4. Too Much ISO
Head coach jeff Hornacek has given the New York Knicks the look of an offensive juggernaut at times this season. He’s getting the players to buy into a motion offense that may limit gaudy statistics for individuals, but will help the team improve.
The Knicks continue to fall in love with isolation possessions, however, which has been the cause of their late-game woes.
10.4 percent of the Knicks’ total possessions end in isolation—the third-highest mark in the NBA. That’s a legitimately insane reality when one considers the fact that New York is averaging 0.78 points per isolation possession—the fifth-worst mark in the NBA.
No matter how you may feel about about the players who are orchestrating these possessions, the reality is harsh: the Knicks continue to run plays that simply do not work.
It stands to reason that the Knicks could improve in isolation as the season progresses, but that isn’t exactly the most pressing need. New York has a coach who can run a motion offense and the personnel to execute it at a high level.
Abandoning what works for three quarters in order to stroke egos during the fourth has cost the Knicks too much already.