The Knicks’ problems will likely take care of themselves thanks to their impressive roster talent. However, the real challenge for the 2024-25 Knicks is their defense, or rather, their lack of defense.
New York has struggled as a defensive unit. Towns has been criticized for allowing high percentage shots in the paint when he’s on defense, as strong defense has never been his forte. Despite that, he’s shown more effort than many of his teammates.
The problem isn’t just one player, it’s the team as a whole. Despite boasting the league’s third-highest offensive rating (120.61) before Wednesday’s game, New York ranked 21st in defensive rating (116.07). To make matters worse, they ranked 29th in both steals and blocks. And their bench offered little relief, ranking dead last in rebounds and steals per game and 26th in blocks per game.
While the Knicks convincingly beat the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, they still managed to score 122 points without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Likewise, New York allowed 132 points to the Indiana Pacers and 121 to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this month, well above their respective season averages of 114.3 and 114.9.