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Knicks Acknowledge Concerning Weak Spot

The New York Knicks haven't played the best on the defensive end of the floor.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) after a screen by Utah forward/center John Collins (20) during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) after a screen by Utah forward/center John Collins (20) during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks, known for their defensive prowess, haven't played up to their standards so far this season.

The Knicks rank 21st in defensive rating, and those struggles were put under a magnifying glass once again as the team fell to the struggling Utah Jazz on the road over the weekend.

Knicks forward Josh Hart is frustrated by the team's defensive shortcomings and hopes to find a way to be part of a solution.

“We’ve been struggling on the defensive side for the whole season. When you’re not making shots and you’re not playing well defensively, that’s a recipe for disaster," Hart said h/t Posting and Toasting. "We’ve got to figure it out on the defensive end. Offensively, we’ve got enough talent on the offensive side where, even if certain guys aren’t going that day, to play well and to win games. But we’ve got to figure it out defensively.”

The offense is definitely not the problem. The Knicks have the league's second-best offensive rating behind the 17-1 Cleveland Cavaliers. New York should be close to that record, but a 9-7 mark through 16 games shows how poor the defense has actually been.

“It’s easy when you’re making shots—you can play defense. So we just gotta find a way when we’re missing," Mikal Bridges said. “There’s gonna be them games. Just get through it.”

Last year, the Knicks ranked 9th in the NBA in defensive rating, and adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Bridges shouldn't make the team regress that much. Sure, the team misses Isaiah Hartenstein, but that doesn't mean the Knicks should be in the bottom third of the league in defense.

New York has to focus more on the defensive end of the floor in these upcoming games in order to work its way out of this slump.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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