Jalen Brunson sees a want for enchancment.
Josh Hart is not as involved.
There have been a lot of positives eight video games into the season and into Mike Brown’s Knicks tenure. One of the greatest has been their 3-point transformation.
But it’s how they defend 3-pointers on the other finish of the flooring that is their greatest weak spot.
It has not overly damage them this 12 months, but it is actually something that can emerge as a drawback.
“We have to close out better, obviously,” Brunson said after Knicks apply Friday. “I think we’re doing a decent job of being there for each other in the gaps. If we’re there in the gaps even better, there’s not gonna be lanes to drive, there’s not gonna be rotations, there’s not gonna be closeouts. Being able to contain the ball better is definitely gonna help our group on defense. We gotta stick to our technique and get better at it and obviously limit the disadvantages on defense.”
Timberwolves Julius Randle places up a shot over New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Knicks opponents are averaging 15.9 made 3-pointers per sport and taking pictures 40.6 p.c from behind the arc.
Entering Friday, both were second most in the league, behind the Clippers and Nets, respectively.
Despite blowing out the Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Knicks allowed them to shoot 47.5 p.c (19-for-40) from deep, the highest mark against the Knicks this 12 months.
“Teams are making shots,” Hart said Friday. “It’s the NBA, man. It goes in flows. We’ve played eight games, the next eight games we could have the best 3-point defense. It might not be because our defense is great, but just because some teams miss shots. As long as we’re flying around defensively, contesting shots, doing all we can, then we’re gonna live with the outcome, no matter what that outcome is.”
With important funding in top-level defenders in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson, followers usually surprise why the unit as a complete has been nearer to common than elite the previous two years.
The cause largely stems from 3-point protection.
And the weak 3-point protection is largely due to the other two starters — Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Josh Hart brings the ball up the courtroom during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on November 5, 2025. Getty Images
They are the Knicks’ two finest scorers, but are liabilities on the defensive finish. Brunson, though his effort on that finish can’t be questioned, is sluggish and at occasions late getting out to shooters. Against the Timberwolves in specific, he usually gave too much area to Donte DiVincenzo.
And Towns is extremely sluggish, usually ensuing in him being late in rotations. Opponents relentlessly put Towns in pick-and-pop actions to free up straightforward — and open — 3-pointers.
Against the Timberwolves, gamers guarded by Brunson and Towns shot 5-for-9 from 3-point vary, according to NBA.com’s monitoring stats.
For the season, opponents are taking pictures 40.0 and 38.8 p.c from deep when guarded by Brunson and Towns, respectively.
“We’re getting a little better with it,” Brown said. “There’s a couple of things technique-wise that we could do better. Even if you don’t feel like you can get a great contest, still put a hand up and contest. That’s the first thing. The second thing is we were doing a great job of protecting one another and scrambling and trying to close out. But sometimes we’re closing out so hard we’re overrunning guys and then the side-step dribble 3 is available. So we’ve gotta close out, take away air space first and then second, even if you can’t get there, give the effort to be there while being the second jumper and not flying by a guy so that you can box out in case that ball bounces long off the miss.”
New York Knicks middle Karl-Anthony Towns blocks Bulls Tre Jones’ shot in the second half at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, November 2, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Yes, shoddy 3-point protection has perhaps fallen to the background amid a three-game successful streak and a lot of cause for optimism. But it bears monitoring.
And in a league that has proven how shortly leads can change with 3-point taking pictures, it would behoove the Knicks to clear it up.
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