Concern is growing in the New York Knicks locker room as their strong start to the season continues to fall apart.
Following Monday night’s home loss to the Dallas Mavericks, team captain Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting, sources told ESPN, after the Knicks dropped their ninth game in 11 tries.
Brunson made it clear during the meeting that the responsibility to solve the team’s problems in January lies with the players, not the coaching staff.
Sources said he emphasized internal accountability as New York’s early momentum faded.
After opening the season 23-9 and winning the NBA Cup, the Knicks have fallen to 25-18. Their attacking power has declined sharply and is among the bottom five units in the league this month.
Frustration spilled over into Madison Square Garden, where fans booed loudly as the Knicks went into halftime trailing 75-45.
“As a team we know what we have to do,” Brunson told reporters. “It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it, or we don’t do it.”
Josh Hart echoed the urgency after the loss.
“We all need to do some soul searching,” Hart said. “Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not performing offensively. Defensively we’ve been terrible. Defensively we’ve been terrible all year.”
The Knicks’ defensive woes have lingered all season, but their recent offensive collapse has accelerated the decline, culminating in a 2-9 streak after their hot start.
“What I’ve heard is they have to make this work,” Ramona Shelburne said on NBA Today about the possibility of roster moves before the deadline.”
Jalen Brunson calls a players meeting after the Knicks’ ninth loss in 11 games https://t.co/tDJVLmuIPj
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 20, 2026
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