For all the hemming and hawing over the New York Knicks’ place among the NBA’s contenders, they are quietly, somewhat stunningly, exceeding expectations when playing against top-10 defenses, and versus top-10 offenses.
New York enters the All-Star break with the league’s third-best offense when facing a top-10 defense. That is great, but not totally surprising. The Knicks, however, rank seventh in defense when going up against top-10 offenses. That is also great, and totally unexpected.
Oh, and it’s something no other team in the East is currently doing. In fact, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder are the only other squad that ranks in the top seven of offense versus top-10 defenses, and the top seven of defense versus top-10 offenses.