3. Pick And Roll Proficiency
The New York Knicks lost the best isolation scorer on the roster in Carmelo Anthony. Thus, as the team transitions to playing through Kristaps Porzingis, it will need to simplify the game by creating efficient looks around him.
There’s no better way to account for the loss of the primary isolation scorer than to add a player who specializes in one of the most efficient scoring methods: The pick and roll.
Enes Kanter finished the 2016-17 season with an average of 4.9 points per 36 minutes off of the pick and roll. He also averaged 1.14 points per play via the pick in roll in 2016-17, which ranked No. 16 in the Association.
Considering Kanter played on a team with lackluster spacing, it stands to reason that his production could have been even better without the opposition’s steady anticipation of the play.
It’s also worth noting that incoming rookie Frank Ntilikina spoke about how European players run the pick and roll differently than Americans. Ntilikina will now have a chance to execute that play with one of the better pick and roll finishers in the NBA.
Between Kanter and Willy Hernangomez, the Knicks now have two centers who can consistently post up, crash the boards, and exploit defenses via the pick and roll.