It was easy for the Knicks fans to get carried away after the win against the Pistons. Their team defended. They were physical and intense. They braved the steps. They contested on the 3-point line. They defended the circle. The defensive footprints of new manager Tom Thibodeau were everywhere, a 90-84 win Friday night in Detroit in front of no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a pretty significant change, I’d say,” Julius Randle told Zoom on Saturday, comparing the change defensively to what he saw in his first season as Knick last year. “The way we practice, how we deal with it from the daily practice process and pace of play and all kinds of things.
“We have been training continuously since the beginning of training camp, playing for each other, helping each other.”