Welcome to The Dallas Palace of Analysis. Please take off your shoes.
Since Mike Miller has taken over as coach, the Knicks have greatly simplified their defensive scheme. When Fizdale was coach, the Knicks used a variety of coverages EVERY game — they’d trap/drop/switch/play different zones/etc. — and rarely used the same primary coverage two games in a row. These days, the Knicks are exclusively playing drop coverage. The benefits are immense.
The value of simplicity
NBA offenses are varied. Teams have different strengths, different schemes, and different focuses. As a result, there’s a temptation for coaches to adjust their defenses to better match up with opposing offenses.