So what does this ultimately mean? First it helps when the defense is contributing. The team has done a good job of limiting opposing shooting percentage, which was one of D’Antoni’s goals at the beginning of the season. But it’s important to recognize that this roster won’t ever produce good results on that end of the court. I guess the Knicks just need not to play horribly on defense to have a chance.
via KnickerBlogger.Net » Blog Archive » Looking At The Knicks Wins, By The Numbers.
Mike K breaks down this little winning spurt the Knicks have gone on, breaking it down by four factors and individual impact (short answer: David Lee, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes have been great). Looking at D’Antoni’s Suns’ hey-day, it’s interesting to see their defensive numbers. They were never elite, they were just never terrible. It’s the cost of sending your guards and swingmen constanly in a sprint every time there’s a shot, as well as the frenetic pace which causes more misses. But with the system, you don’t have to be elite. You just have to not be terrible. If you can avoid being terrible, you’re going to have a good chance to win some games. Especially if you catch Atlanta feeling too good about itself and the Nets.
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