After wandering in the wilderness for over a month, the New York Knicks are back. And not only are they back, they seem better—more equipped to contend for the title owner James Dolan has essentially demanded they win outright. The secret to their sudden reemergence, and overall improvement: a noticeable shift in how they’re defending opposing offenses.
During the Knicks’ six-game winning streak, they are more frequently pushing ball-handlers toward the sideline. We have heard both Mikal Bridges and head coach Mike Brown talk about it. NBA analyst extraordinaire Tim Legler has praised it. And so far, it’s working.
Ever since getting the snot kicked out of them by the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 19, the Knicks are allowing around 0.99 points per possession, after filtering out garbage time. That doesn’t just rank first in the NBA. It is first by a cosmically wide margin. The distance separating New York from the second-place Charlotte Hornets is roughly the same-sized gap standing between second place, and the ninth-ranked New Orleans Pelicans.
New York’s revamped defense is working
Granted, the Knicks have not exactly faced a murderer’s row of offenses during their six-game streak. But the Los Angeles Lakers are a top-seven offense, and New York absolutely turned their water off. Making the most recent version of the Philadelphia 76ers look average is no small task, either.
Various factors are catalyzing the Knicks’ defensive uptick—including better availability from players most often tasked with guarding at the point-of-attack. As The Strickland’s Shax explains on their Substack, though, forcing pick-and-roll ball-handlers toward the sidelines is having a demonstrative effect:
“Not only are the Knicks using this coverage more frequently, it’s also been highly effective. Against Philadelphia, opponents scored just 0.44 points per action across nine possessions. Sacramento managed 0.33 PPA in six plays, Portland 0.40 PPA in six plays, and the Clippers 0.71 PPA in five plays. These are elite and telling numbers.”
Harping on the quality of opponents across this mini streak is fair. Ditto for the number of wide-open threes rival offenses are missing. But it wasn’t long ago that the Knicks’ season was on the brink of implosion, and they were getting outclassed by peers or squads they were supposed to readily handle.
Figuring out something, anything, on the defensive end is a huge deal for New York.
It’s not a stretch to say this is saving the Knicks’ season
Between winning the NBA Cup and the start of this six-game winning streak, the Knicks ranked 29th in points allowed per possession, edging out only the Utah Turnstiles Jazz. During that time, people far and wide were clamoring for the front office to shake things up, not just with a small trade, but with a seismic move.
That tenor is already shifting. The Knicks no longer appear desperate for Giannis Antetokounmpo, or to make any other move. Morale is clearly higher—both on the court, and off it.
Winning, as it turns out, really is a panacea.
This doesn’t mean New York is home free. There is a lot of basketball yet to play. Offenses will figure out a way to attack more towards the center of the floor. Perhaps they start running fewer ball-screens. Yet, even that’s a win for the Knicks, because it becomes harder to isolate Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns without them.
Whatever adjustments the Knicks face, this latest stretch is providing evidence that they are flexible, and therefore capable, enough to manage them. That’s not something anyone, anywhere, was prepared to say less than two weeks ago.