New York Knicks fans, as they tend to do sometimes, have had a hard time staying composed after two frustrating losses.
While that has led to some bold claims that have blown some of the concerns out of proportion, there are a few justifiable apprehensions.
Let’s explore some of them next.
1) This is a work in progress
I think — or at least hope — that most Knicks fans came into the season expecting somewhat of a slow start. Now, how bad the team looks during that stretch, and how long it would last, was an unknown.
With a starting
lineup change and a coaching change, stumbling out of the gates seemed like a forgone conclusion, and after four games, in which even the wins looked imperfect, we can confirm that this will take time.
Nobody had the ball in their hands more than Brunson last season, but he’s getting used to playing off the ball more. Mikal Bridges, who has probably adjusted the best out of any player on the roster, is being tasked with initiating the offense more, and he should only get better as time goes on. OG Anunoby has struggled to find his shot and has struggled to find a good balance between increasing his three-point attempts and attacking the basket more. Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s struggled have been well-documented, looks like he has no idea where his shots are supposed to come from within the flow of the offense. And the fifth starter — which has rotated between Ariel Hukporti, Deuce McBride, and Landry Shamet — has done some nice things, although that revolving door hasn’t made the transition any smoother.
What is unknown is just how long this will continue, and if they’ll ever fully get it together. But the good news is, they have plenty of time to figure it out. Remember, the end goal is not to win the most games in the regular season, or to peak in October, December, or even February. It’s to be playing in the final game of the year, and have a chance at lifting the one trophy that matters.
2) Jalen Brunson is really good… still
While I just mentioned that Brunson is still in the process of figuring things out like the rest of his teammates, his early-season production is a clear sign that, regardless of the system and regardless of who is around him, Brunson will find a way to get his own and keep the game close.
After what many would call an off game to start the season against Cleveland, the Knicks’ captain has bounced back in a big way, scoring 31, 37, and 36 points over his last three games, while shooting 38-71 from the field. Brunson, who has historically gotten off to a slow start and has really picked things up as the season went on, may be ahead of schedule, which is one of the few bright spots for the season thus far.
3) Deuce McBride is crucial to this team’s success
Sometimes, the absence of something, or in this case, someone, can be what proves or confirms a point. And such has been the case with McBride.
The Knicks are 2-0 in the two games in which he played, and 0-2 in the games he didn’t play. The fourth-year point guard also leads the team in plus/minus at +20 this season, and leads the team in net rating (and as you can see below, it’s not particularly close).
Offensively, McBride is just one of three players on the team shooting more than six three-pointers per game, and is the only one of those three shooting above 33%.
When he is out there, his outside shooting ability, and willingness stretches the opposing defense, and his ability to be one of the premier point-of-attack defenders in the league allows Anunoby and Bridges to operate as havoc-wreaking help defenders.
McBride is important, maybe even more so than fans knew, and it’s painstakingly obvious so far.
4) Mikal Bridges has been awesome
Bridges will cool down at some point. There is no way he continues to shoot 47.4% from three or shoot 54.2% from the field, but he was a major reason why the Knicks won the first two games, and why the third and fourth games were even close.
The outside shooting has been significantly better; he is committed to being more aggressive in getting to the rim, his fastbreak finishing has been good, and his defense, while still not elite, has been better and more consistent as well. Even if some of the percentages and averages see some negative regression, Bridges seems like he could be in for a revenge season.
Given how last season went, though, there will continue to be some trepidation until he proves that he can sustain this level of production and efficiency with some consistency.
5) The defense has been imperfect, but better nonetheless
One of the major concerns about the 2024-25 Knicks team was their inability to be a good defensive team on a consistent basis. At times, they showed flashes of being a top-10 defensive team, thanks in large part to Anunoby’s incredible defensive season. But with Brunson and Towns both being defensive negatives, Bridges struggling to find consistency on that end, and Hart making more boneheaded mistakes than we were used to seeing, New York failed to develop the kind of defensive intensity or cohesiveness that was required of them. They finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 113.3, which was 13th in the league.
Through just four games, it’s hard to say just how good this defense will be, especially since they’ve played two games without their best guard defender in McBride, and their best rim protector, Mitchell Robinson.
What we can say, though, is that the defense has been better. It helps that the Cavaliers sans Darius Garland are a much less explosive team, and that the same can be said for both the Celtics and Heat, who were playing without Jayson Tatum and Tyler Herro, respectively.
But it’s undeniable that the defense has been better. They currently rank seventh in the league in defensive rating with a rating of 110.2. While they will inevitably play better offensive teams, the eventual return of Robinson, whenever it may be, and McBride should only improve this defense as they go forward.
