Former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady claims that plenty has changed for the New York Knicks over the course of one season. Specifically, McGrady highlighted their defensive regression.
Tracy McGrady Claims the New York Knicks’ Defense Has Worsened
On paper, not much has changed for the New York Knicks. Just like last season, they are expected to have a deep playoff run. In fact, they are third in the Eastern Conference to this point of the season, the same place they finished 2024-25.
However, a significant change occurred for them immediately after they were eliminated from last year’s playoffs. Head Coach Tom Thibodeau was removed and replaced by Mike Brown.
A new coach means new schemes, and that change, according to McGrady, has worsened their defense.
“The identity is gone. Last year they had an identiy, [Thibodeau] was all about defense, it was structured around the defense,” McGrady said. “We didn’t see [Karl-Anthony Towns] out of position like he is in these last eight to ten games. We didn’t see [Jalen] Brunson getting blown by. The scheme Thibs had fit the personnel and I think they got away from that.”
Tracy McGrady on the Knicks poor defense
“The identity is gone. Last year they had an identity. Thibs was all about defense. We didn’t see KAT out of position like hes been these last 8-10 games. We didn’t see Brunson getting blown by. The scheme Thibs had for this team fit the… pic.twitter.com/OwYCwx7StS
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Brown, unlike Thibodeau, is not known to be a defensive-minded head coach. This is evidenced by the fact that, during the three years he coached the Sacramento Kings, they were consistently among the worst teams in points allowed per game. They were ranked 25th in 2022-23, 17th in 2023-24, and 19th in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, the Thibodeau-helmed Knicks were among the staunchest defenders. In 2020-21, they allowed the fewest points per game. This trend continued in every year he was there, with their lowest ranking being 13th in 2023.
This season, under Brown, they are 12th in most points allowed per game. It’s still in the top half of the league. However, when paired with their defensive rating, which is only 19th-best, the shift in identity becomes more evident.
On the flip side, fans criticized Thibodeau for relying too much on a shorter rotation that relied too heavily on the starters. Brown, on the other hand, uses his depth more effectively. This gives the starters more rest and the bench more opportunities to make an impact.
