The Knicks have some strong defensive pieces. Noel and Mitchell Robinson are both skilled protectors of the circle. Frank Ntilikina is a strong defensive guard. RJ Barrett has the length and athleticism to defend at a high level. And now they have a coach who demands excellence at that end of the pitch.
“We’ve definitely made it a focal point in our practices, to have that defensive intensity, from transition defense to speaking to high-level communications preaching, and it’s going to be very contagious all season to always have that as your backbone,” Noel said. “We all know you can hit and miss overnight. You just have to put your work on your shots and hope for the best in it. But defense is a challenging thing. We will always base our game on this. “