"You damn Knicks! Y'all are getting on my damn nerves" - Stephen A. Smith goes on a hilarious rant about New York Knicks' struggles so far in the season

Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, fans had high hopes for the New York Knicks, who looked like they were reasserting themselves as one of the Eastern Conference giants. They had an incredible run after the All-Star break in the 2020-21 season to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Sadly, despite a bright start (winning four of their first five games), the New York Knicks have failed to win two consecutive games the entire season. Head coach Tom Thibodeau removed Kemba Walker from the rotation because of his horrid defense, but that decision has not done much good for the team, especially since Walker played a huge role in their early victories.

Stephen A. Smith is known to be very passionate about basketball, especially his beloved Knicks, and this time, it was on full display. The sports analyst was fed up with how the New York Knicks have performed so far and went on a rant.

After he was welcomed to the show - First Take - by Molly Qerim, she asked how everyone was doing, and Stephen A. went off on the New York Knicks following their disappointing 122-102 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"Let me tell y'all something, you damn Knicks. Y'all getting on my damn nerves. Obi Toppin goes in the open court and does a between the legs dunk. The New York Knicks were down seven at the time, that pulled it to within five. But y'all ended up down by damn near thirty."

"You a game under .500, wake the hell up. You're a below-average team, damnit. I'm sitting here making bets talking about, 'the New York Knicks we here, we here, New York stand up.' Y'all sitting the hell down. Get your damn act together."

Many New York Knicks fans will feel the same, especially since they believed their team was on a path that might lead to more playoff appearances and eventually, a championship. However, they have been met with disappointment early in the season.

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Can the New York Knicks turn things around like they did last year?

Evan Fournier #13 of the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks finished as the number four seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 run last season. Despite a slow start to the current season, their resurgence came in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Can the New York Knicks pull it off again? Absolutely. But they need to figure out what's not working and plug it before it gets out of hand. For this Knicks team, it starts with their defense.

Last season, the New York Knicks finished the season ranked third in defensive rating. So far this season, they are 23rd and have allowed 107.9 points per game. Defense made the difference for Thibodeau's side last season as their offense, which ranked 23rd in offensive rating, was not the highlight of their season. Julius Randle was a delight to watch offensively, earning him his first All-Star selection and Most Improved Player award, but their defense was the defining factor in their relatively successful campaign last year.

There is still plenty of basketball to be played this season, and even though they are under .500, they are only five games behind the top-seeded Brooklyn Nets. To give the fans at Madison Square Garden something to cheer about, the New York Knicks will need to tap into their 2020-21 selves, especially since the core of that team is on the current roster.