
3. Defensive Rebounding
From a pure volume perspective, the New York Knicks are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. That’s corroborated by the fact that the Knicks rank No. 2 in the NBA with an average of 15.7 second chance points per game.
The area in which the Knicks consistently come up short, however, is keeping the opposition off of the offensive glass.
The Knicks are allowing 14.8 second chance points per game, which is the third-worst mark in the NBA. Cutting into that number could be enough to help stabilize the defense and create the foundation for superior execution.
Allowing that number to remain where it is will translate to more losses for a Knicks team that’s leaving too many wins on the table.
Teams that control the offensive glass tend to fare well in the playoffs, but only if they succeed in preventing the opposition from doing so. If the Knicks are going to make a deep postseason run—or a run to the postseason at all—this issue must be resolved.
New York has the potential to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor, but it hasn’t yet shown a consistent ability to do so.