Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with the Finals MVP trophy
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with the Finals MVP trophy
The Knicks will get their championship rings and another season of spotlight games. They will also get a nasty trip right after New Year’s that should tell us plenty about what the title defense really looks like.
The schedule sends New York to Utah on Dec. 31, Phoenix on Jan. 1 and Denver on Jan. 2. After two days off, it goes Portland, Golden State and Sacramento from Jan. 5 through Jan. 9. Six road games in ten days, with the first three coming on three straight nights, is no soft landing.
The Knicks schedule does not need to be treated like an excuse sheet in August. Every contender has rough patches. This one just jumps off the page because New York will be defending a title with opponents measuring every chance to knock them down a peg.
The Knicks get a mean travel test early
Jalen Brunson has already shown he can handle the biggest games. The harder issue is the regular-season grind around him. Three straight road games at altitude and in the desert, followed by a five-game swing through the West, will put the team’s legs and depth under a real microscope.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson shoots against San Antonio in the NBA Finals
June 13, 2026: Knicks guard Jalen Brunson shoots against San Antonio in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
I am not calling a January trip season-defining. It is still January. But that run is the sort of stretch where a defending champion can either build a little distance in the standings or spend a month answering questions about fatigue.
The Knicks have little room for an off week
New York won the right to be the team every opponent circles. Christmas games, national television and road trips with no easy nights come with that territory.
The West swing will not decide the title race. It may decide how much regular-season work the Knicks have to do after it. That alone is enough reason to have it circled already.