Patrick Ewing. Charles Oakley. Anthony Mason. Derek Harper. John Starks. These are the New York Knicks that made it a nightmare for teams to play at Madison State Garden in the 90s. Their tough, physical, in-your-face defense made opposing players think twice before going up against them.
Fast forward to today, New Orleans Pelicans coach Stand Van Gundy believes the current iteration of the Knicks has similarities to that era.
Stan Van Gundy, talking about Knicks defense: "They're a throwback to 90's Knicks."
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) April 14, 2021
The Knicks beat the Pelicans on Wednesday, 116-106 to improve to 29-27, good for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has molded the team to his image. His players play hard-nosed defense and slow the pace of the game significantly. At a time when squads are playing faster with emphasis on spacing, the Knicks are going the opposite direction. And it is working.
The Knicks play with the slowest pace in the NBA at 96.58. That is not to say they have a boring brand of basketball. Just look at the times when first-time All-Star Julius Randle takes over a game. The Knicks also just take an average of 29.5 three-point shots per game, which is one of the lowest in the NBA.
Randle and company are top three in the NBA in terms of defensive rating, just behind heavy contenders Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. With tough D guys on their roster like Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, and Immanuel Quickley, it's not surprising that the Knicks have been getting things done.
Clearly, this is not the same Knicks that have been the laughingstock of the NBA, and it would be interesting to see if they get matched up with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Playoffs with their opposing styles.
Follow Us
Subscribe