The New York Knicks are 2-2 through their first four contests under head coach Mike Brown, and many fans and pundits are wondering when the team will begin to look like a true Eastern Conference contender.
According to Brown, patience is necessary. The Ohio native claimed that the team should begin to have a better idea of how to maximize their talent by the end of November.
“It’ll take some time,” Brown told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “It’s hard to get a true evaluation in the first five to 10 games. I think y’all have been in this league long enough, the first month or month and a half, everybody feels like they have a chance and guys are playing hard and engaged and sometimes you have teams that are on top, they’re not going to finish on top.
“Because teams are trying to find their way. So we’re just evaluating not just [one player], but everybody. Not just the defense, but the offense too. Keep doing that. Come about December or end of November, we should have a pretty good feel.”
The Knicks are currently ranked seventh in defense and 24th in offense. Captain Jalen Brunson noted that the group has not yet played a game where they’ve meshed on both ends of the court.
“I think we’ve been pretty good defensively for some quarters and parts of the game,” Jalen Brunson said. “We haven’t played a full 48 minutes of offense or defense.”
These latest comments come amidst doubts that the Knicks can compete for a championship. Golden State Warriors All-Star Draymond Green recently said that New York is not ready to take the next step.
“I just don’t believe they’re contenders,” Green said on his podcast. “I don’t think they have what it takes to win at the highest level. I think you can stifle their offense. And make it hard on them. And I just think that ultimately, guys that don’t want to defend, it makes it tough to win at the highest level.”
Only time will tell if Brown, Brunson, and the Knicks can silence those who have already written them off.
