The New York Knicks are now 0-2 down in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was another close loss, which people are pinning on the head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
After going down 0-2, the New York Knicks are in trouble against the Indiana Pacers. It has been a rough Eastern Conference Finals for the Knicks, leading to them receiving flak. ESPN’s prominent pundit and noted Knicks fan, Stephen A. Smith, was one of the big critics.
His primary issue with the Knicks was Tom Thibodeau‘s rotations. Benching Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth quarter was a big decision, which Thibodeau defended. However, that has kept him on the frontline for the critics.
The Knicks could be easily up 2-0 against the Pacers, but they have lost in close games. Knicks fans are unhappy with the results, especially when they feel Thibodeau is wrong. The biggest problem people have is Towns’ time on the bench.
Critics have always called out Thibodeau’s preference for short rotations. He does not want to use more than eight players, which leads to some shaky performances. That is why many found the decision to leave Towns on the bench bizarre.
“I threw up last night, I was so sick and disgusted with what I saw. You cannot bench Karl-Anthony Towns for seven minutes in the fourth quarter. You can’t just do that,” Stephen A. Smith said about Game 2.
“I point the finger directly at him. His arms just sitting there, folded, looking completely helpless. Well, he was not helpless. At the end of the day, you got a situation where Indiana was the underdog, still came back and won. What he did was egregious, I thought it was a d**n shame.”
As one of the star players on the Knicks roster, Towns finds sitting on the bench tough. Of course, being on the court would not have assured the Knicks of winning. However, he would have given them a boost, especially with their offense.
Thibodeau thought sticking it out without Towns would have been better. The stats also imply that, as KAT had a plus-minus of -20, the worst in the game. Despite those bad stats, trusting Towns might have been the best choice, even amidst his struggles.
Smith was unhappy with Thibodeau’s rotations, but he also spoke about his worries about Towns’ mentality. Staying on the bench during a crucial moment is tough for any player, especially a starter.
“From a personality perspective, I’m worried about him getting upset. When he gets upset, he’ll come out and just shoot. Just jack the ball up, and I don’t know how effective that is for the Knicks,” Smith continued.
