The New York Knicks remain one of the harder teams in the East to figure out. Overall, they look like a contender, but at the beginning of 2026 they were on a horrific losing streak that cast serious doubts in the minds of fans about their chances of success. Now, once again, they seem to be back to their best.
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The pieces are the same as a year ago when the Knicks made it to the Conference Finals, except for a change at coach with Mike Brown. They have improved defensively and have proven they can light up the scoreboard. They went toe to toe with the defending champion Thunder a few nights ago, losing by just three, and then last night put a beating on the Nuggets, 142-103, in Denver. When the pieces are working, they are fun to watch.
The Knicks‘ biggest superstar in their bid to compete? There is no doubt it is Jalen Brunson. But not everyone is confident about him being a reliable protagonist come the postseason, and that list includes J.R. Smith.
The former Knick and two-time NBA Champion addressed this during his appearance on To The Baha. He began by urging the No. 3 seed to figure out the chemistry issues between Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“Figure it out. At some point, if you want to win, you’re gonna have to figure it out. And if you don’t, somebody gonna go this way and somebody gonna go that way. But to me it’s harder to win when your two biggest stars are fighting for the ball,” claimed Smith.
Smith is a respected veteran of the league, but this take feels somewhat misplaced. Brunson and KAT have played together for nearly two full seasons now. In their first year together, they took the Knicks further than the franchise had gone in 25 years. This season, they are firmly in the playoff picture and, despite a surprisingly deep Eastern Conference, look capable of going toe to toe with most opponents.
Still, Smith insisted that Towns needed to demand the ball more. “You can’t tell him to throw you the ball. You’re not demanding the ball. You’re not demanding space. He’s not gonna throw you the ball, and I wouldn’t throw you the ball either,” he said.
Smith then delivered his biggest take, arguing that the Knicks will struggle to go deep in the playoffs with Brunson as their primary scorer because of his size. “It’s a hard way to win in the NBA with small guards. Everybody knows that. I played against it. It’s not that hard to deal with.”
J.R. Smith says it’s difficult for the New York Knicks to win with Jalen Brunson
“It’s hard to win in the NBA with a small guard” pic.twitter.com/QRKw3qB3v0
— ToTheBaha (@ToTheBaha) March 7, 2026
Some members of the panel agreed, and history does lend some support to Smith’s point. The only true outliers often mentioned are Allen Iverson, Isiah Thomas, and Stephen Curry. Detroit, for instance, has defended Jalen particularly well in their matchups. However, that came at a time when Towns was not as involved in Mike Brown’s game plan. Since that shift, the Knicks have looked like a different team.
That is not to say Smith is alone in his thinking. Smaller guards are generally easier to contain in a league dominated by size and length. Still, there is always room for exceptions. Brunson may only be 6’2″, but that has not stopped him from tormenting opposing defenses since entering the NBA.
