Tom Thibodeau’s New York Knicks have been a difficult team to figure out so far in 2024-25. During some stretches, they appear ready to beat anyone in the league on their way to a title. On other nights, they look disinterested in defending, allowing opponents to walk all over them. Inspiring wins and embarrassing losses have been the norm for this eclectic squad. The question is, which version of the 2025 Knicks is their true identity? Luckily, the Knicks in the midst of a five-game win streak where they’ve showcased their championship potential on both ends of the floor. Although they’ve shown flashes of this two-way ceiling, the Knicks still have so much room for improvement.<\/p>\n
The biggest reason that New York can still be much better by the time the playoffs roll around is their defensive upside. Unfortunately, despite their recent intensity, the Knicks are still last in opponent’s three-point percentage<\/a> at 37.7%. They are allowing teams to get 1.13 points per possession on attempts from deep, which is unsustainable for any team with championship aspirations. Even during their five straight wins, where they rank eighth in defense<\/a>, NY is just 20th in opponent’s 3p%<\/a> at 36.7%. They have improved on limiting those attempts though, as they allowed the third-least attempts over that time.<\/p>\n Much of New York’s three-point issues are fixable simply through increased effort from all their guys. Since Mikal Bridges<\/a>, OG Anunoby<\/a>, and Josh Hart<\/a> have engaged themselves guarding on the perimeter, the Knicks defense has looked completely different. Even Jalen Brunson<\/a> and Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> are capable of competing better when forced into mismatches. When Brunson and Towns get beat often, NY has to scramble to help, leaving the three-point line wide open. This last streak has likely been spurred by a lighter schedule frequency and Thibodeau turning to a nine-man rotation.<\/p>\n If New York has been able to craft a solid defense (112.7 DRTG, 13th in NBA<\/a>) with limited effort from exhausted players, a deeper rotation and more scheduled off-days in the playoffs should work wonders. If these improvements lead to at least a top-ten defense, there’s no one they can’t beat.<\/p>\n Tom Thibodeau’s ace in the hole is sleeping giant Mitchell Robinson<\/a>. The Western Kentucky product is an elite rim protector and rebounder who allows Thibs incredible lineup flexibility<\/a> for the stretch run and postseason. Firstly, inserting Robinson into the bench unit gives New York a true ten-man rotation. This will instantly fix any depth issues remaining, leading to better energy on both ends from the starters. I think we’ve seen this theory play out since Thibs went to just a nine-man rotation instead of eight<\/a>.<\/p>\n Robinson provides NY with several lineup looks that they’ve been lacking. He can play with the starters, forming the best rebounding tandem in basketball with Towns. He also protects KAT’s weakness as a rim protector and allows him to focus on individual defense. Thibodeau can then form his dream defensive unit with Deuce McBride<\/a>, Bridges, Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa<\/a>, and Robinson anytime they need a stop.<\/p>\n Lastly, the seven-footer is the perfect player to shut down some of the most physically dominant bigs in the sport. NY needs him for possible matchups against Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, Jarrett Allen<\/a>, Evan Mobley<\/a>, and Kristaps Porzingis<\/a>, just to name a few. His defensive masterpiece guarding Joel Embiid<\/a> one-on-one in last year’s first-round victory was extremely impressive.<\/p>\nReinforcements are Coming\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Mitchell Robinson’s Return is Massive\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n