Continuity works in different ways. For the Knicks, it’s been a positive for their defense.
Three weeks into their title defense, the Knicks are among the NBA’s stingiest teams while allowing 104.2 points per game. That was third best in the league heading into Sunday’s games. It’s partially a product of New York playing at the slowest pace in the NBA, resulting in fewer points for both teams.
But the Knicks were also ranked seventh in defensive rating — calculated by points allowed per 100 possessions — which is the same position they finished last season.
The difference this time around? It took the Knicks three months of terrible defense last season to start climbing to No. 7. They were 19th in the NBA through Jan. 19, then caught fire and were No. 2 in defense for the final 43 games.
Already in this campaign, they’re thwarting opponents at a top-tier rate. They obviously have OG Anunoby, a premier and versatile individual defender. But in today’s NBA — where ball handlers hunt switches and favorable matchups through screens — a defense is often only as good as its weakest link.
And Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been criticized throughout his career for lazy defense, has been far from weak. Much like during his strong playoff run, KAT has been active off the ball, committed and clearly in shape after cutting weight in the summer.
During Saturday’s win over the Cavs, Towns grabbed 13 rebounds and had two steals — including a strip of Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter late in the third quarter. Towns stepped into Mitchell’s driving lane on a screen, established position and didn’t let the All-Star split the two defenders. Mitchell coughed up the ball as he fell to the court, which led to a Towns assist on Landry Shamet’s 3-pointer to cap the game-breaking 25-12 Knicks run.
Towns said his experience defending Mitchell — they were Western Conference opponents for five years — provided him the foresight to see the split attempt coming.
“That comes with familiarity. That just comes with playing each other so much,” Towns said. “You know how great he is when he splits. If he gets that split over, he’s most likely dunking on somebody.
“So you don’t want to be the cause of that. So just having that experience and just knowing them very well … With a lot of experience and time in this league, you see a lot of different offensive sets and things. So just utilizing that experience and being in the right spot and putting yourself in the right position for your teammates.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown lauded Towns’ basketball IQ and credited his two defensive coordinators — assistants Darren Erman and Brendan O’Connor — for putting the center in the right positions.
“KAT’s got a tremendous feel. He’s a smart dude when it comes to a lot of things, but especially when it comes to the game of basketball,” Brown said. “His feel is at a high level, and so you couple that with the job that [O’Connor] and Erman are doing, it’s easy to see where he is because everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s tried to do.
“So if you’re extremely coachable, you got a great feel and you got two guys in Brendan O’Connor and Darren Erman that are teaching you the game defensively at a really high level, you’ll see the results we’re seeing now.”
Brown had challenged KAT on defense, with the positive results really kicking in during the playoffs.
“It’s [Towns]. It’s his willingness to do what’s best for the team to continue to get better,” Jalen Brunson said. “I think we’ve all been challenged by Mike in some way, shape or form. And he’s stepped up to the plate with that. And he’s been great.”
Not coincidentally, so has the Knicks’ overall defense. They’ve held opponents to 105 points or fewer in five of the past six games. They’ve also won five of their last six. Also not a coincidence.
