The New York Knicks have slowed down despite the scorching start to the 2021-22 NBA season, and head coach Tom Thibodeau is not happy about it. He believes the team should be performing better than what they have shown so far, especially their starters.
Thibodeau’s frustration with the starting lineup reached the climax in their fixture against the Milwaukee Bucks. He benched the entire starting lineup including, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Myles Turner, for their inability to make stops on the defensive end. The Knicks ended up losing the game 112-100, but Thibodeau sent a message to his players on how everyone is expected to put in work on both ends of the floor.
In the post-game press conference, Tom had this to say about the idea of the group needing more time to build chemistry:
“You know what they say: When it’s 10 games, they say you need 20. When you say 20, they say you need 30; at 30, you say 40. And before you know it, the season is over. So that’s a bunch of bulls**t”
Tom Thibodeau on the notion the Knicks' starters need at least 20 games to gel:
"When you get to 20, you say 30. And you get to 30, you say 40. And then before you know it, the season's over. So it's a bunch of bulls**t" pic.twitter.com/5xFXmg3t7H
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 11, 2021
The defense has been the major issue for the Knicks starters, as they have been outscored 14.4 points per 100 possessions so far this season. Barrett, Randle, and Turner all have the potential to be elite-level defenders, so it is unclear why the team is performing so poorly on defense.
The Knicks currently have the fifth-worst defensive rating (111.0), a far cry from their third-place ranking last season (108.2). They started the season with a 5-1 record but are starting to fall apart, losing four of their last six games, all by significant margins.
As Thibodeau said, the season will be over before you know it, meaning the Knicks will have to figure it out sooner rather than later. Their fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings was a glimmer of hope in what could be the resurgence of the biggest basketball franchise in NBA history.
However, they are currently ranked seventh in the standings with a 7-5 run and are not looking as sharp as they are expected to be, especially with their offseason additions. They brought in more firepower that has shared the scoring load and unburdened Randle, but have not maintained the same energy protecting their basket.
Furthermore, the Knicks will have to find a way to turn Madison Square Garden into a fortress. So far, they have had more success on the road than in front of their home fans. Home advantage is what every team strives to utilize. Given how loud it can get at the Garden, Thibodeau needs to figure out how to win more games at home to prevent the fans from turning on them.
