Offense wins games, but defense wins championships: A lesson the Knicks need to learn.

Amar'e Looks Puzzled / Chamber of Fear / Wikimedia Commons

Every great basketball player has acknowledged at least once in their career that playing solid defense is the key to winning games. Some even say that defense is more important than offense. A team that plays strong defense is able to work better together, making all of the other pieces of the game fall into place. John Brady, head coach for Arkansas State University has stated regarding defense, "If you want team play, you must stress defense. Defense makes players unselfish."

Currently the New York Knicks are in a slump, 7-11 (as of Thursday March 24th) since the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and it is arguable that the cause is not their scoring. Carmelo Anthony is still averaging 25.0 points per game, Chauncey Billups is averaging 17 points per game, and Amar'e Stoudemire is averaging 26 points per game. The Knicks are averaging 106.06 points per game, 2nd highest in the NBA. These offensive numbers show that scoring isn't the problem.

A major problem in the Knicks offense is their poor shot selection. Billups at times pulls up to shoot from 25 feet with a hand in his face, and although he can make it once in a while, it is still a poor choice when he has other teammates who are open or running a play. Anthony loves to play one on one basketball and as soon as Stoudemire catches the ball in the paint, he looks to shoot or drive and forces up shots when he has teammates open. This lack of sharing the ball and taking "bad" shots contributes to the Knicks low field goal percentage, ranked 17th in the NBA.

The Knicks also have troubles rooted in their defense. For most of the game, the Knicks play two on five defense because Stoudemire, Anthony, and Billups decide to take their time getting back by arguing with the referees about the lack of a call. These three are the most experienced players on the Knicks, and they of all people, should know that they have to be there to help out on defense. Even though they are not the best defensive players in the world, having their bodies there will help the team play better defense. 

Pat Riley believes, “In all the research you do as a coach, studying other coaches and championship-type situations, you find that all those teams combined talent with great defense. You’ve got to stop other teams to win.” The Knicks now have the talent; all they need is stronger defense and they will have a championship team.

Rebounding is another area where the Knicks struggle greatly, currently ranked 20th in the NBA. Aggressive rebounding is crucial to take away the opposing team's second chance points and allows the Knicks to control the flow of the game. In the fourth quarter this season, the Knicks failure to box out, has allowed the opposition to come back from great deficits or cement their leads. The past three games, the Knicks went into the fourth quarter with the lead, and ended up letting it slip away, most resulting in a loss by double figures simply because of a lack of rebounding, defensive intensity, and poor shot selection.