The New York Knicks not only have the potential to be the top offense in the league, but they also have an elite defensive duo that could make them one of the best overall defenses in the league as well.
When New York acquired OG Anunoby during last season, they immediately became one of the best teams in the league on both ends of the floor. Now, they will have Anunoby and Mikal Bridges guarding the wings, which has the potential to be the best pair of defenders in the NBA.
OG Anunoby transformed the Knicks’ defense the moment he arrived last season
If there’s any reason to be excited about the potential they have defensively, the first 14 games following the Anunoby deal last season is perhaps the best reason. In that span, New York went 12-2 with a 15.8 net rating, second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over that same span, Anunoby had an outrageous plus-minus of +252 and a defensive rating of 104.8, both of which were the best in the NBA.
He missed most of the second half of the season with an elbow injury and part of the playoffs with a hamstring injury, which hurt the Knicks tremendously. Overall, including the playoffs, New York was 26-6 in games he played and 31-32 in games he missed.
Mikal Bridges gives the Knicks another elite wing defender
Anunoby’s presence alone transformed the Knicks’ defense into a juggernaut overnight. Now they will be adding Bridges to the mix, a player who made First-Team All-Defense with the Phoenix Suns back in 2022. In that season, Bridges averaged 1.2 steals per game, had a 109.6 defensive rating, and was a crucial part of their NBA Finals run the season before.
That type of season could be what to expect in his first year with the Knicks. With less responsibility to carry the load offensively, Bridges can exert more of his energy on defense, which can help lead him back to being that All-Defense player that he was with Phoenix.
Following the trade that sent Bridges to the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant to the Suns, the 28-year-old had taken a step back defensively as he was suddenly Brooklyn’s No. 1 scoring option. While his scoring took a massive jump (21.2 points in 109 games with the Nets), his defense regressed, and concerns about that came about when the Knicks sent five first-round picks to the Nets to get Bridges.
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Bridges and Anunoby could be an All-Defense level tandem
However, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns expected to be the main scoring options this season, Bridges has fewer ball-handling responsibilities on offense, and Anunoby’s presence on the perimeter will also take pressure off of Bridges on the defensive side. Adding Bridges also serves as insurance in the event that Anunoby goes down with an injury again. Bridges has not missed an NBA game since he was drafted back in 2018.
The duo of Bridges and Anunoby also bring a perfect combination of length and versatility that the Knicks need. They have the ability to switch onto bigger players and be effective defensively, and the expectation is that they will be assigned with guarding teams’ best players.
The Knicks have a team that could be great on both ends of the floor. But make no mistake, health will be an important factor in order to get the most out of their new duo on defense. If they stay healthy this season, the sky is the limit for their defense.
