The Knicks are 0-2 to start the season, and man, that’s not what New York fans wanted to hear. Their latest stumble came against the Boston Celtics, falling 107-103 in Boston’s home opener at TD Garden. This 0-2 start is a rough one, the first time they’ve kicked off a season like this since Leon Rose’s first full year in charge six years ago.
Bridges’ Shot Just Isn’t Falling
One player who really felt the sting in Boston was Mikal Bridges. He put up a goose egg, zero points, going 0-for-8 from the field, including 0-for-5 from deep, and didn’t even get to the free throw line. Coach Mike Brown acknowledged it, saying Bridges had “three or four wide-open 3s” and that the team expects him to hit at least “half of them.” Brown’s message to Bridges is clear: “he’s got to keep shooting. And hopefully they’ll eventually go in, sooner than later.” But it isn’t just offense, Brown stressed that Bridges, and frankly, the whole squad, needs to step up physically on defense.
Coach Brown Still Searching for Identity
Coach Brown isn’t sugarcoating things. He admitted he’s “still trying to figure out this team a little bit.” Even though “everybody is like, ‘Whoa, it’s the same team as last year,’” Brown sees it as a “new season, new team, new challenges,” and he’s not even sure “who I wanna play yet.” The loss to Boston really highlighted the Knicks’ issues with physicality. Brown gave credit where it’s due, saying “Boston credit. They had the advantage with the physicality.” And while Jayson Tatum went off for 36 points, Brown was quick to say, “that’s not why we lost the game.” No, the real reason was simple: “We lost the game because we didn’t handle their physicality on both ends of the floor for too many stretches that were too long.” The team needs to stop “laying on screens when we get hit” and bring a “level of physicality to the switch.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow, starting 0-2, but Jalen Brunson tried to find a silver lining, noting, “I think we took a stride, just not big enough strides.” The Knicks have to figure it out fast. Their next chance to turn things around is Sunday evening, when they host Orlando in the Garden. They need to find that stride, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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