The New York Knicks have only won three of their past 10 games, which is a huge problem for their spot in the Eastern Conference. They were the second seed for a long while, but now they are only a half-game ahead of the fourth seed.
Before the season even started, the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers were anointed as the best contenders this season. While the Knicks are well ahead of the Cavaliers, neither is meeting expectations.
Van Gundy's honest thoughtson the Knicks
It has not been a good start to 2026 for the Knicks because they have lost six games in January alone. That is not a good look for the Knicks, as they were closing in on the Detroit Pistons for the number one seed.
Now, they are behind the Boston Celtics in the standings, which is surprising, given that the Celtics were not projected as a top team before the season started.
MORE: Carmelo Anthony admits the New York Knicks are 'too dependent' on Jalen Brunson
The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson during their Thursday night game against the Golden State Warriors. They definitely missed him because they lacked the dynamic offense from the perimeter.
Coach Mike Brown's Knicks were competitive against the Warriors, but it mostly came from the offensive performance. Defensively, they were struggling, which Stan Van Gundy pointed out in the commentary booth.
"Anunoby playing great, McBride great, Hart, Towns; this is the problem with New York: the offense is good, still down double digits because they just. Can't. Stop. Anybody," Van Gundy said about the Knicks' main problem this season.
This should be an eye-opener for Brown and the rest of the Knicks because they are being called out on national TV. Everyone knows the Knicks could be a championship contender, but they are losing too many games.
If they can improve on defense, they could be one of the best teams of the Eastern Conference. However, that is unlikely to change, given their approach this season. If they can flip a switch, that would be great, but this might be a long-term issue.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the main player who people are calling out because of his muted presence in the paint. At the perimeter, the Knicks have top-tier defenders, but if they don't have a rim protector, they might keep struggling.
More NBA news:
- Jalen Brunson's latest injury is worrying for the Knicks' contender bid
- Why Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns was benched during crunch time Sunday
- Szczerbiak commends Mike Brown for being versatile in his usage of Karl-Anthony Towns
- Latest injury update on Josh Hart could help Knicks get back to winning games
- Jalen Brunson expresses what the team needs from KAT as the season progresses