Mike Brown wants the New York Knicks to shoot more threes. They are listening to him so far. The problem is, these long-range looks aren’t going in. Not nearly often enough, anyway. The solution: Just keep hoisting them. Because they’re going to find the bottom of the net at some point.
New York is attempting 46 threes per 100 possessions to start the season. That is the most in the NBA—more than even the behind-the-rainbow-obsessed Boston Celtics, and nearly 10 attempts per 100 possessions more than the Knicks themselves averaged last year.
Here’s the rub: New York is connecting on just 33.1 percent of its deep balls. That’s a bottom-10 mark to date, and bound to land in bottom five if it keeps up.
Related: It’s not going to keep up.
The Knicks are generating excellent three-point looks
Fifty-five of the Knicks’ three-point looks qualify as wide-open, which the NBA defines as shots in which an opponent is six or more feet away. That comes to 39.7 percent of their total attempts from beyond the arc—a truly insane share.
Last year, wide-open treys made up 21.8 percent of the average team’s total three-point shots. The Chicago Bulls led the way, with 27.8 percent of their triples going uncontested. The Knicks are blowing that mark out of the water—and then some.
Quality isn’t the issue. Accuracy is the problem. New York is converting under 31 percent of its unguarded threes. The average team drilled 38.9 percent of those looks last season. The Knicks themselves nailed them at a 40.4 percent clip.
The Knicks generated good looks last night.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) October 27, 2025
Per NBA tracking data, they attempted 23 "wide open" three-pointers (no defender within 6 feet of the shooter).
New York made only 5 of those 23 attempts (21%)
There will be a progression to the mean. Those shots will drop.
Current inefficiency in these situations isn’t going to stand. New York didn’t touch their core over the offseason, so personnel isn’t the problem. If anything, the Knicks added to their floor-spacing options with Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabuele.
New York’s worst shooters will get much better
To that end, New York’s two new additions are among the team’s biggest offenders. Ditto for Karl-Anthony Towns. And for Landry Shamet Just look at how poorly this quartet is shooting on unguarded triples:
- Jordan Clarkson: 33.3 percent (1-of-3)
- Landry Shamet: 33.3 percent (3-of-9)
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 22.2 percent (2-of-9)
- Guerschon Yabusele: 25 percent (1-of-4)
All of these guys should see their percentages climb in the coming weeks and months. Clarkson might be the lone exception. His three-point clip has always fluctuated, and he has a penchant for launching ultra-difficult, low-efficiency jumpers.
There is room for some Yabusele concerns as well. He shot the ball well from distance overseas for about a half-decade, but last year with the Philadelphia 76ers was his lone standout NBA season from beyond the arc.
In all likelihood, though, Yabusele will be among those who bury more of their threes. Especially their unguarded looks. Without question, we know Towns will go kaboom at some point. He swished 46.7 percent of his wide-open treys last year. Shamet, meanwhile, ended up at 41.6 percent. And for what it’s worth, Yabusele checked in at 42.3 percent.
Moral of the story: Don’t be intimidated by the Knicks’ struggles from long range. Definitely don’t ask them to take fewer threes, either. Everything you see now is either a temporary blip, the cost of getting a feel for playing faster, or both.
New York’s three-point shooting is going to normalize—which is to say, it’s going to be fine.