The New York Knicks dropped another one to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, putting them at a brutal 0-2 against their rivals in this early season NBA Cup matchup. No parade down Broad Street for the Sixers, sure, but the real story is what Knicks coach Mike Brown had to say coming out of Cheesesteak Arena. He wasn’t holding back, calling out serious issues with how his team is playing.
The Hard Truth From Coach Brown
Brown didn’t mince words after the loss, especially considering it was an NBA Cup game. He said, “We’re competitive when we need to be & that’s why all the games that we’re in we have a chance down the stretch. Trying to make sure we continue to do the little things throughout the course of the game is going to be huge because we’re not doing that right now.” It sounds like they’re hanging around, but barely. He also made it clear he doesn’t see this as a “statement game,” just the next one, but he still wants to win the Cup.
The coach was especially fired up about the team’s defensive effort, or lack thereof. Brown flat out said their “transition defense right now stinks.” Ouch. He did acknowledge it’s gotten “a little better” and noted that Jaylen, one of their best in transition, wasn’t even playing, but still, “stinks” is a strong word from a coach. He also ripped into how easily Philadelphia sliced through their defense, saying, “They were getting in our paint left and right, right and left, and it was really, really easy doing it.” That’s a huge problem if teams are just waltzing to the rim.
Offensive Headaches and Focus Fades
It’s not just defense, either. Brown is seeing issues on the offensive end too. He talked about the team “trying to hit a home run every time we get the ball.” His solution? “We have to hit singles. We can’t hit a home run. We gotta hit singles offensively.” He’s seeing too many guys trying to play hero ball, with “too many guys trying to iso and the other four guys sitting there and staring at the ball a whole possession.” That’s just lazy, undisciplined offense, and it’s been happening “all year.”
There were some brief moments of improvement, according to Brown. He mentioned they “did a better job with our turnovers (in the second half). But more importantly, we reacted better when we turned the ball over and we had five turnovers for six points (against).” So they cleaned it up slightly after halftime, which is something. But it wasn’t enough, because the real issue seems to be focus. Brown hammered home that “against a good team on the road, if you let go of those things in a half, you’re in trouble.” He clearly feels they checked out for a bit, saying “somehow some way we have to be cognizant of doing this stuff for 48 minutes, which we’re not doing right now. Tonight it was the first half…”
The Knicks have to find a way to play a complete game. These early season NBA Cup matchups are crucial for setting a tone, and letting teams attack the paint at will and trying to hit home runs every possession isn’t going to cut it. They need to figure out how to maintain that 48-minute focus and execute the “little things” Brown is talking about, or these early struggles could just be the beginning.
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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