Knicks Coach Addresses Slow Start

The New York Knicks are off to a slow start this season.
Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks have only won a single game in their three matches so far, which isn't up to the standard they set for themselves during the offseason.

However, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau isn't ready to hit the panic button just yet.

“It’s early in the season. The dynamic of the team is you have a lot of talent on the team, and they steadily have gotten better," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "The pace is maybe a little bit different, but it’s too early to tell. I think the strengths and weaknesses of the club are going to be the same. And then you’re always looking at style of play.”

It will take some time for the Knicks to figure out how to operate as a team, especially with new key pieces added in like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.

For instance, Towns only had eight shot attempts in the Knicks' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last game. That shouldn't happen as the team makes adjustments throughout the season.

On top of that, the Knicks had arguably the toughest start to a season out of any team in the NBA. The three teams that appeared on the schedule were all in the second round of the playoffs last year.

New York fell to Boston on opening night when the team hit 29 3-pointers, which tied an NBA record. Then, Cleveland squeaked out a six-point win at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps the Knicks would be 3-0 instead of 1-2 if they had played easier competition to start the season.

There are still 79 games to go, so the Knicks really have no reason to panic. They are now beginning to figure out what adjustments they need to make as a team and that takes some time.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.