New York Knicks: The offense MUST catch up to the defense
A deep dive into the Knicks’ Isolation-heavy offense
The Knicks offense is stagnant and the opportunities for open threes are limited by isolation play.
Stats on time-of-possession, passes-per-possession, and dribbling the clock away can be difficult to find.
According to the website 82games, “The more touches per second, the higher the points per possession (along with FG%). …the faster the ball is moving from one player to another, the better the results overall!”
If the ball moves quickly, the defense is trailing, and more open shots are available. Open 3’s yield 1.1 points per attempt. When contested, that number falls .94. The disparity is similar for two-point field goals — .85 points per attempt when open and .75 points when contested.
What has been the biggest improvement in Julius Randle’s game? His assists are more often premeditated rather than the result of bailouts from failed isolation attempts when he gets double and triple-teamed. Randle is passing the ball earlier and with better, more consistent results.
RJ Barrett has seemed to be in a fog lately, but he is still showing signs of real progress. He also is delivering the ball to teammates in the same way that Randle has. The bail-out assist when stopped at the baseline has been replaced by crisp passes to big men Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel. Barrett is also more visible and effective on defense. Thibodeau is probably drilling into him, ‘Get your behind down on D or I’ll put your behind on the bench.’
The addition of Derrick Rose to the backcourt rotation has taken Quickley off the ball and made him the shooting guard on the second unit. Against the Heat, the Knicks scored a meager 14 points in the final quarter, wiping out a 6 point lead. The Heat’s defensive scheme had Jimmy Butler guarding Rose most of the fourth quarter. At the 4:51 mark, Payton was reinserted with the score tied at 88.
In the Washington game, the percentage of points off isolation was .392. The Points off of assists were .410. This was probably due to the fact that open shots are hit at a higher percentage than contested ones. But there were 51 isolation attempts versus 39 shots off attempted assists.
Five of the six Knicks threes came off assists. So while isolation scores may be more impressive, an offense that stresses ball movement and multiple touches will be more productive and yield more uncontested shots and open threes. Against the worst defense in the NBA, a team that gives up almost 120 ppg, the Knicks only scored 109, six points above their average of 103.
In the NBA, the great unknown is which version of a team will show up for any particular game. Against Houston’s number 8 rated defense the Knicks had a laugher, scoring 121 points. The Knicks shot .429% from three. Immanuel Quickleey’s three in a row are the most memorable, but 9 of the Knicks’ three-pointers came off of assists.
Against the Rocket defense that simply collapsed, the Knicks offense ran amok (thanks Clyde). It was isolation heaven. The Knicks scored on an incredible ..571% of their ISO attempts, including Immanuel Quickley’s three treys. The assist rate was a very successful .512% rate, and that included 9 threes.
Looking at these stats, it isn’t difficult to see why the Knicks rank 29th in both assists and threes attempted. They go together like bread and butter. More ball movement and open looks will lead to more uncontested corner threes.