3. Ball Movement
There have been times in 2016-17 when the New York Knicks have executed the offense to near perfection. The up-tempo offense has overwhelmed opponents, while the triangle offense has looked quite effective.
Though Joakim Noah may be reemerging as a prominent facilitator, the rest of the Knicks have displayed a painful tendency to fall into their isolation tendencies in the fourth quarter.
11.9 percent of the Knicks’ total possessions have resulted in isolation plays—the highest mark of any team in the NBA. Far more concerning than the volume is the fact that New York is shooting just 27.3 percent on isolation shot attempts.
The vast majority of the damage New York has sustained has been in the fourth quarter, when the stars seem to give up on moving the ball and dribble out the shot clock.
Hornacek has New York headed in the right direction, but the Knicks need four quarters of strong offensive play. That’s been elusive thus far in 2016-17, but the game against Chicago is the perfect place to start.
It’d be understandable for Derrick Rose to want to go ISO against his former team in his hometown, but the Knicks need to keep the ball moving against Chicago’s defense.