Tom Thibodeau talked on his experience away from coaching and what he learned during his career hiatus observing different teams over the past NBA season.
The one thing that stuck on him was how the teams managed training during the load management era. That’s what he said on ESPN’s The Woj Pod with Adrian Wojnarowski:
“It’s interesting because the way everyone’s managing with load management and where your team is, sports scientists, it’s different,” Thibodeau said on the podcast. “If your team is young and you’re in a rebuild, you’re probably practicing more than an older veteran team. In some cases where the team is mixed, there’s almost two practices going on in one, where your young guys are getting the work that they need, and the older vets might be in the weight room getting strength and conditioning and then they flip it and then the vets will get their work… and then they come together for a short period of time to do something together at the end and maybe they’ll watch film together at the end,” the veteran coach said, per NY Post.
The former Bulls and Wolves coach claimed Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has had the best management skills.
“(Rivers) is the best at managing the day before, in between, they had that day off, but everyone came in. And their young guys really work, and the older guys were getting treatment and recovery,” Thibodeau said. “So I think understanding who your team is and what everyone needs. And also there’s probably more to it because you’ve got to be careful not to divide your team also,” Thibodeau said.
Thibodeau is on the list of candidates for some prestigious coaching vacancies the last two months, with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets reportedly being interested in hiring the veteran coach.
Here’s Tom Thibodeau’s full interview:
