5. Establish The 3-Point Shot
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best defensive trios in the NBA. Marc Gasol is a former Defensive Player of the Year, Tony Allen is an all-time on-ball defender, and Mike Conley can force turnovers and make clutch stops with regularity.
If the New York Knicks are going to overcome that trio of revered defensive players, then establishing the outside shot will be a crucial point of emphasis.
Allen will likely spend a majority of his minutes defending Carmelo Anthony—a burden that could limit ‘Melo’s isolation scoring opportunities. That means the Knicks must move the ball and find the open man along the 3-point line.
If the Knicks manage to consistently space the floor, then Anthony could begin to move without it as Allen rotates to contain the man with the hot hand.
New York shot just 9-of-27 from beyond the arc against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It shot 5-of-13 on wide open looks—no opponent within at least six feet—but hit just four of its 14 attempts when a defender was closer than that.
Simply put: the Knicks will need to be more efficient in creating and converting quality looks from distance against Memphis.