Knicks’ honeymoon phase over already? Behind the champs’ slow start

You might say that Mike Brown saw this coming.

After a summer spent enjoying the spoils of helming the first New York Knicks team to win an NBA championship since the Nixon administration, the first time Brown sat down at a podium to discuss what might lay ahead in the 2026-27 campaign, the Knicks head coach repeatedly emphasized the need for his team to adhere to its established competitive standard. For his players to avoid any slippage in their day-to-day habits. For every member of the roster and staff to remain laser-focused on, and energetic in pursuit of, the process of putting themselves in position to compete for another championship.

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Because, the coach predicted, the hardest work was just starting.

“You know, a lot of people tend to shy away from adversity — especially early on, because, you know, you get scrutinized, and sometimes it can be tough dealing with that,” Brown said at the Knicks’ media day session in September. “I actually yearn for it. I yearn for it early. Because I want to make sure that not only myself, but we as a group can handle it.”

Well, Coach, I’ve got good news and bad news, and they’re both the same thing. That early adversity you ordered? It has officially arrived.

‘It’s the focus on the details’

After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night, falling to the Boston Celtics on Friday, and dropping a 111-102 home game to an Orlando Magic team missing injured All-Star forward Paolo Banchero on Sunday — a game they led by 10 with 9:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, before conceding a 30-9 run over the next eight-plus minutes — the Knicks sit at 0-3 on the young season, one of only seven winless teams in the Association. New York suffered just four losing streaks of three or more games all of last season. Less than a week into its title defense, that counter already sits at one.

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The Knicks are just the third defending champion in NBA history to begin the ensuing season with three consecutive losses, joining the 1969-70 Celtics and 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks. Those Mavericks won their fourth game, eventually finished as the West’s No. 7 seed, and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/knicks-honeymoon-phase-over-already-behind-the-champs-slow-start-190632336.html

Author : Dan Devine

Publish date : 2026-10-26 19:06:00

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