New York Knicks fans had high expectations for their beloved squad when they made the NBA playoffs in 2021. However, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and crew have come out slow this season and hold just a 15-18 record. Their current standing at 11th place in the East standings isn't even good enough to book them a ticket in the play-in tournament as 2022 approaches.

The good news for Knicks Nation is that they still have a lot of basketball to play in this 2021-22 campaign. New York still has a ton of time to turn its season around and make another push for the postseason. As the calendar flips to a new year, here are two New Year's Resolutions for the New York Knicks in 2022.

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New York Knicks 2022 New Year's Resolutions

1. Get their act together on the defensive end

New York is still not a good offensive team, but what made them successful last season was the ability to clamp down on opponents with elite defense. That hasn't been the case this season and is the main reason for their drop-off. They simply have not been the same team on the defensive end this campaign compared to the last.

In 2020-21, they finished with the fourth-best defense in the NBA. So far in this 2021-22 campaign, they have made a steep drop to No. 22 in terms of defensive rating. The Knicks were also No. 1 in terms of points allowed, opponent field goal percentage, and opponent 3-point percentage a season ago. They have dropped to 13th, seventh, and 18th, respectively, in those three categories in 2021-22.

New York's main additions this past summer in Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker looked to address offensive concerns. However, it seems like that has had an effect more so on their defense rather than improving their offense.

If the Knicks want any chance to return to make a return trip to the postseason, they must clean up on their defense to cover their deficiencies on offense. New York must work on finding a good balance on offense and defense as the calendar turns to 2022. If anybody can turn up their defensive intensity, they have the right man in head coach Tom Thibodeau to do so.

2. Julius Randle to return in All-Star form

Another reason for New York's drop-off this season is simply because Julius Randle hasn't been as good as he was a season ago. Randle had a spectacular 2020-21 campaign in which he averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Those numbers earned him his first All-Star nod, a spot on the All-NBA Second Team, and the NBA's Most Improved Player Award in 2020-21.

However, Randle's nightly production in 2021-22 has dropped to 19.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. The lefty's shooting and efficiency have been the main culprit for his decrease in offensive productivity. The 27-year-old is shooting just 42.7 percent from the field this season, which is a career-low mark. Likewise, Randle's 3-point shooting is down to 33.7 percent from 41.1 percent a year ago. Knicks fans hope that his 3-point shooting last season isn't an anomaly and that he eventually finds his groove when the calendar year flips.

The Knicks will need the 2020-21 version of Julius Randle to emerge in 2022 if they want any chance of getting back into the playoffs. If that doesn't happen, especially with Derrick Rose out for a while, this team could very well miss the play-in tournament.