NBA Coach Sees Jalen Brunson, KAT as Defensive Liabilities amid Knicks' Title Chase

The New York Knicks enter the All-Star break on a hot streak that has brought them up to third in the Eastern Conference, but there's one big concern with their roster that could keep them from being a true title contender.

One assistant coach in the NBA told ESPN's Tim Bontemps that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are enough of a liability on defense to sink the Knicks in the playoffs.

"With Mikal [Bridges], Josh [Hart] and OG [Anunoby], you have strong defenders, but you are just going to keep putting [Brunson and Towns] in actions, and you're going to go at them. Jalen has been better, but he's still someone to attack. And it's easier to hide him than Karl," the coach said.

The Knicks are being carried right now by an offense that's among the best in the league. They rank second in offensive rating, third in field-goal percentage, fourth in points per game and fifth in three-point percentage.

Brunson and Towns have combined to average 50.8 points, 16.2 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game. They're shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range (224-of-540).

By contrast, the defense is 13th in points allowed, 20th in defensive rating and last in opponent's three-point percentage.

One of the reasons it made sense for the Knicks to make the trade for Mikal Bridges during the offseason was to increase their defensive versatility, especially with Brunson's limitations on the perimeter.

Towns has never been regarded as a strong defender, but he makes it work because of his rare shooting ability for a player of his size.

If you go by rating, the worst defensive team to win an NBA championships was the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets (114.2). The Knicks are currently at 115.0.

Opposing teams will certainly look to exploit the defensive limitations of Brunson and Towns in a short postseason series. This is how the Knicks built their roster, and it's been incredibly successful so far with a 36-18 record at the break.

The Knicks might have to win several playoff games scoring at least 140 points, but they've already done that five times so far this season.