3 Things NYK Fans Will Love About the Kyle O’Quinn Sign and Trade

It improves a mediocre Knicks defense.

The Knicks were a terrible defensive team in 2014-15, finishing the season 28th in defensive efficiency. They also weren’t great at blocking shots, ending the season with 382 blocks — good for 14h in the entire league.

Kyle O’Quinn is a good defender and his 7’5 wingspan makes players think twice about attacking the rim or posting up.

Opponents shot 2.2% below league average in 2014-15 when guarded by O’quinn, and 3.4% below on shots inside of 10 feet.

Those are impressive numbers, and the Knicks will probably play him more than the 15 minutes a game that the Magic played him in his three years there.

His projected numbers at 36 minutes per game are solid. Although, O’Quinn seems to be foul prone.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

If Kyle can learn how to play defense without using his hands so much, he’ll be an even better defender.

I expect the Knicks to play him around 20 minutes a game off the bench and provide a great defensive presence.

Next: It's another low risk, high reward move