NBA Power Rankings: Knicks Defense Holding Them Back?
With a 9-11 record, the New York Knicks sit on the fringe of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, one spot shy of the play-in in 11th place.
While the team is just a few games away from the top of the Play-In pack ... a game-and-a-half behind seventh-place Toronto ... the Knicks' struggles have them further down on Sports Illustrated's power rankings, moving from No. 25 to 26.
"The blitz of the Knicks’ defense continued across three games last week," SI writes. "Against the Thunder, the offense overcame yet another spotty defensive outing thanks to Jalen Brunson’s season-best 34 points. The same couldn’t be said against the Trail Blazers or Grizzlies at home—both teams eclipsed 120 points, and New York couldn’t keep up despite two more 30-plus-point games by Brunson."
Despite employing Tom Thibodeau, who coached a top-3 defense in his first four seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the team has the 27th-best defensive rating in the league, leading only the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs ... all of whom are likewise struggling to keep up in the early playoff conversation.
The Knicks' defense has to be better if they want any sort of improvement over last year's 37-win slog. They will have a chance to showcase any potential improvement this week against the Pistons starting on Tuesday on the road (7 p.m. ET, MSG). Home games against the Milwaukee Bucks (Wednesday), Dallas Mavericks (Saturday), and Cleveland Cavaliers (Sunday) follow.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
To The Garden and beyond! Get your Knicks game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.
Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.
Want even more New York Knicks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
