a consistently positive defender at any point this season.

Afflalo's defensive acumen has exceeded his reputation for a few years now, and that's never been more true than this season. His RPM rank as the 74th-best defensive 2-guard reflects that.

He struggles to chase opposing scorers around screens (none of the players among the 44 who have guarded at least 30 such plays this season have yielded more points per play to their opponents, per Synergy Sports), and he rarely succeeds at keeping players in front of him off the dribble anymore.

Galloway is likely the strongest defender of New York's backcourt foursome, but even he has a negative defensive RPM.

Individually and as a unit, Knicks guards struggle to stay in front of ball-handlers, particularly in—you guessed it—pick-and-rolls. The Knicks haveallowed 27.9 drives per 100 possessions this season, per an analysis of SportVU player tracking data provided by Nylon Calculus editor Seth Partnow. That's the third-most in the NBA.

That poor perimeter defense is a large part of the reason why the Knicks allow their opponents to take a greater percentage of their shots within six feet of the rim than any team, except the lowly 76ers, per NBA.com.

Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring