1. Defensive Intensity
The New York Knicks have been struggling on defense, but that’s not a product of a lack of talent. New York has the personnel to excel on defense, including Justin Holiday, Courtney Lee, Joakim Noah, and Kristaps Porzingis.
Unfortunately, the Knicks have struggled to find a consistent measure of energy and intensity during the 2016-17 NBA regular season.
A team with as many veterans as the Knicks shouldn’t struggle to bring a consistent effort, but thus far, that’s been an issue. Brandon Jennings called the Knicks out for it in November and Carmelo Anthony did the same in December.
The Knicks are building for the long-term and expending more time and energy on building the right offensive system, but effort shouldn’t be optional.
The Knicks can fix this issue by simply playing with a more acceptable effort on the defensive end of the floor. They don’t need to be an elite defensive team in the short-term, but they’re playing too poorly for the offense to consistently overcome.
As for the statistics, try the fact that the Knicks rank in the Bottom 5 of the NBA in points allowed per game and point allowed per 100 possessions.
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For what it’s worth, New York is 5-0 when it holds opponents below 100 points. Defensive intensity and consistency will be critical.