Knicks Skid Runs Deeper Than a Poor Stretch

When watching these New York Knicks lately, it's a reminder of their Madison Square Garden co-tenant Rangers, and the fragility of human element.

In May of 2024, the Rangers were up two games to one on the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals before the Puddy Tats roared back to take the next three games on their way to consecutive Stanley Cups. The Blue Shirts have seen their window slammed shut and some dark days lay ahead, which was put in motion by player personnel decisions and hurt feelings.

Following the loss, Chris Drury waived beloved fourth-liner Barclay Goodrow. Then he sent out a trade memo informing all teams that captain Jacob Trouba and forever Ranger Chris Kreider were on the block. The pair were upset yet opened the season with the team. Peter Laviolette’s fragile and discontent group were fractured and went on to miss the playoffs. Now with new coach Mike Sullivan the team is as broken as ever.

Could The Knicks Core Be Facing A Mental Crisis

Meanwhile, the Knicks aren’t quite writing letters to fans about a re-tooling process, which Drury did yesterday, but are showing signs of how the mental aspect can seep into the returns on the ice, field or court. Over the summer, the Knicks and Bucks had dialogue about a potential Giannis Antekounmpo trade, according to SNY's Ian Begley. Could those talks have exposed the fragility of this core?

Talks didn’t progress anywhere but it’s obvious that Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are well aware that they can wake up one of these mornings with a call from their agent saying to pack their bags. Perhaps this recent malaise goes back to those Giannis conversations and that trio being in their feelings.

Towns is showing with his inconsistency and incessant foul woes that his head is elsewhere and he’s not a true number two guy on a championship team. Anunoby and Bridges have their moments, but they don’t bring enough day in and day out excellence to be considered stars. With each loss and no-show it's looking more and more like Giannis is the co-star and vinegar captain Jalen Brunson needs.

Jan 15, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) looks to pass defended by Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Bringing in dirt dog P.J. Tucker during the waning days of last season was a quiet omission from Leon Rose that the team issues ran deeper than Tom Thibodeau or talent. The Knicks could’ve signed a contributing player to bolster the league's lowest scoring bench or veteran TJ Warren, who was hoping for a call up while plying his trade in Westchester, to try and give the team a jolt. Instead, Rose signed the 39-year-old Tucker off his couch to bring a sage voice and toughness, something still seemingly lacking.

Over the last few years, the Knicks have always played hard but never dirty. Choir boys if you will. There was the Miami series a few years ago with Bam Adebayo setting dirty screen after dirty screen. And wily veterans Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love talking smack. There was Joel Embiid trying to hurt every player on the team, including successfully shelving Mitchell Robinson, two years ago. The Knicks DNA could use more fire and desire like Clyde Frazier would say.

The Knicks Have Shown A Lack Of New York Toughness

We saw Anunoby get a basketball chucked at him by Desmond Bane, Brunson get shoved mid-air by Isaiah Stewart and Draymond Green trying to take Towns’ legs out the other night while on the floor. Not a single player came to their teammates defense. It wasn't too good of a look either for the whole team and even coaches, to be yucking it up with Green during and after the game.

Despite the Knicks just reaching the mid-way point of the season, it has felt like three different mini seasons. The up and downs in the early days of Mike Brown’s tenure. Winning 15 of 19 games, including the NBA Cup. Now this stretch of mostly listless play since the second half of the teams New Year’s Eve game against San Antonio, which has seen the team lose seven of their last night games.

It's not just the losses, it's about how badly they're getting beat and how disconnected and disinterested the group looks. You can cite the injuries during this stretch. Josh Hart missed 8 games. Landry Shamet missed two months before recently returning. Robinson is in and out of the lineup. Brunson's twisted his ankle the other night and missed all but five minutes of the last two games.

Every team deals with injuries and also endures what they call the dog days of the season. This could very well just be a bump in the road. But what is happening of late might run deeper than just what we're seeing on the surface.

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