The Knicks are second in the Eastern Conference standings. They are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the fourth-best record in the NBA. This Knicks team has championship aspirations, but its poor perimeter defense could be fatal in the playoffs. They’re riding a two-game win streak. However, they’ve also given up over 120 points in three of their last four games. In a loss to the Timberwolves, sandwiched between this win streak and a home win against the Heat, the Knicks gave up 115 points. The team’s struggles on the defensive end were on display on Christmas Day, when they gave up 38 points to the Cavaliers in two separate quarters.
Outside of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have few options to throw at high-level perimeter players like Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham. The teams in the middle and back end of the standings also have guys like Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and Darius Garland. We just saw the latter two combine to put up 54 points and 16 assists at the Garden.
Every game is a race to 130. With three potential Eastern Conference playoff foes currently top ten in offensive rating, the Knicks may lose that race as often as they win it with their poor perimeter defense.
Poor Perimeter Defense Could Cost The Knicks When It Matters
What Do The Numbers Say?
Offensive-minded superstars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ positions as point guard and center mean they’re often the target of the opposition’s pick-and-roll schemes. This season, Towns has a defensive rating of 112, the third-highest of his career. For Brunson, he has a defensive rating of 117, which would be the second-highest of his career.
However, statistically, Brunson and Towns have both performed admirably defending the pick-and-roll. Brunson holds the ball handler in pick-and-roll actions to a 44 percent effective field goal percentage while Towns holds them to 48 percent. Despite his reputation, Bridges surrenders the second-most points per possession off pick-and-rolls. When defended by Bridges, ballhandlers are shooting 55 percent, compared to 61 percent for the hapless first-place finisher, Landry Shamet.
In the Christmas Day game, Garland repeatedly took advantage of this. The Cavs repeatedly ran plays with Bridges on Garland to the tune of a double-double. Bridges struggles defending the ball handler in the pick-and-roll. Not only that, but the rest of the team is abysmal at defending the roll man. Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Bridges, and Brunson give up more than a point per possession at better than 50 percent shooting.
Taking Advantage
15th in defensive rating, the Knicks have been woeful defending the three. They give up 1.10 points per possession off spot-ups, sixth highest in the league. Allow the sixth most wide-open threes, and have the highest effective field goal percentage to opponents when defending closely. They foul shooters at a higher rate than any other team except the Detroit Pistons. Despite going 8-2 in their last ten, the team has given up 15 threes or more seven times during that stretch.
Bench players like Tyler Kolek, Mitchell Robinson, and Jordan Clarkson grade poorly in defending spot-ups. However, starters like Hart, Brunson, and Towns also struggle in that area. Too often, the Knicks are left scrambling when the initial defender breaks down. Always, three out of the five Knicks players on the court are defensive liabilities. It’s all too easy for opponents to generate open looks.
Room For Improvement?
How do the Knicks get better on the defensive end? While The Athletic’s James Edwards III notes the team “won’t re-shuffle the deck as it pertains to its roster,” there’s likely no remedy outside of internal improvement. Due to the cap situation, the Knicks are hamstrung in what they can do on the trade market.
Trade machinations about the Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado aside, there are few options available that would solve the Knicks’ issues. Good defensive guards like Tyus Jones or Jevon Carter are expensive. In particular, they have a price tag nearly $3 million more than Alvarado. It’s a tough ask to pay a premium for a player that’ll likely come off your bench for 20-25 minutes at best.
Instead of personnel changes, the Knicks could consider a change in defensive schemes to fix their poor perimeter defense. This might come as a surprise, given their personnel, but the team has been much better at defending individually in isolation. To counter, opponents are taking advantage of the Knicks’ help defenders to capitalize on catch-and-shoot opportunities. The team would be better served staying home on shooters and guarding ball handlers straight up.
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