Don’t let the 4-14 road record fool you. The New York Knicks have made significant progress away from Madison Square Garden.
When the New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden, they look the part of one of the best teams in the NBA. When the Knicks play away from The Mecca, however, orange and blue become the colors of a bottom feeder.
For as disappointing as New York’s 4-14 road record may be, there has been tangible progress since the beginning of the season.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek has come under fire for his inability to get his team ready for road games. Effort has been an unpredictable commodity away from home, as the Knicks rarely commit to the scheme when they aren’t under the comforting lights of Madison Square Garden.
That narrative is growing tired, however, as the Knicks are playing at a significantly higher level on the road than they were at the start of the season.
New York won just two of its first 14 road games, which inevitably resulted in the current narrative of inferiority. New York has gone 2-2 over its past four games, however, which means it’s matched its win total in 10 fewer outings.
That’s made even more impressive when one considers the fact that one of those losses came in overtime to a bitter rival.
New York is still 4-14 on the road and 19-21 overall, but the Knicks are playing better basketball than they were early in the season. That much is proven by the fact that it lost seven of its first eight road games by at least 12 points.
Just three of the past 10 road games have been lost by double-figures, which is reason enough to believe that progress has been made.
The statistics reflect the improvements. Over the course of its first eight road games, New York produced a net rating of -13.3. During the past 10 road games, however, the net rating has improved to -4.8.
That’s still a losing mark, but instead of being blown out during road games, the Knicks are keeping it close—progress towards victory.
The key to that success has been New York’s vast improvement on the defensive end of the floor. It allowed 110.0 points per 100 possessions during the first eight road games, but is down to 105.7 points allowed per 100 possessions over the past 10.
That still isn’t where the Knicks want to be, but an improvement of 5.3 points per 100 possessions is more than just headway.
Furthermore, the Knicks were scoring a mere 96.6 points per 100 possessions during the first eight road games. Over the past 10 away games, New York has produced an offensive rating of 100.8.
That again isn’t where it’s aiming to be, but scoring 4.2 more points per 100 possessions is—once again—significant progress.
One of the keys to New York’s improved offensive execution has been the manner in which it’s taken care of the ball. Its turnover ratio has improved from 17.9 during the first eight road games to 13.9 over the past 10.
In turn, the Knicks’ assist-to-turnover ratio has improved from 1.36 during the first eight road games to 1.62 during the past 10—a considerable difference.
By taking better care of the ball and committing on defense, the Knicks have become a viable threat on the road. There will be off nights for every team—especially a young and inexperienced unit—but Jeff Hornacek has New York headed in the right direction.
If the Knicks maintain this level of commitment to the scheme, then the sustained success is what will be achieved.
Must Read: Who stepped up against the Dallas Mavericks?
Thankfully, the New York Knicks have identified their flaws and are making significant progress on the road.