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The New York Knicks continue to be a talented—and incredibly inconsistent—team. They were winners of five of their last six games, entering play on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, despite some poor refereeing, the Knicks gave away their latest game to the Atlanta Hawks 108-100, a game in which they led by as much as 11 points in the first half. That loss resulted in their being eliminated from the NBA Cup tournament. Now, the Knicks need to do some soul-searching if they hope to compete for a championship.
The Knicks started the season 5-6 with serious chemistry issues. From a high level, it appeared that the Knicks turned things around. They were winners of 10 of their previous 13 games entering Wednesday night, and they boasted a +150 net plus-minus across those 13 games. Jalen Brunson seems to have figured things out, scoring less but getting teammates involved. Karl-Anthony Towns inserted himself into the MVP discussion, and OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and co. have picked up the slack when needed.
But a peek behind the curtain reveals a house of cards. Other than pristine ball movement, New York hasn't done much right. They barely snuck by a below-average Toronto Raptors team. One of their wins was a one-point victory against a LaMelo Ball-less Charlotte Hornets team. They also beat up an injured New Orleans Pelicans team. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks sans Luka Doncic, as well as a lowly Utah Jazz team. So, while the Hawks have some impressive wins this season (including against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics), last night's loss is simply proof that the Knicks have a lot of room for improvement.
Need to win the rebounding battle
Rebounding was a strength for the Knicks last season. It was much of their identity. They were big, physical, and deep. That cannot be said of the 2024-25 Knicks. Depth continues to evade them. Even with Precious Achiuwa back from injury, their front line remains undersized. And the box score supports it.
New York has been out-rebounded in each of their last three games and ranks just 24th in rebounds per game (42.3) overall, compared to fifth last season (45.2). Specifically, only two Knicks who have played five or more games (Towns and Hart) are averaging more than five rebounds per game. Comparatively, the Knicks had five players average seven or more rebounds per game last year.
More bad news: center Mitchell Robinson could be sidelined longer than expected—into late January or early February— ESPN's Shams Charania reported earlier this week on “NBA Today.” So, the Knicks will have to figure out their problems on the boards without arguably their best rebounder.
Free throw consistency and attempts
This is an odd one to include. Why? Because the Knicks lead the league in free throw shooting percentage. But it sure doesn't feel like it—and it was not the case in Wednesday's matchup with the Hawks. New York shot 40% on free throw attempts in the first half, a deplorable effort. The Knicks ended the game marginally better but still not nearly as strongly as they should have, making 60% of their 15 attempts.
Specifically, Brunson has left a lot to be desired in terms of free throws. Yes, he's sinking 82.3% of his free throw attempts. But it feels like he misses one of two when they count most like clockwork. That's admittedly anecdotal, but it is a worrisome trend that dates back to the 2024 playoffs.
Further, the Knicks simply don't shoot enough free throw attempts. They rank just 27th in the NBA in free throw attempts per game (19.8), and Mikal Bridges is a major reason why.
Bridges’ free throw attempts have plummeted this season, averaging just 0.8 per game compared to 3.9 last season and 6.6 in 2022-23. This decline isn’t due to a lack of overall shot attempts, as he’s taking 14.7 shots per game compared to 15.8 last season. Instead, it may reflect a shift in his role, with more emphasis on catch-and-shoot opportunities and less on isolations. Regardless, it’s a missed opportunity, as Bridges is an 84% career free-throw shooter, and the Knicks would benefit from getting him to the charity stripe more often.
Lack of defensive effort
The Knicks' defense is another sub-par area that needs to improve. In particular, New York surrendered 34 points in the third quarter of its latest loss to Atlanta, and they simply couldn't get stops. That tracks with what New York has done defensively all season. They are currently 16th in defensive rating, surrendering 114.4 points per 100 possessions.
It's sort of baffling that the Knicks aren't a better defensive team. Sure, Robinson, who is a defensive force, has been sidelined all season. But they boast three of the best wing defenders in the league in Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart. That alone should be enough to mitigate runs like we saw in the third quarter of the game against the Hawks.
To be fair, the Knicks' defensive issues are probably closely related to a lack of familiarity, as two starters are new to the lineup. But rebounding and free throw shooting is about effort, approach, and execution. New York must give more consistent effort and execute more deliberately if they hope to compete this season. Right now, it doesn't look like they know how to do so.
