The Knicks’ Defensive Crisis: 3 Alarming Flaws Threatening Their Season

It’s hard to ignore the glaring fluctuations in the Knicks’ defense when you witness a game like their recent 112-107 setback against the Phoenix Suns. Sure, they tightened up in the final quarter, holding Phoenix to just 18 points—but before that, they let 66 points slip through in two quarters. That inconsistency? It perfectly sums up a defensive season full of experiments and mixed results. Sitting tied for second in the East with a 24-14 record, New York’s been trying everything from zones to switches, even tossing in a trap or two. But despite all those wrinkles, their defense has been more of a work in progress than a fortress—currently ranked 19th overall, and slipping to 27th in January alone. As we edge closer to the season’s midpoint, it’s clear the Knicks have some significant defensive questions to answer. LEARN MORE

The Knicks‘ defensive inconsistencies were on full display in a 112-107 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. New York’s defense came alive in the fourth quarter, holding Phoenix to 18 points, but in the previous two quarters, the club gave up 66 points.

The performance was a microcosm of the Knicks’ defense all season, which has been inconsistent. Currently tied for second place in the East with a 24-14 record, it’s been the year of experimentation for New York. We’ve seen more zone defense, switches, as well as the occasional trap.

Despite these new wrinkles, the defense has produced underwhelming results. The Knicks defense is ranked 19th in the NBA after 38 games, and is 27th in the month of January. As we near the halfway mark of the season, let’s look at three major concerns with the Knicks’ defense.

Point-of-attack

New York’s most glaring weakness on the defensive end is guarding the point-of-attack. Mikal Bridges has often been New York’s prime defender, and has struggled for the most part in a season and a half of chasing ballhandlers.

Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are all quality wing defenders, but they have all looked better in help roles where they can disrupt passing lanes and cut off drives rather than defend speedy guards capable of getting into the paint.

Miles McBride has been effective at times in the role. He has a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. But he’s also a 6-foot-2 guard, so there’s some matchups where that won’t be ideal. Landry Shamet is another capable point-of-attack defender. Shamet should return soon from a shoulder injury.

The Knicks could make a move externally. Names like Jose Alvarado, Ochai Agbaji, and Keon Ellis have been floated as potential trade targets to improve the defense. But realistically, those players wouldn’t be focal points of New York’s rotation.

Brown has employed a zone at times to combat New York’s defensive issues and it’s been hit or miss. Most likely, the Knicks will have to improve from within to elevate the defense.

Defending behind the arc

New York’s lack of an elite point-of-attack option has bled into another part of the defense, the three-point line. The Knicks are overhelping in the paint to contain drives and shots on the interior.

That strategy is working to a degree. New York is keeping teams subdued on the inside. The Knicks allow 46.2 points in the paint per 100 possessions per NBA Stats, the sixth best mark in the league. But the focus on the paint has exposed the perimeter. The Knicks are giving up the third most three-point attempts in the NBA. Opponents are also shooting 37.3 percent from three, a figure that is tied for 27th in the NBA.

New York struggled to contain the three on Friday, giving up 15 three-pointers in the first three quarters, before holding the Suns to just one trifecta in the final quarter. One reason for the improved defense was a switching strategy on the pick-and-roll. Switching could be something the Knicks defense goes to more as the season wears on.

Star liabilities

New York’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the two weakest defenders among the team’s top seven rotation players. But as the two top scorers on the team, they’re also crucial to New York’s offense. It’s a delicate balance that the Knicks have to constantly manage.

The opposition will try to bring Brunson and Towns into offensive actions to attack the two stars and create chaos. In the Eastern Conference Finals last year, that combination was exposed repeatedly by the Indiana Pacers. This year’s playoffs will be a major test on defense for Brunson and Towns.

The Knicks have not defended well with Brunson on the floor, giving up 119.4 points per 100 possessions in his 1,235 minutes. When the star point guard sits, New York is allowing 106.3 points per 100 possessions, a number that would rank second in the NBA. It’s not to say that Brunson is the sole reason for New York’s defensive issues, but it’s a number to monitor for the rest of the season.