Kenny Smith Hilarious Baseball Reference Over Tom Thibodeau Controversial Rotation Goes Viral

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has always faced criticism for not using all the players available to him in crucial playoff moments.

Kenny Smith Hilarious Baseball Reference Over Tom Thibodeau Controversial Rotation Goes Viral

Kenny Smith trolls Tom Thibodeau's roster management (Image via FirstSportz)

The New York Knicks have a stellar roster featuring Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and several star players. The bench is also well constructed, which means collectively, head coach Tom Thibodeau can call upon whoever he wants to help in certain situations.

However, that has not panned out as Thibodeau has often been labelled as a coach who runs his starters into the ground. He has done it in the past with the Chicago Bulls and did the same last season. This year, the trend continued as only 9 out of 15 players have had a chance to play in the playoffs.

On the contrary, the Indiana Pacers use at least 2 or 3 players more, depending on the situation. In Game 3, the Knicks continued that trend in the first half, and the starters struggled to hang in with the Pacers. They were down by 20 points with three minutes left, and it seemed as if the Knicks were about to lose again.

During the halftime show, the Inside the NBA crew discussed how the New York Knicks lacked energy. Hearing this, two-time champion Kenny Smith summed up how Knicks coach has a tendency to deploy his players.

Thibodeau wouldn’t play nine guys in a baseball game.

Kenny Smith said

Smith’s reference went viral, as in a baseball game, each side of a team consists of nine players. The North Carolina alum believes going by Tom Thibodeau‘s methods, he might not field nine players in a baseball game, even though if it is mandated.

Austin Rivers explains why Tom Thibodeau does not field many players in the playoffs

Kenny Smith’s troll was a fitting summation of how Tom Thibodeau uses his players. Even though he has 15 players at his disposal, he only uses those he wants. It is a matter of trust, as former understudy Austin Rivers explained on X.

Best way I can describe playing for Thibs… is like being son in law to Jack Byrnes. Can be a great thing…. But you gotta be in the circle of trust lol. And that can be a hard thing to do. Only so many get in.

Austin Rivers wrote

He has played under Tom Thibodeau for a while and knows how the 67-year-old head coach operates. This means Connecticut native only fields those who are part of his inner circle. That is both a blessing and a curse.

It is a blessing when players understand their head coach trusts them enough to deploy them in crucial playoff moments. It is also a curse, as this could deter other players from wanting to work at Madison Square Garden. But thankfully, Thibodeau did not commit the same mistake later in Game 3.

Knicks’ bench helps them overcome 20-point deficit

At halftime, the New York Knicks were staring at another loss to the Indiana Pacers. But then slowly, they started to chip away at the lead. In the fourth quarter, they exploded behind Karl-Anthony Towns’ 20-point performance.

Knicks starters fed off energy from the bench to win Game 3
Knicks starters fed off energy from the bench to win Game 3 (Image via NBA Spain/X)

But he was not the lone player to provide the spark. Bench players, Miles McBride, Delon Wright, and Landry Shamet might not have the offense to prove that they helped. But it was defensive intensity that helped the Knicks keep the Pacers in check.

That defense helped the Knicks mount their third 20-point comeback win of this playoffs. No matter how this series ends, tonight’s performances from those bench players should give Tom Thibodeau some insight on how they can help the team.

The Knicks have to win three more games to complete the upset. That goal, along with the need to keep his starters healthy for the NBA Finals, should coax Thibodeau to continue the new trend he started in game 3.

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