The New York Knicks opened the season intent on moving away from last year’s familiar starting five. That plan did not last long. Josh Hart was eventually reinserted into the opening lineup, restoring a group the team trusted throughout its playoff run.

Now, despite strong overall results, the Knicks may need to take another look at that decision.

On the surface, the lineup of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby has been excellent. The group owns a plus-19.3 net rating and an offensive rating north of 130 points per 100 possessions, numbers that place it among the league’s elite.

Recently, though, cracks have begun to show.

Warning Signs Are Starting to Appear

Over the Knicks’ past three games, including the NBA Cup Final, the starting five’s point differential has steadily declined:

• December 9 vs Toronto Raptors: plus 1
• December 13 vs Orlando Magic: minus 3
• December 16 vs San Antonio Spurs: minus 8

Three games alone do not demand panic, especially since New York won all three. Still, the trend is worth monitoring.

Defensively, this group has struggled to get stops. During this stretch, the starting lineup has allowed approximately 1.37 points per possession, an unsustainably high figure for any unit with championship aspirations.

Opponents have taken advantage in several ways. Toronto and San Antonio generated numerous second-chance opportunities, while shot-making inside the arc has been unusually efficient. Across those three games, the Raptors, Magic, and Spurs combined to shoot 64 percent on two-point attempts against the starters.

Defensive Load Is Becoming an Issue

While the offense remains productive, the Knicks are finding it harder to separate when this group is on the floor. Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart are being asked to shoulder heavier defensive responsibilities, particularly in ball containment, to compensate for lineups featuring Brunson and Towns together.

Those defensive challenges are easier to manage when Bridges and Anunoby share the floor with Deuce McBride or Mitchell Robinson, rather than Hart. With Hart in the lineup, the margin for error narrows.

Is Another Change Coming?

There is no urgency to make a move right now. The Knicks are winning, and altering the starting five in the middle of a hot stretch could send the wrong message.

There are also practical limitations. Robinson is not consistently available to start. McBride remains sidelined following ankle surgery. Any change would also require consideration of how Hart responds to another shift in role.

For now, this is a situation to track rather than solve. The Knicks are rolling, but if the starting lineup continues to struggle winning its minutes, the team may be forced to confront a problem it believed was already resolved.

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