The New York Knicks have had a solid start to the season at 16-10, but their lackluster defense has been holding them back from being what they are capable of being. They have just the 16th-best defensive rating in the league at 113.1.
The Knicks have yet to hit their stride defensively
Injuries have played a part in that, as Precious Achiuwa missed the first 21 games of the season and Mitchell Robinson is still a ways away from making his season debut. Still, the team has experienced uncharacteristic lapses on that end of the floor to start the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns knows that tightening up the defense is the key to success.
“It’s true what they say and I’ve seen it — they say offense wins games and defense wins championships. And it’s true. Just an example: last year in Minnesota we got to the Western Conference Finals and it was the defense that got us there,” Towns said (h/t Posting and Toasting).
Defense has been a key area that has given the Knicks trouble to begin the season. Despite them having a top-3 offense in the NBA, they haven’t been able to separate themselves from other Eastern Conference contenders with the inept defense they have shown.
Towns has been stellar for the Knicks
Towns himself started off the season a bit slow defensively, but he has since picked it up on that end. This season, he is averaging 0.9 steals and a block per game, and he has the best defensive rating on the Knicks at 108.3.
Combining that improved play with his stellar offense, Towns has inserted himself into the MVP conversation. He is averaging 24.8 points and leads the league in rebounding with 13.9, making his presence felt in all different types of areas on the court.
The team’s defense has slowly started to find its footing as well. The Knicks have allowed the fewest points per game to their opponents in the month of December at just 102.7, and they have the second-best defensive rating this month at 106.7, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder having a better defensive rating.
They will be up for the task on Thursday, as they will take on a red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves in the first regular season matchup since the trade that brought Towns to New York during the offseason.