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

The debate about the Knicks’ rotation and the minutes piled on the starting five has seemed endless. Tom Thibodeau’s record and success in turning around the franchise haven’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 his first four seasons, he 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 the top three spots (Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby), with Jalen Brunson fifth. Karl-Anthony Towns has dipped to 28th overall. He 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, they boast 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. 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,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

“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 have 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 the Grizzlies 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 are we 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 said

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 and believe that the extra minutes lead to playing at a slower pace. 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, 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.”

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.