Knicks Deserve Stellar Grade for Elite Defense

With the final quarter of the regular season on the horizon, the New York Knicks have cemented their status as one of the best teams in the NBA.

Things didn’t look great for the Knicks at the midway point of the campaign. Following their NBA Cup victory, they won five out of seven games. However, the worst stretch of the season followed that.

New York lost nine out of 11 games, no longer looking like a championship-caliber team. Facing some adversity and rumors of potential changes ahead of the trade deadline, they figured things out in the third quarter of the season.

They had so much success that Law Murray of The Athletic (subscription required) has made the Knicks one of six teams that received an “A” grade for their performance during the third quarter of the regular season.

Knicks earn No. 4 spot in NBA power rankings

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown calling out play. — Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown gestures against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The strong grade is one that New York earned for how well they have performed over the last seven weeks. Leading the turnaround has been a complete 180 on the defensive end.

The Knicks had the best defense in the NBA during the third quarter of the season thanks to some tweaks to their lineup and schematics.

Early in the season, head coach Mike Brown had his team funnel opponents into the middle of the court. During the turnaround, they have been pushing their foes to the sideline and baseline more, and it has worked incredibly well.

Brown also has the players necessary for such a change at his disposal in the rotation with a few changes. The biggest was removing Jordan Clarkson and giving his minutes to Landry Shamet.

The veteran, who signed for the league minimum this past offseason, rounding back into form after missing 25 games because of a shoulder injury, has been huge for the team. With Miles McBride sidelined after undergoing core muscle surgery, the veteran is New York’s best point-of-attack defender.

Knicks have the talent to remain dominant defensively

New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado celebrates after play. — Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) celebrates during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

When Shamet is on the court, it allows Mikal Bridges to play off the ball more, a role in which he shines. A physical and smart defender, Shamet combines with OG Anunoby to make life difficult for opposing scorers.

Add in Jose Alvarado now being on the roster, and the Knicks are in great hands on the defensive end of the floor.

However, it is one thing to have role players buy in on that end. It is quite another when your stars, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, are helping set the tone as well. This team goes as their All-Star duo does, and over the last few weeks, they have brought it defensively.

New York proved earlier in the season that their offense can perform at an elite level to overcome an underwhelming defense. Now that they are figuring things out on that end, they once again look like a championship-caliber squad.

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