Pro: Three-Point Shooting
The first, and most obvious, reason for the New York Knicks to re-sign Wayne Ellington is the desperate need to improve from beyond the three-point line. New York ranks dead last in the NBA in three-point field goals made, as well as 27th in three-point field goal percentage.
Worst of all: New York, at 9.6, is the only team in the NBA to average fewer than 10 three-point field goals made per game. That’s a far cry from the 2012-13 team that set the league record for three-point field goals made in a single season.
More applicably: It’s reason to re-sign Ellington.
Ellington boasts career averages of 1.5 three-point field goals made and 2.6 per 36 minutes. That conversion rate is accommodated by a three-point field goal percentage of .378, which serves as a highly efficient mark for a perimeter shooter.
Since 2016-17, Ellington has averaged 2.5 three-point field goals made per game on .379 shooting—yet another compelling combination of volume and efficiency.
Thus far in 2019-20, Ellington has managed to convert 1.5 three-point field goals in just 15.5 minutes per game. That’s quite impressive when one considers that shooters generally need to play a decent number of minutes to establish a rhythm.
For proof: During the games in which Ellington has played at least 20 minutes, he’s converted 40.6 percent of his three-point field goal attempts.
That would be of great aid to New York’s floundering offense.