The New York Knicks only have two games remaining before they partake in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2013.
New York’s overhauled front office and coaching staff have transformed the team into one of the best squads in the league. Many aspects of the transformation – the culture, Randle’s play, Barrett’s improvement, the team’s defense – have all seemed to have happened early on this offseason and at the start of the regular season. This team established its identity early on.
The offense, however, evolved as the season progressed.
Can the New York Knicks maintain their shooting in the playoffs?
Tom Thibodeau, a coach who is always attached to strong defense, established that mentality into the team early on. The offense has had to play catch up, and while it’s not at the same level as the Knicks’ defense (Defensive rating ranks 3rd in the league, offensive rating ranks 12th) it’s certainly been effective over the past 6-8 weeks.
It’s been a long time since we had playoff basketball at the Garden. This is when teams buckle down and have 4-7 games to gameplan and attack their opponent’s weaknesses.
The New York Knicks are feeling good, but so is every team that they are going to face.
The crux of the team’s improvement on offense has been their transformation into a lights-out shooting team. New York currently ranks 4th in the NBA at 39% shooting from three.
Still, this team seems like they have some untapped potential on their offense. With the roster getting closer to full health, it’s exciting to think about what the healthy rotations could be in just a week.
Before we look at potential adjustments Tom Thibodeau and his staff could make, let’s look at how the offense has looked recently.