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Josh Hart of the New York Knicks talks with Jalen Brunson during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
If the NBA playoffs started today, the New York Knicks would still be sitting in a favorable position — third in the Eastern Conference at 37–22, lined up to host a first-round series against their old nemesis, the Philadelphia 76ers, with a potential second-round showdown looming against the Boston Celtics.
On paper, it looks like a contender’s path.
On the inside, it doesn’t sound like one.
Knicks Still Searching for Identity Late in Season
Following a 109–94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Knicks forward Josh Hart delivered a quote that cut through the standings and rattled a championship-starved fanbase.
“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.”
Searching for an identity with roughly 23 games left in the regular season is not the message expected from a team carrying championship expectations — especially one coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance just last spring.
Knicks Still Feel Unsettled Under Mike Brown
The Knicks fired longtime coach Tom Thibodeau immediately after that breakthrough playoff run, entrusting the roster to Mike Brown with the mandate to take the final step.
Instead, inconsistency has defined much of the season. New York has been blown out repeatedly by the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, losing three meetings by a combined 84 points. Those lopsided losses, more than the standings, have fueled anxiety around whether this group is truly built to survive four playoff rounds.
Even recent losses have carried outsized weight. Cleveland’s win came after the Cavaliers were reshaped by James Harden’s arrival at the trade deadline — another reminder that rivals appear to be accelerating while the Knicks are still searching for clarity.
Their inconsistency has dropped them to seventh in the championship odds (+1700) at BetMGM, a top 10 oddsmaker, per Gambling Cabin. They had the fourth-shortest odds to begin the season.
Last Year’s Team Knew Who It Was
At this same point last season, New York was 39–20 — two wins better — and, more importantly, comfortable in its identity. Under Thibodeau, rotations were rigid, roles were clear, and minutes were heavy.
This season has looked markedly different.
Brown has been more lenient with workloads and far more willing to tinker. No Knick is averaging more than Jalen Brunson’s 34.7 minutes per game. Last season, all five starters logged 35-plus minutes, with Hart leading the team at 37.6.
Hart’s average has dropped to 30.4 this year — a significant shift for the team’s emotional engine.
Minutes Shift Reflects Philosophical Change
The same is true for Mikal Bridges, who led the NBA in total minutes and ranked second at 37.0 per game last season. Bridges publicly pushed for a deeper rotation under Thibodeau — and has gotten it under Brown, averaging 34.1 minutes overall and just 32.1 recently as Landry Shamet’s bench surge continues.
“When you start going down the line and you see guys playing well, you’re going to try to find ways to get them in the game,” Brown said via the New York Post. “When you do that, it’s going to be less minutes for other guys.”
The tradeoff: fresher legs, but fewer reps building the muscle memory that typically defines playoff teams.
Experimentation Continues as Clock Ticks
Brown has not backed away from experimentation, even late in the season. After claiming Jeremy Sochan off waivers, Brown immediately inserted him into the rotation — even at the expense of rookie Mohamed Diawara, who showed a lot of promise.
“I have to see rather quickly what we have in him before going to the playoffs,” Brown said via SNY’s Ian Begley.
The same scenario played out when Shamet returned from injury, which supplanted Jordan Clarkson, who played a big role in the Knicks’ NBA Cup championship run.
That philosophy — discovery over certainty — marks the starkest departure from the Thibodeau era. Where Thibodeau used the regular season to cement roles and habits, Brown is using it to test combinations and explore possibilities.
The Uncomfortable Reality
Hart’s quote didn’t just acknowledge growing pains. It underscored a deeper concern: the Knicks may still be learning who they are while the postseason rapidly approaches.
For a franchise chasing its first championship in more than five decades — and one that just dismantled a coach who delivered its deepest playoff run in 25 years — that reality is unsettling.
The standings say contender. The schedule says urgency.
And Hart’s words say the Knicks are running out of time to figure it out.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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