Analyst: Knicks Defense Becoming Costly

The New York Knicks are hoping to improve on the defensive end.

Nov 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) defends the rim against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks aren't playing as well on the defensive end of the floor as they hoped to do at before the season began.

After having one of the league's best defenses a year ago, the Knicks currently rank 20th in defensive rating with a mark of 115.2.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes described the Knicks' defense as "generous" over the first few games.

"New York isn't just suffering from anomalous shooting nights and noisy opponent three-point shooting. It's also giving up way too much around the basket," Hughes writes. "Opponents are converting shots within six feet at an unfathomable 83.3 percent clip when Karl-Anthony Towns is the closest defender. Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are all surrendering at least a 70 percent conversion rate in those same situations. If the Knicks can't start preventing attempts and forcing misses at the rim, they're going to have a long season on defense."

The Knicks are fortunate enough to still have three wins under their belt due to a strong offense, but things could be very gloomy if they weren't shooting at such a high clip.

This is very uncharacteristic for a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, but the sample size is small and it is still very early in the season.

The Knicks have to get better on the defensive end in the next couple of weeks, otherwise they could find themselves slipping in the standings. Only two teams in the East (Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics) have winning records at the moment, so there is room to breathe, but the Knicks shouldn't be satisfied because other teams are also performing poorly alongside them.

The Knicks will look to have an improved defense in their next game as they take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

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