The New York Knicks will play Indiana, and if they can beat their opponents, they will get a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. It's a pity that the Knicks not only failed to beat the Pacers to win the series, but the main player Josh Hart was also injured in the game, which is really a disaster for the Knicks.
Josh Hart injured his abdomen while scrambling for a rebound in the first quarter, and although he returned to the court with an injury, his performance on the court was clearly affected. In this game, Josh Hart still played 31 minutes, contributing 5 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists on 2-of-8 shooting, and failed to play in a healthy state in the game.
And this may not only affect the Knicks in this game.
Josh Hart is undoubtedly an indispensable player on this Knicks roster, and head coach Tom Thibodeau relies heavily on Josh Hart - like the eagle brother next to Yang who has a broken arm. Tom Thibodeau is very "single-minded" in his use of personnel, and the players he has been using are very suitable for the team's system.
Are you surprised that Josh Hart is averaging 42.6 minutes per game in the playoffs? If it weren't for the "subpar" minutes played in the last three games, Josh Hart's average minutes per game would be much higher. He played 48 minutes in the playoffs many times, and in overtime against the 76ers G5, Josh Hart even played 53 minutes.
It's no wonder that fans say, "Josh Hart earns hard-earned money every penny".
Josh Hart's injury has sparked a heated debate among fans, and Tom Thibodeau has sparked another round of controversy over his use of players.
Former NBA player Jamal Crawford said, "...... This phenomenon can also be said to be the result of Tom Thibodeau having been using people this season. For the players, this kind of wear and tear is going to bring injuries to the door and you can't wear yourself out again and again. At some point, players will start to have more injuries and mistakes because they are exhausted. ”
Josh Hart's injury status is not yet known, but it doesn't look promising, with an NBA reporter writing on social media: "In NBA history, even minor abdominal injuries have generally required a week or two of absence. So Josh = Hart will be able to play in the G7 game with only 48 hours to recover, which will be a tough test. ”
Tom Thibodeau's approach to hiring has always been questionable, and Derrick Rose's early career reimbursement is thought to have a lot to do with Tom Thibodeau's overuse. The Knicks have had a lot of injuries this season, with key players such as Julius Randle, O.G. Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson all on the team's injury list.
Despite all the criticism of Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks want to keep him. A few days ago, Shams Charania reported that the Knicks wanted to sign Tom Thibodeau to a contract extension, "He (Tom Thibodeau) is currently paid $7 million a year, and no one will be surprised if his next contract reaches the $10 million annual salary." ”
The team's head coach's performance is the last word, and being able to lead the Knicks into a powerhouse in the East is not something that ordinary people can do.
(Text/Yan Wuqiang)