The New York Knicks improved their record to 13-6 with Sunday night's win over the Toronto Raptors, the team's 10th win at home in 11 games. New York got out to an early 24-point lead and looked like they were set to win by 40. During the Raptors' comeback that made it a seven-point game before halftime, however, Knicks legend and color commentator Walt "Clyde" Frazier said on the team's broadcast that the team's struggles with holding onto early leads makes him believe they lack a "killer instinct."
The comment may have been made by Frazier in the heat of the moment as the Knicks were in the midst of squandering a huge lead. However, the full quote from the franchise legend reveals that it was not the first time he had made a similar observation about this squad.
“This has been problematic for the Knicks all season: not having a killer instinct. Squandering leads and letting teams back into the game," Frazier said on MSG Network as Toronto cut New York's lead back down to 10 in the second quarter.
Does Knicks' problem keeping leads spell larger issues?
The Knicks are just 19 games into their first season under a new head coach. It is certainly still too early to make any sweeping conclusions about the hire of Brown or the roster construction. However, Frazier feeling confident enough in his observation to say that the team has lacked a "killer instinct" through the first fifth of the regular season is a statement of its own.
No team will turn in a "full 48 minutes" of perfect play every time they hit the court. Brown has spoken several times to the importance of utilizing the regular season to collect data points about his roster and develop the best understanding possible of how to optimize it in the playoffs.
New York has the ability to make these concerns look silly by continuing to adapt to Brown's system and executing consistently. It's understandable to take your proverbial feet off of the gas after quickly getting out to a 24-point lead early on in the second quarter. That doesn't mean it's a desirable trait for a team looking to contend for a championship.
The Knicks' approach to a Sunday night game against the Raptors in late November will not define their season. It could, however, be something to keep in mind if the team ends up blowing some games as a result of playing with their food.