The Knicks snapped their skid in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, steamrolling the Nets in a blowout win. But one dominant night at home doesn’t erase the reality of what’s been a rough stretch for New York.
Since ringing in the new year, the Knicks have dropped nine of their last 11 games, and six of those losses came by double digits. That’s not just a slump-that’s a red flag for a team that entered the season with legitimate championship aspirations.
So, was the win over Brooklyn a turning point or just a temporary reprieve? That’s the question hanging over this team right now.
There are real concerns, starting with a noticeable drop in defensive efficiency compared to last season. The identity that once made them so tough-gritty defense, connected play, and a no-nonsense attitude-has started to fade.
And one of the bigger question marks is Karl-Anthony Towns, who hasn’t looked like the impact player the Knicks were counting on when they brought him in.
Paul Pierce has never shied away from poking the Knicks, and he’s not letting up now. The former Celtics legend has a long history of needling New York, and even retirement hasn’t slowed him down.
Last postseason, he famously lost a bet on the Knicks falling to Boston and had to walk to work in a bathrobe. This year, he’s doubled down, saying after the Knicks’ NBA Cup win that they’d never win a “real” championship in his lifetime.
And while Knicks fans might not love hearing it, Pierce is starting to look a little prophetic. On the latest episode of KG Certified, he said he saw this collapse coming from a mile away.
“I told you it looked like a disconnect,” Pierce said. “I saw it early.
I saw it. I don’t really see them dapping up each other.
It’s pouting going on out there.”
He’s pointing the finger at chemistry-or the lack of it. For a while, that was one of this team’s strengths.
The Villanova core brought a sense of camaraderie and cohesion that helped define last season’s success. But lately, that vibe has disappeared.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Jalen Brunson didn’t sugarcoat it, saying flat-out: “We a**.” Since then, the slide has only deepened.
Pierce also brought up the coaching change as a potential culprit. The Knicks’ transition from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown hasn’t been seamless, and Pierce knows firsthand how jarring that can be.
“When you get a new coach and you gotta go through a whole ‘nother system and you’re used to doing things a certain way,” he said, referencing his own early tension with Doc Rivers in Boston. “Because I remember that with me and Doc.
I was used to doing things a certain way. He come in, then he wants me to do this and do this and that.
We over here, we bumping heads. That’s what it look like over there.”
The difference, Pierce pointed out, is that his Celtics weren’t expected to contend before they brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. “We was losing and we wasn’t even in the playoffs,” he said.
“At least they a playoff team and they’re predicted to go to the Finals, or at least be in the conference finals, so that ain’t cool right there. It ain’t supposed to look like that.”
That’s the heart of the issue. This Knicks team came into the season with expectations.
They were supposed to be in the mix come May and June. Instead, they’re searching for answers in January.
Now, with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, the front office has some decisions to make. There’s chatter around Karl-Anthony Towns’ availability, and the ever-present question of whether Giannis Antetokounmpo could shake loose. The Knicks have the assets to make a move-but will they pull the trigger?
There’s still time to right the ship. But if the Knicks want to be more than a team that peaked in December, they’ll need to rediscover their identity-and fast.