Knicks Defense Might Be Nearing Peak

The New York Knicks are figuring out how to adjust on the defensive end of the floor, and their changes have not yielded positive results.

The Knicks are hovering around the middle of the pack in terms of defensive rating, and that’s after an improvement over the past two weeks.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale questions whether the Knicks have enough in the tank to improve even more on the defensive end of the floor.

“New York simply might not be built for much better results,” Favale writes. “Talk of improvement falls flat when they rank 8th in points allowed per possession against top-20 offenses. Mitchell Robinson’s return, if it ever comes, might help. But it will take an offensive toll. A trade could help, too. Then again, any deal is unlikely to change the complexion of the Knicks’ go-to lineup, so maybe not.”

The Knicks know they have to change something to make this work as a potential contender for the future. Either that change comes from a trade or within.

The three paths towards improvement involve a trade, Mitchell Robinson’s return or an overall improvement from the team. Chances are, the Knicks will need at least two of those three to get marginally better, but if there is some kind of external change, it could affect their offense, which is among the top two in the league next to the defending champion Boston Celtics.

The Knicks don’t want to sacrifice too much on the offensive floor to fix their defense, but it may be necessary in order to get the team to where it wants to be.

The Knicks are back in action tomorrow night as they head down to the bayou to face the New Orleans Pelicans in the Big Easy. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

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