There are many factors behind the Knicks’ one-year jump from hapless to respectable, but one of the most overlooked is also one of the most significant. After years of flailing about on defense, the team finally has a firm plan of how it wants to defend.

The Knicks’ strategy is to take away the 3-point shot by crowding opposing guards on the perimeter, forcing wing players to put the ball on the floor and challenge the team’s twin towers, Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez, in the paint.

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