Jalen Brunson
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Jalen Brunson reportedly called a players-only meeting after the New York Knicks' 114-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, January 19.
If you’ve missed the last two weeks of NBA action, here’s a quick update: the sky is falling on theNew York Knicks.
Maybe they should have hung that banner in Madison Square Garden after all. The team is 7-11 since winning the NBA Cup over theSan Antonio Spurs on December 16 and has lost nine of its last 11 contests. Embarrassing defeats to theSacramento Kings (12-32) and theDallas Mavericks (18-24) in the past week have called into questionowner James Dolan’s belief that this team can compete for a championship in 2026.
To try to get the Knicks back on track,Jalen Brunson reportedly called a players-only meeting after the 114-97 loss to Dallas on Monday, January 19, where he urged players to “find answers for their poor play amongst themselves.” On Tuesday, January 20,he provided reporters with a glimpse of what those answers are.
What Jalen Brunson Said About New York Knicks
On offense, the Knicks have been far from what they were earlier in the season. Overall, they rankfifth in the NBA in offensive rating, but over their last 10 games,they are 21st. Most teams go through dry spells over the course of the season, but Brunson said the Knicks still need to grind out wins in the meantime.
“We’ve got to be a team that, when our shot is not falling, that we’re making up for it with the little things. Like defensively, our rotations, doing all the little things. Things that I’ve been stressing for as long as I can remember, since I was back in college,” he said.
Brunson also explained the Knicks are deflating when the shots aren’t going down, and it’s affecting every other part of their game. There needs to be greater resilience amongst the team if New York hopes to change the course of its season.
“It’s our mindset. Our mindset has to be better. We can’t focus on the things we can’t control. We can control effort and the way we play defensively. On that side of the ball, it doesn’t take as much skill,” Brunson said.
New York Knicks Trade Rumors
With the Knicks’ recent struggles, the rumors about the team making a seismic move ahead of the trade deadline have picked up.Karl-Anthony Towns is now being floated as a possibletrade candidate and, of course,New York was reportedlyGiannis Antetokounmpo’s preferred destination, if he were to be dealt.
Before their disastrous stretch over the last month, the Knicks were reportedly looking to make a smaller addition at guard.Jose Alvarado, who played high school basketball in Queens, andAyo Dosunmu were linked to the team inDecember. New York, however, could find it difficult to make any impactful moves without future first-round picks (most of which were dealt forMikal Bridges in 2024) to include in a trade.