New York Knicks: 3 big early-season questions facing the inconsistent Knicks

Has Tom Thibodeau’s defense has taken a step back?

During the first two years of Tom Thibodeau’s tenure with the Knicks, the team has improved on the defensive end. However, this season that hasn’t been the case. In Thibs’ first year in New York, they had the fourth-best defense in the league. During his second year, they had the 11th-best defense.

In his third year, this season, the Knicks have the 17th-best defense thus far. In short, the Knicks are heading in the wrong direction. And in a season where the Knicks are supposed to continue taking steps forward, they seem to be taking a bit of a step back on defense.

In a league where defense plays a big part in overall success, it’s not a great early-season sign that the Knicks are trending in the wrong direction. It’s still early but it wouldn’t be surprising if their improvement on defense correlated with a move up the standings for the team.

It’s still early but the Knicks’ defense is certainly something to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.