Tom Thibodeau praises veterans who have lost playing time for helping young Knicks
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau directs his team against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022. Credit: AP/Adam Hunger
HOUSTON — With Jalen Brunson sidelined for a third straight game and RJ Barrett for a second straight game Saturday night, the Knicks put out a lineup that included second-year players Quentin Grimes and Deuce McBride along with third-year guard Immanuel Quickley. But even as he’s handing the reins to some of his youngest players, coach Tom Thibodeau stressed the importance of veterans such as Derrick Rose and Evan Fournier, even in reduced roles.
“I think it is important,” Thibodeau said. “I think like anything, wherever you are in terms of your team, like, we have a number of young guys on our team and they're in the rotation. And so you also want to have some guys that are in the middle, and you want to have the right veterans around them.
“So they can help. We always say that we want our veterans to help teach our young guys the tricks of the trade. So if you have those type of guys that are willing to share and help the young guys develop, I think that helps to speed up the process. I think trial and error is a big part of learning, so they have to go through things. There's gonna be some bumps. How do you handle all those things?
"This league, it's a roller coaster. There's gonna be times it's going great and then all of a sudden it can change very quickly on you and it’s going the other way. And you have to be able to handle both. So I think having the right veterans around those young guys is very important.”
Injured list
Brunson remained sidelined with a sore right hip. He did work out on the floor before the game and Thibodeau said, “He’s getting closer and closer.” . . . Barrett was on the court, mostly as an observer, before the game with his lacerated right index finger in a metal splint. Thibodeau said Barrett has been restricted to cardio work. … The Rockets were without center Alperen Sengun, who was a late scratch with a sore lower back.
Patience
The Rockets entered the game at 10-25, the worst record in the Western Conference, but Thibodeau praised coach Stephen Silas. “It’s not easy, but he’s so steady and I think that demeanor is important,'' he said. "I think he understands where he is. Stephen has a lot of experience, very bright guy, he grew up in the game. You need a teacher, you need patience with a young group like this and he has it. And so he’s been with good teams, he’s been with rebuilding teams. He understands exactly where he is and what he has to do.”
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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.
