From the minute the Knicks hired Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach in July, their defense appeared to be in an update.
But there was no guarantee that a tangible change – and the victories that followed – would come so quickly.
The Knicks left New York on December 27, fresh from their first win of the season, a surprising defeat for the Bucks. They returned on Tuesday as winners of four of the past five entering Wednesday night’s clash against Jazz at the Garden, with many strong efforts fueling their rise, but the head of defense among them.
“I think the union is a big part of that. I think the desire to share the ball, to play hard for each other, ”said Thibodeau after Monday’s 113-108 victory over the Hawks. “[But] it starts with our defense and recovery. We still have to cut back on our turnover, but I think it’s just the general way they are playing for each other. I think it is a big part of the victory. They come and work every day. “
Last year, under the command of David Fizdale and then acting coach Mike Miller, the Knicks had the NBA’s 23rd defensive ranking (112.4). In seven games this season under Thibodeau, they had the ninth best defensive ranking in the NBA (106.1).
During their last five games, they have kept opponents well below their average score – albeit in a small sample. They kept the Bucks, which averaged 127 points to the contrary, at 110. They continued to keep the Cavaliers (107.5) to 86, the Raptors (107.2) to 100, Pacers (117) to 102 and the Hawks (120) to 108
“The important thing is that if you defend, hit and take care of the ball, you will be in a position to win,” said Thibodeau.
Of course, it was not the defense alone that led the Knicks to win three out of four on their trip. There have been important performances by newcomers and remnants, as the Knicks had their best start in seven games since the 2012-13 season:
“Quivers”: The defense combo of Immanuel Quickley and Austin Rivers is still very new, but it was impressive enough to already earn a nickname on social media. The two were on the pitch on Monday against the Hawks – Rivers for the past 17:06 and Quickley for the 15:09 of the past 15:51 – to help turn a 15-point deficit into a five-point victory.
Rivers played a strong defense on Trae Young and drained a 3-point brace at the end of a quick pass from Quickley, who scored 16 points.
“We kind of play offensive against each other, defensively he is also very good,” said Quickley. “So, it is much easier to play with him at both ends of the track.”
King julio: Julius Randle had another monster game on Monday, accumulating 28 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists. His fights last season were well documented, but he improved a lot earlier this year, while putting in a lot of minutes.
“I think the guys are believing in the coach and his message and playing for each other, playing hard, playing together,” said Randle.
Resilience: The Knicks spent a lot of time in the lead during their four wins, but got rid of a deficit of 15 points in the third quarter on Monday to end the trip on a high.
“It starts with Thibs and then goes down,” said RJ Barrett. “Everyone who enters the game plays hard, plays with an advantage.”
Shooting hiccup: The anomaly during the five-game stretch? The Knicks shooting 3 of 36 in the background against the Raptors. In the other four games, they agreed to shoot 49 out of 100. That includes just one game by Alec Burks, who should be one of his best snipers.