Expectations are at an all-time high after an NBA team has hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy. The defending champions are usually also at the forefront of title contention the next season. All of these could be either a blessing or a curse. For the New York Knicks led by Jalen Brunson, it seems to be the latter. They have faced tough Eastern Conference rivals like the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic but haven’t gotten a single win. Their superstar had only one person to blame for this conundrum: himself. But the situation may say otherwise.

Brunson takes accountability for Knicks’ 0-3 NBA season start after loss to Magic

Certain superstars in the league can get carried away with the high of accolades or coming off a championship. Jalen Brunson does not seem to fall into that category. The Knicks superstar knows that there are a few things that could be affecting their performance. A primary factor is that they faced Eastern Conference heavyweights who want to reclaim their spot at the top. The 76ers have a revamped roster with Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. Another factor is that some squads are carrying a chip on their shoulder, like the Boston Celtics. Others, like the Orlando Magic, are hungry to finally prove they are worthy of being title contenders after a long spell of being a middle-of-the-pack squad.

Brunson can attribute their first three losses to those factors, but he chose not to. Instead, the Knicks star looked inward. He outlined a primary concern in his play style that the Knicks should fix if they want to go back-to-back, via SNY.

“Poor decision-making by me late in the game. The ball’s not falling in for us. I think we’ve gotten some good looks throughout the game, but the little things we can control that help contribute to wins,” Brunson declared.

True enough, the Knicks have committed 47 turnovers throughout their first three games of the 2026-27 NBA season. Even factoring in just those two losses to the Celtics and 76ers, they rank 17th in the NBA with a 14.5% turnover percentage.

Spin cycle bucket from Jalen Brunson 😵‍💫 https://t.co/veshhC2Tzx

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 25, 2026

However, this isn’t the only part of the offense where the Knicks have struggled.

Where else have Brunson and the Knicks struggled for the 2026-27 NBA season?

Overreacting after three NBA regular-season games might not be the best, but there are some obvious signs of struggle. See, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have dropped to a somewhat below-average league offense on nearly all fronts.

Their four offensive factors and key statistical rankings are as follows.

See, despite Brunson’s claims that the Knicks struggle to keep the ball secure, that seems like the least of their concerns. In fact, their ball security is one of the Knicks’ better aspects, as shown by their 0.145 TOV%. This is only second to their 0.283 ORB%, which is 15th in the league. Still, none of these are enough to push for a back-to-back title unless they change things up.

When visualizing the Knicks’ inefficiencies more clearly, they are subpar compared to the 2025-26 league average and their own offensive stats from their championship-winning season. They dropped in every major offensive category.

Brunson is right that the Knicks are struggling to keep the ball secure in late-game situations. However, they should focus more on getting the best-quality shot as often as possible to raise their effective field goal percentage and return to title contention. It will be a long season for the Knicks.

Thankfully, Brunson knows that everything is still salvageable.

“Control what you can control. Focus on the little details. It may seem small, but it will impact winning…  Most importantly, stick together,” he declared.

That’s all the Knicks need to begin with. If they fix the small things that have turned their offense into one of the worst in the league, Brunson and Co. still have a shot at the 2026-27 NBA championship.

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