One of the most telling moments from the New York Knicks' first season under head coach Mike Brown was when the head coach credited Miles McBride and Landry Shamet as the team's two best on-ball defenders. With Shamet suffering a bruised knee that forced him to miss games against the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans, the team has been forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths in his short absence.
Especially given that McBride is also currently sidelined by an injury, the Knicks' premier players are being faced with more defensive responsibility than they have all season. It's forced Brown to learn a thing or two about his roster – and lean more on their second-round rookie than he might be comfortable with.
The Knicks' defense relies more on Shamet, McBride than fans think
Without both the veteran sharpshooter and up-and-coming fifth-year guard in Shamet and McBride, Brown has had to lean on players like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby to live up to their defensive billings. They've delivered, with Bridges in particular providing the consistently additive presence that New York's front office believed justified the hefty amount of draft capital they surrendered to acquire him.
The Knicks have also gotten a pleasant surprise of a development out of this, with regard to Jordan Clarkson's defense. The scoring machine of a guard is bordering on a revamped reputation as an intent defensive stopper. But even then, they surrendered 113 points to a Wizards group with nine players and barely got out of Brooklyn with a victory in a game where Shamet could only play 22 minutes.
New York should have both Shamet and McBride back by the postseason, with a recent report from The New York Post's Stefan Bondy indicating that Shamet's status is day-to-day. Once they do, players like Bridges can get back to their typical amounts of offensive contribution, as opposed to being needed even more on the defensive end to help cover up for the major losses of their pair of injured teammates.
The Knicks are an injury away from leaning on a rookie for a title chase
The injuries to the two fervent defenders has also forced Brown to lean on rookie Mohamed Diawara, which isn't inherently an issue but might not always be the absolute best for winning. The forward is still just 20 years old and, at times, has lapses with regard to his execution of the coach's scheme that can frustrate the coach.
While the "rookie moments" certainly aren't unique to Diawara, or anything that should scare the Knicks away from continuing to play him often, they highlight the pressure on the organization as a whole to deliver on the championship expectations weighing over them. It makes sense that, at times, the coaching staff seems to lack the patience necessary when playing the 51st overall pick in the draft as many minutes as New York does.
But the rookie will continue to learn as he plays, and the staff seems glad to continue to trust him to develop. In the midst of a playoff run, though, it might cause Brown some anxiety to need to rely heavily on the 20-year-old for a title chase. The Knicks have needed him big-time in the absences of McBride and especially Shamet, but they might not give the rookie as much room in the postseason.