Despite raising the NBA Cup earlier this season, a team that entered the year with NBA Finals-or-bust expectations should not be questioning effort at the midway point. Yet a lack of intensity became a troubling storyline in the Knicks’ locker room following a 114–97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The issues facing New York go beyond talent or scheme. Instead, they appear rooted in a more fundamental problem that now threatens to derail the season. The Knicks have dropped nine of their last 11 games and are currently on a four-game losing streak.
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According to ESPN, team captain Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting after the lopsided home loss. Multiple sources said Brunson’s message was that the Knicks needed to address their struggles internally, rather than relying on the coaching staff for answers.
New York opened the season on a strong note, starting 23–9 and capturing the NBA Cup in December. Since then, the team has slid to 25–18, with its offense falling into the bottom five in the league throughout January.
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Frustration boiled over Monday night as boos echoed through Madison Square Garden. Brunson later summed up the situation succinctly.
“We just have to care a little more about what we’re doing,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “It has to mean a little more to us.”
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