The Knicks improved dramatically under first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau, winning 18 of the first 35 games after needing 60 games to reach total victory last season.
Take it from a member of their team 21-45 in 2019-20, a player who was at the wrong end of Sunday’s 109-90 win in Detroit.
“Start with work,” Pistons guard Wayne Ellington said when asked about the Knicks after the game. “Those guys, I was in New York last year talking to Julius [Randle] before the game he also said: “Man, it’s completely different, it’s night and day”.
“Just our approach, our mentality, the way Thibs makes those guys work and how he makes them compete on the floor. It’s a process. They have many of the same boys they had last year. Those young people have taken a step forward and are learning how to play and how to win. And it shows. ”
Ellington, who played for nine teams in 12 NBA seasons, appeared in 36 games (one start) under coaches David Fizdale and Mike Miller with the Knicks last season.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper also praised the defense of his former team on Sunday night, saying that the Pistons “did not move the ball enough” and did not “kick out” for 3-point attempts.
“It’s part of their defense that Thibs preaches, he wants to take the paint,” Ellington said. “I’m a heavy paint team. I went into the paint a few times and got some stuck photos instead of throwing it out. ”
The Knicks recorded seven blocked shots, including three from Nerlens Noel, in victory. After Tuesday’s game in San Antonio, the Knicks will face the worst Pistons conference again on Thursday at the Garden before this weekend’s All-Star break.