At 39-20, the New York Knicks have the fourth-best record in the NBA. They rank No. 3 in offensive rating, No. 6 in net rating, and have two superstars who seem destined to secure All-NBA honors in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
If the Knicks are going to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, however, then they'll need to figure out how to defend the three-point shot.
In one of the most unexpected developments of the 2024-25 season, New York currently ranks No. 20 in the NBA in defensive rating. It's one of the worst defensive displays that a Tom Thibodeau team has ever produced.
Chief among the Knicks' problems on the defensive end of the floor is an issue that its personnel shouldn't be having trouble with.
Despite boasting a three-headed defensive monster of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, New York ranks dead last in the NBA in opponent three-point field goal percentage. It's as ugly as it sounds, as teams are shooting 37.7 percent from beyond the arc against New York.
If the Knicks fail to sort out its issues in that regard by the playoffs, they'll have a mountain to climb in potential series against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Knicks' greatest weakness aligns with Cavs', Celtics' biggest strengths
Boston and Cleveland currently rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA in three-point field goals made per game. The Cavaliers are also No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage, with the Celtics shooting at an elite clip in their own right by ranking No. 9.
For a Knicks team that can't seem to prevent three-point shots from going in, that makes their top two competitors in the Eastern Conference matchup nightmares.
Perhaps the postseason will yield different results, as games become more physical and referees less willing to blow the whistle. That could lend itself to Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart living up to the hype as the perfect trio to stop the likes of Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum.
The Knicks are currently 0-5 against the Cavaliers and Celtics in 2024-25, however, and the three-point shot has been an essential ingredient.
Cleveland's first win over New York was back in October, which makes it tough to put too much stock into. They met again on Feb. 21, however, and the Cavaliers buried 19 three-point field goals on 51.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc en route to a 142-105 blowout win.
Those numbers are admittedly unsustainable, but the general idea of Cleveland thriving in an area New York is the genuine worst in the NBA is tough to overlook.
Boston, meanwhile, has defeated New York by scores of 132-109, 131-104, and 118-105. It buried at least 17 three-point field goals in each of those games, shooting no worse than 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The Knicks have built a team that should be able to defeat any other opponent in the Eastern Conference, but until they fix this flaw, they'll struggle to overcome the Cavaliers and Celtics.