A year after outperforming expectations and capturing a surprise playoff berth, the Knicks find themselves underperforming expectations and in danger of missing the playoffs.

Tom Thibodeau’s crew limped into the All-Star break with a record of 25-34, in 12th place of the Eastern Conference, having lost 13 of their past 16 games and sitting 3 ½ games behind the Hawks for the final spot of the play-in tournament.

“We all have to take a hard look at what’s going on,” Thibodeau said after the first-half finale.

With just 23 games left to salvage their season, the Knicks hoped to use the All-Star break to stop the bleeding and reset for the final stretch. Before they get back in action Friday against the Heat, here’s a look at the top storylines to watch the rest of the way:

Just like his team, the contrast between Thibodeau’s 2020-2021 season and 2021-2022 season has been stark. He went from earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first year with the Knicks to suddenly facing questions about whether his voice is being heard in the locker room.

It was a rough final 11 days leading into the All-Star break for Thibodeau, from leaving RJ Barrett on the court in garbage time and seeing him get hurt to his timeout/challenge gaffe against the Thunder to his team blowing 20-point leads in three different losses.

Add in executive vice president William Wesley, in conversations with owner James Dolan, reportedly pinning at least part of the blame for the Knicks’ struggles on the head coach, and Thibodeau is squarely in the crosshairs. He’s built up plenty of credit, but if the Knicks continue their tailspin out of the break, could Thibodeau really be in danger of not getting a third year in New York?

One thing working in Thibodeau’s favor is the expected return of his trusted point guard, Derrick Rose. The Knicks have sorely missed Rose since he underwent ankle surgery in December, going 12-18 in his absence and are still searching for a dependable hand to run the offense late in games.

The Knicks were 11-14 when Rose arrived in a trade last season, but his presence ultimately helped key their turnaround. They’ll face a much smaller runway this time around for his return to pay real dividends — as of Wednesday, he still hadn’t been cleared for contact but was expected to be soon.

Thibodeau has mostly kept his lineup the same this season, aside from benching Kemba Walker for almost a month and dealing with various COVID-19 issues. But he admitted after Wednesday’s loss to the Nets that “everything is on the table now.”

It’s possible that could begin with Rose moving into the starting lineup upon his return, but other veterans like Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks could see their playing time affected depending on what Thibodeau decides to do. Which leads us to …

Even before the Knicks’ playoff chances began to slip away, there were calls for their young players to get more playing time. That has happened for rookie guard Quentin Grimes, but the likes of Obi Toppin and Cam Reddish have still struggled to get real minutes — never mind rookies Miles McBride and Jericho Sims, who are out of the rotation altogether.

Thibodeau said minutes had to be “merit-based,” but the Knicks would be well served figuring out what exactly they have with Toppin and Reddish, who could also bring a much-needed spark. Did they really give up a first-round pick for Reddish just to have him playing a handful of minutes per night?

After winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award last season, Julius Randle has mostly taken a step back this season while also waging war with the fan base. But he looked more like his 2020-2021 self in the lead-up to the All-Star break — averaging 29.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists over the past seven games — an encouraging sign for a team that badly needs him to be the best version of himself to have any chance of making the postseason.

The Knicks hung onto Mitchell Robinson at the trade deadline but still face an uncertain future with their springy 7-foot center. The 23-year-old is set to become a free agent this summer, but could he parlay a strong finish to the season into a contract extension?

In addition to Robinson, might any other players be in their final months as a Knick? Ryan Arcidiacono is the only other pending unrestricted free agent on the roster, but for a team in need of a shake-up, others could be on the move this summer. Walker, Fournier, Burks and perhaps even Randle are among the players who could be trade or buyout candidates.