Why Knicks Shouldn’t Panic After Slow Start

The New York Knicks may be off to a slow start this season, but they aren’t alone in their struggles.

The Knicks are among the overwhelming majority of teams to be .500 or lower to start the season. That’s why ESPN insider Tim Bontemps isn’t worried about the Knicks or any East contender at the moment.

“The East doesn’t look that formidable right now” is an understatement,” Bontemps writes. “Philadelphia is off to a worse start than Milwaukee, albeit with Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out lots of time because of injuries. Paolo Banchero is now out several weeks for Orlando. The Knicks have gotten off to a slow start with their new-look roster. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have stumbled out of the gates. So have the Miami Heat.”

There have been a lot of growing pains for nearly every contender in the Eastern Conference to start the season. The only exceptions have been the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have hit on every cylinder with new head coach Kenny Atkinson and the Boston Celtics, who returned pretty much their entire team after comfortably winning the NBA Finals back in June.

While these teams have struggled to begin the season, the Knicks and their rivals will have to find ways to get past their shortcomings soon. The teams that are most likely to rise back to the top will be the ones who are able to adjust the quickest.

The Knicks have shown signs of success and have been fortunate to be relatively healthy to start the season, so if they can continue growing along their current trajectory, they should be right back in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks’ next matchup comes tomorrow against the Pacers. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.

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