5 reasons the New York Knicks are doomed
The New York Knicks are 4-6 to start the 2016-17 regular season, and it’s only going to get worse.
Prior to the start of the season, Derrick Rose suggested that the New York Knicks were in the same category as the Golden State Warriors, famously referring to both teams as “super-teams.” Now, ten games into the regular season, we’re starting to see just how delusional this statement was. By radically shaking up their roster yet again, the Knicks have continued their trend of sacrificing future success for instant gratification. And yet again, it’s going to end in disaster. Here are five reasons the New York Knicks are doomed this season.
5. Defense
Defense wins championships. We’ve all heard it before. But if New York’s defense is any indicator, they’re not even going to make the playoffs. The Knicks have been a horrible defensive team so far this season, and it doesn’t look to be improving . The Knicks rank dead last in the league in Defensive Rating (the number of points allowed per 100 possessions by a team). They even rank worse than the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that is literally trying to lose.
The Knicks have a former Defensive Player of the Year in Joakim Noah, but he’s not the same player he used to be. He’s currently averaging fewer points (4.3), rebounds (8.5), and assists (3.7) than he did during his time with the Chicago Bulls. He’s no longer the ferocious, multi-category producing “energy guy” he was before. Now, he’s just an aging center with messy hair and a broken jump shot. Even if Noah could still play at the level he used to, there are too many holes in this Knicks defense for one man to plug.
A team like Houston that relies heavily on offense is allowed to not have an elite defense due to the sheer number of points they put up night after night. But New York’s offense doesn’t even crack the top half of the league. If you can’t score, it’s important to at least be able to limit your opponents’ opportunities. With neither Rose nor Anthony considered a premier defensive stopper in this league, the defensive burden falls on the team as a whole, and right now no one is doing their part. As the season wears on small weaknesses become more pronounced, so be ready to see the Knicks fall further down the standings if they don’t fix their defense, and fix it fast.