The gratifying feeling shared by countless Knicks fans after the team won the NBA Cup just three weeks ago was short-lived. Their 124-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on December 16 engendered belief among the Knicks faithful that the squad has the necessities to win an NBA title.
However, a four-game losing streak heading into last night’s game at Madison Square Garden versus the Los Angeles Clippers had some giving pause to whether the Knicks, who were 23-13, are on par with the league’s best. A 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons on the road on Monday is the cause for much of the concern.
The angst was not stirred by the Knicks falling to the Eastern Conference’s top team, who were 27-9, the second-best overall record in the NBA behind the Western Conference’s 30-7 Oklahoma City Thunder, when the league’s schedule tipped off last night. The uneasiness stems from the porous defense the Knicks displayed in their four consecutive losses before facing the Clippers, allowing an average of 124 points per game. For the season, they were ranked 12th defensively, giving up 115.1 points per game and 113.1 per 100 possessions.
Comparatively, the two teams ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, the No. 1 seed Pistons and the surprisingly sturdy 23-12, No.2 seed Boston Celtics, are among the most stout defensive collectives. The Celtics are ranked second at 110. 5 points allowed, and the Pistons fourth at 112.1. The Thunder sit atop the defensive ladder, ceding just 107.6.
The numbers affirm the correlation between defensive ranking and seedings, and advance the sports adage that defense wins championships. Last season, the Thunder secured the league title with a suffocating defense that was the NBA’s most proficient at 107.5 points allowed per game.
Disrupting opposing offenses at the point of attack, fortifying the paint, principally shots at the rim, and limiting transition baskets are the most critically important elements of establishing a well-constructed defense. The Knicks have been inconsistent and vulnerable in all three aspects.
Brown was succinct in his assessment of his team following the loss to the Pistons, who were without starters Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, and key reserve Caris LeVert.“They just physically kicked our ass,” Brown said.
“Everything’s on the table right now for us defensively,” he added.
The Knicks’ evident advantage over most of their opponents is physicality and rebounding. But when going up against athletic, physical, sound rebounding squads, the aforementioned Knicks’ strengths are relegated.
“A lot has to be addressed,” said Brunson, who led the Knicks with 25 points but also had six turnovers and zero assists.
The Knicks will be on the road from tomorrow, when they’ll play the Phoenix Suns, until January 15. They will also take on the Portland Trailblazers this Sunday, the Sacramento Kings next Wednesday, and conclude the trip with the Golden State Warriors.
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