For the last couple of seasons, the New York Knicks’ identity has been the defensive end of the floor, specifically in the paint. The team’s identity on that end of the floor was protecting the paint and crashing the glass.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has instilled that identity within them and the team brought in players like Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, and OG Anunoby to solidify that defensive tenacity and complement Jalen Brunson.
However, the Knicks had a pivotal offseason where they brought in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, and that caused them to let Hartenstein go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Robinson is also out for the next couple of months due to an ankle injury. This has opened the paint up defensively for New York and teams have been able to exploit their weakness.
As a result, the Knicks have completely changed their identity and physical defense is no longer their strength.
Towns himself has never been known as a rim protector in his career, which is why when he was in Minnesota, the team brought in Rudy Gobert and moved Towns to the power-forward spot. With the Knicks, he is the full-time center and he has been unable to protect the paint. Towns is giving up 73 percent shooting at the rim and at one point this week, it was an appalling 92 percent according to second spectrum stats.
Towns is not the only culprit for the Knicks’ defensive issues. In addition to that, New York has dropped from ninth in defensive rating last season to 21st this season. They have also dropped from first to near the bottom of the league in multiple offensive rebounding categories:
2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
First in offensive rebounds per game | 20th in offensive rebounds per game |
First in offensive rebound chances created | 21st in offensive rebound changes created |
First in contested offensive rebounds per game | 20th in contested offensive rebounds per game |
The Knicks have had to change their identity completely to start the season, relying on offense to get them wins. Towns and Brunson have been lethal in the pick and roll and Towns is on pace to have a career-best season in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. His defense has just been subpar to start the year and is part of the reason why New York has declined on that end.
The Knicks for the last two seasons were able to grind out wins with their defense and their ability to protect the paint with their stout frontcourt. Maybe some semblance of that will return when Robinson comes back from his injury, but that is no guarantee given his injury history. The question now becomes will this identity change cost the team come playoff time?