The New York Knicks are not picking up where they left off. They are starting all over again. Head coach Mike Brown made this clear after practice on Sunday. He compared the team’s current struggle to a grueling hike where skipping steps leads to disaster. The core group knows each other well, yet the offense looks disjointed. Brown told the media that the team is climbing a mountain, and they are starting from base camp again.
Starting From Base Camp Again
Chemistry is not a permanent thing you can store in a locker. It needs constant work, like a campfire that requires tending. The Knicks finished last season with a machine-like rhythm, but that does not guarantee success now. Brown said, “You’re starting all over,” after practice on Sunday. He noted that if a team skips steps during this climb, “you’re going to die.” The team sits at 2-4 after six games, a record that feels heavy but does not mean the season is lost. Brown insists the team must take each step the right way and embrace the process.
Mikal Bridges echoed this sentiment on Sunday. He admitted the team needs time to get back in rhythm. “Yeah, that’s why I think for us, we just gotta continue to grow,” Bridges said. He pointed out that the last time they played was in June, and they were at their most polished then. The gap between June and now has cost the team flow. Bridges said the drop in performance reflects the time needed to adjust.
Perimeter Shooting Creates Traffic Jams
The lack of outside shooting is hurting the Knicks inside the paint. Brown used a football analogy to explain the problem to reporters. He said, “If you think about it, if you’re shooting the way we’re shooting the ball at the perimeter, it’s like in football, if you’re not able to pass the ball, they’re gonna put eight guys in the box,” according to the New York Post. When teams collapse in the paint, it becomes much harder to finish at the rim. The Knicks must make some “green threes” to open up the floor for their big men.
Brown said the team has to generate high-quality three-point shots while improving in other areas. If they cannot make those shots, they must compensate with better play elsewhere. The offense has suffered from too many turnovers and isolation plays. This disjointed style is a far cry from the selfless team that won fans across the country last year. The coaching staff knows the fix involves better spacing and ball movement, not just hope.
Backcourt Decisions Loom Large
A shift in the backcourt could provide the spark the offense needs. Jose Alvarado is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets after missing four games with an ankle sprain. He practiced on Sunday, giving the team a boost. Tyler Kolek has stepped up in his absence, playing 57 minutes over the last four games with 25 assists and only two turnovers. Brown said last week that “Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out.” Once Alvarado returns, Brown will have a tough choice to make about the rotation.
The coach added, “When he comes back, we’ll figure it out,” per the New York Post. This decision will define the team’s depth moving forward. Kolek has shown he can run the offense with care, but Alvarado brings a different energy. The Knicks need both to find their rhythm on the mountain climb. The team must navigate this transition without losing the progress they have made in the last few weeks.
