Getty Tom Thibodeau sounds off.
The New York Knicks have now lost three straight, and this latest loss to the Atlanta Hawks saw the team blow a 20 point load and lose by double digits in the end.
It’s a very ugly loss to say the least, and there’s a lot of blame to go around. There are many fans who have zeroed in on Julius Randle, a player who was frequently targeted last year as a problem, but the problems do run deeper than that.
Coach Tom Thibodeau shoulders a lot of the blame, and there are many vocal fans who think he can and should be doing more. For starters, Julius Randle and Obi Toppin are rarely played together, something Thibodeau has said he is resistant to doing, but fans want to see it happen.
Thibodeau sent a strong message to his team after the loss.
Thibs Speaks Out
“No matter what happens, we’re not going to be perfect. We’re going to make some mistakes. Just don’t quit on a play. You can make a mistake and go hustle and get it back. That’s the mentality we want to have”
– Tom Thibodeau
This early into the season, there are bound to be ups and downs, and the Knicks aren’t projected to be much more than a play-in team, so performances like this are bound to happen.
However, a lot of fans had added optimism considering how the year started, and it has led to extra blame going around.
After the loss, Thibodeau spoke about how the team is going to make mistakes, but that they need to find a way to put it behind them.
“No matter what happens, we’re not going to be perfect,” he said. “We’re going to make some mistakes. Just don’t quit on a play. You can make a mistake and go hustle and get it back. That’s the mentality we want to have.”
A young team is bound to make mistakes, but this is also a roster that has largely been the same for a few years now, but issues like this still crop up from time to time.
Jalen Brunson has had a big impact on the court, and he’s doing his best to step in and be a leader.
“As a point guard, as a leader … that’s just unacceptable on my part,” he said about the team’s third quarter where they were outscored 32-10.
Knicks Slumping
The Knicks are now in the midst of a three game losing streak, and things aren’t going to get much easier for them in the near future.
Their next four games are against the Sixers, Celtics, Timberwolves and Nets before that have a matchup against the Pistons.
While many teams around the league have struggled out of the gates, included each of the teams above, these are all teams who made the playoffs last season with the exception of the Pistons.
Adding Brunson to the mix makes the Knicks a better team than last season no doubt, but it’s looking like it’s going to be tough for them this year. To make the play-in tournament, they’ll need to finish in the 10th seed, and that does seem like something that will be possible for them.
Going winless in the next five games will make that a lot tougher, so they’ll have to hope they don’t do that. It’ll certainly be a battle.