MIAMI. After a season rife with rotation and starting lineup doubts, Tom Thibodeau has expressed concern that the media and social media are trying to drive a wedge between his team by pitting players against each other.
The central theme of the ruined season revolved around the ongoing questions about whether some guys are getting enough playing time.
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Thibodeau finally got sick of it after the Knicks’ thrilling 111-103 victory over the No. 1 Heat on Friday night, when backup point guard Immanuel Quickly and three rookies in McBride, Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims spurred a comeback.
When asked about the outburst of the young shooters, Thibodeau took a defensive stance and the press conference took an unexpected turn.
“You guys are trying to nitpick this, nitpick that,” Thibodeau said. “You need everything during the season. Thibodeau added that every player is vital, naming others who didn’t make the same impact on Friday, R.J. Barrett, Burks, Mitchell Robinson, Randle who didn’t compete.
Tom ThibodeauAP
“It’s a team, not a single thing,” Thibodeau said. “You can’t take the final result and say how many people watch the game to the end to know exactly what happened in the game. I see a lot of opinions, but I don’t see guys who are really looking into it.”
Thibodeau, the 2021 NBA Coach of the Year, most likely wasn’t referring to the team’s full-time beat writers, but to the Knicks’ many fan podcasts and what is proudly called “The Knicks on Twitter” – perhaps the most edgy fan conglomerate on the social network. . – spectrum of media.
“This is where we are in society today. Social media,” Thibodeau said. “Look, hey, this is part of the game. We love it. It drives the game. He is more popular than ever. But personally, I don’t like anything that corrodes the fabric of the team.
“So people want to take one game, whether it’s a win or a loss, and they’re like, ‘Well, this, this, and this. A guy can make one good move in a game and he has nine bad moves. Or, conversely, he makes nine good moves and one bad move.”
Thibodeau was most offended by allegations that he mistreated Walker, who ended up shutting him out during the All-Star break, as well as allegations that he stifled Toppin’s growth due to lack of playing time, sources said. .
Thibodeau’s mention that a player can make one brilliant play and nine bad ones may be a reference to Toppin hearing “Oh-bee” cries after one roll.
“I just want to say that everyone has all the answers right after the game and often they don’t learn,” Thibodeau said. “And I don’t want anything to separate our team. I want our team to be together. That’s how you win – as a team. You are losing as a team.
“So, when I see that something is being written or people are talking about this, about that. You hear it all the time, and then when you actually study it and watch the game again, or maybe you watch it a third time, you really know what happened.”
It’s not uncommon for a head coach to lash out at the media for their doubts, but it was odd to come after perhaps the most impressive win of the season, which though barely saved their season. After the road wins in Charlotte and Miami, the Knicks (32-42) travel to Detroit for the Sunday brunch five games before the final playing slot.
That the Knicks kids contributed to the win, and that they won two games in a row without Randle, Thibodeau likely suggests, will spark more talk that he should get younger.
Quickly, who scored 20 of 23 points in the fourth quarter, said his teammates were used to the forum.
“No, social media will always be social media,” Quickly said. “The best players in our game are ridiculed on social media. Someone will always have an opinion. It doesn’t necessarily make it right or wrong, but you can’t get hung up on it. Social media is something you can’t control, so you’re just trying to move on.”