New York Knicks: Tighten up the defense
This one isn’t an easy fix.
There’s no single problem. There’s no single weak link. The Knicks defense this season has been fundamentally different than what they put out last year.
Look at this statistic that Tommy Beer from Forbes pulled up about the team’s defensive effort against the Milwaukee Bucks last night:
Per NBA tracking data,
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) November 11, 2021
the Knicks allowed 30 wide-open 3-pointers last night.
That means on 30 occasions no Knick defender was within six feet of a Buck player when they attempted a 3PT.
30.
The Bucks made 15 of those attempts.
We'll dig into it today - words coming soon...
This seems difficult to achieve. Leaving so many shooters that wide-open.
It has absolutely been the New York Knicks’ Achilles heel this season – the horrendous 3-point defense.
Tom Thibodeau’s defense is always a high-risk system. It involves a lot of overloading towards the ball-handler and requires a lot of help defense and quick rotations.
Even with newcomers Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the team’s overall familiarity with the system being in the 2nd year of Thibodeau should have them in the middle of the pack with the rest of the league. They’re at the very bottom in a lot of defensive categories.
Is this a matter of Fournier and Walker needing more time? Do the Knicks need to incorporate their bench even more?
There has been some clamor about getting Quentin Grimes some more playing time. The rookie could be one of the team’s most valuable perimeter defenders if given the chance.
Whether it’s a rotation adjustment or something that’s simply missing from the current roster, the New York Knicks need to do something about their perimeter defense.
It’s a drastic change from last season but the offense has the talent and depth to figure itself out. The defense needs to be a priority.