Loads can change in 12 months.
At the moment final 12 months, the Knicks cruised by way of their January schedule with 14 wins — their most in a month since March 1994 and one shy of the franchise document — and simply two losses.
They ripped off an eight-game profitable streak that tacked on a ninth victory to begin February.
Their late-December blockbuster to land OG Anunoby, till his elbow damage, hadn’t encountered roadblocks or rising pains.
However January 2025 hasn’t been as simple for the Knicks.
Their 126-101 embarrassment towards the Thunder on Friday marked their fourth loss already this month, reworking their nine-game profitable streak and 12-2 document from December right into a distant reminiscence.
And with loads of questions now surrounding the Knicks’ capability to grind out wins towards the NBA’s greatest, their schedule doesn’t get any simpler with the Bucks — presently the Japanese Convention’s No. 4 seed, marginally forward of the Magic based mostly on profitable share — arriving on the Backyard on Sunday.
“Last year was 2024,” Jalen Brunson mentioned, succinctly, Friday, of the January distinction. “This is 2025. It’s a year difference.”
The Knicks’ smooth January schedule final 12 months helped with the tear.
Solely 5 of their wins got here towards opponents that entered the video games with a .500 document or higher, however three of these — the Timberwolves, 76ers and Nuggets — carried the label of great contender.
Even with each Anunoby and Julius Randle each injured by the tip of the month, the Knicks discovered methods to flee with wins, and so they nonetheless had time to patch their roster earlier than the commerce deadline.
However after cruising for a bit of their 2024-25 schedule, the Knicks hit a roadblock throughout the month that outlined their common season final 12 months — and the one which backs proper into the commerce deadline subsequent month.
They’ve time to alter it, although this January received’t flip right into a document month by any stretch.
A victory towards the Bucks received’t assist their winless document towards the NBA’s prime 4 groups — the tier that Knicks gamers reiterated they belong in regardless of outcomes dictating in any other case.
That’ll have to attend till the late-season matchups towards the Celtics, Cavaliers and Rockets in February.
Nonetheless, one win would assist with salvaging the month.
“We have to go out here and execute at a high level, we have to go out there with energy, we have to go out there with no egos,” Josh Hart mentioned Friday. “We have now to go on the market with no particular person agendas. We have now to go on the market and sacrifice.
“We’re a new group. We’re still learning, figuring it out, but we can’t expect to just have talent and go out there and win games.”
Earlier than Dec. 27, the Knicks had completed with fewer than 20 assists in a sport simply as soon as this season — again on Oct. 25 towards the Pacers, in sport No. 2, when all of their items had been nonetheless meshing.
However after amassing simply 18 throughout the loss Friday, the Knicks haven’t reached 20 assists in three of their previous 9 video games.
