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New York Knicks: What is and isn’t working through 15 games

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head coach Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks instructs Frank Ntilikina #11 during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2017 in New York City. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 104-101. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head coach Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks instructs Frank Ntilikina #11 during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2017 in New York City. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 104-101. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 15: Jarrett Jack #55 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Utah Jazz on November 15, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 15: Jarrett Jack #55 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Utah Jazz on November 15, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Pro: Ball Movement

When the New York Knicks commit to moving the ball, the offense executes at a high level. When the Knicks abandon ball movement and attempt to score via isolation, the offense stalls and the end result is generally a loss.

The good news for Knicks fans is that head coach Jeff Hornacek is doing everything in his power to ensure that his players embrace the value of ball movement.

New York still has a tendency to lose sight of the system, but that’s to be expected of a young team. Even still, it ranks No. 11 in the NBA in assists per game, which has fueled its ranking of No. 9 in the Association in field goal percentage.

That combination of ball movement and efficiency has inevitably enabled the Knicks to rank No. 12 in the NBA in points per 100 possessions.

The Knicks aren’t yet an elite offensive team, but they’re much closer than in previous seasons. Jeff Hornacek is teaching players good principles, and is holding even his best of scorers to a high standard on the defensive end of the floor.

New York must be more consistent with its commitment to moving the ball, but the early signs of progress have been enough to make one question what happened to the Knicks we knew before.

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