Stephen A Smith doesn't like what he sees from the Knicks.
The New York Knicks are going through it and Stephen A Smith knows all about it. The franchise has dealt with some potentially concerning news. For instance, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson had a shoulder injury scare against the Milwaukee Bucks. Although it was a sigh of relief, it didn't eliminate New York's problems.
Smith explained on ESPN's First Take about bringing light to the organization amid their struggles.
“I do want to bring attention to what the Knicks are doing this year and to express I’m not pleased, I’m not happy,” Smith said. “The New York Knicks are 15-3, that’s true, against losing teams. They are .500, 11-11 against teams .500 or better.
“And they are 0-5 against the top two teams in each conference. The Cavaliers, the Celtics, the Thunder, and the Rockets. I don’t roll like that, I want you beating elite teams. I want you to show that you belong amongst those elite teams.”
While the first three teams Smith mentioned are in a league of their own, it doesn't excuse the poor play. Usually, the greater the competition, the greater the productivity. However, that's not the case for the Knicks. They've had plenty of glaring struggles but also some dazzling success.
Stephen A Smith wants more from the Knicks
During this rough stretch for New York, they've had plenty of issues. The majority has come from their shooting. Despite having elite perimeter shooting, they haven't shot the ball well at all, especially from three. Although they're shooting 37.5% from three as a team this season, some games haven't been nice to them.
For example, in the Knicks' loss to the Thunder, they only made four of their 30 threes. While Oklahoma City is a top-tier defensive team, New York's offensive power could've put up a more respectable performance. Smith's point is that the Knicks are playing well against the bad teams.
However, the bad teams won't be in the NBA playoffs in April. Teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers will likely be involved in that picture. Struggling mightily against them is not a good sign. Still, it's important to give the franchise the benefit of the doubt right now.
The Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns right before training camp. There's still some chemistry to figure out between Towns and his teammates. Not to mention, it's Mikal Bridges's first season with New York. It's not an excuse but there might be a learning curve for the two.
No matter what, Smith, like many others, expects to see the Knicks knock off the big-named teams in the league. They'll need to start doing that sooner rather than later if they want to pursue an NBA title.
