Category: Basketball

Just a month ago, the Knicks were 18-7 and celebrating winning the NBA Cup (but not by putting up a banner). A couple of weeks ago, Knicks owner James Dolan was proclaiming, "We want to get to the Finals. And we should win the Finals" on New York radio. The team improved to 23-9 at one point.

That seems like a lifetime ago.

New York has gone 2-9 since that high-water mark, having lost four straight and getting booed by its own fans on Monday when shorthanded Dallas blew them out at home. The Knicks have looked like a team searching for an identity.

That led newly-minted All-Star starter and team captain Jalen Brunson to call a team-only meeting, reports Ramona Shelburn at ESPN. Brunson's message was "that the Knicks needed to find answers for their poor play in January among themselves, rather than look to the coaching staff for solutions."

Which ties into the bigger concern — this team has yet to fully buy into what new coach Mike Brown is selling, reports the well-connected Ian Begley at SNY.TV.

Players haven't fully bought into their roles under head coach Mike Brown. Those reasons are cited often when you talk to people about the Knicks' flaws. Now, these issues aren't unique to this year's team. They existed to a degree in the locker room last season. But the Knicks coaching change hasn't rooted them out.

The firing of Tom Thibodeau and hiring of Brown was never going to cure all that ailed the Knicks. But the move definitely raised the stakes for New York.

Brown has opened up the offense, and it's a little better this season, but the defense has been a little worse, and with that, these Knicks are worse than a year ago. Not connecting with his players is partially on Brown, but there is plenty of blame to go around for how this team looks lost, both for the players and the front office.

For example, Karl-Anthony Towns isn't playing poorly — 21 points and 11.6 rebounds a game, he should still be an All-Star reserve — but his counting stats and, more importantly, his efficiency are well off from last season. His true shooting percentage fell from 63 a season ago to 59.9 this season, and his efficiency across the board is down. Is that on Towns, Brown for pushing Towns out of his comfort zone, or both?

The front office went out looking for depth this summer and added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, neither of whom has added all that much to the team.

Brown, however, is the key variable. ESPN’s Shelburne was on NBA Today and discussed how Brown's recent postgame hug of Draymond Green, who had picked up a technical foul for tripping Towns that night, did not sit well with players.

"From what I understand, that did not land well with a lot of folks there in New York, in that locker room or even in the organization. While you can understand why he might have a bond with Draymond Green, I don't think that landed well, especially in the middle of a losing streak."

Brown spent six seasons as Steve Kerr's right-hand man in Golden State, so he has a relationship with Green forged over multiple title runs. Still, life can be about timing and perception, and Brown missed on both in this case.

While Knicks fans will point to the upcoming NBA trade deadline as a chance to shake things up, the team is hard-capped at the second apron and just $148,353 below that number — they have limited flexibility to really shake things up. Unless the Knicks want to shake up their core, the moves will be on the fringes.

Which means Brunson is right — the answers need to come from inside the locker room. And the Knicks need to come up with that answer fast, as New York has slipped to fourth in the East and is just 1.5 games above the play-in. This is a team that reached the Easter Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, but they fired coach Tom Thibodeau, believing a new voice (and someone who would trust and develop the bench) could deliver more. There were logical reasons to make the move. That said, whatever you think of Thibodeau, his teams had a clear identity.

New York needs to find its identity, and fast.

This week's NBA Power Rankings were pushed back a day due to a busy Martin Luther King Day on NBC Sports, but here we are with a new — but very familiar — team on top of the mountain.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

(36-8, last week No. 2)
The Thunder looked like their inevitable selves again last week with 20+ point wins over the Spurs, Rockets and Cavaliers (and we're going to say the Miami nightlife remains undefeated for their one-off loss). The Thunder will have to get by again without Jalen Williams for a few weeks due to a hamstring issue, but that was the case at the start of the season when OKC was 24-1, so no big worries there. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unquestionably was always going to be an All-Star starter, and expect the coaches to put Chet Holmgren in as an All-Star reserve.

2. Detroit Pistons

(31-10, last week No. 1)
Cade Cunningham is a deserving All-Star Game starter and probably should have gotten a shout-out in our midseason MVP rankings. Detroit's defense holding the Celtics in check on MLK Day — nine blocked shots and keeping the Celtics under 40% shooting — solidified its standing atop the Eastern Conference (that 5.5-game lead the Pistons have will be tough for any team to make up). That win and cushion also are why Detroit can be patient at the trade deadline and look for the right deal — a high-level secondary ball handler to put next to Cunningham — and if the right one is not there, keep its powder dry until the offseason.

3. San Antonio Spurs

(30-13, last week No. 4)
Victor Wembanyama earned his first All-Star Game start (of what will be many), then went out and celebrated by dropping 33 and 10 on the Utah Jazz. He may be the lone Spurs representative in Los Angeles this year, but starting in 2027 expect a couple of Spurs players to regularly make that team.

4. Houston Rockets

(25-15, last week No. 8)
The Rockets snapped out of their little midseason slump last week, winning 3-of-4 (and the one loss was to OKC), but after an ugly loss to the Thunder it's fair to ask if this team is genuinely the contender we thought it might be earlier in the season? Are the Rockets too reliant on Kevin Durant for offense? Houston did not get an All-Star Game starter, but Alperen Sengun and Durant should be locks to make the game as reserves selected by the coaches.

5. Boston Celtics

(26-16, last week No. 5)
Jayson Tatum did a one-hour workout in front of the media this week, showcasing how he is getting closer to a return this season (although after the All-Star break still seems the most likely timeframe). That was followed by a hard-fought one-point loss by Boston to East-leading Detroit, and it's easy to start drawing the line to the Celtics as a contender to come out of the East. Actually making that work with their center situation — as hard as Neemias Queta and Luka Garza are playing — is a lot more difficult (and why Boston is active on the trade market looking for a big). Jaylen Brown is a deserving All-Star Game starter and at midseason sits fourth in my MVP voting.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

(27-16, last week No. 3)
I don't like the word "snub" for an All-Star starter because, without a doubt, Anthony Edwards will be an All-Star (and likely start on one of the three teams in this year's USA vs. World format). That said, Edwards was a starter on my ballot (same with many media voters) and I can see why Julius Randle was sticking up for his teammate. Minnesota takes a step back in these rankings after losses to the Rockets and Spurs last week, but the schedule softens with 3-of-5 against below-.500 teams and the other two against the now-shorthanded Warriors.

7. Phoenix Suns

(26-17, last week No. 6)
Devin Booker remains the heart of the Suns, which we were reminded of when he sat out a loss to Detroit last week. The Suns are 1-3 in games he misses this season and have a -0.9 net rating when he is off the court (but are +5.6 when he is on the court). All of which is going to get interesting when the coaches' votes for All-Star Game reserves are announced Feb. 1, and Booker is on the bubble in the deep West, with an ASG snub a real possibility.

8. Denver Nuggets

(29-14, last week No. 9)
The Nuggets are now 7-4 while Nikola Jokic is sidelined with a knee injury, which is why Jamal Murray should be a lock to make his first All-Star Game as a reserve (as voted by the coaches). Jokic himself was selected as an All-Star Game starter by the fan vote, and he is expected to be healthy by next month (it looks like an end-of-the-month return, according to reports). Peyton Watson continues to make himself more and more money with his play while Jokic is out. Watson's playmaking skills have made a giant leap this season.

9. Golden State Warriors

(25-19, last week No. 15)
Jimmy Butler going down for the season with a torn ACL is brutal — he averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists a game, and the Warriors have been 9.2 points per 100 possessions better with Butler on the court. The timing could not have been worse, this is a Warriors team that had found its stride, won four in a row and 12-of-16, and was starting to look like a dangerous team in the deep West. This could force Steve Kerr to put Jonathan Kuminga back in the rotation, and one way or another, all of it will impact and inform the Warriors' actions heading into the trade deadline.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

(24-20, last week No. 11)
Cleveland continues to be the most confounding team in the NBA this season — are they the team that lost to the Jazz last week, or the one that picked up a couple of quality wins over the 76ers (that first win might have been the Cavs most complete game). Going into the season, some of us thought the Cavaliers were contenders (*raises hand*), but the MLK Day blowout loss to the Thunder is a reminder of just how far away from that goal this team is, and if the postseason started today, Cleveland would be in the play-in. Donovan Mitchell was not named an All-Star Game starter but is a lock to make it as a reserve.

11. New York Knicks

(25-18, last week No. 7)
This has evolved from the kind of little midseason slump every team goes through into a full-blown identity crisis. The Knicks have dropped five in a row and 9-of-11, and it was evident on MLK Day (when they got crushed by Dallas) that this is a team searching to figure out who it is — they have not seemed to fully buy into what Mike Brown is preaching. Deuce McBride said postgame Monday that he thought it was complacency, that this team had so much success last season and at the start of this season that guys got comfortable and need to snap out of it. Maybe, but it feels like more than that. Whatever is going on, the Knicks need to figure it out quickly, because they are just 1.5 games out of the No. 2 seed and 1.5 games out of the play-in, given how bunched up the East is in the middle.

12. Philadelphia 76ers

(23-18, last week No. 13)
Tyrese Maxey is a deserving All-Star Game starter, averaging 30.2 points per game. The fact that he was held to 36 points total across two losses to Cleveland last week is a reminder of how much this team needs him to be that All-Star player nightly, while there is other impressive talent on the roster, the 76ers go as Maxey goes most nights. Good tests for the Sixers at home this week against the Suns, Rockets and Knicks.

13. Toronto Raptors

(25-19, last week No. 10)
The Raptors sit as the No. 4 seed in the East, and with that when the All-Star Game reserves are announced Feb. 1, Scottie Barnes should be among them. However, getting two players (specifically Brandon Ingram) feels like a reach, especially considering Toronto is 2-4 in its last six games and is now just 1.5 games out of the play-in. The Raptors are 0-1 to start a five-game road trip through the West.

14. Los Angeles Lakers

(25-16, last week No. 12)
Luka Doncic led all of fan voting and is a deserving All-Star Game starter, and he is third on my midseason MVP ballot. He is not the big All-Star Game question, however, it's LeBron James, his 21-year streak of being selected as an ASG starter has ended. Moreover, it feels unlikely that the coaches will select him as a reserve for the game either. The All-Star Game without the NBA's biggest brand and name feels weird, so will Adam Silver give him a special designation to get in? The Lakers have played well this year, 13-8 on the road, which is good because they start their eight-game Grammys road trip (when that show kicks them out of Staples) on Tuesday night in Denver.

15. Los Angeles Clippers

(19-23, last week No. 16)
On one hand, this ranking feels too low for the NBA's hottest team, winners of six in a row and 13-of-15 (a streak that started when coach Tyronn Lue set the goal of this being a .500 team by the end of the season, following a 6-21 start). What gives us pause is Kawhi Leonard being sent home from the team's current road trip with knee irritation. The reports say it's not that serious, but anything with Leonard's knees is concerning.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

(22-22, last week No. 18)
The fans voted Deni Avdija in as the fifth starter from the Western Conference for the All-Star Game, but the player and media votes ultimately gave that spot to Victor Wembanyama. He may not start, but Avdija should be a lock to be an All-Star reserve picked by the coaches. Speaking of All-Star Weekend, if I could pick one person who has to do the Dunk Contest, it would be Shaedon Sharpe.

17. Orlando Magic

(23-19, last week No. 14)
Franz Wagner returned to the Magic lineup after missing 16 games, just in time for the game in his native Germany, although he looked understandably rusty in that Berlin game (6-of-16 from the floor). Wagner is also the answer to who would have represented the Magic in the All-Star Game next month if he had stayed healthy, he missed just too many games. Of course, what we're all going to remember from the Magic's trip to Europe was Anthony Black dunking on four guys in Berlin — this will be tough to beat as the Dunk of the Year.

18. Miami Heat

(22-21, last week No. 20)
Fans may be sleeping on what a great season Bam Adebayo is having (he may not even make the All-Star team). He's averaging 17 points and 9.7 rebounds a game — and had 29 in a win over the Suns and 30 helping beat the Thunder last week — all while playing at a First Team All-Defense level. That quality win over Oklahoma City last week came as part of a 2-3 stretch against good teams over .500. While the Heat are on the road for the next 5-of-6, the schedule does soften up.

19. Charlotte Hornets

(16-27, last week No. 22)
Charlotte has the best offense in the NBA over the last five games (a 130.8 offensive rating), which led them to impressive wins on the road against the Lakers and Nuggets. There is not going to be a Hornet on the All-Star team this season, but we can get enough Kon Knuppel — he will be in Friday's Rising Stars challenge during All-Star weekend, but let's get him in the 3-point shooting contest on Saturday night as well.

20. Chicago Bulls

(20-22, last week No. 21)
Chicago sits locked into the Bulls Postseason Invitational the Play-In Tournament, as they keep their heads above water, alternating between wins and losses. That could change this week with a tough stretch of games against the red-hot Clippers, plus the Timberwolves and Celtics. As for the Bulls highlighted during All-Star weekend, will Windy City Bulls guard Mac McClung defend his Dunk Contest win again? Josh Giddey has a chance to be an All-Star reserve, but the only lock might be Matas Buzelis in Friday's Rising Stars game.

21. Dallas Mavericks

(18-26, last week No. 24)
Klay Thompson has found his groove again, shooting 24-of-47 (51.1%) from 3-point range in his previous five games, and not so coincidentally the Mavs are 4-1 in those five games despite both Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford missing time in there with injuries. Dallas is pretty good at home (13-11) but struggling on the road (5-15). That's good news for a Mavericks team with 6-of-8 coming up at home, but by the second week of February, a six-game road trip starts.

22. Milwaukee Bucks

(18-24, last week No. 17)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a deserving All-Star Game starter, averaging an efficient 28.8 points per game (64.7% shooting). For my money, he should be somewhere on everyone's MVP ballot if he reaches the 65-game threshold (he can only miss three more games all season and still qualify). That said, the Bucks are just 5-5 since Antetokounmpo's return from injury and they have yet to even climb back into the play-in in the East, with the non-Antetokounmpo minutes dragging them down. Which is why the team is trying to be so active as the trade deadline approaches.

23. Memphis Grizzlies

(18-23, last week No. 23)
Ja Morant looked good in his return to the court in London, with 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting plus 13 assists in the Grizzlies' win over the Magic. If Memphis wants to trade Morant at the deadline, they will need a lot more of that to entice teams, who right now are looking at his injury history, the nearly $87 million he is owed the next two seasons, and concerns about how his game is aging and are not offering much in trade packages. Morant being with the Grizzlies until the offseason is very possible, league sources suggested to NBC Sports.

24. Atlanta Hawks

(20-25, last week No. 19)
Atlanta is now 2-4 since the Trae Young trade. In the five games CJ McCollum has played since coming over to the Hawks, he is averaging 17 points per game but is shooting just 40.3% overall and 18.5% from beyond the arc. While the Hawks may be struggling, Jalen Johnson should be an All-Star Game reserve, full stop. He's earned it.

25. Sacramento Kings

(12-31, last week No. 29)
Sacramento had a four-game win streak going until they ran into the "buzzsaw" that is Portland on Sunday. Domantas Sabonis returned over the weekend, just in time to be showcased some before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5. The Kings will need him and their other veterans being showcased — Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan — as they head into a tough stretch of the schedule over the next couple of weeks.

26. Brooklyn Nets

(12-29, last week No. 25)
He's on the bubble, but I have Michael Porter Jr. as an All-Star Game reserve for the East. What is most likely going to keep him out of the ASG in Los Angeles? Getting traded to a team in the West — Porter remains one of the most likely players to be dealt before the NBA trade deadline. Porter has missed a few games recently, but that is more about Brooklyn tanking than any health concerns.

27. Utah Jazz

(14-29, last week No. 27)
While Lauri Markkanen deserves to be in the All-Star Game as a reserve, the struggles of the Jazz this season likely keep him on the outside looking in. Utah is 0-9 this season in games Markkanen has missed, and expect that number to climb as Utah makes sure it's well-positioned heading into the NBA Draft Lottery again this year.

28. Indiana Pacers

(10-34, last week No. 28)
The Pacers won 4 of 5 and showed some real grit in wins against the Heat and Celtics last week (even if Boston rested Brown for that game). That said, Indiana is 0-2 to start a five-game road trip and it doesn't get easier with Boston and Oklahoma City up next.

29. New Orleans Pelicans

(10-35, last week No. 30)
Expect some more Zion Williamson trade rumors to fly around in the run-up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, like the latest one about teams speculating the Wizards would do it "if the price was right." Which is code for "if the Wizards can get a steal of a trade they'll take a chance on him." Joe Dumars is not going to sell that low. If Zion gets traded, it's far more likely in the offseason. Trey Murphy went under the radar with one of the best shots you will see this season.

30. Washington Wizards

(10-32, last week No. 26)
When the Wizards traded for Trae Young we said not to expect to see him in many games as Washington is focused on keeping its pick and being in a good spot entering the draft. Unsurprisingly, the team announced that he will be out through at least the All-Star break, recovering from knee and thigh issues. It's worked just as planned the Wizards have dropped six straight. Washington could end up with a lot of players in the All-Star Friday Night Rising Stars game: Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington all deserve a spot.