New York's back-to-back losses in Los Angeles to both the Lakers and Clippers emphasize the team's inconsistency issues. In typical fashion for this Knicks team, they followed up a 39-point victory over the Nuggets with two sloppy losses. Turnovers were a major factor in each, with the Knicks logging 19 against the Clippers and 18 against the Lakers.
The unusual numbers in the turnover columns raise questions on why the Knicks were unable to take care of the rock. Head coach Mike Brown attributed the giveaways to an issue that seems easily fixable: ball handlers jumping while passing.
Knicks have easy fix to recent turnover woes
On the bright side, both of those numbers look like complete outliers on the season. After two uncharacteristic performances, New York is still just a bottom-5 team in turnovers per game on the year (13.6).
The coach said that players leaving their feet when they had the ball in their hands was the root cause of their turnover problem.
"Eighteen turnovers on the road. This is not a knock on [the Lakers] at all, but they’re not going to trap or double-team or all that stuff. We get in the paint and we jump in the air and turn the ball over,” Brown told reporters after the first loss in LA.
New York has to re-prioritize making the most of possessions
The Knicks have shown great ball security for the majority of the season. As of Tuesday, they hold the 5th best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA. It's not like turnovers have been a problem all year long.
The solution for New York is ridiculously straightforward: don't leave your feet when passing. Reminding an NBA team that jump passes are a cardinal sin of basketball might seem elementary, but it's a better realization than most alternatives for the Knicks' recent losses.
Mike Brown reassured fans that his squad preformed well in multiple aspects of the game against the Clippers. He also highlighted how critical turnovers are for this team.
“Biggest difference in the basketball game was our turnovers," said Brown. "I liked our fight, I liked the way we played in the second half for the most part. We’ve just got to find a way to take care of the basketball.”
Knicks must prove turnover troubles were flukes before playoffs
Jalen Brunson seemed to be one of the only players who grasped Mike Brown's message regarding taking better care of the ball after losing to the Lakers. The Knicks captain shaved his turnovers from seven against the Lakers to three against the Clippers, while adding an extra assist. Brunson gave his guys a blueprint going forward, in line with Brown's observations, after the loss to the Clippers.
“I think a lot of [the turnovers], we were getting downhill and trying to make plays," said Brunson. "But we got to be better playing off two feet obviously, playing more controlled."
As New York enters the final stretch of the regular season, it's crucial the team puts these giveaway worries in the rear view mirror. This squad can either use these losses as a learning curve and improve heading into the postseason, or let a late-season bad habit plague them.