Tension in New York? Mikal Bridges Calls Out Thibodeau’s “Plantation-Style” Rotation!

For years, Tom Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy has been both praised and criticized. He demands relentless effort, values defensive intensity, and trusts his starters to carry the load—often at the expense of their legs.

But now, even one of the NBA’s most durable players is speaking out.

Mikal Bridges, the league’s modern-day ironman, has never missed a single game since entering the NBA. He’s played through pain, fatigue, and long minutes.

Yet, in a recent interview with the New York Post, Bridges openly addressed what many have been saying for years—Thibodeau is running his starters into the ground.

“Sometimes it’s not easy on the body. As a coach, you always want your starters to play more, but we have a really good team. We have great bench players. We (the starters) don’t need to play 47 or 48 minutes every game.”

That wasn’t just a subtle suggestion—it was a direct challenge to Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy.

The Heavy Workload: Knicks Starters Pushed to the Limit

Bridges isn’t just talking for the sake of it. The numbers back him up.

• Mikal Bridges: 37.81 minutes per game (2nd in the NBA)
• Josh Hart: 37.82 minutes per game (1st in the NBA)
• OG Anunoby: 36.6 minutes per game (6th in the NBA)
• Jalen Brunson: 35.4 minutes per game (19th in the NBA)
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 35.1 minutes per game (23rd in the NBA)

The Knicks have three players in the top six for most minutes played per game—something almost unheard of in today’s NBA.

Even Bridges, who had previously averaged under 35 minutes per game in Phoenix and Brooklyn, is being pushed to new limits under Thibodeau.

Earlier this season, before the New Year, Bridges was leading the entire NBA in minutes, logging an exhausting 39.2 MPG in the first 32 games. Since then, his minutes have slightly dropped, but only because his teammate, Josh Hart, took over as the league’s new minutes leader.

In other words, Thibodeau isn’t reducing the load—he’s just redistributing it.

Former Players & Analysts Sound Off

This isn’t the first time Thibodeau’s minute-heavy approach has been criticized.

Former Knicks player Channing Frye didn’t hold back when discussing the issue:

“Nobody can play 40 minutes every game. That’s why it’s so frustrating. The Knicks have all the talent in the world, but every year, it’s the same story—oh, the Knicks are great, oh, someone’s hamstring is shot, someone’s foot is broken, another knee injury. It’s like they have a deal with the doctors or something. Give them a real chance to be great—let them rest. 35 minutes is enough.”

This pattern has followed Thibodeau for years—from his Chicago days with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng, to his time in Minnesota with Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, and now in New York.

His hard-nosed philosophy has produced tough, gritty teams but often at a cost—late-season injuries, fatigue in the playoffs, and a roster running on fumes when it matters most.

Thibodeau’s Response: Defiance as Always

Unsurprisingly, Thibodeau didn’t take kindly to Bridges’ comments.

“We never had that conversation. But the reality is, wings play more minutes because they’re guarding the best scorers. Mikal’s minutes have already been reduced and will continue to be managed. OG is an elite defender, and Hart never wants to come out. We adjust based on matchups—if LeBron is playing 40 minutes, the guy guarding him has to play 40 minutes too.”

Classic Thibodeau.

Instead of acknowledging any potential issue, he doubles down on his philosophy, emphasizing matchups and defensive responsibilities over workload concerns.

But this isn’t just about matchups. It’s about long-term sustainability.

The Knicks’ Success vs. The Risk of Collapse

The Knicks are having one of their best seasons in decades.

At 41-23, they currently sit third in the Eastern Conference. If they continue at this pace, they could reach 55 wins for the first time since 1997.

But success comes at a price.

• Jalen Brunson recently injured his ankle—while playing extended minutes.
• OG Anunoby has battled nagging injuries—and continues to log heavy minutes.
• Karl-Anthony Towns has a long history of injuries—yet is playing 35 MPG.

One wrong step, one awkward landing, one overworked muscle away from a season-altering injury.

If Thibodeau doesn’t adjust, all of this regular-season dominance could mean nothing come playoff time.

Will Thibodeau Ever Change?

This is the million-dollar question.

Thibodeau is a proven winner, but his stubbornness has also been his downfall.

His teams fight hard, defend with intensity, and grind out wins—but his refusal to adjust his rotation has cost him before.

The Knicks have the talent to make a deep playoff run, but fatigue and injuries could derail them before they even get started.

The formula is simple: Give the starters more rest. Trust the bench. Keep players fresh for the postseason.

Will Thibodeau listen?

If history tells us anything, probably not.

And if that’s the case, Knicks fans better enjoy this run while they can—because come April, the wheels might just fall off.