10 most notable NBA players who suffered tough injuries under Coach Tom Thibodeau

11/18/2024 01:16 PM

Coach Tom Thibodeau is a well-respected coach in the NBA. He is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner and a former NBA All-Star Game head coach, and the New York Knicks recently signed Thibodeau to a three-year contract extension.

But while Thibodeau has accomplished a lot, there have been players as of late who’ve revealed why a number of players prefer not to suit up for the current Knicks head coach, precisely because of his style of playing his core under heavy minutes and intense practices. Here’s a look at the 10 most notable NBA players who suffered tough injuries under Coach Tom Thibodeau.

Luol Deng

During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Chicago Bulls were a legitimate contender in the East. Part of the Bulls’ core was the timely scoring of Luol Deng. Although this isn’t really Coach Thibodeau’s fault, Deng did get a major injury under his watch. In the 2011-2012 season, Deng only appeared in 54 games, missing a chunk due to a torn meniscus in his left wrist, as per sources.

Joakim Noah

Speaking of Thibodeau’s Bulls coaching stint, the core also benefitted from the brilliance of Joakim Noah. Noah’s hustle and elite defense ultimately propelled him to become a fan favorite in Chicago. While Noah earned heavy minutes under Thibodeau’s rotation, those heavy minutes eventually took a toll on the All-Star center.

From ankle and knee injuries, Noah’s major injury came in 2015, when he sprained his left shoulder early into the 2015-2016 season. The injury limited Noah to only 29 games. After that, Noah’s career started to decline.

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler is one of the toughest stars in the NBA today. However, even the current Miami Heat star went through his fair share of injuries under Coach Thibodeau. Butler played under the two-time NBA Coach of the Year during his stints with the Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But it was his stint in Minnesota when Butler suffered a major injury under Thibodeau’s watch. According to reports, Butler suffered an injury to his right-knee meniscus. It marked the first time in Butler’s career when he played fewer than 60 games in a season.

Zach LaVine

Aside from Butler, Zach LaVine suffered a major injury. In the middle of the 2016-2017 season, LaVine tore his ACL that forced him to miss the rest of the season, limiting him to only 47 games. LaVine’s absence continued on even if he took his talents to Chicago. After that, LaVine was forced to reinvent himself and evolved his game towards becoming an All-Star-caliber player.

The Knicks’ 2023-24 core (Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mitchell Robinson)

The Knicks’ 2024 Playoff run turned from promising to tragic in an instant. Although the former All-Star Game head coach was praised for coaching the Knicks to another solid season, fans and former players weren’t happy with Thibodeau’s system of giving his players maximum minutes.

Key players were injured during their playoff run, preventing them from going further than the second round, thanks to the Indiana Pacers.

The first Knicks player who went down with a major injury was Julius Randle. The former NBA Most Improved Player of the Year injured his shoulder and underwent a season-ending surgery. The injury timeline of Randle’s shoulder was mind-boggling at best, as per reports.

Likewise can be said about OG Anunoby, who the Knicks acquired in the middle of the 2023-2024 season. Of course, after his acquisition by the Knicks, Anunoby suffered an elbow injury, which required surgery. Updates regarding Anunoby’s injuries also raised eyebrows before he was cleared to play.

However, the 6’7 forward was eventually shut down at the worst time possible. Injuring his hamstring, Anunoby was forced to miss the final four games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.

Aside from these two crucial players in the Knicks rotation, the squad also missed the services of Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson in as early as the first round of the 2024 Playoffs. Bogdanovic required foot surgery after a scuffle with Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicholas Batum. On the other hand, Mitchell Robinson sprained his ankle in a sequence with Joel Embiid.

The last casualty of the Knicks’ playoff run was All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. In the deciding Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, Brunson fractured his left hand, putting an end to New York’s championship hopes. The Knicks suffered an injury bug so bad. In fact, they even had Josh Hart play through an abdominal strain injury.

Derrick Rose

Among the most notable players that suffered an injury under Coach Thibodeau’s watch, Derrick Rose’s devastating knee injury was the biggest incident. Prior to the major injury, Rose was already showing signs of wear and tear by suiting up in only 39 games, dealing with a myriad of injuries.

While Rose’s play style can be the main reason for the torn ACL he suffered in the 2012 Playoffs, Coach Thibodeau also had to take some accountability after leaving the youngest NBA MVP in the floor with over a minute left. The Bulls had already sealed Game 1 of the 2012 Playoffs against the Sixers with a commanding 12-point lead.

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