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New York Knicks: Keys to defeating Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 13

By Maxwell Ogden

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts pressure on Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on October 29, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 114-95. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts pressure on Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on October 29, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 114-95. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Jarrett Jack #55 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Boston Celtics on October 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Jarrett Jack #55 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Boston Celtics on October 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Consistent Ball Movement

When the ball is moving and the players are moving with it, the New York Knicks are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA. When the ball sticks and players fall in love with isolation basketball, the Knicks are one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA.

There are a multitude of factors that go into New York securing victories, but no theme has been more consistent than that of New York benefiting from solid ball movement.

During New York’s seven victories, it’s accumulated remarkable averages of 114.4 points and 25.6 assists per game. During its seven losses, those numbers plummet to averages of 95.2 points and 21.6 assists per game.

That’s a clear display of how important ball movement has been to the Knicks’ success, as it’s 6-2 when it records at least 21 assists and 1-3 when it amasses 20 or fewer.

Kristaps Porzingis has played like a superstar in 2017-18, but the Knicks are winning and losing games as a team. He’s the leader and clutch maestro, but New York is only going as far as it allows its combination of talent and system to take it.

If the Knicks commit to moving the ball against the Cavaliers, the pursuit of victory could prove far more rewarding than it would with an ISO-driven offense.

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