The New York Knicks are a team that has consistently gone as far as its defense has enabled it to. There have been an abundance of extraordinary offensive players over the years, but the Knicks' peaks have always coincided with defense being the top priority.
Thankfully, after a painfully inconsistent defensive season in 2024-25 and a sudden turnaround in the playoffs, Karl-Anthony Towns is ensuring the Knicks are steadily embracing defense in 2025-26.
Towns has been steadily criticized during his 11-year NBA career for coming up short on the defensive end of the floor, particularly during his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves. What he's proven in 2025-26, however, is that it's never too late for a player to embrace a shift in ideology.
According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Towns knows that the only way the Knicks are going to win playoff series and ultimately contend is by prioritizing defense above all else.
“It’s been working out really well for us on the defensive end. We’ve been challenging ourselves to be a better defensive team because we know that is what it’s going to take to win playoff series. It did last year. It wasn’t the offense, it was the Mikal Bridges steal in Boston in Game 1 and 2. It was the big rebounds in Detroit. Those are the types of things that gave us a chance to win. The offense gave us a chance to win, but the defense won us the game.”
It's an incredibly refreshing quote to read from one of the most prominent offensive players on the Knicks' roster, particularly when one considers how realistic an NBA Finals appearance truly is.
Karl-Anthony Towns on improving on defense: "That is what it’s going to take to win playoff series"
New York finished the 2024-25 regular season at No. 13 in defensive rating, failing to sustain the elite level it was capable of reaching. It allowed 105 points or less during three of its four wins over the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, however, as well as its only two victories during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Fast forward to 2025-26 and the Knicks are tied with the Timberwolves at No. 5 in the NBA in defensive rating.
New York's offense has been explosive, as it ranks No. 3 in the Association in offensive rating. The foundation of its push toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings, however, has been a critical emphasis being placed on defense as the first priority.
That trend was thoroughly established after a Jan. 19 defeat marked nine losses in 11 tries—a stretch the Knicks have followed by going 15-5.
With the East up for grabs, Knicks are on fire—and it's all about defense
During that 20-game stretch, New York has ranked No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating and No. 2 in winning percentage. It's also outscoring opponents by an Association-leading 13.1 points per 100 possessions, thus establishing a level of dominance even diehard fans didn't expect.
As Towns describes it, the reason New York has become a championship-caliber team at the perfect time of year is that they've embraced how defense will define their success.
The Knicks aren't playing defense just so they can get the ball back. They're sending a message. They're electrifying Madison Square Garden in the way it's always been electrified: With all-out intensity that the city of New York can feel coursing through its veins, no matter if they're in attendance or watching from home.
For a team that plays in a venue that every star hopes to make their name in, the Knicks have no choice but to go all-out on defense. Thankfully, they've embraced reality.