Knicks Reflect on Recent Struggles
Jalen Brunson, keeping it concise, said, “We know what we have to do,” following a practice session with the Knicks.
Despite entering the season with aspirations for an NBA Finals appearance, the players’ level of commitment has become a pressing issue—especially after their 114-97 defeat to the Mavericks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The lack of effort was palpable in the locker room.
It’s not that talent or strategy is lacking; rather, a deeper concern threatens to upend their season. They’ve only won two of their last eleven games, enduring a troubling four-game losing streak.
“We just need to be careful about what we’re doing,” Brunson commented. “A touch more effort would help us immensely.”
Josh Hart drew a stark comparison between this season’s team and last season’s after the defeat. Last year, a resilient Knicks squad would overcome poor shooting with tenacity and defensive strength. This year, that fighting spirit seems to be missing.
The roster isn’t drastically different, just a few tweaks off the bench. So, what’s causing this shift?
“I really don’t know. If I had the answer, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation,” Hart expressed. “We need to bring more energy and intensity. When we faced Phoenix recently, they pressured us throughout. We seem to only step it up in the second half when we’re already down by 15 points. We need to figure out how to keep that energy up for the entire game.” He repeated, “We have to figure it out.”
Reflecting on Tuesday’s practice, Hart admitted it was tough. “It felt awful. Getting booed on our home court is just the worst. We’ll see how we respond on Wednesday against the Nets. Our performance has not matched our potential—it’s embarrassing. We need to sort it out ourselves because no one else will do it. We have the capability, but we need to stop talking and start executing.”
Tom Thibodeau is known for instilling hard work in his teams, but this year, even Mike Brown couldn’t spark the team during this slump. Hart noted the challenge in comparing current struggles to previous seasons, mentioning that Thibodeau’s long tenure has shaped a consistent team identity. This year, however, a new philosophy and coaching voice is creating a transitional period. “It’s through adversity that we build resilience,” Hart reaffirmed.
Miles McBride hinted that perhaps the Knicks got a bit complacent after winning the NBA Cup, and Brunson agreed, saying, “That could be part of it.” Their performance has dipped to 7-11 since the Cup, leaving them just 1.5 games above the play-in position.
The Knicks allowed 75 points in the first half of their recent loss to the Mavericks, marking a low point this season. Brown, instead of focusing on tactics at halftime, urged the players to simply “do your job.”
Notably, the Knicks outscored the Mavericks in the second half, a shift Brown credited entirely to effort.
“We didn’t alter our strategy in the second half,” Brown explained. “The film showed we executed better: how we communicated, drilled, everything. But we can’t wait until the second half to turn it on. We need to perform for a full 48 minutes.”
At this point in the season, discussions around desire and effort shouldn’t dominate. Yet, here the Knicks are, grappling with those exact challenges.
