Josh Hart knew the question was coming.
On Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks, Mikal Bridges leads the league in minutes per game. Hart ranks second, and OG Anunoby seventh.
The workload for New York’s starters is a badge of honor — and a glaring concern.
Hart — “an amazing competitor,” says Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković — says he feels “exquisite.” The statement drips with sarcasm. But for Hart, preparation is key. Each game begins with a prayer to his “Lord and Savior for protection,” and off-days are reserved for recovery.
He doesn’t do “a damn thing.”
Hart lift weights occasionally, maybe an ice bath or heat therapy as the season wears on. But mostly, he spends time off his feet, with family, saving his energy for the 40-plus minutes he’ll inevitably log the next game.
This is the standard for Thibodeau’s Knicks — a team whose five starters all rank in the top 25 in minutes per game since Dec. 1. Only one other team, the Sacramento Kings, has five players in the top 50 during that stretch.
The minutes are heavy, and the strain is showing.
The reliance on starters stems from a troubling reality: New York’s bench ranks last in the NBA in scoring and has been outscored by opposing second units by more than double since Dec. 1. Thibodeau’s preference for a short rotation exacerbates the issue, with younger players struggling to earn trust in meaningful situations.
Compounding the issue is size — or the lack thereof — on the bench, particularly behind Hart, Bridges, and Anunoby. Thibodeau’s three-guard lineup of Landry Shamet, Cam Payne, and Miles McBride maxes out at 6-foot-4, leaving glaring gaps in matchups against bigger, more physical opponents.
Enter Pacome Dadiet, the 6-foot-8 rookie taken with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. For a Knicks team desperate for fresh legs, Dadiet could be a swing piece, if he gets the opportunity — provided he can take advantage of it when it comes.
Dadiet has spent most of his season with the Westchester Knicks, averaging 31.5 minutes, 12.7 points on 39.3% shooting, and a concerning 25% from three. The numbers are not good, but the Knicks expected his development arc would take some time.
“He’ll be good. He’s a hard worker, always trying to get better physically and mentally,” Hart told the Daily News. “But you know how it is. He’s a rookie, man. Sometimes you’ve just gotta develop, bide your time, and when the opportunity comes, you seize it.”
The Knicks drafted him as a project, knowing he might be two years away from contributing meaningfully on a team with championship aspirations.
Still, some wonder if he’s being underutilized given the minutes the starters his position have shouldered.
Will that opportunity ever come?
Dadiet has appeared in just 12 games this season and hasn’t played significant minutes since Nov. 18 against the Washington Wizards. His appearances, often in garbage time, haven’t provided enough runway to build trust or rhythm.
Thibodeau, notorious for his quick hook with young players, has emphasized the value of the G-League for player development.
“The practice part is important. The strength and conditioning, learning how to prepare,” he said. “What the G-League does is give [Pacome] an opportunity to get game minutes. Study, prepare, and keep getting better.”
It’s also fair to point out legitimate championship contenders tend to shy away from rookies given the heightened stakes each game has on playoff seeding.
“Obviously it’s tough because you’re relying on guys that haven’t been there before, so you don’t know how they’re going to be,” Hart told The News. “So it’s all part of a process. When he gets his opportunities, he’s gotta go out there and use em.”
Other teams, though, are finding ways to integrate rookies into their rotations, even under duress.
The Phoenix Suns, for instance, drafted Ryan Dunn three spots after Dadiet, and Dunn has been thrust into the starting lineup while Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic moved to the bench. Tristan da Silva has stepped up for the injury-riddled Orlando Magic, and Zach Edey has solidified his spot as the Memphis Grizzlies’ starting center.
So why not Dadiet? Is he simply not ready, or has he not gotten an opportunity to prove he can, at minimum, provide minutes for the starters to get some rest?
The Knicks should find out, and the only way to do so is by throwing their rookie into the water to see if he’ll sink or swim.
And if they don’t? The options are limited.
The Knicks are hard-capped at the second apron, just a few hundred thousand dollars beneath it, leaving them unable to sign even a minimum contract without moving salary. They’ve also mortgaged their future, trading multiple first-round picks to acquire Bridges, leaving only second-round picks available to sweeten any trade offers.
The trade deadline looms, and the Knicks have decisions to make. Either Thibodeau expands his rotation to lighten the load on his starters, or the front office must find reinforcements via trade.
Until then, players like Hart will continue to shoulder the burden. His willingness to embrace the grind is admirable, but as the season wears on, the question remains: How long can the Knicks keep running their starters into the ground before it all catches up to them?