Say what you will about Tom Thibodeau, but the poor defensive numbers that this New York Knicks team is currently boasting would never have been seen under his regime.
Sure, they may rank a respectable 12 in defensive rating (113.1) and 13 in opponent field goal percentage (46.6), but it's what they've allowed in two crucial areas that have the likes of Zach Lowe and Mo Dakhil absolutely floored.
Knicks are one of worst teams defending perimeter and rim attempts
During a recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show, the eponymous host highlighted how the Knicks have been absolutely abysmal when it comes to allowing long-range and close-range shot attempts.
Per Lowe's findings, only seven teams in the association currently allow more shots at the rim than New York, while their 39.7 opponent field goal attempts per game ranks 27, rising significantly from their fifth-best mark from a season ago.
In other words, they are objectively one of the softest defenses when it comes to stopping two of the most sought-after areas of offensive production in the modern game.
As Lowe noted, this lackluster production is "normally a recipe for a very bad defense," yet, somehow, the Knicks have remained solid on the less glamorous side of the ball.
To Dakhil, however, this respectable defensive status may not be all that sustainable if things don't change, specifically when it comes to their three-point shooting defense.
"The three-point shooting [and] the shots they give up scare me because it feels like a lot of them are just kind of open. It's like over-rotations or getting sucked into the paint on those shots that they give up at the rim and that leads to kick-outs or offensive rebounds, skip-pass -- boom, open three. Those are the shots that scare me with this team," Dakhil said.
Dakhil's eye-test when it comes to claims of New York letting up open shots from beyond the arc is only backed up by the advanced metrics, as the Knicks currently rank as the seventh-worst team in allowing open triples (closest defender four to six feet away), and 12-worst in allowing wide-open triples (over six feet of separation).
Now, fortunately for them, they've been able to counter these attempts thanks to their efforts on the offensive end of the ball, as they rank second in open three-point attempts and first in open three-point makes.
Simply put, these are the luxuries that come with having snipers like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges leading the charge.
However, on the flip side, having such tumultuous defenders in Towns and Brunson regularly serving as the first line of defense in the interior and out on the perimeter, respectively, is what ultimately aids in these shoddy numbers on the opposite end.
As things currently stand, the Knicks have overcome these struggles, as they reside in the second seed out in the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-6 and rank sixth in the league's updated power rankings.
That said, even their much-improved offense won't be able to outrun such poor defense in two of the most important areas of the game.
In order for them to be considered true title contenders, improvements must be made on the defensive end of the floor.