The New York Knicks are figuring out how to adjust defensively, and their changes haven’t yielded positive results.

The Knicks are in the middle of the pack in terms of defensive rating, after improving over the last two weeks.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale asks whether the Knicks have enough in reserve to improve even further on defense.

“New York may simply not be cut out for much better outcomes,” Favale writes. “Talk of improvement falls silent when they rank 8th in points allowed per possession against them Top 20 crimes. The return of Mitchell Robinson, if it ever comes, could help. But it will take an insulting toll. An exchange could also help. Then again, a deal is unlikely to change the look of the Knicks’ preferred lineup, so maybe not.

The Knicks know they need to make a change in order for them to function as a potential contender for the future. Either this change comes through a trade or within.

The three paths to improvement include a trade, bringing Mitchell Robinson back, or improving the team overall. Chances are the Knicks will need at least two of those three to get marginally better, but if there is any external change it could impact their offense, which ranks among the league’s two best alongside the defending champion Boston Celtics.

The Knicks don’t want to sacrifice too much on offense to improve their defense, but it might be necessary to get the team to where it wants to be.

The Knicks are back in action tomorrow night when they head to the Bayou to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the Big Easy. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

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