Knicks put more minutes on starters compared to Grizzlies, but records are nearly same

The debate has seemed endless about the Knicks rotation and the minutes piled on the starting five. Tom Thibodeau’s record and success in turning around the franchise hasn’t been enough to keep critics from dissecting the rotation.

The easy retort for Thibodeau and his supporters has been the best one: look at the record. The Knicks were a dysfunctional mess when he arrived. In the first four seasons, he has led the franchise to three playoff berths including two straight trips to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

But then there are nights like Monday when a challenge can be put on display that clarifies the two differing coaching strategies. The Knicks hosted the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden and you could take your pick.

The Knicks have four starters in the top five spots in total minutes played this season, including holding down the top three spots (Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby) with Jalen Brunson fifth. Only Karl-Anthony Towns has dipped to 28th overall. Towns is last among the starters in minutes per game — and still is at 34.7.

Contrast that with the Grizzlies, who don’t have a single player on the roster averaging 30 minutes per game. Instead the team boasts 10 players who have averaged at least 20 minutes. And although some have been limited in game action, 16 players have averaged double-figure minutes this season.

The Knicks entered the night with a 30-16 record and the Grizzlies were one game better at 31-15. So take your pick.

“It’s not a magical number that we want to keep guys below 30,” said Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins. “Sometimes it works out that way. But we definitely have leaned into more 10-man, especially 11-man rotations.”

The team’s identity may start with Ja Morant, providing a centerpiece of speed and athleticism at the point, but after a season plagued by injuries and Morant’s off-court issues they have used that chance to develop a deep roster of talent around him and begun to fit those pieces together.

“That’s usually what happens when you have injuries,” Thibodeau said. “It’s an opportunity for other players to play and then you learn things about those players and they grow, particularly if they’re younger. They have a chance to get better. But when you look at what Morant has done since he’s been there, he’s had a great impact on that team. He’s an offense unto himself.”

The reasoning has not just been that they have a depth of talent, but that it has allowed them to shift their style of play and create almost like a hockey line change idea. Jenkins noted that in the offseason he spoke with coaches from different sports, figuring out how he could use hockey and soccer theories to create opportunities for his team.

“We want to be the most intense playing team, the fastest playing team,” Jenkins said. “Naturally this time of year you get more dips in the dog days and our guys are fighting through it. How do we cross half court faster than any team in the league. How we are one of the more intense playing teams, full court defensively?

“How we can sustain that is going to be the great thing to watch over the next couple of months.”  Jenkins is hoping to have  “more fresher bodies, more guys that we’ve hopefully grown and developed in this system, to unlock their abilities offensively, also defensively.

“To have that optionality that versatility that we talked about before the season. Hopefully it holds up. We’ve got a lot of depth on this team. And the more that we can have those fresh bodies play as fast as we want, we can tag up and get our offensive rebounds. [We can] have that constant movement in the half court, just bring different waves of guys throughout the game. And also [to] have that ability to guard on the other side is really important to us.”

The Grizzlies entered the night first in the NBA in pace and it’s easy to point to the Knicks rank of 27th in the league in pace and believe that the minutes lead to playing at a slower pace. And they may be slower than the Grizzlies, but that may be a factor created by Morant because the Knicks certainly try to run on every missed shot by the opposition.

“The thing is is we don’t like to play slow either,” Thibodeau said. “If you dug into the numbers and you look at fast break points and the things that we do, the thing is you have to attack and beat their side down the floor.

“We want to play a certain style. We’ve got to be strong on both sides of the ball. That’s the challenge. They’re very good defensively, as well. The game tells you what to do. Just take good quality shots. That’s what you have to do to win. And understand what we have to get done defensively.”