Champions in Name, Work in Progress in Practice
The New York Knicks won the NBA title just months ago, but the early weeks of their title defense have been anything but smooth. Heading into Wednesday's home game against the Chicago Bulls, New York sits one win shy of the .500 mark — a modest target for a franchise that went 16-3 in last June's playoffs and defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals [1].
The Knicks enter the matchup having won three of their last four games after an 0-3 start, and a victory would close out their two-game homestand on a positive note [1]. But the bigger story is the gap between where this team is and where it was when it hoisted the trophy — a gap measured most clearly in points per game.
An Offense That Has Gone Missing
Last season, the Knicks ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring at 116.5 points per game [1]. Through the early portion of this campaign, they are averaging just 106.4 — good for 27th in the league [1]. That is a drop of more than 10 points per game, and it has forced New York to rely on late-game surges rather than sustained offensive execution.
Against Brooklyn on Monday, the Knicks shot a dismal 36.1% from the field in the first half before recovering to shoot 46.2% after the break [1]. The Nets actually outscored New York 19-6 to close the third quarter and took a 79-75 lead, putting a genuine scare into the defending champions before the Knicks responded with the first nine points of the fourth quarter and ultimately outscored Brooklyn 28-11 in the period to win 103-90 [1].
It was the second fourth-quarter comeback in three games for New York, which also needed a 12-point fourth-quarter advantage to hold off the Bulls in a 133-127 win on October 28 [1]. The pattern suggests a team capable of flipping a switch defensively and athletically — but one that cannot yet sustain the offensive rhythm that defined its championship run.
The one bright spot on that side of the ball is defense. The Knicks are surrendering just 105.1 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the NBA entering Tuesday [1].
Hart Sounds the Alarm
Forward Josh Hart, held in single digits for the fourth consecutive game with eight points against Brooklyn, did not sugarcoat the situation. "The issues are still there," Hart said. "I think this year, for the most part, our defense has been pretty good. But our offense has to get in a better flow and that's kind of what's holding us back right now. So a win doesn't erase the problem or erase the issues. We got to figure those out and get better." [1]
Hart is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game with a right ankle issue, adding another variable to an already inconsistent offensive equation [1].
A Bulls Team Built for Losing — For Now
If there is a favorable moment for New York to work through its offensive funk, Wednesday's opponent may provide it. Chicago has stumbled to a 1-6 record and is surrendering 128.9 points per game — the highest figure in the NBA entering Tuesday [1]. The Bulls are a team openly in the middle of a rebuild, and their schedule has not made the process any easier.
Chicago is currently in the middle of a 10-game stretch against exclusively playoff teams from last season, including two matchups each against the Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics, plus a game against the Spurs [1]. Monday's 126-107 loss in Philadelphia illustrated the pattern: the Bulls competed into the third quarter, trailing by just four points at one stage, before the 76ers went on a 58-43 run over the final 21 minutes — shooting 52.5% from the field during that stretch and 61.9% in the fourth quarter alone [1].
Guard Josh Giddey, who posted 13 points and 10 assists against Philadelphia, acknowledged the recurring late-game collapses while expressing cautious optimism. "We feel we can be competitive every night, but we also (know) any team can beat us any night," Giddey said. "(They're) in position to be in games, but then third quarter, fourth quarter, (they) blow us out some. But I feel like it will show on the scoreboard soon enough." [1]
Rivalry Context and What It Means
The Knicks also extended their dominance over the crosstown Nets on Monday, winning their 15th consecutive game in the series — a streak that dates to February 13, 2023 [1]. While that rivalry has become largely ceremonial given Brooklyn's rebuild, it underscores how New York has been able to manufacture wins even when not playing its best basketball.
Against Chicago, the challenge is different in degree but similar in kind: can the Knicks use a vulnerable opponent to rediscover the offensive cohesion that made them champions, or will they again rely on defensive grit and fourth-quarter adrenaline to grind out a result?
What to Watch
The most important number Wednesday night may not be the final score but the Knicks' first-half shooting percentage. If New York can avoid the kind of cold-shooting stretches that have plagued the early season, it would signal genuine offensive progress rather than another late escape. Josh Hart's availability will also be worth monitoring — his energy and playmaking, even when the scoring is not there, affects the team's rhythm in ways that do not always show up in the box score. For Chicago, the question is whether Giddey and the young core can sustain competitiveness deep into the fourth quarter against a defense ranked among the league's best.
