The reigning NBA champions, the New York Knicks, have had an oddly subdued start to the new season, stumbling out of the gate at 0-2.
Instead of being buoyed by their incredible exploits last season, they’ve looked lethargic, losing to both rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers (106-100) on ring night and now the Boston Celtics (107-103).
The Knicks have played sloppily, and their transition defense has at times been nonexistent. Offensively, they haven’t found any rhythm either, and one or two fans have pointed at Knicks superstar captain Jalen Brunson for his poor shooting.
Fans Split On Jalen Brunson’s Lethargic Knicks As They Stumble Out Of The Gate
To be clear, few in the Knicks’ starting five can claim much credit for their start, aside from Karl-Anthony Towns, whose contract extension talks the organization curiously announced it had shelved, much to his surprise.
Furthermore, why the Knicks’ offense is playing, to quote coach Mike Brown, like they “were running in mud” is unclear.
But some are blaming Brunson for his underwhelming start. The 2026 Finals MVP is uncharacteristically mired in a shooting slump, averaging just 36% from the field. 13/36, to be exact, prompting varied reactions across social media.
BrickCenter tweeted, “Jalen Brunson choked,” and shared a clip of the end of the game where Brunson had two free throws down 4 points with 3.6 seconds left.
Knicks fan Chris Reilly downplayed any concerns, however, insisting in his tweet: “Stop the drama…no different than losing two in a row against tough teams in February.”
An NBA fan replied to Legion Hoops’ original tweet, writing, “It’s 80 more games remaining. Relax”
One user tried easing concerns and wrote, “It’s the second game of the year.”
Meanwhile, one fan took glee from the Knicks’ poor start and exclaimed, “I love it.”
Another hoops observer took it a step further by diminishing the Knicks’ title last season, writing: “They’re the same team from last season. They had no business winning the championship.”
It’s hard to argue that a team that won 13 straight playoff games by a record points differential isn’t deserving. Not to mention that they resoundingly defeated the San Antonio Spurs in both the NBA Cup final and the Finals.
Losing Mitchell Robinson to the Celtics in the offseason, without adequately addressing the loss in rim protection, may well cost them, however.
Not everyone is ready to write the Knicks off, as one fan wrote with perspective: “It’s 0-2, not 0-20.”
Whilst it’s early, and the Knicks are still expected to be a serious challenger when it’s all said and done, their lack of attention to defense is worth noting, as is their overall lack of energy on offense.
Furthermore, Mikal Bridges, with a $33.48 million cap hit this year, finished with 0 points against the Celtics and shot a staggering 12.5% from the field over two games, and seriously needs to step up and help Brunson.
The Knicks next face the Orlando Magic in another tough game as they try to get their season back on track, because a 0-3 record to start their title defense would be unthinkable for New York.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.