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Knicks continue to be one of the NBA’s more polarizing teams as the season comes to a close.
Despite currently holding a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks have an array of things to work out before the postseason. They are not shying away from this, as one key player recently reflected on how important these final weeks are for them.
After reaching the conference finals last season, the Knicks were pegged as an early favorite to come out of the East in 2026. At times, they’ve looked capable of living up to such expectations. However, they’ve also had more than their fair share of bumps in the road.
On February 24th, New York had an opportunity to pick up a big win over a top competitor in the conference in the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’d fail to do so, suffering a 109-94 defeat at the hands of Donovan Mitchell and company. Aside from coming up short, this loss has been a major talking point due to All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns attempting just five shots in 29 minutes of action.
Following the game, Knicks forward Josh Hart touched on the team needing to iron out some things as the season slowly winds down. With about 25 games left on the schedule, he stressed they have little time to pull things together before the bright lights of the postseason come on.
“I think we’re still trying to figure it out,” Hart said, per The Athletic. “I think we’re still figuring out the style we want to play, the identity we want to play. I think that is where some of those lulls come from. We have to, collectively, figure that out. Time is of the essence. We have to really spend the next 20 or so games really finding our identity and how we want to execute.”
Knicks Star Karl-Anthony Towns Cites Point of Emphasis for Knicks Moving Forward
Hart was not the only player to give his thoughts on the current state of the team. Towns also chimed in with some thoughts of his own, preaching that consistency is the main thing they are striving towards heading into the playoffs.
“For us, it’s about the consistency,” Towns said. “When you play a seven-game series, you have to win four of those seven. You have to consistently be good. Sometimes you’re great, but the other team is just better that night, and you have to accept those results. You go into a series thinking you need to win five of seven. We just have to be the best version of ourselves come playoff time. Right now, we’re all trying to figure it out.”
When it comes to consistency, Towns is arguably the main player from New York who could benefit from this. Dating back to the start of the season, his play has been nothing short of up and down under new head coach Mike Brown.
Longtime Analyst Pressing Panic Button for Knicks Following Loss vs Cavs
Shaky play aside, many have remained confident that the Knicks have the talent to get things done come playoff time. However, that mindset might slowly be starting to shift.
During the February 25th installment of “First Things First,” Longtime NBA analyst Chris Broussard didn’t hold back with his true feelings on the Knicks. Coming off their loss to the Cavs, he feels New York should be starting to reach for the panic button.
“Entering the season, they were the clear, clear favorite in the East,” Broussard said. “I don’t think they’re coming out of the East.”
.@Chris_Broussard says it’s panic time for the Knicks 🚨
“Entering the season, they were the clear favorite in the East… I don’t think they’re coming out of the East. I’m not totally 100% writing them off. Last night, how do you not show up for that game?”
Only time will tell if New York is able to silence their critics and meet the high expectations set for them come the postseason.
Kevin McCormick is a veteran sports writer covering the NBA for Heavy.com. After writing for Heavy briefly in 2022, he’s returned to the publication in 2026. McCormick brings with him over seven years of experience writing about the NBA in a newsroom and served as a credentialed reporter of the Philadelphia 76ers for 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and On SI. More about Kevin McCormick
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