New York Knicks: 5 Reasons NY Will Make The Playoffs

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Mar 24, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) shoots the ball past New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Creating Penetration

The single most significant issue for the New York Knicks in 2015-16 was the inability to create penetration. New York ranked dead last with 15.5 drives per game and 10.4 points via drives per game.

The addition of players such as Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings should help New York immediately improve.

Rose finished the 2015-16 season at No. 14 in the NBA with 8.9 drives per game and No. 9 with 7.7 points via drives per game. That’s just 2.7 fewer than New York had as a team, meaning Rose nearly matched the Knicks’ production on his own.

For perspective, Jerian Grant led the 2015-16 Knicks with a grand total of 2.4 points via drives per game—5.3 fewer than Rose.

Though Jennings and Lee aren’t necessarily elite slashers, both are crafty finishers who can pull up and shoot. It’s also worth noting that a healthy Carmelo Anthony should be able to be far more effective when tacking the basket.

Considering New York won 32 games while failing to create penetration with any form of consistency, it stands to reason that it would add significantly more wins by merely becoming average in this regard.

Next: Natural Development

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