3 Reasons The NY Knicks Can Return to Being a Top Defense

Tom Thibodeau is still a defensive genius for the NY Knicks

One thing the Knicks have going for them is they are still coached by Tom Thibodeau, the reigning NBA Coach of the Year.

Thibs won this award for turning this team into a defensive monster last season.

The trap-style defense the Knicks play off the pick-and-roll is a nightmare for offenses in this pick-and-roll/pop era of basketball where it feels like a screen is set every 7 seconds (Mike D’Antoni, anyone?).

Coach Thibs has found a way to completely neutralize the pick and roll against even the best teams.

Thibs knows basketball defense as good as any human to ever exist, honestly. He makes sure his guys are ruthless on defense with endless effort.

Defense is a lot about mentality, you have to want it more than the player on offense, and Thibs has drilled that into his players’ heads.

When your team is coached by a basketball mind of this caliber, they can be an elite unit on defense.

If you don’t believe me, I highly doubt that anyone thought a starting 5 of Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson/Nerlens Noel would be a top-three defensive unit that allows the least points per game.

I certainly did not expect that.

Thibs needs to make his guys want it on defense more than anyone else. They have the personnel to get the job done, especially with the defensive improvements of Burks and Barrett and having Mitchell Robinson back, though his block numbers have gone down, unfortunately.

Thibs knows how to make his guys give effort, as RJ Barrett led the NBA in miles ran on the court last season with 192.3 miles.

The man in second place, you might wonder? Julius Randle, with exactly 188 miles.

Effort and accountability are always preached to the Knicks by coach Thibs.

If the Knicks work as hard as they did last year while having a great defensive mind like Thibs at the helm, there is no reason why they cannot return to being a top defense in the NBA.