Can the Knicks compete with the NBA's best?
0-7 against the top 3 teams in the NBA, is there hope for the playoffs?
The Knicks have a 39-20 record, the fourth best in the NBA, but everyone is talking about how badly they’ve played against the top three teams.
The Knicks are now 0-7 against the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Thunder. Six of those losses were by 10 or more points, and in the last four games, they were behind by at least 27 points.
There’s no sugarcoating it, it’s been bad.
The Knicks are 26-6 against teams with losing records but only 12-14 against winning teams. They have the 20th ranked defense. Against the top 10 offenses, their defense ranks 29th.
Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled on defense. Against the top 10 offenses, players he guards make 63% of their shots, ranking him last out of 346 players.
Jalen Brunson also gets taken advantage of on defense as he just doesn’t have the size to matchup with the Celtics who attack him relentlessly.
The best teams in the NBA have no weaknesses like that, unlike the Knicks, who’s two best players are below average defensively.
One thing the Knicks can try is playing Mitchell Robinson with KAT to help the defense. It might make the offense worse, but it could help the team be more balanced.
The Knicks could also play Deuce McBride more since he's a good defender and takes lots of threes, which the team needs. Adding him to the starting lineup might help because the current starters haven’t put up great plus/minus numbers.
Since January 1, the Knicks are second to last in three-point attempts. This has to change. The NBA is all about shooting now, but the Knicks are playing like it’s 1999. They need to take more threes.
Another thing that can propel them forward is more impactful play by OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. OG was very aggressive against Memphis on Friday but it feels like his defensive intensity and impact is less than last season. Bridges has been a disappointment all around but is also capable of more.
These are the things the Knicks have to hope for as Towns and Brunson aren’t suddenly going to become plus defenders.
One thing I’ve seen reading Knicks content and Knicks Twitter that I don’t agree with: putting Tom Thibodeau on the hot seat.
Thibs is an excellent coach who has gotten every last drop out of the Knicks talent since he’s become head coach.
I don’t think the Knicks could find a better coach than him.
Sure, adjustments need to be made, but no one works harder than Thibs, this is a guy who said he doesn’t have time for a wife because his main focus is basketball.
We’ll see what he comes up with but more Mitch and more Deuce would help the Knicks defensively. Thibs showed how much he values Mitch by having him out there at the end of the Memphis game after missing the last 9 months.
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The Memphis game was a definite bright spot for the Knicks. Memphis isn’t a top 3 team but they are one of the best teams in the NBA. The Knicks won a gritty game with Towns having an off night and Brunson shooting inefficiently.
One interesting note and something I can see continuing: Deuce played 28 minutes, compared to 29 for Josh Hart.
Hart has been great but he isn’t a shooting threat and is a lesser defender than OG, Bridges, and Deuce. If the Knicks want to improve the defense while getting more 3 point shooting, Deuce is the answer.
So, is their hope for the Knicks in the playoffs and a probable matchup against the Celtics?
Maybe, since the Knicks will be a different team now that Mitch is back. OG and Bridges could also start playing better. Giving Deuce more minutes might be the change they need, maybe even putting him in the starting lineup instead of Hart.
How people feel about the Knicks depends on what they expected. This is the best Knicks team in 25 years, but people thought they would be a title contender. Last year, not much was expected, especially with all the injuries, so they were seen as a tough underdog team. This year, people see them as one of the top 5 teams in the NBA.
It’s all about perspective.
If the Knicks beat Miami, they’ll have twice as many wins as losses—a sign of a very good team. But the real test will come in the playoffs, where they’ll have the chance to prove if they can be a great one.
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