The New York Knicks have had a very good season with a 37-20 record and third place in the Eastern Conference. However, their struggles against the top teams in the league stand out the most, as they are 0-7 against the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder.
Former Knicks GM Scott Perry blames Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns for defensive struggles
Their poor defense is a large reason for those struggles, as they lack an identity on that end and are not in sync to stop some of the league’s best players. Former Knicks general manager Scott Perry placed the blame on their two All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns for the team’s inability to knock off the top teams.
“This was my concern going into the year and people haven’t talked loudly about this,” Perry said. “Their best two players, KAT and Jalen Brunson. They are excellent offensive players. And that’s why they are one of the top offensive teams in the league. However, the game is played on both sides of the ball. And unfortunately for the Knicks, when you look at KAT he is probably a bottom-five defender at his position. You look at Jalen Brunson, probably another bottom-five defender at his position.”
Brunson and Towns are prolific offensive players but do have lapses on the defensive end, which gives Perry’s point some merit. Towns in particular has had to play the center position with Mitchell Robinson out, and teams have exposed them for their lack of rim protection.
Teams have exposed the Knicks’ glaring weaknesses this season
Additionally, teams are exploiting Brunson’s defensive weaknesses and getting mismatches on him, forcing others to come and help and leave their guys open. A notable example was against the Boston Celtics on Sunday when Brunson got stuck on a switch in back-to-back plays and was stuck in a mismatch guarding Al Horford in the low post.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau’s use of drop coverage with his bigs also plays a part in the struggles. With Towns having to drop down and protect the paint, the result winds up being shooters given too much space for a clean look. The Knicks have allowed the highest opponent three-point percentage this season at 38.1%.
If the Knicks want to establish themselves as contenders, they have to improve defensively. Brunson and Towns are unlikely to make a significant change defensively, but the hope is that when Robinson returns, Towns can move to the power forward position and be a better defensive matchup.
Until that happens, the Knicks will continue to rely on their high-powered offense to get them through the season.