New York Knicks Preview: Five Keys To Defeating The Portland Trail Blazers
1. Defend The 3-Point Shot
The New York Knicks have been one of the worst teams in the NBA at defending the 3-point field goal. Whether it’s contesting shots or running players off the line, New York has been somewhere in between lackadaisical and dreadful.
Against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Knicks will be run out of their own building if they don’t play with passion and intensity on defense.
Portland is currently making 11.1 3-point field goals per game, which is good for No. 5 in the NBA. It’s converting those 11.1 3-point field goals at an efficient clip of 36.1 percent, which ranks No. 8 in the NBA.
Most impressive of all is the fact that seven different players are averaging at least 1.0 3-point field goal made per game for the Trail Blazers.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are elite marksmen who can catch fire and pour in a 3-point barrage at any given moment. Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless are dangerous themselves, and the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu and Meyers Leonard are proven and capable shooters.
If the Knicks fall asleep on defense, the Trail Blazers’ 3-point shooters will make them pay for that egregious offense.
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If New York thought Washington was tough to defend, then Portland is going to be an entirely new challenge on defense.