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New York Knicks: True Blue Contenders, or Fatally Flawed Pretenders?

Eight big reasons for their downturn β€” and an optimistic view of their postseason potential

Jeremias Engelmann's avatar
Jeremias Engelmann
Jan 23, 2026
βˆ™ Paid
Jalen Brunson (Elsa/Getty Images)


The New York Knicks looked like true contenders for the first two months of the season.

In their last 10 games, though, the Knicks have the worst record of any likely playoff team, with 3 wins and 7 losses. Overall, New York is 8-11 since their NBA Cup crown, despite a 120-66 thumping of Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Does this change the outlook for the Knicks’ NBA title chances?

Let’s look at all the factors that have gone into this recent downturn, and what it means for the Knicks and their championship chase.

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Jeremias Engelmann's avatar
A guest post by
Jeremias Engelmann
Basketball analyst. Creator of ESPN's Real Plus-Minus. Formerly with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks
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