After winning the Cup in December, New York struggled until the last 4 losses in a row (9 of the last 11). The problems of defense (above all), attack and attitude
“We have to concentrate and do our job for the whole 48 minutes. In the first half the opponents scored 75 points and at half-time, usually, we watch the clips and talk about technical aspects. But there was nothing to say, other than to concentrate and do your f… work.” The photograph of the New York Knicks’ moment lies entirely in the words of coach Mike Brown, pronounced at the end of the defeat against the Dallas Mavericks. After a super start to the season (23-9), with reinvigorated Finals ambitions and the enthusiasm brought by the victory of the NBA Cup (the Knicks’ first trophy since 1973) New York lost its way. January was a terrible month in every respect: results, quality of play, attitude. A decline culminated in the boos at Madison Square Garden, aimed at the horrible first half of the last home game. The balance sheet speaks for itself: nine defeats in the last eleven matches, four consecutive.
DEFENSE
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The disastrous defeat against the Dallas Mavericks perfectly reflects the Knicks’ January numbers: worst record in the NBA, one of the most negative defensive ratings (points allowed per 100 possessions) and third-to-last true shooting percentage. There was no shortage of absences, from Josh Hart to Jalen Brunson, but against Dallas, with major injury problems, New York showed up in full force. And that was the worst performance of the entire negative streak. “Embarrassing,” Hart himself said. “I would have gotten booed too,” added Brunson, who tried to motivate the team at halftime. It’s not a problem of who is on the field, but of how they are there: disunited, without competitive malice. This is illustrated, for example, by the 28 points conceded to Dallas in the first half in the area, without real role centres. Defense, already a sensitive issue, has now become a red alert. Karl-Anthony Towns does not guarantee iron protection; the guards put little intensity on the ball; on rotations there is a systematic delay in contesting 3-point shots. In the last 11 games the Knicks have allowed almost 40% of threes to their opponents, the third worst figure in the league. As of December 16, they are 29th in the NBA in points allowed per possession.
ATTITUDE
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Now the Knicks are much closer to being a play-in team than the number one in the East, even if their 25-8 record remains reassuring. The offense is also struggling: four times in January New York failed to reach 100 points. Overall, the Knicks maintain the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA (points scored per 100 possessions), but in the last 11 games they have slipped to 25th place. A vertical collapse. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are performing less than expected, Jalen Brunson missed two games with a sprained ankle, the percentages have dropped. But the way some matches were lost tells more than individual performances. Against Dallas Mavericks New York allowed over 70 points in the first half alone; against the Sacramento Kings he was already down 15 at the end of the first quarter; against Detroit Pistons he suffered a 30 point defeat. Determination is also lacking and Mike Brown said it clearly, referring to a specific play by Karl-Anthony Towns (who struggles to find himself in the coach’s system) but not only to him: “The sense of urgency is missing”. Meanwhile, the rumors about a possible intervention by the Knicks on the market are becoming more insistent: you have until February 5th. Then the break for the All-Star Game could be good for a group that needs to find itself and that wants to try to demonstrate that the decline is physiological, not identity-related.
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