New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is reportedly "offended" by suggestions he "mistreated" guard Kemba Walker or hurt the development of forward Obi Toppin with limited playing time.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported the details of Thibodeau's discontent Saturday after the team's second-year coach lamented the outside criticism after Friday's 111-103 road win over the Miami Heat.

"It's where we are in society today. Social media," Thibodeau said. "Look, hey, it's part of the game. We love it. It drives the game. It's as popular as it's ever been. But to me, I don't like anything that eats away at the fabric of the team."

Walker was removed from the rotation by Thibodeau in November. He returned to the lineup in mid-December as the Knicks dealt with a flurry of absences because of injuries and COVID-19 protocols, and he put together a couple standout performances, highlighted by a 44-point outing against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 23.

His minutes once again began to fade as New York got closer to full strength, however, and the team announced in February that Walker decided to sit out the rest of the 2021-22 season.

"We fully support Kemba's decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and use this time to prepare for next season. His long-term success on the court remains our priority," president of basketball operations Leon Rose said.

Thibodeau confirmed last week the four-time All-Star is away from the franchise while rehabbing a knee injury.

The reason for the breakdown in their relationship remains unclear, but Berman reported in February the coach "wasn't high" on the idea of signing Walker in free agency last August.

Meanwhile, the Knicks invested the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Toppin, and he's yet to deliver production in line with expectations of a top-10 selection.

The 24-year-old New York City native is averaging 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the field across 64 appearances this season.

Questions have been raised about why the high-flying forward hasn't been given a bigger opportunity (he's playing just 15.5 minutes per game) with the Knicks owning a lackluster 32-42 record.

Thibodeau didn't mention Toppin by name Friday, but his comment about a player who can "make one good play in the game and he has nine bad plays" could be viewed as a slight toward the highlight-reel dunker, per Berman.

"So, when I see stuff being written or people talking about this, that," Thibodeau said. "You hear it all the time, and then when you actually do study it and you watch the game again and maybe you watch it a third time, you actually know what transpired."

The coach's frustrations, even after a key win, come with New York facing pressure to make a late-season charge toward the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. It's five games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot.

Next up for the Knicks is a road clash with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.