Preseason doesn't matter to these Knicks, just not the way you typically think

The Knicks head into their final preseason game Friday night with an unbeaten record, three straight wins that were never in doubt at the end. And you might think it all means nothing when the regular season tips off at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Some teams have sat their stars through the exhibition schedule, load-managing their players to be ready for the grind of the regular season and the playoff chase beyond it. But Tom Thibodeau isn’t taking the preseason with that attitude, instead continuing on the path he set last season in his first year guiding the Knicks.

"Everyone has to be themselves. There’s a lot of different ways," Thibodeau said after the Knicks' win over Detroit on Wednesday, a game in which he reinserted his starters late and the Knicks pulled away for the win. "I’m not saying my way is for everyone. I know my way is for me. And everything matters to me, everything that we do.

"I’ve seen guys who are very successful doing it another way. That’s the beauty of this game. It’s played a lot of different ways. There’s a lot of different styles. There’s a lot of great coaches out there. I think for us, we’re an organization that’s building right now. We want to get established. So our fight continues every day. I love the fight in our guys."

It is an approach Thibodeau has held throughout his coaching career. Occasionally there has been pushback — from fans, media or even his own front office. But he also has been successful, and in New York, after years of dysfunction and losses, his players echo his sentiments.

"Everything’s important if you’re competing and you want to win," Julius Randle said. "I understand that this is used as time to establish rhythms and figure out rotations or whatever it is. But that’s really not who we are. Our goal is, regardless of preseason or practice, whatever it is, we compete and build the right habits to win. Give ourselves a chance to win every game. Preseason or not, it doesn’t matter to us."

Randle could have looked for an easy night, having spent time with his family since the birth of his second child last Friday. But he was inserted back into the game with seven minutes left, played 33 minutes and 25 seconds in total and helped carry the team to victory — including diving for a loose ball in the final minutes.

"I’m just wired that way," Randle said. "There was no second thought."

It worked for the Knicks last season. Part of the next step is making sure that those who were here last year continue to approach the game that way, including the newcomers. Derrick Rose, who has endured his share of injuries and been the player who critics point at and blame Thibodeau for overworking him early in his career, was also put back on the floor late. And the one voice you won’t hear criticizing the decision is his.

"Yeah, but at the same time I don’t think I want to rest," Rose said. "I don’t play pickup. So this is all I got until the regular season comes. It’s full speed. So I don’t want to rest, bro. I want to play. I want to catch my rhythm. Just get used to the ball being in my hands . . . We just like hooping.

"So it’s kind of different when you’re not out there and you want to get out there and they’re looking at you sideways, like, ‘What, you’re not even out there.’ But then you’re out there and you’re working and [younger guys] see you at the gym — sometimes you beat them to the gym — the respect level goes up to a different level. They look at you different. They could tell you’re a professional. That’s what it’s about, coming together as a team, understanding there’s a common goal and giving your all. And I feel like the OGs on the team, that’s what we’re doing right now."

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.