On Tom Thibodeau’s bizarre refusal to read the room
Though the Knicks are nearly 10 games under .500 coming out of the All-Star break, it seems things will be par for the course for the team and coach Tom Thibodeau. So how about setting a few rules that conform to Thibs’ sensibilities?
Good morning.
Well, I say “good,” as we open our eyes to another day on our collective journey of decay from embryo to ghost, and we stare with bewilderment at the breaking news of yet another genuine global horror, and we clumsily turn to our chosen chariot of escapism for comfort or distraction, only to discover that the final stretch of this New York Knicks season will likely feature a still-baffling amount Alec Burks at point guard.
I guess, then, just: “Morning.”
Kemba Walker has been shut down, at which point we all foolishly assumed that a rational decision had been made, a new developmental course chosen, an exciting new solution was waiting to be explored. But no, Tom Thibodeau has indicated that “ThE NuMBeRs” point to noted Not-A-Point-Guard Alec Burks being the best available alternative, again.
This season truly is a bottomless bit of ill-fated strategic gambits, because, Mr. Thibodeau, kind sir, Oh-Accountable-One, you’ve already tried this exact benching and this exact out-of-position replacement, haven’t you, only a few short months ago?
A common comeback to criticism towards Thibs this season has been, “actually, he’s forgotten more about basketball than you’ll ever know!"
Which may, admittedly, be true. But maybe we’ve been underestimating how true it really is. Maybe the sheer extent of his knowledge is accelerating his forgetfulness. Maybe he knows so much that he really has forgotten that the Burks at point guard experiment has already failed.
Which raises the question: what other experiments could we be in store for?
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