Perhaps the biggest question hanging over this team from the preseason to the playoffs is whether they can maintain a competitive defense centered around Towns at center. For all his upside and the magic and help around him from coach Tom Thibodeau, Towns’ rim protection and defensive instincts have been poor throughout his career.
Can the Knicks’ defense, which has thrived on strong personnel, schemes and buy-in, remain elite in a lineup featuring Jalen Brunson and Towns as the interior anchors?
It’s a work in progress and we won’t have a definitive answer until the postseason, but New York is betting the answer will be “yes.”
Thibodeau will need to come up with creative looks and maximize his defensive wings: Bridges and OG Anunoby . He’ll also need Towns to perform like a pro on that end, but after a great performance against Nikola Jokic in the playoffs, there’s some justified optimism.