Stephen A. Smith goes ballistic on New York Knicks' 'horrible' defense after 149-148 OT win over Hawks

The New York Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA so far this season, sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference. However, the team has lacked balance recently, relying on their top-five offense to lead them to wins as they struggle defensively. ESPN reporter and Knicks superfan Stephen A. Smith had hars word for the team after their narrow win against the Atlanta Hawks.

New York pulled out a win over Trae Young and the Hawks on Wednesday night in a 149-148 overtime thriller. Smith wasn't thrilled with the Knicks' lack of effort defensively, though. He went on a nearly three minute long tangent on First Take on Thursday morning, bemoaning the lack of defensive intensity from the team.

"...their defensive rating is one of the worst in the league," said Stephen A. Smith about the Knicks. "You've got Mikal Bridges, you've got Josh Hart and still, you're looking at a team right now that's giving up points in bunches."

Smith's take on New York's lack of defensive identity led into concerns he has about the team as they prepare for the postseason after making it to the Eastern Conference semifinals, losing to Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in seven games. According to Smith, New York isn't ready to take on the top two teams in the East unless they fix their defensive woes.

"You look at them and their lack of a defensive prowess or identity, there's no way in h*** they have a chance against Cleveland or Boston," said Stephen A. when talking about New York's playoff chances. "It's just that they should be able to beat everyone else..."

New York has dropped from the second-best defense in the league last season all the way down to 13th despite having premier perimeter defenders like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby at the point of attack. The slip defensively comes as New York enjoys one of their better offensive seasons in recent memory behind All-Star starters Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

How do the New York Knicks stack up against the competitors in the Eastern Conference?

New York(36-18) currently hold a comfortable lead over the Indiana Pacers for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but are focused on how they match up with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. On paper, the Knicks have the personnel to make things difficult for both teams defensively, but have struggled against them in previous matchups.

New York plays both teams within a week of one another right after the All-Star break. The games should give them a good idea of where they stand as they enter the final stretch of the regular season.