Knicks Receive Passing Grade Midway Through Contending Campaign

The New York Knicks are, at a glance, fulfilling the expectations that the public set for them entering the NBA's 2025-26 regular season.

They're one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference at 25-16, well on track to entering the playoffs with home court advantage thanks to their bevy of high-level rotation players. Especially considering the dramatic coaching change that overwhelmed the rest of the Knicks' summer, they've noticeably shifted to improve as a more balanced offense.

With that being said, they don't deserve the credit of most other inner-circle contenders. They've slumped hard to start 2026 in dropping six of their last eight games, proving that despite the litany of intriguing names lining their bench, few reserves can match the impact of their big-name starters.

Assessing Expectations

CBS Sports handed out midseason report cards in welcoming the second half of the regularly-scheduled games, handing the Knicks a B- for what they've proven to this point. That grade was also handed out before they lost to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 16.

As convincingly as New York has cruised through many matchups, they're under a bigger microscope in ever in attempting to convince everyone else that they're capable of returning to NBA championship glory.

"They lost to the Kings on Wednesday after Jalen Brunson left with a tweaked ankle after just five minutes," Brad Botkin wrote. "It speaks to how much Brunson carries this team, which is true of all superstars to varying degrees, but Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't been good enough as a co-star during his worse shooting and most inefficient scoring season since his rookie year."

New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown, Guard Jalen Brunson and Center Karl-Anthony Towns — Oct 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown talks with guard Jalen Brunson (11) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second half of an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

"Still, the Knicks are No. 2 in the East (even though they've done a lot of their damage against bad teams). They're 21-10 when Josh Hart plays and 12-3 when he starts. Deuce McBride is having a sensational season off the bench and this team as a lot of variations it can go with lineup-wise with all the like-sized wings and two bigs. They'll have to overcome what is an abysmal defense with Brunson and Towns on the floor together, but offensively they can outscore anyone on any night. I trust Towns to get it going at some point."

They don't have much room to spare in attempting to whip into shape on the fly, not quite elite enough to leave their lackluster conference in the dust. The Detroit Pistons are playing a noticeable step better than the Knicks in surrounding Cade Cunningham with productive off-ball players, and they, along with longtime New York irritants in the Boston Celtics, have compiled significantly better defenses than what the Knicks have managed to string together.

The Knicks are a good team, there's no doubt about that. But in the eyes of evaluators still looking to be convinced that this iteration can surpass, let alone match, their finish from last season, they still have a ways to go in reaching their final idealized form.

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