Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Etan Thomas shares respectful disagreement with Patrick Ewing over Knicks coach

The New York Knicks rolled with a deeper rotation in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final. They wound up coming back from a 20-point deficit to secure a 106-100 win over the Indiana Pacers and get back in the series.

After the win, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau drew serious backlash for not trusting his bench and playing his starters heavy minutes, as they looked exhausted down the stretch.

Even so, Knicks legend Patrick Ewing disagreed with his critics. Talking to former NBA player Etan Thomas, he argued that people needed to make up their minds, as the fans also complained about load management.

Then again, Thomas didn't necessarily agree with the Hall of Famer big man, and he took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the matter.

"I actually disagreed with Patrick Ewing (respectfully of course) on this point he made during our interview on #TheRematch but I wasn’t about to argue with the greatest Knicks player of all time," Thomas wrote.

Thomas argued that the Knicks actually had a pretty decent second unit, adding that Thibodeau needed to give them a longer leash.

"But I do want Coach Thibbs to use his bench more," Thomas added. "He has very capable players (as seen in the Knicks win in Indiana game 3) and sometimes, the starters just need a break. Let them breathe for a min. But just my humble opinion."

Thibodeau has always kept his rotation tight, especially in the playoffs, where he typically plays eight or nine players at most.

New York Knicks need to even things up

The Knicks can't afford to go back to Madison Square Garden with a 3-1 series deficit. There will be no harm if they reclaim home-court advantage after dropping the first two games of the series.

Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet and even Delon Wright gave Thibodeau and the Knicks plenty of energy in Game 3, especially when Jalen Brunson had to sit for a long stretch due to foul trouble.

Moving Josh Hart to the second unit also gives them instant energy off the bench, while Mitchell Robinson holds his ground on both ends of the glass with the starters.

With the season in its final phase, everybody's tired and banged up. That's why giving the starters a breather may have a massive impact, especially against a deep team like the Pacers.