Knicks: One Key Area In Which Every Starter Must Improve

Joakim Noah: Scoring Efficiency

Position: Center
Age: 31 (2/25/1985)
2015-16 Slash Line: .383/.000/.489
2015-16 Season Averages: 21.9 MPG, 4.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3..0 ORPG, 3.8 APG, 1.0 BPG

This is a very broad definition of what Joakim Noah must improve upon, but it’s the reality of the situation. He doesn’t need to be a dominant scorer, but he must be an efficient enough threat to keep the opposition honest.

Though injuries clearly played a factor, he struggled to find the bottom of the net during the 2015-16 season—an outlier, but a truth worth evaluating.

This may seem a little too obvious, but Noah shot just 38.3 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from the free throw line in 2015-16. Considering he has career marks of 49.0 percent and 71.1 percent, it’s fair to call 2015-16 an anomaly.

True as that all may be, Noah still needs to put the projected improvement into motion by providing a more efficient presence down low.

Noah’s role isn’t to score first, but he still needs to be able to convert when he’s given the chance. Even something along the lines of his career average of 9.3 points per game would suffice if it comes on near 50 percent shooting.

Noah is a brilliant passer, rebounder, and defender, but his value to the Knicks would be greater if he could keep opposing defenses honest with his situational scoring.

Next: Sixth Man