"Knicks spin story to justify the unfair firing": Fans at odds as Jalen Brunson’s Tom Thibodeau usage draws worrying Derrick Rose deja vu

After leading the New York Knicks to the conference finals, Jalen Brunson now awaits a new coach in the NBA. Recent developments suggest that the star guard's usage played a role in Tom Thibodeau's firing, which has fans buzzing online.

Throughout his coaching career, Thibodeau has built a reputation for playing guys big minutes. He's done this with multiple teams, including the Chicago Bulls. While those teams were a force in the Eastern Conference, their title chances plummeted when former MVP Derrick Rose couldn't stay healthy.

According to one NBA insider, how much Thibodeau relied on Jalen Brunson was a factor in his dismissal. The organization knows what happened with Rose in the past and didn't want to see something similar with their superstar point guard.

Shortly after the report hit social media, fans began chiming in with their thoughts on the comparison. Seeing that Brunson hasn't battled any serious injuries, many feel such reasoning is unfair.

Other fans weren't fully on board with the Rose comparison but did agree that Thibodeau was too reliant on Brunson to carry the offense.

Saint Marcus Mars

@@SpartanManJDOGG

I don't think Brunson's injury had anything to do with the minutes he was playing. However having an offense centered around 1 ball handler creating everything is indeed a problem. This ain't 2k.

cutty

@coachcut_

I told my dad’s best friend this.. The front office seen where this was headed. Offense was too reliant on Brunson not to mention 680 playoff minutes

Napster P

@NapGod7

A Thibs player had been top 4 in mpg or higher every season as a head coach

Brunson was saved from becoming Jimmy, Rose, LaVine, Deng, and many other players who Thibs had playing almost 40 or more a game with serious lower body injuries

To put into perspective how much Thibodeau relies on his key players, the Knicks' starting unit still leads all players in total minutes played this postseason. Mikal Bridges leads the league with 706. The first non-Knick is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has the sixth-highest minutes played at 623.3.

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Jalen Brunson could reunite with former coach amid Tom Thibodeau's firing

Now that Tom Thibodeau is officially out as the New York Knicks coach, the historic franchise begins its search for his replacement. Among those who have been tossed around is someone with ties to Jalen Brunson.

With New York fresh off a conference finals run, this is sure to be a highly-coveted job. As the rumor mill continues to heat up, an array of current and former coaches have been tossed out as possible candidates. Among them is current Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

This would be a tricky situation, as Kidd just signed an extension with the Mavericks in the spring of 2024. However, given his connections to the team's star player, he is certainly a name to keep an eye on.

Before joining the Knicks in free agency, Jalen Brunson began his NBA career in Dallas. He and Kidd only crossed paths for one season, but it's clear they worked well together.

Under the legendary point guard, Brunson had a breakout campaign for the Mavs, proving that he could be more than just a role player alongside Luka Doncic. Their partnership ended up being short-lived due to the former second-round pick departing for New York.

As the team's top star, Brunson will surely have some sort of influence on the coaching hire. Because of this, Kidd could be a dark horse candidate as the Knicks search for a Thib's replacement.