New York Knicks Preview: The Keys To Defeating The Utah Jazz
2. Close Out On Shooters
The New York Knicks have done a genuinely terrible job of closing out on 3-point shooters in 2016-17. This was also a flaw in 2014-15, although it did become less of an issue in 2015-16 with Carmelo Anthony and company improving their effort.
The Utah Jazz may be without their best offensive player in Gordon Hayward, but there are still a number of lethal shooters who can make the Knicks pay for cheating on defense.
George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Joe Johnson are three efficient and productive 3-point shooters who are currently shooting the lights out. Joe Ingles is another borderline marksman and the likes of Dante Exum, Trey Lyles, and Shelvin Mack can shoot the 3-ball.
If the Knicks continue to be lazy in the way they close out on shooters, then the Jazz will have a field day against the lackluster defense.
As previously established, Hill is off to an extraordinarily hot start for the Jazz. Hood is just as capable of lighting the Knicks up, if not more so, as evidenced by the 26 points he dropped on Portland and the 22 he had against Dallas.
Utah is all about physical defense, ball movement, pounding the post, and 3-point shooting. New York must at least be ready for the latter.