Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks have made sweeping changes to the roster. In which areas have the Knicks improved the most?
The New York Knicks have done what fans have been been imploring them to do for the better part of 15 years: build a contender. The immediate championship aspirations may or may not be realistic, but New York has the talent to contend.
The general consensus is that team president Phil Jackson did an excellent job in free agency, which makes the specifics of his success the topic at hand.
There was no limit to the Knicks’ areas of weakness or inconsistency during the 2015-16 season. As the 32-50 team record would imply, New York was plagued by issues that crippled its chances of making the playoffs.
The Zen Master addressed those flaws while simultaneously improving upon what may have already been strengths.
In some cases, the Knicks were already strong, but weren’t necessarily strong enough to make a push for the playoffs. In others, New York had established itself, but needed to shore up the surrounding areas to accentuate the importance of said strength.
The question is, in which areas have the Knicks improved the most on paper?
Next: Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention: Athleticism
Perhaps the most understated aspect of a team’s success is the presence of athletic perimeter players. Not everyone needs to be LeBron James or Russell Westbrook, but an aging or slow perimeter can destroy a team’s defense.
That’s exactly what happened in 2015-16, when the New York Knicks simply couldn’t keep up with the opposition.
The Knicks addressed that flaw head-on by finding four guards who can hold their own athletically. At point guard, both Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings have overcome severe injuries to come back as quick penetrating playmakers.
Opposite Rose and Jennings, Courtney Lee‘s end-to-end speed and Justin Holiday‘s all-around explosiveness give New York exactly what it needs at the 2.
By improving athletically, New York can address many of the flaws that harmed it in 2015-16. Thus, while athleticism could be No. 1 on this list, it’s more of a broad point that will be addressed in future slides.
Teams don’t need to build around explosive athletes to contend, but New York needed to build a more athletic perimeter to have a shot at the playoffs.
Next: Controlling The Pace
5. Rebounding
The New York Knicks were a very solid rebounding team during the 2015-16 season. Carmelo Anthony ranked No. 2 amongst small forwards in rebounds per game, Kristaps Porzingis was aggressive on both ends, and Robin Lopez ranked No. 4 in offensive rebounds per contest.
Quality a rebounding team as New York may have been in 2015-16, the Knicks promise to be significantly better in 2016-17.
Some have concerns about Joakim Noah’s offensive decline, but he remains one of the best rebounders in the NBA. Over the past two seasons—his down years—he’s still managed to average 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 offensive boards in 28.0 minutes per game.
That translates to per 36 averages of 8.0 defensive rebounds and 4.1 offensive boards, which compare well to Robin Lopez’s marks of 5.4 and 4.3 per 36 minutes in 2015-16.
Beyond Noah, Willy Hernangomez is a relentless rebounder and Marshall Plumlee is a physical big man who boxes out. Throw in the expected progression of Kristaps Porzingis, and New York should control the offensive and defensive boards.
Teams that win the battle on the boards tend to fare well, and New York has the personnel to do exactly that.
Next: Pushing The Pace
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
3. Perimeter Defense
As previously alluded to, the New York Knicks had a starting backcourt that simply couldn’t keep up athletically. Said players were solid in certain areas individually, but failed to come together and gel as a unit.
By improving the backcourt’s athleticism, the Knicks have effectively addressed the need to refine their perimeter defense.
In 2015-16, New York routinely allowed opposing guards to create penetration at virtual will. Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo, and Sasha Vujacic all played admirably, but none could contain the playmakers New York encountered.
Courtney Lee and Justin Holiday should provide a significant upgrade in that regard, and even Brandon Jennings and Derrick Rose should be improvements over Calderon.
Lee and Holiday have the athleticism and defensive ability to contain perimeter scorers. Jennings and Rose aren’t the most consistent defensive players, but both play the passing lanes and are capable of picking an opponent’s pocket.
If Carmelo Anthony comes back with the same defensive intensity that he displayed in 2015-16, and Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah flourish, the Knicks will be a tough team to score against.
Next: The Key To Efficient Offense
2. Creating Penetration
The key to running a successful offense is being able to get the ball inside. Even during an era in which jump shooting is beginning to take precedence above all else, teams that struggle to get points in the paint generally struggle overall.
Whether it’s a consistent attack of the basket or a situational strength, it must be a present skill—and for the 2015-16 New York Knicks, it was entirely absent.
Statistically, the Knicks were dead last in points via drives per game at 10.4—4.3 points worse than the No. 29 team. New York was also No. 30 in both assists via drives per game and points in the paint per game.
Thus, while the point guards from 2015-16 may have excelled in some areas, the team’s inability to get to the rim was a paralyzing weakness.
The new starting point guard, Derrick Rose, ranked No. 14 in the NBA with an average of 8.9 drives per game in 2015-16. Brandon Jennings wasn’t much of a slasher in 2015-16, but he should be more efficient in getting to the basket after a full offseason.
Coupled with Courtney Lee’s strength as a straight-line finisher, the Knicks should do a much better job of collapsing opposing defenses and opening things up along the perimeter in 2016-17.
Next: The No. 1 Improvement
1. Making It Fit
Teams can compile talent as aggressively as they please, but the absence of a true identity will cause even the strongest of super teams to crumble. That much has been proven countless times before, which is what makes the New York Knicks’ offseason so intriguing.
Phil Jackson hasn’t just thrown a group of talented players at the wall in hopes that they stick; he’s built the foundation for a winning culture.
Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee, Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose—four of the five starters—have been to the Conference Finals or deeper. In other words, four of five starters are hungry to finally get over the hump and win a championship.
That hunger is something that cannot be eradicated until the end goal is achieved, which makes for the perfect environment for Kristaps Porzingis to be developed in.
Just as important is the reality that the pieces actually fit together. Rose and Jennings will be complemented by 3-and-D wings in Lee, Justin Holiday, and Lance Thomas, and Porzingis will play alongside a defensive enforcer in Noah.
The Knicks are willing to sacrifice for success, which is the first step towards achieving success.
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Every player has something to prove, and every player is starving for success. New York is infinitely better entering 2016-17 than it was in 2015-16.