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Tom Thibodeau deserves Coach of the 12 months consideration for the way in which he has reworked the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Day by day Information. Saturday afternoon’s win over Portland places the crew at 11-13, good for sixth place within the East a 3rd of the way in which by means of the season. Bondy notes that each starter on this 12 months’s crew was additionally on final 12 months’s squad, which started the season Four-18.
Thibodeau has instilled a defense-first mentality and has given extra minutes to gamers who excel in that space. Consequently, the Knicks are holding opponents to the bottom field-goal share within the league at 43.5%. In addition they enable the second-fewest factors and have a defensive ranking within the prime seven.
“There’s not one specific factor while you take a look at the analytics — which all people does — that there wasn’t one factor that actually stood out apart from the truth that groups don’t shoot the ball properly in opposition to them, which is in the end one of the best metric to have,” mentioned Path Blazers coach Terry Stotts. “What I see is a crew that performs laborious, they play bodily, they’re lively, they’re aggressive. They go after free balls. They’re a hard-nosed defensive crew.”
There’s extra Knicks information to cross alongside:
- Considered one of Thibodeau’s most controversial selections has been to stay with Elfrid Payton as his start line guard forward of high-scoring rookie Immanuel Quickley, notes Marc Berman of The New York Put up. Quickley scored 31 factors in opposition to the Blazers final month, however he remained on the bench for your entire first quarter on Saturday as Thibodeau relied on Payton to match up with Damian Lillard. “The large factor is the protection,’’ Thibodeau mentioned of Payton’s contributions. “That’s the largest tone-setter for us. The defensive element. That’s his power and helps his crew when he begins on the ball. And to maintain us organized offensively and be alternatives with scoring alternatives.”
- First-round choose Obi Toppin broke into an enormous smile when requested about collaborating in a dunk contest if the league holds one together with its All-Star Recreation, Berman provides in the identical story. Toppin’s enjoying time has been restricted in his first NBA season, however he was a prolific dunker in school. “The dunk contest, I assume we’ll simply have to attend and see,’’ Toppin mentioned. “I don’t wish to simply offer you all solutions, however hopefully I’d be capable to be there. Possibly not. So we’re simply going to have to attend and see.’’
- Whereas COVID-19 has precipitated havoc for a lot of NBA groups, the Knicks haven’t had any gamers miss a sport as a result of virus, in keeping with Steve Popper of Newsday.
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