The Toronto Raptors beat the New York Knicks 118-107 tonight, and although the game was played north of the border, leagues away from the southern regions of this great country, the New York Knicks still found a way to pay a repeat visit to ATL. ATL in this case being: another tough loss.
Once again they played hard, and maybe even a bit smarter than the way they did last night in Boston, however they found themselves still falling victim to the same deficiencies that have been ailing them so far in the infancy of this season. Most notably on the defensive side of the basketball court.
Yes it is still early. Very early. And time will only tell if the trends which have made themselves visible so early on will be prevalent throughout the season. However the way that the Knicks have been playing defensively is a bit alarming. Numbers can be analyzed as much as possible to reflect the Knicks ineptitude in the defensive department, but in this case they eye-test is probably the one in which they are failing the most. To see them allow teams to come and go as the please is to know that a step-up in that area is direly needed.
Picking up on the notion that every quality team in the NBA has an identity and that teams on the cusp of being quality teams have to find their identity, standing at a record of 3-6, no where near being into the quarter or mid-point of the season, one expects that the Knicks should be closer to that realization 25 to 40 games into the season. Will they be a quality team just on paper or will they be a quality team on the floor as well? Once again, time will tell. Until then a stop or two on the defensive end with the game in the balance won't hurt. In fact, it will help.
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