Oct 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) and Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) are separated in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Knicks season is almost a week in, and it hardly looks like anything worthy of a championship defense. Three games, 0-3. While it is still very early in the season and a majority of people will not panic, there are still some things you should take notice of.
The Competition
On Sunday Night, the Knicks lost to the Orlando Magic 111-102 in the Garden. Paolo Banchero did not play, Jalen Suggs left early with a leg injury, and the Knicks had a 12-0 lead to begin the game. New York played Philadelphia on opening night, and Boston on Friday. It’s an early onslaught as the Eastern Conference is at its strongest it’s been in a very long time. The Detroit Pistons, last year’s No. 1 seed in the East, are next for them on Tuesday as they are 3-0 on the season. The NBA Cup begins on Friday, Oct. 30, with the group stage as they will play the rival 76ers. It’s not going to be easier for the Knicks going forward.
The Mikal Bridges Dilemma….Again
Throughout the course of last season, Mikal Bridges struggled. There was speculation that he might get traded or even benched. In Game 5 of the first-round series against the Hawks, he scored zero points, which caused an uproar. Currently, the struggle is back for Bridges. He is averaging 3.3 points per game and has more fouls than made shots. This is the second year in a row for Bridges’ struggles, and if this continues, a possible trade or major decision is imminent.
Championship Hangover
In the NBA, there has been no repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Throughout the offseason, a bunch of players were ready to move on from the championship and be ready for the upcoming season, which is easier said than done. Head coach Mike Brown has questioned the team’s physicality and the lack of defensive communication. New York is shooting 32% from three as a team and 40% from the field. Brunson and Towns, while putting up numbers, have struggled with their inefficiencies.
“Everything falls on my shoulders,” said Brunson on the Knicks offense sputtering in the opening season. “I just got to be a better leader when it comes to that, when it comes to our guys being ready to go in the right spots. There’s a lot of other little things, but it’s organization on my part.”
“Games like this tell us our crap stinks. It does,” Brown said on the loss to Orlando. “And we’re the only ones who can do anything about it. There’s no light switch we can turn on and go and win the ballgame. Nobody’s giving us anything, so we have to be better with the little things until we start shooting the ball.”
New York’s season is still very young, with 79 more games that need to be played. It is still something to look at, but not overreact. New York is the first champion since the 2011-2012 Dallas Mavericks to start the season with three straight losses.
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