The New York Knicks have played their past seven games without franchise player Jalen Brunson. It's left an impossible void to fill, as Brunson is the team's go-to scorer, primary playmaker, and trusted closer, as well as a respected leader in the locker room.
The inevitable result is New York going 3-4 during that time, fighting to stay afloat and not lose too much ground in the standings.
When the Knicks took on the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, Mar. 20, however, their 115-98 loss had little to do with Brunson's absence. He like would've helped the team score more than 98 points, and may have even put the team on his back to pick up the victory, as he has so many times in the past.
The ugly truth emerging from the untimely loss to the Hornets, however, is that the Knicks' tasted defeat because of an issue that wasn't caused by Brunson's absence.
Charlotte shot 15-of-32 from beyond the arc, with five different players burying at least two three-point field goals. New York did itself no favors by converting just 25.6 percent of its attempts from distance, but the bigger issue is how they defended.
With or without Brunson, the Knicks have been among the worst teams in the NBA at defending the three-point shot—and the Hornets game was just the latest example of that persistent flaw.
Knicks continue to struggle to defend the three-point shot
Through 69 games, the Knicks rank No. 29 in the NBA in opponent three-point field goal percentage. Opposing teams are shooting an absurd 37.4 percent from beyond the arc against New York, with only the Sacramento Kings at 38.4 percent performing worse.
The Knicks are also No. 19 in three-point field goals allowed per 100 possessions, which paints a concerning picture for the postseason.
No series is a guaranteed win for New York, but the top postseason competition seems to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks. Boston and Milwaukee have won championships within the past four completed seasons, and Cleveland is atop the standings at 56-13.
More applicably, all three of those teams rank No. 8 in the NBA or better in both three-point field goals made per game and three-point field goal percentage.
Boston is No. 1 in the Association in conversions, as it was during its championship season in 2023-24. Cleveland isn't far behind at No. 2, meaning the top two teams in the Eastern Conference are the best at what the Knicks struggle most with.
That certainly reads as a recipe for disaster, and failing to defend adequately against the 18-51 Hornets does little to inspire faith.
Brunson being on the court certainly takes a significant burden off of his teammates on offense, which could ultimately result in having more energy to expend on defense. The issue with defending the three-ball predates his injury, however, which leads one to question if this issue can be resolved.
If it isn't, the Knicks are going to find it difficult to overcome the teams that stand in their way during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.