The Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference standings at 10-6 overall. The team has been uncharacteristically porous on defense this season, ranking in the bottom half of the league in opponents’ points per possession and effective field goal percentage. Poor perimeter defense has led to struggles getting consistent stops in transition and the halfcourt.
However, outside of OG Anunoby’s return, an increased workload for Mitchell Robinson, and internal development, the Knicks have few avenues to turn to for improvement.
The top teams in the Eastern Conference employ Cade Cunningham, Tyler Herro, and Scottie Barnes. Presently, the Knicks would play Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers if the playoffs started today. Teams with dominant ballhandlers and credible secondary creators that could give the Knicks trouble.
Could Poor Perimeter Defense Doom The Knicks’ Title Hopes?
Three Is Greater Than Two
Going from 13th in defensive rating to 17th isn’t a huge drop. With players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Jordan Clarkson featuring heavily in the rotation, it was always unlikely that point-of-attack defense would be a strength of this team. The noticeable difference in this year’s team is that the Knicks’ opponents are taking and making threes at a higher rate than before.
Teams have found it relatively easy to score on the Knicks from distance. They allow 1.13 points per possession off screens and 1.12 points per possession on spot-ups. The Knicks are 26th in opponent three-point percentage, allowing teams to shoot 39 percent behind the arc. A troubling trend: 42 percent of the shots the team gives up are threes. The team particularly struggles defending threes above the break, allowing opponents to shoot the sixth-highest percentage in the league, and from the right corner, where opponents make 46.9 percent.
In catch-and-shoot situations, the Knicks concede the fifth-highest shooting percentage in the league. Considering the rate of opponents’ shots that come from behind the arc, it’s no surprise they rank third in catch-and-shoot threes allowed per game. The team’s focus on pushing the pace and crashing the offensive glass has sometimes backfired, leading to runouts and easy advantages in transition.
Fixing What Can Be Fixed
Despite Mitchell Robinson’s early-season absence and subsequent minutes restriction, the Knicks’ defensive issues have not been at the rim. They’re sixth in opponent shooting percentage within four feet of the basket. They allow the fewest field goal attempts within the non-restricted area of the paint and are fourth in the league in paint points allowed. The team has struggled to stop the ball in transition, giving up 136 points per possession.
The Knicks can’t easily change personnel this season, but transition defense is often a matter of communication and effort. Those areas are well within the team’s purview. Early in the season, head coach Mike Brown talked about “laying the defensive foundation.” That’s easier said than done with a handful of credible defenders on the team. Robinson, the team’s defensive stalwart in past seasons, has been a mixed bag so far. He’s currently on a minutes restriction, unable to play more than 20 minutes in a game.
With no Anunoby, perimeter assignments fall to Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride. A mid-season trade would be difficult given that the team is $19 million over the luxury tax. Improvements must come from within, putting the onus on Brunson, Hart, Clarkson, and even Landry Shamet to perform at least a league-average level defensively.
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