They are arguably the best defensive team in the NBA

Tom Thibodeau has always been known for being a really focused defensive-minded coach and he has brought this philosophy to the New York Knicks! After being one of the worst defensive teams in the league for years, the Knicks have bought into this defensive philosophy bestowed on them from their head coach and it has paid off! 

New York currently ranks 4th in the league in net defensive rating and they are currently giving up the least amount of points to their opponents per game. As a result, the Knicks are the hottest team in the NBA right now as they are on a 9-game win streak, their longest win streak since 2013. 

Not only are guys like Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett improved defensively, but Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel have been huge impacts defensively for the Knicks. Rose has always been a solid perimeter defender, but Noel has really had a breakout season because of what he has done defensively. 

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The young center is averaging about 2.2 blocks per game and 1.0 steals per game off-the-bench and while he does not play as many minutes as some of this year’s Defensive Player of the Year candidates, he is putting up identical, if not better numbers on the defensive-end of the court! 

Nerlens Noel is a huge part of the Knicks defense and because of how good they are on the end of the court, they have a chance to beat any team on any given night in the NBA!