The New York Knicks have had a great season through 46 games. Their 30-16 record has them third in the East, just two games behind the defending champion Boston Celtics. However, the expectations when New York assembled a stacked lineup through trades were more than regular season success.
Sure, the Knicks have a long runway with this group, but fans want the instant payoff of a championship in year one. Although they’ve gone through some serious growing pains, NY is right on schedule as they continue to improve. Newly-minted All-Star starters Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have gotten all the shine, but the Knicks wing duo holds the keys to a potential championship run.
Knicks Wing Duo Holds the Keys to Title Run
When GM Leon Rose sent a treasure trove of draft picks to Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges last summer, the intention was to form a lockdown pairing on the wing with OG Anunoby. New York knew the league ran through the recent champion Celtics, who are built around forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The idea was to anchor a defense that lost Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim with two of the best wing defenders in basketball.
In practice, however, this part of the team’s plan hasn’t worked out yet. New York has been exactly league average, ranking 15th with their 113.0 defensive rating. Many blame Brunson’s poor defense for this, and rightfully so. he’s been attacked relentlessly by the best guards in basketball, forcing double-teams and over-help. This has led to too many open threes while the Knicks scramble in rotation. Others cite KAT’s struggles to guard on the perimeter and lack of rim deterrence, which is also fair.
Malik Beasley sinks TWO clutch triples in New York
pic.twitter.com/bfo4FnH82C
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 14, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
However, we knew these realities going in. What’s been disappointing is the lackluster effort from Bridges and Anunoby for large parts of the season. Both have had inconsistent years defensively, at best. There are stretches where they lock in, such as Anunoby’s first few weeks or Bridges through the middle of the first half. Unfortunately, neither has kept up their intensity for a long time, and the numbers reflect the harm done to the team.
Knicks Need All-NBA Defense From Both Guys
New York desperately needs “Wingstop” to guard the opponent’s two best players on a nightly basis. Yes, teams will force switches to get Brunson or KAT involved, but NY can minimize those instances by getting more effort from their wings. Bridges and Anunoby are capable of aggressively getting over screens and applying back-pressure to ballhandlers, allowing KAT to play drop coverage rather than hanging him or Brunson out to dry.
When one of them is guarding the ball, they need to lock in more consistently. Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Malik Monk have all dominated the Knicks in recent games. Obviously, these are elite players who can’t be shut down, but you make the moves for Bridges/Anunoby to at least slow them down. Too often, guys like that have coasted into the paint, creating great shots every time down the floor.
If the Knicks want to beat Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City (their likely title path), their defense cannot be mediocre. Their incredible offense allows some wiggle room, but championship teams are never easy to score on. The best example is the 2023 Denver Nuggets, who had the 15th-best DRTG at 113.5, similar to NY this season. In the playoffs, however, Denver locked in, posting the fourth-best DRTG in that postseason (110.2).
Tom Thibodeau’s group has much more defensive talent than that Denver team. They have three capable/elite defenders in the starting lineup and several more on the bench. They simply need to be more consistent on that end game to game. The crazy minutes that Bridges and Anunoby have played could be the reason for their mediocre defense. While valid, they will have to step up as the team ramps up for the playoffs, regardless of their minutes. NY’s title chances depend on it.
The post Knicks Wing Duo Holds the Keys to Title Run appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.