Hard to believe that after such a smooth sailing start, the New York Knicks are starting to feel some waves rocking their once-steady boat.
Once the hottest team in the league, New York has been encountering turbulence in the last 10 games, where they have lost five of them in the last eight contests--all of in which their defense, which had been stingy and tough at first, gave up 100 points or more to opponents.
Their problems guarding the pick-and-roll were all too evident Tuesday night, as they allowed star rookie Damian Lillard and the plucky Portland Trail Blazers to penetrate the lane at will en route to a 105-100 loss.
That same inability to protect the lane cost them dearly against the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden two weeks ago, where returning ex-Knick Jeremy Lin scored 22 points and galvanized the Rockets to a 109-96 blowout victory that ended New York's undefeated streak at home.
And on Dec. 28, the Knicks' poor perimeter defense in the first half allowed the struggling Sacramento Kings a chance to hit 10 of 15 shots in the first half, which proved costly when Kings power forward James Johnson hit a game-winning three pointer at the buzzer to break the Knicks' hearts 106-105 in Sacramento.
In addition, the Knicks, already the oldest team in the league, have been hit with a rash of injuries in the last month that have forced them to sit key players such as Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby.
The loss of Felton, who is out four to six weeks thanks to an injury he sustained while trying to grab a loss ball from Steve Nash in a 100-94 loss to the struggling Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, has been particularly troubling for the Knicks. With Anthony banged up thanks to a hyperextended knee he suffered in the same game, no one else has stepped up on offense aside from the streaky J.R. Smith, who is hit or miss given the night.
Even with the return of Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks were looking out of sorts through the night on Tuesday against Portland in a game where they never led once.
Stoudemire's return should, in time, help the Knicks on offense, but the two-month layoff he spent on the bench due to left knee surgery showed Tuesday night, shooting 3-for-8 in 17 minutes of play. He's rusty and he'll need time to get back to his normal levels of production, assuming that the surgery doesn't have any lasting effects that have robbed him of his explosive step to the basket.
But mostly, defense is the top priority, and the problem, for New York these days.
Once a Top 5 defensive team in points allowed, the Knicks have dropped to No. 15 in the league, allowing opponents to score 97.2 points per game.
And in terms of rebounding, something that Knicks coach Mike Woodson has preached the importance of repeatedly, the Knicks are the third-worst team in the NBA; being out-rebounded by opponents 41.0 to 38.8.
With a defense that is sputtering, that does not bode well for New York when they host the 25-8 San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, who have been excellent on the road with a 12-6 record and are looking to avenge a stunning 104-100 loss that the Knicks dealt them on Nov. 15 in San Antonio. In addition, the pass-heavy, balanced and deadly offense of the Spurs is ranked third in the league (105.5 points per game) behind only Houston and Oklahoma City.
The Knicks have to get back to the basics they had in the beginning of the season, denying the lane to opponents and being tough on their "D," which was the hallmark for Knicks teams of the 90s that were perennial playoff threats. Until, and even after, all their players are healthy again, that's the only thing that will ensure New York's season becomes a success rather than a sinking boat.
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