that Brunson has been a part of better teams, too, but that may also be due to his excellence.
New York is getting set to enter a pivotal offseason in which it will try to further elevate itself in the contender conversation. The Knicks will have to get creative due to financial constraints, but you can bet that they are now an attractive destination after spending years mired in irrelevancy.
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