The New York Knicks are currently facing a significant issue with their slow starts in games. Typically known for their strong first quarters, the Knicks have struggled in the opening 12 minutes in four out of their last five games. This problem has resulted in defeats against teams with losing records, such as the Spurs and Bulls, as well as their rival, the Heat.
This slow start trend is uncharacteristic of a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, as he pushes for maximum preparedness and focus from the beginning of the game. Last season, the Knicks ranked third in the East in positive first-quarter point differential, only behind the Bucks and Celtics. However, injuries have taken a toll on the team’s rotation, leading to their current struggles out of the gate.
In their recent losses against the Spurs, Heat, and Bulls, the Knicks found themselves trailing by double-digit deficits in the first quarter. While they were able to close the gap in the fourth quarter, they ultimately ran out of energy to complete the comeback. Even when considering their win against the Thunder on March 31, the Knicks have been outscored by an average of nine points in the opening quarters of their past five games, making them the worst in the East in this category.
Tom Thibodeau acknowledges the team’s need to play tougher and play for the lead. He believes that expending a lot of energy to climb out of early deficits is not sustainable for success. The issue is multi-faceted, with problems arising when substitutions are made during games. Particularly, Bojan Bogdanovic’s net rating in the first quarters of the past five games has been abysmal at minus-89.
In some games, such as against the Bulls and Kings, the Knicks simply had a rough start and were unable to recover. Despite OG Anunoby’s return and a relatively smooth performance from him after a long layoff, the team’s offense struggled to find a rhythm. The mid-quarter substitutions from Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson also failed to provide a much-needed boost.
Moving forward, the Knicks need to address their early struggles. Guard Jalen Brunson suggests that the team needs to “wake up” and play with more energy and pace. With only five games remaining in the regular season, the Knicks have a wide range of potential outcomes in terms of their playoff seeding. Their next game against the Milwaukee Bucks, who have also struggled recently, presents an opportunity for the Knicks to rebound and avoid losing three times in the same city and regular season.
Overall, the Knicks’ slow starts have become a major concern for the team. In order to find success in their remaining games and potentially in the playoffs, they must address this issue and find ways to come out stronger in the opening quarter. Otherwise, they risk falling behind early and expending valuable energy trying to catch up, which is not a sustainable strategy for long-term success.
