Knicks Should Rethink Their Defensive Scheme

The Knicks' 75–72 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday night is one of those really bad losses that tend to be either written off as a fluke or overanalyzed. The appropriate reaction is somewhere in the middle.

It's easy to see the loss as a fluke. Forward Zack Randolph missed the game due to the death of his grandmother, and he has been the heart of the Knicks' offense this season, averaging 20.3 points and 13.5 rebounds a game. Also, guard Nate Robinson has been in uniform, but his play has become a nonfactor since a hamstring injury knocked him out of last Sunday's home opener against Minnesota. And lastly, down the stretch in the fourth quarter when the Knicks needed a perimeter player other than starting guards Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford to take a shot, starting small forward Quentin Richardson was unavailable having hyper-extended his right elbow diving for a loose ball. As a result, the Knicks went scoreless during the final 2:30 of the loss.

Still even if the Knicks had to start the second unit and use members of the Knick City Dancers as reserves, they should have played better against a Miami Heat team that has been woeful without guard Dwayne Wade.

It seems strange to say after giving up only 75 points, but defense remains the big problem with the Knicks. Even commentators not given to statistical analysis noticed that the Knicks were horrible at defending the 3-point line in their first three games. Cleveland, Minnesota, and Denver — three middle-of-the-pack teams from long range — combined to shoot a scorching 27–55 or 49% from behind the arc. Superficially, that problem appeared to resolve itself this weekend, when Orlando and Miami combined to go 15–54 or 27% from way downtown, but the problem remained. It just took a different form. Both Florida teams offset their struggles from behind the arc by shooting very well inside of it. Orlando, a very good offensive team, shot 31–56 (55.3%) and Miami, a bad offensive team did almost as well nailing 26–48 (54.1%).

What enables these teams to shoot so well is the Knicks' insistence on double-teaming opposing pivotmen. The best example of this came on Sunday night's deciding play. With the locals clinging to a 72–71 lead, the Heat rotated the ball on the perimeter. After Jason Williams passed the ball, his defender, Marbury, dropped off of him to double Alonzo Mourning in the post. Forward Ricky Davis swung the ball right back to an open Williams, who canned a 19-footer to give the Heat the lead for good.

Marbury played very good defense in the game, repeatedly fighting over screens, but this lapse is telling. If the Knicks lack confidence that Eddy Curry can guard 'Zo, a player who is primarily a defensive specialist at this stage of his career, then Curry shouldn't be in the game on defensive possessions down the stretch. (Incidentally, the official play-by-play data on the game is wrong; Mourning entered with 46 seconds to go, not 19, which makes it look as if the Knicks were double-teaming Shaquille O'Neal, a more tangible proposition). Curry was platooned in Chicago when a variety of journeymen such as Antonio Davis and Othella Harrington would play the late game defensive possessions.

It also points out the need to play Randolph Morris more. The rookie center had a solid rate of blocked shots and rebounding during his time at the University of Kentucky. The Knicks' tendency to double team in the post is getting them killed on the perimeter.

In addition, Richardson's likely absence gives the Knicks an opportunity to start Balkman at the three. The swingman from the University of South Carolina is expert at playing the passing lanes and would likely deter some of the pass inside/attract the double/ kick the ball outside to an unguarded 3-point shooter offense that the Knicks have received a steady diet of during the first two weeks of the season. The other player who needs to get more burn is Wilson Chandler. The rookie swingman from DePaul showed a nice touch from outside and good hustle in preseason games and summer league. If the alternative is counting on guard Mardy Collins, a good defender with a poor handle and no shot, for offense, Chandler should move into the rotation until Robinson is healthy again. Meanwhile, Marbury should share the point duties with Jamal Crawford.

Although they are only 2–3, Sunday night's game concludes the easy part of the Knicks early season run. Starting tonight in Phoenix, the Knicks play four road games in five days and return to Madison Square Garden next Tuesday to play a Golden State team whose lineup will be bolstered by the return of Stephen Jackson. In addition to the Suns, the locals will play the Clippers on Wednesday and the Nuggets on Saturday. Only Friday night's game in Sacramento looks even remotely winnable. Four of the Knicks' five opponents rank in the top half of the league in Offensive Efficiency, points per 100 possessions. For the Knicks, a team that ranks 26th in Defensive Efficiency, the road ahead could be a slippery slope that provides the team with their first bouts of contentious drama related to events on the basketball court. Yeah, the early season honeymoon is over.

mjohnson@nysun.com