It’s been two games and two losses for the reigning champion New York Knicks, as their title defense kicked off with adversity.

The offense is sputtering, the big man rotation concerns are real, and Mikal Bridges may still be drunk from the championship parade.

So, let’s play the blame game. Who’s at fault for New York’s timid start?

Continuity

The NBA’s era of parity stormed the scene after Kevin Durant broke up the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty back in 2018. Since, no team has won back-to-back titles.

Each defending champ would likely argue their own reasoning as to why they ultimately failed the back-to-back effort; health, aging stars, black magic, etc.

So what’s gotten into the Knicks? James Edwards III of The Athletic pointed out the team’s continuity as a potential early pitfall for the team prior to this season’s tip.

So far, it’s a good a reason as any, especially factoring in the familiarity they have with the first two teams they played in Boston and Philadelphia.

But let’s dig a little deeper.

Since the Warriors won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, the Denver Nuggets are the only reigning champion that’s opened their season post-title with the same starting lineup as the year prior.

Whether injury, free agency, or trades are to blame, every other league winner since parity took over the league has looked different to start the year.

New York joins the Nuggets in that somewhat rarified air. So far, not so good.

James Dolan

Kudos to James Dolan. Giving way to even a little bit of pessimism after snapping a 53-year title drought would be impressive.

But he’s managed to serve as a distraction and source of negativity for the team all summer, seemingly since the final buzzer sounded in the NBA Finals.

It started when only days after winning the title–before the parade, even!–Dolan confirmed his second-apron mandate to the front office in a radio show interview:

“We cannot go into the second apron,” Dolan said on WFAN radio on June 17. “There’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron.”

He’s kept his word.

Mitchell Robinson is in Boston now; and all of Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Karl-Anthony Towns are awaiting contract extensions. And the team is so comfortable not engaging in any more negotiations that they released a public statement.

That wasn’t enough, as we have the latest scandal. Yes, somehow, championship rings–CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS–have become a talking point in New York.

The Athletic released a report on October 23 stating that employees and coaches across the Knicks organization hadn’t received championship rings.

On it’s face, that’s not so bad. Maybe it takes time? I don’t know. In fact, I know more about the 53 years of basketball the Knicks spent not winning championships than I do about the procedure surrounding the jewelry distribution.

But of course, there’s more. Within the same report was accusations of New York using the championship rings as bait in phishing emails amongst employees.

Dolan has since had the Knicks release a response to the reporting.

We’re two-for-two on Dolan dominating the news cycle in a summer and fall when New York is to be celebrated and celebrating.

No one can say for sure if it’s infiltrated the locker room and affected players in a negative way. But as the stories keep piling, it’s hard to imagine anyone ignoring it.

A long summer

I originally titled this section “Larry O’Brien.” But the more I thought about it, the less confident I felt in being able to cast blame on an inanimate trophy.

The sentiment, however, stands.

Everyone knew that whoever snapped the Knicks’ title drought would be immortalized. But I think even the biggest of dreamers were (pleasantly) surprised with everywhere we saw the players this summer.

Jalen Brunson alone hosted SNL, he shot an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and will join the Manning brothers for Monday Night Football.

But truth be told, everyone on the team has had as busy a schedule since the championship parade; TV spots, interviews, showcasing the trophy in their hometowns, public appearances at sporting events, etc.

Did the Knicks party too hard? I don’t blame a single one of them.

But as we evaluate a team that’s slow to show out the gate, a summer that featured–on the surface–more celebration and less preparation has got to get honorable mention on the suspect list.

Also worth mentioning here is how vocal the players have been in embracing the adversity and humility early on.

I’m not calling guilty conscience but, I’m not, not saying it.

Both teams will be looking for their first win of the season on Sunday, as the New York Knicks host the Orlando Magic.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm EST.