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New York Knicks: Five Key Improvements Made In Free Agency

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 16, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) react after beating the Memphis Grizzlies 98-85 at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) react after beating the Memphis Grizzlies 98-85 at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) brings the ball up court against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) brings the ball up court against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Transition Offense

The fatal flaw of the New York Knicks’ offense in 2015-16 was the inability to push the pace. Teams don’t have to run an up-tempo offense in order to be successful, but they must be able to break cold spells with a well-timed transition bucket.

New York ranked dead last in fast break points in 2015-16, which is a major reason why it was also one of the least efficient offensive teams in the NBA.

The Knicks finished the 2015-16 season with an average of 98.4 points scored per game—No. 27 in the NBA. New York was also No. 26 in both points scored per 100 possessions and field goal percentage.

The fact that New York was one of two teams in the NBA to score less than 10 transition points per game—8.4 if we’re being precise—played a major role in that.

The Knicks don’t need to run an up-tempo offense in order to find the bottom of the net on a consistent basis. What’s undeniably necessary, however, is that a team that can score on the fast break often generates efficient offense in other phases.

With Brandon Jennings and Derrick Rose replacing Jose Calderon and rookie Jerian Grant at point guard, New York should have a significantly easier time getting points in transition.

Next: Tremendous Upgrade

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