Richard Jefferson pinpoints what Knicks need to become 'championship-level team'

11/28/2024 01:01 AM

The New York Knicks entered the 2024-25 season with lofty championship expectations around them after their offseason blockbuster trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. But they are learning firsthand that championships aren’t won by simply putting talented players together and hoping it works immediately. There is an inevitable acclimation process that comes with overhauling the team, and on Wednesday night, the Knicks’ growing pains continued in a 129-114 loss to a Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks team.

The Knicks’ inconsistency on a game-to-game basis is maddening; back on Monday, they were thoroughly dominant over the Denver Nuggets, taking a 145-118 win, but earlier tonight, they couldn’t match that level of play. And it all starts on the defensive end of the floor — with the Mavericks shooting 56.5 percent from the field on the night, making them pay from deep as well by making 17 of their 33 attempts from beyond the arc.

For Richard Jefferson, the Knicks’ championship blueprint is clear. They must figure out their defense and restore it to at least where it was last season.

“The success that they had last year, their defensive numbers were great. … I need them to get to a top-10 defense paired with that offense, now we’re talking about a championship-level team. It’s hard to win a championship if you are 23rd or 20 in below [on defense],” Jefferson said on NBA Countdown.

.@Rjeff24 on what the Knicks need to become a REAL title contender

"Get to a top-10 defense paired with that offense, now we're talking about a championship-level team." pic.twitter.com/NA6GPoBJU8

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 28, 2024

At the moment, the Knicks’ defense is hanging on by a thread; even with two of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby logging heavy minutes every night, the backbone of their defense, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, isn’t the most sturdy.

Towns, in particular, has had his fair share of struggles in anchoring a team’s defense in the paint. But the good news is that things will get better for the Knicks when they return to full strength.

Mitchell Robinson to restore order to the Knicks’ shaky defense?

Mitchell Robinson (and Isaiah Hartenstein) were instrumental in helping the Knicks to a top-10 defensive finish last season. But Robinson has been out for the entire season thus far while dealing with a recurring ankle injury — putting the Knicks’ defense to the test.

Clearly, the Knicks’ defense hasn’t been up to the task. They now rank 24th in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions after their loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday night, and given how limited their trade assets are, all they can hope for is a cleaner bill of health to restore some semblance of order to their shaky defense.

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