The New York Knicks have lost three of their last four games. Tom Thibodeau’s team fell to the Charlotte Hornets in their most recent outing, losing 115-98.
During his postgame news conference, Josh Hart ripped his team’s effort and execution levels. He declared that his team’s recent performances have been ’embarrassing.’
“The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said. “We’re not doing what it takes, we’re not doing the extra effort, we’re not giving energy. And we’re crying to refs…We can be more aggressive defensively on the ball. We can be more assertive offensively. Not being stagnant, communicating better. I think we got outrebounded by 14 today. A lot of that is effort. None of that takes talent. None of that is schemes and those kinds of things.”
The Knicks’ recent struggles coincide with the absence of Jalen Brunson. The All-Star guard is currently sidelined with an ankle sprain. As such, the Knicks offense has lost some of its potency. However, after a summer of heavy investment, Thibodeau’s team was supposed to be well-equipped to deal with the absence of a singular star.
Knicks fans will likely be concerned at this downswing in form so close to the postseason. They’re supposed to be one of the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Brunson Is Out Of A Walking Boot
In a boost to the Knicks, Brunson is reportedly out of a walking boot. Tom Thibodeau recently told the media his star guard has progressed to some light shooting on the court.
“Doing light shooting,” Thibodeau said. “…Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. He’s putting a lot into his rehab, so right now, that’s where we want his focus to be. And then hopefully, he’ll get into some games where he works his way back into it.”
The Knicks only have a handful of games remaining on their regular-season schedule. As such, Brunson faces a race against time to return to the rotation and get back to game fitness. Thibodeau will undoubtedly be reluctant to rush his star back for fear of him tweaking the injury. However, as we’ve seen, the Knicks need Brunson’s scoring if they’re going to stand a chance in the playoffs.
Udonis Haslem Predicts Knicks’ First-Round Exit
The Knicks’ recent slide has seen the franchise’s chances of a deep postseason run begin to come under question. During a March 18 appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, Udonis Haslem claimed the Detroit Pistons could eliminate New York in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I’m looking at the matchup and (the Pistons) are sharpening their swords and they are ready for this matchup,” Haslem said. “Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, those guys are ready for this matchup. Jalen Brunson coming in or not, that ankle’s not going to be ready until the summertime. We all know that, so he is not going to be healthy. I’m looking at Detroit and saying this could be a first-round exit for New York.”
New York’s decision to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns during the summer has raised expectations. Extending OG Anunoby also played a part in how people see the Knicks. If they were to fall at the first hurdle, we would likely see some significant changes during the summer, likely starting with Thibodeau.
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