The Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in a historic upset in the second round of the playoffs, knocking off one of the best 3-point shooting teams that the league has ever seen. Their reward? They get to face the Indiana Pacers, who roster some of the best shooters on the planet.
The Knicks have some capable shooters as well, and if they are to compete with the firepower that Indiana will bring, they are going to need to rise to the occasion and knock down some shots, specifically open ones.
Like Boston, the Pacers can shoot
Like Boston, the Pacers have a plethora of talented perimeter shooters. Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard can all knock down shots from the outside. On top of that, Tyrese Haliburton is one of the better off-the-dribble shooters in the game, specifically when he gets to his step-back.
Looking at points per jump shot, the Pacers have three of the most efficient shooters in the playoffs. Nesmith is generating 1.4 points per jump shot, Turner is generating 1.38, and Nembhard is generating 1.33. All of those rank in the top 10 among players who have taken at least 30 jump shots in the playoffs so far. As a team, they as shooting 40.6 percent from three in the playoffs; every other team is shooting, or has shot, below 38 percent.
The Pacers have six players who are generating at least 1 point per jump shot out of that pool of players, the most of any team. They can hurt you from all over the floor, and when you factor in the speed they play at, they become even more dangerous. Unlike Boston, Indiana also moves the ball more than any team in the league, meaning the Knicks' rotations will have to be crisp and clean, or they will get burned by someone.
The good news is, unlike Boston, their 3-point volume isn't quite as overwhelming. They still get up a respectable 32.9 3-point attempts per game, but it is well below the 40.2 attempts per game Boston was getting up, and much closer to the 31.8 attempts per game that the Knicks have been launching so far.
The Knicks need to knock down their own looks
The Knicks have shot okay, while inconsistently, through two rounds. In the second round, Deuce McBride found his shot, which is a massive development for the Knicks. Against Boston, he knocked down 50 percent of his threes, after only hitting 26.3 percent against Detroit.
Josh Hart, who is often intentionally left open by teams, has also shown up in a big way. He is shooting 41.9 percent from three on 3.6 attempts per game through the first two rounds. If Indiana guards him the same way that Boston and Detroit did, it will be crucial that he remains willing to take open shots. If he keeps hitting them at this rate, Indiana will have to reconsider its strategy.
Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't been able to get it going from behind the arc so far. Against Boston, he was abysmal in that department. Of the 53 players who attempted at least three 3-pointers in the second round, Towns had the lowest 3-point percentage of any of them, at just 15.8 percent.
The Pacers guarded Towns with Myles Turner most often during their regular season matchups, which might be the opportunity Towns needs to get going from three, as he has tended to play much better when guarded by traditional centers.