Memo to the Knicks: "Hold Off On That Coronation"

The best thing I can say about last night's train wreck in Detroit was that I didn't see it. That's because I refuse to pony up any more of my money for a subscription just to watch games I thought I was getting through my cable provider. But I can sure as shit read a stat sheet, and all I can say is that if this was a preview of what we can expect from the Knicks in a best of seven playoff series against the Pistons, this will be the most lopsided sweep in Motown history since the days of Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer. 

Now that I think about it, calling what happened last night a train wreck would be doing a disservice to the term train wreck. At least a train wreck started out as a train going somewhere. This game was ostensibly over 30 seconds after the opening tip off. That's when Duncan Robinson buried a three pointer to put the Pistons ahead for good. New York kept it close in the first quarter before the wheels came off in the second.

It's hard to believe that this is the same Knicks team that won the NBA Cup just three weeks ago. On December 13, they were 18-7, two games behind the first place Pistons in the Eastern Conference. They were averaging 121 points per game, while limiting opponents to just 112.2 points per game. Both were fourth best in the NBA. Yours truly wrote on December 17 that they had sent a message. 

Well apparently that message was postdated, because since then, the Knicks have gone 5-6 and have lost four in a row. They now trail the Pistons by four games and are in third place in the East.

What is most disturbing about this slump is how badly they have defended. Over their last three games, their opponents have outscored them by an average of 18 points. The Sixers shot 54 percent from the field and 47 percent from three, while the Pistons shot 55 and 52 percent respectively. Against both teams the Knicks were out-rebounded and outscored in the paint, despite having both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup.

Towns and Jalen Brunson were the main culprits against the Pistons. According to Tommy Beer, this was the first time in 728 games as a pro that KAT attempted less than five shots and five free throws in the same game. Brunson wasn't much better. Though the captain scored 25 points, he had zero assists on the night. Both players committed six turnovers.

OG Anunoby is also becoming a concern of late. In his last four games, the man Leon Rose signed to a five-year, $212.5 million contract is 4-18 from beyond the arc. Even worse, he is a minus 78 over that span. There is no way to sugar coat this. If these three players don't dramatically improve their game, and soon, this team will not only fail to reach the finals, it may well fail to reach the playoffs.

Is Mike Brown partly to blame here? Yes. His offense relies heavily on taking three-point shots, and when they don't go in, and the Knicks don't control the boards, like they did earlier in the season, they are susceptible to fast breaks the other way. In the month of January, New York is literally being dominated in every facet of the game: scoring, shooting percentage and rebounding.

This whole thing started with a fourth-quarter collapse in San Antonio, and it has now snow-balled into a full-fledged crisis. The Knicks aren't just struggling, they are getting outworked and out-hustled. Brown, in his post-game presser, didn't mince his words. "It's pretty simple, they just physically kicked our ass." As if to add insult to injury, the Pistons were without Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, two of their most dominant players, while the Knicks were without Josh Hart.

Losing streaks are part of the game, I know, and even the best of teams occasionally sputter. While the Orange and Blue were shitting the bed in Detroit, the Oklahoma City Thunder were being throttled by the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Indeed, last season's champions are 5-5 in their last ten games.

But it's the manner in which the Knicks are losing that is alarming. Much as it pains me to admit, this team may have gotten caught up in all the hoopla of the pre-season prognostications. The trouble with being the prohibitive favorites to advance to the finals is that the other teams in the conference aren't all that impressed. If anything, they seem extra motivated when playing them, as evidenced by the beatdown in Detroit. The Pistons sent a message loud and clear, and the message was "Hold off on that coronation."

The Knicks need to snap out of this funk fast before the season unravels on them. And trust me, it can, quicker than Mike Breen can yell "Bang!"

Why Jaxson Dart Is the Offensive Rookie of the Year

Just to be clear, Tyler Shough is a good quarterback. The New Orleans Saints made the right choice when they selected him with the 40th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Choosing a quarterback to lead your franchise is not, contrary to popular opinion, a slam dunk. Even the best have a learning curve. Peyton Manning, in his rookie season, led the league in interceptions. But as good as Shough has been this season, Jaxson Dart has been better.

This is not a subjective opinion; it's an objective analysis. In virtually every metric that matters, Dart is the better quarterback. Below is a comparison of both players stats.

While Shough has a slightly higher completion percentage and a few more passing yards, Dart has more overall yards, more passing touchdowns, more total touchdowns, fewer interceptions, a higher QBR and a higher passer rating. But the biggest thing that stands out is his passer rating against elite teams. No team in the NFL had a tougher strength of schedule this season than the Giants. Dart had to play the Eagles (twice) the Chargers, the Broncos, the Bears, the Patriots and the 49ers - all teams that have a legitimate shot of going deep in the postseason - and he had a passer rating of 98.5 against them. 

By comparison, the only team Shough had to face that has a legitimate shot of going deep in the postseason is the Rams, and he had a passer rating of 81.2 against them. Most of his success has come against the likes of the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and the Jets; the latter was dead last in the NFL with an opponent passer rating of 110.9.

Fans of Shough bring up his wins, passing yards per game and passing yards per attempt. Anyone who's watched even one football game knows full well that no one player determines wins and losses. It's the ultimate team sport. The Giants lost five games this season in which they led by double digits; four of those losses came in the fourth quarter. If they had any kind of defense at all, they'd have at least four more wins. Putting that squarely on Dart's shoulders is not only unfair, it's stupid.

As for passing yards per game and passing yards per attempt, the former is a direct result of the game plan implemented by the offensive coordinator; the latter can be very easily manipulated. For instance, a QB can complete 20 passes for an average of six yards per completion; then pop two for 60 yards a piece. That comes out to 10.9 yards per catch. But is that really an honest way to evaluate his talent? I hardly think so.

Dart has other accolades in his favor. He's the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to register 1,800 passing yards, 400 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns in his first nine regular-season starts. Unlike so many rookies, he doesn't wilt under pressure. Indeed, the better the competition, the better he plays. He's the perfect fit for a New York market that chews up and spits out lesser athletes. Just imagine what he could've done had Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo not been lost to season-ending injuries.

This is not about bashing Tyler Shough. As I mentioned above, he's a good quarterback. After years of searching for Drew Brees' replacement, the Saints appear to have found him. This is about acknowledging the obvious: Jaxson Dart is the better player. He deserves to win the offensive rookie of the year award.

If he doesn't, there should be an investigation.