It is safe to say that it is time to hit the panic button for the New York Knicks. New York has dropped nine of its last 11 games, with its most recent loss being an embarrassing home defeat to the Dallas Mavericks.
The boo birds were out on MLK Day at halftime when Dallas was leading the Knicks 75-47. Cooper Flagg was getting everything he wanted early on. The number one pick in the 2025 draft put up 18 points and seven rebounds in his MSG debut.
“I’d be booing us, too,” said Knicks’ Captain Jalen Brunson postgame.
Brunson has a history of being hard on himself in press conferences, and this one is no different.
The home crowd let Karl-Anthony Towns know he was underperforming as he was walking to the bench late in the fourth quarter.
“You come to MLK Day here at The Garden, and tickets are three times the price, and to come here and spend your hard-earned money… I’d be disappointed too.” Towns told reporters postgame.
Towns’ name has been mentioned ahead of the trade deadline. The Knicks have discussed potential trades with teams such as the Magic, Hornets and Grizzlies, per Steve Popper.
It is an off year for the 30-year-old, yet he is second in the league in rebounds per game. Towns is shooting a career low 46.7% from the field. His defense has been a struggle for his entire career, and defense is what New York needs to succeed.
I don’t expect Towns to be traded anytime soon, despite the struggles. Why trade a generational talent the year after making your first conference finals in 25 years? It is the midway point of the season, which means there is plenty of time to fix these mistakes. New York is sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half behind the Boston Celtics, but also the same distance from being in the Play-In.
Knicks fans need to realize that slumps happen. Losing to teams like the Kings, Mavericks and Hawks doesn’t sit well with the fans, knowing that they are a championship caliber team.
Head Coach Mike Brown has been criticized during this stretch, even by individuals within the Knicks organization, for his behavior in the Jan. 15 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
After another disappointing loss, Brown was seen giving hugs and catching up with his former players, including Draymond Green. Earlier in the game, Green committed a flagrant foul on Towns. The two players have a negative history with each other, so this play looked more personal than the game.
Seeing a head coach showing signs of positivity or happiness with the opponent, especially after losing, doesn’t sit right with the fans.
“Lock in and do your f—ing job,” is what Brown told his team at halftime.
The job is not getting done. Since the new year, the Knicks are bottom five in the league in offense and defense. Why is that? New York has been fully healthy for the majority of this time. Josh Hart and Brunson missed a combined 10 games during this stretch.
The embarrassment against Dallas was one of the first games all season where the Knicks were at full strength, yet they still got throttled by a struggling Mavericks team.
Let’s hope that this is nothing more than a slump, and the Knicks get back to form sooner rather than later.