The Knicks are 9-6 to start the 2024-25 season. After a 145-118 win over the Nuggets in Denver, Coach Tom Thibodeau said he feels the Knicks defense is good but needs improvement:
What’s Good About NY’s Defense So Far
- “The shell is pretty good. If you look at points in the paint, I think we’re allowing 46 points a game in the paint. So the shell is good.
- The defensive transition is good.
- The rebounding has been good.”
What Needs Improvement
Thibs continued:
- “But it’s more the challenging the shots,
- The ball pressure,
- Negating the screens,
- Getting into the body,
- Closing the gaps, doing those sorts of things, and then
- Getting to a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th effort that we have to be better at.
- And then I want to make sure we’re concentrating on body position. I don’t want to recklessly whack down and give teams points, and that’s where we have to continue to improve.”
Knicks Defenders
In the game against Denver, Thibs noted that Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart “defensively were fantastic”. Karl-Anthony Towns hauled down 15 rebounds in the game.
Miles McBride was back after a 2-week absence due to a sore knee and added to the defensive effort, as did Cameron Payne, and Jalen Brunson, who is a league-leader in taking charges. Jericho Sims has offered excellent defense at the center position. Against Denver, he played 14 minutes, while KAT played 34 minutes.
Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa continue to rehab and are schedule to both be back — Robinson by January, Precious sooner than that.
The one thing that the Knicks will need to deal with is if Robinson is happy with 14 to 18 minutes a game, which is all that seems will be available when he returns.
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