Knicks’ Mike Brown still believes his team can win a title

The New York Knicks came into this season fresh off of a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, with many anticipating them taking the next step to being a true title contender.

Knicks’ Mike Brown believes they are a championship team

While the Knicks have looked competitive in Mike Brown’s first season as head coach, there have been some major hiccups. After starting the year 23-9 with an NBA Cup title, a 2-9 stretch nearly sent the team off the rails.

They then won eight straight games only to play .500 basketball since. Inconsistencies have marred their season, yet they still sit third in the Eastern Conference and only a game and a half behind the Boston Celtics for second.

Brown believes that his group can still win a title despite the turbulence they’ve endured this season.

“I truly believe it [that we are championship team],” Brown said Thursday, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Now, having said that, there are things that have to go right. You got to be playing your best basketball. You have to be connected. The things that I talk about. You got to sacrifice. If you got guys on your team that aren’t sacrificing, you could be in trouble. Because it’ll mess with your connectivity. Which is huge. You got to have a competitive spirit. You got to want to compete every night. And you got to believe.”

The Knicks need to stay focused

Brown added that despite the expectations placed on them, the focus needs to be to stay hopeful that they can accomplish their ultimate goal this year.

“Even when things are going bad. Even when you go through stretches of 2-7 or 2-9. You got to believe not just in the process — because it is a process — but you got to believe in each other. And then at the end of the day, in anything you do, starting with me, everybody has to be held accountable,” Brown said.

The Knicks have had their high moments, but it feels as though a true rhythm has yet to be achieved. Karl-Anthony Towns has had his worst shooting season of his career, and Mikal Bridges has not found a rhythm on either end since the beginning of the season.

Additionally, they have had problems with tougher, more physical teams. The Detroit Pistons, who currently sit atop the East by a wide margin, pummeled the Knicks in their three matchups by a total margin of 84 points, clearing opening up a talent gap between the two teams that the Knicks need to close.

For them to truly be a championship team, all of their pieces need to click. In the first year of a new system, it is clear that the players have still not adapted fully to the system, and they must figure it all out soon before the playoffs to ensure that they are confident in their playstyle heading into April.