The dropoff in the form of the New York Knicks is a real head-scratcher, the team fell to their latest bruising defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Heading into the new year with a 23-10 record the Knicks were being applauded as one of the best teams in the league, 2025 is yet to be kind to them.
The Knicks have won just two of their last six games and fell to a heavy 101-126 defeat to a high-flying Thunder.
Despite Karl-Anthony Towns playing on another level, the side has been questioned over its lack of depth an issue the Thunder don’t have.
While Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 50 points they still couldn’t help their team to victory.
Josh Hart secured a double-double but the drop-off in quality to their rotation players was evident once more.
The Knicks bench players scored just 31 points between the eight of them, once again highlighting a major issue for the Knicks.
- Cameron Payne – 11 points
- Miles McBride – 7 points
- Landry Shamet – 3 points
- Precious Achiuwa – 2 points
- Ariel Hukporti – 2 points
- Tyler Kolek – 2 points
- Matt Ryan – 2 points
- Jacob Toppin – 2 points
The lack of help from the Knicks bench has resulted in starters playing more minutes than they should be, something that Stephen A. Smith has raised concerns over.
The side’s reliance on their big stars is causing the team to struggle when they are not on the floor and Kendrick Perkins felt the side was “embarrassed.”
Taking to X he said: “OKC embarrassing the Knicks on their home court was something I wasn’t expecting. Jesus Christ.”
While the Knicks are struggling for contributions the Thunder are finding helpful points throughout their roster.
MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander usually takes many of the plaudits, while Shaquille O’Neal is also a big fan of Jalen Williams.
Isaiah Hartenstein recently also explained the difference between playing with SGA and former teammate Brunson.
While SGA still secured his almost nightly 30-point game it was Isaiah Joe who was the shock scorer in the deck.
The 25-year-old guard scored 31 points, his highest season total by some way. His previous best saw him secure 19 against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Cup.
The wide-ranging scoring throughout the Thunder side is something the Knicks dream of.
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