The New York Knicks have started off the season in otherwise splendid fashion, despite dropping a few games to undeserving teams. Losing their most recent contest to the Toronto Raptors was another wake up call for a Knicks team that feels a bit egotistical against lesser opponents.
The Raptors, who’ve won their last four games, put the Knicks down easily, despite climbing back from a double-digit deficit in the second half.
The Knicks know they are an incredibly talented team with unlimited potential, but as third-year guard RJ Barrett stated, they simply were out-hustled against Toronto, a similar trend in their defeat to the Orlando Magic.
However, starting point guard Kemba Walker has another reason for the consistency issues, naming chemistry as a catalyst in their demise at times.
“A few new guys…we’re still trying to figure it out together”
Despite Walker’s concerns, the team has looked stellar on offense, ranking 2nd in three-point percentage at 40.8% and 8th in three-point attempts, heaving up 40.6 shots per game.
Interestingly, it is their defensive efficiency that has faltered, which is sure to enrage head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“We’re still gelling, we’re still gelling,” Kemba muttered with somber yet confident tone.
The Knicks have their early strengths and weaknesses:
Regarding rebounding, the Knicks currently rank 13th in defensive rebounds but 24th an offensive rebounds, showcasing the loss of Nerlens Noel to start the year. Noel contributed 2.2 offensive rebounds per game last season and adding that to the 3.4 Mitchell Robinson is garnering so far would be tremendous.
As Walker stated, the team is still building chemistry and learning how to play off one another, and with a long season ahead, we should expect the Knicks to begin playing more consistent basketball, beating teams that clearly lack an advantage. With such a tremendous bench, it is only a matter of time before Thibodeau puts together efficient combinations that play well on a daily basis.