If anyone was going to muse on minutes in the NBA, it was New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.

With Thibodeau on the run as a frequent target of the so-called “minutes police,” one of the NBA’s latest proposed rule changes seems like a perfect talking point for the Knicks boss: during a Wednesday appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed his support for 10-minute periods instead of the customary 12.

Renowned, and perhaps infamous, for subjecting his headliners to big minutes, Thibodeau spoke out against the idea before his team faced the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

“I’m probably more traditional,” Thibodeau said in video from SNY. “I’d hate to see that and that’s just a personal [opinion]. I really haven’t thought about it, just because of all the records and things of that nature. I think we have a great game. I think what people really want to see is competition.”

“When you study what’s transpired over time, there’s always been different styles of play … but what goes into winning is the same. I think what the fans enjoy is great competition. So I think if we focus on the competition aspect of it, everything else will fall into place.”

One of the prevailing jokes on the NBA’s social scene after Silver’s comments was that Thibodeau could give each of his starters a complete game under such a format: entering Thursday night play, the Knicks have three men stationed in the top seven of the minutes per game category. Active NBA iron man Mikal Bridges (38.4) leads the way while Josh Hart and OG Anunoby ranked third and seventh respectively.

All five Knick starters played between 30 and 39 minutes in Wednesday’s game, a 122-112 New York victory.

The NBA has perpetually played 48-minute games since its inception but Silver admitted to being “a fan” of shrinking by eight, hinting that such a change could allow broadcasts to fit within a desired two-hour television window. But Thibodeau is apparently no fan of the concept, and his friend and Wednesday opponent Michael Malone concurred in his own pregame statements.

“I hope we don’t become Barnum & Bailey, or do whatever we have to do to keep viewership,” the Denver boss said, per Chris Herring of ESPN. “There’s a greatness and a history to this game, and a purity to this game that I hope we can find a way to stay true to.”

The Knicks’ next 48 lands on Saturday night when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

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