What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Cam Reddish #21, Evan Fournier #13, Julius Randle #30, Immanuel Quickley #5, and Taj Gibson #67 of the New York Knicks in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 123-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

3 of 3

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: Tom Thibodeau head coach of the New York Knicks reacts after a play in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 10, 2022 in San Francisco, California, What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams: New York Knicks

It had been seven years since the New York Knicks made the playoffs. Last year, they finally accomplished that goal but ended up losing in the first round.

In the 2014-115 season, the Knicks finished 15th. And then for six years they never finished in the top ten in the East. That streak ended with their playoff appearance last year.

A crazy stat to note is that New York has had 12 different head coaches in the last 20 years. Having that many different coaches can be frustrating for a team, as it can be hard to learn a whole new coaching method every other season.

That’s not the only problem, though. For this team, the issue is simply coaching. Tom Thibodeau has continued to roll with essentially the same starting lineups all year, and New York’s defense has fallen off a cliff this season.

If the Knicks ever want to succeed, they need to buckle down and focus on defense. They also need to drop everything that’s not working. Although they were just in the postseason last year, it’s clear that more changes are needed in New York.

Next. NBA Power Rankings Week 20. dark