As the New York Knicks fell to the Golden State Warriors 94-97 on Saturday, a spat between Tom Thibodeau and Josh Hart went viral. The two could be seen exchanging words in an animated fashion during a time out.
When addressing the media after the game, Hart quickly shrugged off the incident. The veteran wing noted how the exchanging of words was in the moment, and due to both being highly competitive.
“You all know me. You know my feelings towards Thibs,” Hart said. “You’re not going to find a more loyal player. I love Thibs. I think that was just my frustration coming out with the flow of the game, my own individual performance…Yeah, I was just, you know, it was just something that just happened in the heat of the moment. I’m a competitor. Obviously, he’s a competitor. So sometimes those things happen. I don’t think it really — it doesn’t affect our relationship. It doesn’t show anything of what’s going on. It’s just two extremely competitive people in a fiery moment. I love Thibs. I love what he’s doing. And he’s putting us in the best position to be successful.”
New York’s loss to the Warriors was its 24th of the season. Hart struggled when shooting the ball during the game, ending the contest with no points on 0-for-7 shooting. He did, however, play some strong defense, grab 7 rebounds, and dish out 7 assists.
While the heated exchange certainly divided the fanbase, it’s like that both Hart and Thibodeau have quickly moved on from the incident.
Knicks’ Mikal Bridges Recently Questioned Thibs
During a March 12 pregame media availability, Mikal Bridges questioned Thibodeau’s minutes management. He noted how New York has a deep enough roster to avoid putting too many miles on the primary rotation, especially as the postseason draws near.
“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” Bridges said. “But you want that as a coach, and also talked to him a little bit knowing that we’ve got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don’t need to play 48 [minutes], 47.”
Bridges’ comments quickly sparked the revival of a discussion that tends to follow Thibodeau every season. Many believe that New York’s head coach plays his guys too many minutes, especially during the regular season. However, Thibodeau’s approach is known to bring success, which is why the Knicks sit third in the Eastern Conference.
ESPN Analyst Doesn’t Think Bridges Has Impressed
Bridges has endured an inconsistent debut season with the Knicks. For every game-winning block or last second shot, there’s an outing where he’s struggled to make an impact on the game. That’s why ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg believes Bridges was the wrong player to question Thibodeau’s rotation. The veteran analyst thinks the messaging would have been better served coming from elsewhere.
“My problem is the messenger,” Rosenberg stated. “If it was someone else, I would say this is a huge issue. …Let’s be real, before Mikal Bridges travelled 15 feet and knocked down that game-winner the other night, the conversation about Mikal Bridges was what a disappointment he’s been on this team…This was supposed to be the missing ingredient that took them to another level. He has not been that guy.”
With the postseason rapidly approaching, the Knicks must get on the same page. If the roster can get healthy, and everyone is pulling in the same direction, New York will be a difficult out for any team in the league.
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