Mitchell Robinson laughed, but a deadly silence hit when visuals of Tom Thibodeau working with the Celtics emerged. A few months ago, when at the helm of the Knicks, he was the one to dethrone the former champions. It raised pressing doubts. Why would Thibs, one of the Knicks’ most successful coaches, work directly with their rivals? That stems from the nature of his exit.

The Knicks’ James Dolan made a big gamble by firing Tom Thibodeau and bringing in Mike Brown. It’s not to say flaws didn’t exist. However, Thibs was also responsible for the team’s most successful run in recent history, leading them to back-to-back 50-win seasons. But Dolan’s desperation for a championship also prompted the feeling of betrayal.

“When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings,” a source close to the coach told The Athletic. This was a job Tom Thibodeau loved. And every season, the respected head coach pushed the Knicks closer to winning the NBA championship.

They came one series win away from being in last year’s finals. That was the Knicks’ first ECF appearance in 25 years. But instead of focusing on the success, Dolan and the Knicks zeroed in on the things Thibs did wrong. Starters were being pushed to the brink, the defense was rocky, and a bench practically didn’t exist in his hardcore system.

Those became the highlight. And the Knicks didn’t offer Thibodeau any credit for his achievements. “In their world, the players were 51-0 and Tom was 0-31,” a second source commented. The Knicks have bet on Mike Brown to bring the team together and eliminate these flaws. But the process of firing Tom Thibodeau was and remains a shock.

Last year, tension began brewing within the New York Knicks organization after Mikal Bridges publicly criticized head coach Tom Thibodeau’s heavy reliance on his starters. Bridges- one of the team’s most durable and dependable players- voiced concerns about the demanding workload, saying that logging close to 38 minutes per game, and often more, was “taxing on the body.”

He urged Thibodeau to scale back the starters’ minutes to allow the bench more opportunities, arguing that greater rotation depth would keep players fresher and boost performance on both ends of the court. Bridges also stressed that the Knicks’ reserves were more than capable of contributing meaningfully if given the chance, which could help prevent fatigue-related injuries among key players.

While Bridges acknowledged Thibodeau’s reputation for sticking to a tight rotation, he said he had spoken with the coach about lightening the starters’ load. Thibodeau, however, denied that any such conversation had taken place- a response that reportedly deepened the tension inside the locker room.

The debate over Thibodeau’s tendency to overplay his starters is nothing new. It’s a recurring criticism that has followed him throughout his coaching career, resurfacing this time amid the Knicks’ injury concerns and the relentless minutes logged by players like Bridges and Josh Hart, both among the NBA’s leaders in playing time.

Some of the former players all appreciated his efforts in building a winning culture. But it seems the Knicks front office didn’t. Unlucky for them, the Celtics found immense value in having Thibs at their practice.

The Celtics take every lesson they can get

The Celtics are clocking in for a completely different season than their previous two. Jayson Tatum is likely out for the season. Many of the core starters have dispersed around the league to tackle an exasperating tax bill. At this point, any advantage matters. And the Celtics don’t mind being humble if it means they can improve.

That was precisely why Joe Mazzulla brought in Thibs. As a former assistant coach on a championship-winning Celtics team, he brings valuable experience. Both are marshals for head coaches, focused on demanding and chasing results.

Thibodeau offered something no other coach could. The Knicks had managed to outperform them during the postseason, and Thibs was the one behind the chalkboard, analyzing the Celtics. This gave him an inside perspective on what the Knicks aimed to target to weaken the Shamrocks.

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“We lost last year. It stung losing to the Knicks. So to have Thibs here at our practice and explaining some of the things that he saw to help them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that,” Jaylen Brown said about his appearance. It’s not going to change the fact that the Celtics have a major task.

They now have a new group, and existing players face the pressure of filling Tatum’s absence. However, their expectations remain unchanged. Mazzulla is determined to win the championship, and understanding where things went wrong last year is crucial for the team’s growth. The showdown is just around the corner.

The Celtics will take on the Knicks on Friday in a game that carries a lot of emotion. Do you think they can use Thibodeau’s tips to suppress them? Let us know your views in the comments below.