Walt Frazier sends eye-opening message to Knicks after embarrassing loss to Hornets
03/21/2025 06:23 AM
The New York Knicks have to hope this is as bad as it gets because, with the playoffs looming, they looked like an early exit waiting to happen Thursday night. Tom Thibodeau's squad was outmatched from start to finish by a struggling Hornets team with just 18 wins, coasting to a 115-98 defeat. Walt Frazier had some sharp words for the slumping Knicks.
“They have to do some soul searching. They’ve got to look in the mirror tonight…Not competing right now…But we know they have character, they have pride. So we look for them to bounce back,” said the Knicks legend.
"They have to do some soul searching. They've got to look in the mirror tonight…Not competing right now…But we know they have character, they have pride. So we look for them to bounce back"
–– Clyde as Knicks lose to Spurs & now Hornets pic.twitter.com/onjRh3j0z2
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 21, 2025
Even without Jalen Brunson, the Knicks should have handled a team like the Hornets. Instead, they suffered a decisive loss. "The way we're losing games," Josh Hart admitted, "is embarrassing." Hart, who attempted just eight shots and has struggled in Brunson's absence, didn't shy away from criticism and seemed to take the defeat the hardest in the locker room.
Hart played a role in the struggles, but he wasn't the main issue. The bench, a season-long concern, was virtually nonexistent, getting outscored 37-11 by Charlotte's reserves. New York's second unit didn't register a single point until the fourth quarter, with Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, and Cam Payne combining for a rough 3-for-16 shooting night.
Depth remains a glaring weakness, and with Brunson still recovering from his ankle sprain, the offense continues to falter.
The Knicks missing Jalen Brunson at the point
The Knicks (43-26), now 3-4 since Brunson’s injury against the Lakers, never found their rhythm. They fell behind in the second quarter and never recovered, spending the entire fourth quarter in a double-digit hole. Their offense sputtered, shooting just 40 percent from the field and 25.6 percent from three. Even with a strong Knicks crowd in Charlotte, the team gave them little to cheer for.
The Hornets (18-51) sit near the bottom of the NBA standings, but with LaMelo Ball running the point and Miles Bridges at power forward, they looked far more competitive. Ball, known for his flashy play and injury history, caught fire in the second quarter and racked up 25 points and eight assists in just 26 minutes.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns (24 points) and OG Anunoby (25 points) led the Knicks, but inefficiency plagued the entire roster.
Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Miles McBride struggled from deep, hitting just 6 of 22 attempts. The Knicks clearly miss Brunson, but there's a glimmer of hope—Thibodeau revealed that he has shed his walking boot and begun light shooting.
The Knicks have struggled even more since their point guard went down. Thursday's loss came at the tail end of their most grueling travel stretch of the season—11 road games in their last 13 outings. Coming off a back-to-back and a flight from San Antonio, they took the court looking sluggish and out of sync.
Just a day after stumbling through a rough first half in San Antonio, the Knicks looked just as lost at the Spectrum Center. They scraped together only 44 points before halftime, shooting a dismal 35.6 percent and trailing by 10 at the break.
The Knicks’ next challenge comes against the NBA's worst team, the Wizards, who visit MSG on Monday. It should be a prime chance to bounce back—or another stumble waiting to happen.
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