Zero wins, seven losses, and a combined point differential of minus-141.
That is all the Knicks have to show against the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, the best three teams in the league, this season.
The outrage against New York for its shortcomings is warranted. Not only did they lose these games, they were non-competitive in them. The Knicks made two blockbuster trades last offseason to get better. Trading core pieces in Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns, plus six first-rounders for Mikal Bridges, is supposed to make the Knicks a championship contender on paper.
However, there are many reasons why this Knicks team is not ready for the big stage.
The Towns trade coming two weeks before training camp set the Knicks back. Tom Thibodeau was planning for the 2024-25 season with Julius Randle on the roster, a vastly different player than Towns.
Plus, their bench is not good. They do not have the depth the Celtics, Cavs, and Thunder do. Playing without Mitchell Robinson for the first five months of the season was far from ideal.
The Thibodeau-Bridges Dilemma
Thibodeau has been under scrutiny from the fanbase since he came to New York in 2020.
He is infamously criticized because of the way he manages his starters’ minutes, but has rarely had his coaching skills questioned. He has done a fantastic job bringing back an identity to the Knicks in the last five seasons.
Thibs has not done a good job of properly integrating Mikal Bridges into the Knicks’ offense. Bridges’ usage percentage (18.8%) and field goals attempted (14.7) are the lowest since 2021-22. Production from Bridges is expected to drop because of Towns and Brunson’s ball-dominant playstyles; however, Thibs has not done a good job setting up screens and plays for Bridges to excel.
Bridges’ usages by play type in the Knicks offense are: 29.3% in spot-up shooting, 22.9% in transition, 10.1% as a cutter, 9.3% pick and roll, and 5.7% off screens. For Bridges, it’s shocking not to see him more involved in the offense after his time with the Brooklyn Nets. New York is fine offensively in most games, but the small details matter when you play better competition.
Lack of depth and Mitchell Robinson
All year long, New York’s main problems have stemmed from the bench, particularly the absence of Mitchell Robinson.
Acquiring Towns two weeks before the season left the Knicks in a bind with their roster. They got too close to the second apron hard cap, and their depth was instantly depleted. As it stands, the Knicks currently do not get enough production out of their bench. Cameron Payne, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Precious Achiuwa are not enough against the best teams.
The Celtics’ bench includes Payton Pritchard (in the running for Sixth Man of the Year), sharpshooter Sam Hauser, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. Boston’s bench unit offers a nice blend of offense and defense that the Knicks do not.
How can New York improve its bench? They will eventually want to make a signing after February 28th, but getting Mitchell Robinson back is paramount compared to everything else. Adding Robinson is like trading for a top offensive rebounder and defensive player. The Knicks have struggled with these aspects of the game this season. They are 22nd in offensive rebounding and 18th in defensive rating.
New York must stay positive
There’s a lot of negativity when talking about the Knicks versus the best teams.
However, the Knicks have a core with an average age of 28. The team is built to compete for a championship for at least two or three more seasons. There is no reason to have everything figured out in year one. Chemistry takes time and the Cleveland Cavaliers are proof of this. It took the Cavs three years to determine the chemistry between Mitchell, Garland, Allen, and Mobley.
Time is the best and only way to resolve issues within a team. This year is a trial run for what the core can accomplish in the future. Regardless of what happens, there is always an entire summer to fix the bench depth and build better chemistry.
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