109 Quotes by Tom Thibodeau

I never work backwards.

A player is not going to get minutes just to get minutes. You have to impact winning, you have to put the team first.

I have great respect for the Heat organization, the way they play, what Pat Riley has done there, Erik Spoelstra.

There's a lot that goes into development. Oftentimes people say, well, you have to play them in a game. And you do. But you also have practices, which is where it starts. You have to get that part down first. Then you have to have film study, meetings with your coaches and you also have to have the opportunity to use the G-League.

One guy being off is going to hurt you. So you need everyone working together.

There's obviously different roads you can go down. And I think if you study it, how teams are built - and I went through this in Minnesota - the draft is critical, free agency is critical, player development is critical and trade opportunities are critical.

I think that's a big challenge in the NBA: How quickly can you adapt? Because things always change in the league - whether it's trade, free agency, an injury, you have to adapt quickly.

What I look at is, OK, this is our team. How can we get better? What gives us the best chance to win?'

The offseason is critical for any young player.