The New York Knicks are off to a solid 8-5 start to the new season, but that record could be better if not for one big issue.
Knicks’ three-point defense is hurting them
Their defense has been their Achilles heel to start the season. They have given up the third-highest three-point percentage to their opponents at 39.4%, and sit in the middle of the pack in defensive rating at 113. 8.
Head coach Mike Brown emphasized that he wants the Knicks’ defense to be tighter around the perimeter to avoid giving up too many threes to their opponents.
“We have to do a better job of our shifts and recognizing who we’re shifting off. We have to do a better job with our closeouts. It’s something we’ll continue to work on throughout the course of the year because, in that specific area, we can get better,” Brown said, per The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III.
The Knicks need to be better defensively
Three-point defense was a big problem for the Knicks last season under Tom Thibodeau as well. A big culprit for this was the tendency to run drop coverage on defense. Although they are running drop coverage less frequently, they tend to overhelp in the low post, leaving shooters in the corners wide open.
On Monday against the Miami Heat, they allowed the Heat to shoot 14-for-35 from three-point range, which ultimately proved the difference between winning and losing. New York couldn’t match that effort offensively as they went just 9-for-36 from beyond the arc.
It is worth noting that they will be without their best perimeter defender for some time, as OG Anunoby will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks as he recovers from a hamstring strain. Nevertheless, they need to tighten up their defense to avoid letting three-pointers bury them.
They’ll look to improve on that end of the floor on Wednesday when they take on the Dallas Mavericks on the road.