Knicks Defense Shows Significant Improvement

The New York Knicks' defense looked much better in their second game of the year.

Jeremy Brener | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) looks to pass the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks looked much stronger on the defensive end of the floor in their 123-98 win against the Indiana Pacers than they did in their first game of the year.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau prides himself and his teams on being defensive-minded, so he was definitely pleased with New York's effort against Indiana.

“I love the way our guys responded to the game," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "Just I thought the fight was a lot greater, the togetherness, and I thought helping each other out was a lot better. And so as the communication improves, I think we are still a work in progress, we have to get a feel, but the way we played together, and guys did a lot of different things.”

The Knicks are still trying to forge an identity and chemistry, and that will take time given the new additions on the roster. Games like the one against the Pacers, however, help create one as time goes on.

Karl-Anthony Towns is also a big believer in that theory.

“Listen, if we play defense the way we played tonight—we haven’t had any problems scoring the basketball, but the defensive side—if we can have an identity, I think that we could be a really good team and we could do some magical things," Towns said.

Among the last 26 teams to win an NBA title, all but two were ranked in the top 11 in defensive rating. Only the 2023 Denver Nuggets (15th) and the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (22nd) won a championship despite not meeting that criteria.

So, if the Knicks want to join that club, they need to start building their defensive identity.

The Knicks will have a chance to continue improving on that side of the ball on Monday when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to Madison Square Garden.

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

Published 2 Hours Ago

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.