{"id":171617,"date":"2026-01-06T17:39:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=171617"},"modified":"2026-01-06T17:39:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:39:36","slug":"what-the-knicks-need-to-do-to-get-their-groove-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/06\/what-the-knicks-need-to-do-to-get-their-groove-back\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Knicks Need to Do to Get Their Groove Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following Monday night’s 121-90 road loss to the Detroit Pistons, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> described the current four-game losing streak as “a bad, bad time,” adding<\/a>, “You can’t have it be this bad.” Coming from KAT, whose issues are emblematic of the Knicks writ large, the quote is striking.<\/p>\n

We’re less than halfway through the season, and the team is still 23-13. That’s good for third in the East behind Boston and Detroit. Towns finished the game with a plus\/minus<\/a> of -27. Amongst the 13 players who saw the court Monday, only OG Anunoby’s<\/a> -31 was worse. The Knicks gave up 21 fastbreak points and conceded 33 points off turnovers in their loss to the Pistons. The Pistons got what they wanted<\/a>, scoring 52 points in the paint while knocking down 16 threes at a 52 percent clip.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, defensive showings like Monday night have been par for the course. During this four-game losing streak, the Knicks are giving up 124 points per game. They’ve also allowed opponents to shoot 51.5 percent from the field. For reference, Denver, the best offensive team in the league<\/a>, averages 124 points per game and shoots 50.8 percent from the field. <\/span><\/p>\n

The defensive rating for these past four games is telling. It puts the Knicks in the company of the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings\u2014hardly a who’s who of playoff contenders.<\/p>\n

What the Knicks Need to Do to Get Their Groove Back<\/h2>\n

Effort and Communication<\/h3>\n

As I previously noted<\/a>, within Mike Brown’s new system, point-of-attack defense has been an issue for this Knicks team all season. It’s become routine to see opposing ball handlers sashaying to the rim unimpeded. Below, Cade Cunningham<\/a> works his way past Anunoby while Miles McBride<\/a> waits in a help position. McBride loses track of a cutting Ausar Thompson<\/a>, allowing Cunningham to find him for a dunk. The icing on the cake, Towns’ late contest at the rim.<\/p>\n