The New York Knicks weren’t an offensive juggernaut in 2022-23 during their push to the second round of the playoffs, but the team still managed to finish with the fourth-best offensive rating (although they were ranked 20th in EFG). The start of 2023-24 has been entirely different, to say the least.
Julius Randle has gotten off to a shaky start, averaging 15.6 points per game in comparison to the 25.1 points per game he averaged last season. He’s shooting 29.9% from the field and 25% from three.
He underwent offseason ankle surgery and didn’t play five-on-five until training camp, and it’s apparent that he’s still trying to get his legs under him. The good news is that he showed improvement in the team’s win over the Clippers on Monday.
Randle’s one of the focal points of New York’s offense, which is why the team’s offensive rating is so low. Out of the 30 NBA teams, the Knicks fall in with the 28th-worst rating, sitting above Memphis (No. 29) and Portland (No. 30).
NBA standings ordered by offensive rating: Where are the Knicks?
Eastern Conference
- Indiana Pacers (120.4)
- Boston Celtics (119.9)
- Philadelphia Sixers (119.9)
- Atlanta Hawks (117.8)
- Brooklyn Nets (116.1)
- Milwaukee Bucks (114.4)
- Charlotte Hornets (112.4)
- Washington Wizards (109.5)
- Detroit Pistons (109.4)
- Chicago Bulls (109.2)
- Orlando Magic (108.9)
- Toronto Raptors (107.8)
- Miami Heat (107.4)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (107)
- New York Knicks (105.5)
Is it bad for New York to be the worst in the conference? The silver lining is that before Monday’s win, the Knicks had the second-worst offensive rating in the league. Small victories!
The Knicks sit at the very bottom of the league with their effective field goal percentage (47.5%), so their poor offensive rating checks out.
New York essentially returned the same roster as last season (minus Obi Toppin and plus Donte DiVincenzo), and with it still being early in the season, there’s still plenty of time for the Knicks to turn things around. Jalen Brunson’s already kicked the dust off with a 45-point outing, and RJ Barrett’s 54.4% EFG has been a bonus.
Western Conference
- Dallas Mavericks (119.7)
- Denver Nuggets (119.2)
- Golden State Warriors (115.5)
- Los Angeles Clippers (114.7)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (114)
- Houston Rockets (111.7)
- Phoenix Suns (111.4)
- Utah Jazz (110)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (109.3)
- Sacramento Kings (109)
- San Antonio Spurs (108.4)
- New Orleans Pelicans (108.4)
- Los Angeles Lakers (108.2)
- Memphis Grizzlies (104.4)
- Portland Trail Blazers (103.8)
Dallas is off to a hot start but came up short against Denver in the In-Season Tournament.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Clippers’ offense is impacted by the introduction of James Harden, who said he’s willing to play off-ball. LA already lost its first game against New York. Stay tuned to see how the rest of that experiment plays out!