A young New Yorker was once told that with great power comes great responsibility. Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks are learning this the hard way.

The Knicks were blessed with a busy schedule to begin with; This serves as a blessing in the sense that it doesn’t allow observers to linger on a messy start that has placed New York 3-4 through seven games in what is indirectly billed as the most promising season in quite some time.

Such early troubles caused staunch media supporter Kendrick Perkins to renounce his faith: The former ESPN analyst for the defending champion Boston Celtics “REAL CONCERNS” About the following team Wednesday’s defeat in Atlanta and gifted Thibodeau with an intimidating title on the Thursday edition of “NBA Today.”

“To me, the biggest pressure coaches are under is Tom Thibodeau,” Perkins said.h/t New York Basketball at X). “I would like to see the Knicks show some more action, not just for Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, but for other people as well.”

Fellow analyst and former WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike floated the idea that Milwaukee Bucks coach and Perkins’ former Boston boss Doc Rivers should carry the load. But Perkins Frequent defender of the Knicks on the national stageHe brushed that idea aside, stating that “the Knicks actually have expectations.”

Perkins’ sentiment was brought up by his colleague Brian Windhorst, who compared this year’s Knicks to last year’s Phoenix Suns: Windhorst said Phoenix’s trades for Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant had led to a disappointing sixth-place finish in the playoffs. he thought he had exhausted his depth on his way to immediate elimination. The return of new second-tier stars gets them back on the right track. As a result, Phoenix (7-1) is currently engaged in a three-way tie atop the Western Conference.

While also offering critiques of players like Brunson (especially Not scoring in the fourth quarter), Perkins noted that the Suns changed coaches, trading Frank Vogel for Mike Budenhozer. One of Rivers’ recent predecessors in Milwaukee. While Thibodeau, who signed a significant contract extension in the offseason, is unlikely to be cut, this poor start to the season will undoubtedly put him on even more notice if the Knicks don’t bounce back.

Ironically, the Knicks’ next chance to make things right comes against the equally beleaguered Bucks, who visit Madison Square Garden on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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