New York Knicks: Five lineups we want to see in 2019-20

2. Ultra-spacing

The New York Knicks placed in the bottom five in three-point shooting in 2018-19. Falling behind the NBA trend of outside play was one of their many problems, leading to the early, wide scoring differentials that plagued them by halftime.

Offseason changes may not solve the problem, but there is reason to believe New York has intriguing groups to use that open the floor and finds shot-making chances:

• Dennis Smith Jr. – Smith is as streaky as any shooter the Knicks roster, but his upside here tops Payton’s, giving him the nod when Fizdale wants to space the court.
• Wayne Ellington – Ellington is an easy choice for the floor-spacing group. As one of the Knicks’ top shooters, he will see plenty of chances to make shots from behind the arc.
• Marcus Morris – Working his way into another lineup, Morris provides the Knicks a fine outside-shooting piece to use to stretch the floor. While not the most consistent of the shooters, he is steady enough to have as an ideal part on this roster.
• Kevin Knox – Knox’s three-point shooting ebbed and flowed with his confidence. As the game slows down, he will settle in as a top outside scorer for a team that needs improved contributions from its 2018 first-round pick.
• Bobby Portis – Portis brings his career 36.1 percent on three-pointers to the table in his first season with the Knicks. At 6-foot-11, he is New York’s top-scoring center.