Following the New York Knicks’ disastrous loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks Have Players-Only Meeting
Monday might have been rock bottom for the Knicks.
In front of their home fans at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks put on an absolute stinker, losing 114-97 to the Mavericks. The final score is not indicative of the beating the Mavericks gave the Knicks.
When the Mavericks went into halftime winning 75-45, the MSG fans booed the Knicks as they ran off the court.
The game did not sit well with the players, especially Brunson, who called a meeting with his teammates following the loss.
Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Brunson, who was recently named to the All-Star Game, told his teammates that it’s up to them to “find answers” for their poor play and not look to the coaching staff for solutions.
https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/2013717106542461261
One month ago, the Knicks played like a contender in the Eastern Conference after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup.
On Dec. 29, the Knicks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, moving to 23-9 on the season. Since that win, the Knicks are 2-9 and playing their worst basketball of the season.
The offense now ranks in the bottom five in January, and the defense has allowed more than 106 points every game during this stretch.
Who Deserves the Blame for the Knicks’ Woes?
When things are going poorly, everyone starts pointing fingers.
There is plenty of blame to go around, but the biggest culprit is head coach Mike Brown.
Per SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are “not tied together” as a unit and “players haven’t fully bought into their roles” under Brown.
Brown was hired to replace Tom Thibodeau, who led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago. Thibodeau had his problems, but no one ever questioned the Knicks’ toughness. That is currently happening under Brown.
The new head coach is not the only reason for the Knicks’ woes.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby have struggled to play with any consistency. The team has struggled to create energy during the games that Brunson and Josh Hart missed due to injury.
The Knicks are handicapped in what they can do in the trade market. Guerschon Yabusele and future draft picks feel like an offer the Knicks can make to secure a bench upgrade. Will that move represent the difference between winning and losing? Probably not.
Brunson’s option—fix it themselves—is probably the most realistic approach.