One of the reasons why The New York Knicks‘Last season’s success was due to their stifling defense, which finished tenth in the league with a defensive rating of 113.4. That’s no surprise, though, since defense is coach Tom Thibodeau’s calling card, and his players have all bought into his defensive philosophy. However, they have also said that a good offense is better than a good defense, and there was perhaps no player who embodied that dictum better than the late Kobe Bryantand the Knicks star Jalen Brunson agreed.
Watching the Mamba’s 81-point game in 2006 on NBA TV, Brunson revealed what he would personally do against Bryant.
“Personally, I would call a timeout and tell the coach to put somebody else on him,” Brunson said. “I know my limitations, for sure.”
Kobe’s record-breaking night against the Knicks
Like many other teams, Kobe Bryant had a habit of setting the Knicks on fire. On February 2, 2009, as the Lakers prepared for their title, Kobe scored 61 points in their 126-117 victory over the Knicks, setting a new record for most points scored at Madison Square Garden. At the time, Kobe was the best player in the leagueand he proved it with top-level performances against every opponent.
It’s understandable why Jalen Brunson feels this way, since Kobe Bryant also had a reputation for burning the best defenders teams threw at him. Everyone has seen his buzzer-beating game-winning goal in 2004 against “Kobe Stopper” Ruben Patterson in Portland. The San Antonio Spurs’ Bruce Bowen may have bothered Bryant the most, but the Mamba still on average 26.3 points against him. Similarly, the Spurs have only beaten the Lakers once in the playoffs.
Still, one has to wonder how Kobe would fare against modern NBA defenses, which many fans believe have weakened since the days of hand-checking. With teams focusing primarily on three-pointers and layups, Kobe would have had the mid-range all to himself, which was his shot of choice anyway. Although Bryant only averaged a respectable 32.9 percent from three-point range, he would have adapted to the modern style and shot even more three-pointers.
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New Look for New York
Regardless, even if Jalen Brunson wouldn’t have dared to defend Kobe, his Knicks are counting on their defensive resilience to beat their opponents. What their team may be lacking is another scoring threat besides Brunson, which is why Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges in the off-season.
Adding a versatile and talented wing gives the Knicks more versatility on both sides of the ball. They can match the firepower of teams like the Milwaukee Bucks or Philadelphia 76ers, and they have more agile bodies to bother the Boston Celtics. Likewise, Thibodeau wouldn’t have to worry about playing his new wing every 48 minutes, because Mikal Bridges just doesn’t miss gamesOver the past two seasons, he has played in all 82 games for the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.
The Eastern Conference is shaping up to be a fun one next season.
