3 Critical adjustments the Knicks must make ahead of 2023-24 season
1. Make the offense less freelance
This goes hand-in-hand with the increase in off-ball movement, and Thibodeau has to make the offense more play-oriented in general. The normal freelance offense heavy on isolations is fun to watch in the regular season, but it consistently falls apart in the playoffs.
Instead of continuing to force isolations with Randle, Brunson, or Barrett, get the whole team involved and move in the off-ball more. This would play a huge role in improving the Knicks’ efficiency by limiting turnovers creating a much more enjoyable brand of basketball for fans to watch.
While it’s unlikely that fans will see Thibodeau make such a drastic change in one offseason, it would be nice to see plays be run more frequently. More specifically, adding more off-ball screens and not running the same old dribble hand-off/pick-and-roll play. These two plays have become a staple in the Knicks’ offense and have become predictable, making it easy for opponents to stop them in crunch time.
If Thibodeau begins to make these adjustments in the 2023-24 season, expect the Knicks to potentially push into the Eastern Conference Finals. Thibodeau’s coaching style wasn’t the entire reason for the Knicks’ playoff loss in 2023, but adding a new twist to the way New York plays could make a huge difference in the future.
