Is Tom Thibodeau's 'Trust the Pass' Mantra a Dig at New York Knicks, Julius Randle?

It's hard not to see Tom Thibodeau's request for further passing from the New York Knicks as a bit of a jab at two-time All-Star Julius Randle.

The New York Knicks suffered a tough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the team's first taste of In-Season Tournament action on Friday night, falling 110-105 despite a 45-point performance from point guard Jalen Brunson.

New York (2-4) had a brief lead with 1:10 remaining in regulation but was not able to pull out the win, having drifted away from the ball movement that allowed them to get back in the game after trailing by as much as 14. 

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was particularly concerned about forcing shots on a night where his team shot just over 39 percent from the field, including an ugly 10-of-39 mark from three-point range.

“You can’t predetermine," Thibodeau said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "You can’t say, ‘Well, I haven’t had a shot, so now I’m going to take a shot.’ The game tells you what to do. If you’re open, you shoot. If there are three guys around, you hit the open man. It’s really simple. It’s not hard.”

Thibodeau reacts to a call during Friday's loss in Milwaukee / USA TODAY SPORTS

Knicks fans would be hard-pressed not to believe that Thibodeau's comments are a hidden jab at two-time All-Star Julius Randle, whose brutal start to the season continued with a 5-of-20 outing from the field. Thibodeau indirectly referenced a fourth quarter attempt from Randle that saw him force a shot in the midst of a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Brook Lopez double team. Randle was no better from three-point range, hitting just 1-of-9 on the night.

Thibodeau used the incident to stress an apparent three-word mantra he hopes the Knicks will follow as they hope to recover from a slow start.

“When you look at their defense, what were they doing? They were collapsing, right?" Thibodeau recalled. "They got two 7-footers, so when they collapse, you have to trust the pass, trust the pass.” 

Even if his numbers have drastically fallen from last season, the Knicks' passing issues are not limited to a single player: six games in, New York's passing has suffered in traditional and advanced categories, ranking 28th in both assists and points created via assist.

Randle and the Knicks will get another chance to "trust the pass" when they return to Madison Square Garden to face the Los Angeles Clippers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).