New York Knicks have no race to win without solving 3-pointers
New York Knicks have no race to win without solving 3-pointers
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Although the New York Knicks have been consistently considered a strong team throughout this season, there is one reason why they are still not discussed at the same level as teams like Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City. It is the 3-point shooting issue. Not only is the Knicks lacking in recent 3-point shooting attempts, but they also have a low success rate, and on the contrary, they are allowing three points with a high probability for opposing teams.
The issue was also noticeable in the game against the Golden State Warriors on the 5th (Korea time). New York was inferior in 3-pointers throughout the game, eventually losing 114-102. The Knicks made just eight of their 33 3-pointers in the day, but the Warriors changed the trend by making eight of 14 3-pointers in the second half alone.
New York guard Myles McBride said, "In the NBA right now, you have to throw three points. I think we have to increase the speed of our offense. When an attack unfolds at a fast tempo, you will naturally have a good three-point chance," pointing out the team's problems. In addition, defensively, he added, "Communication is important to prevent an opponent's three-point shot. When you play switch defense, you have to communicate quickly so that your opponent can't create open chances."
The Knicks' three-point problem is not just a matter of one game against the Warriors. Since Jan. 2, New York has been ranked 29th in the league (31.5) in 3-point attempts per game and 21st in success rate (35.1%). In contrast, teams facing New York have averaged 34.4 3-point attempts per game with a 39.9% success rate. Although New York's defense has been successful in minimizing 3-point attempts, the problem is that the shots it allows are going into too high a probability.
Despite these problems, New York has shown high efficiency in two-point shooting this season, maintaining its top-ranked league performance. However, if it loses to 3-pointers in matches against strong teams, it will face a difficult battle throughout the game. In fact, New York has often lost games against strong teams recently, and on the contrary, it tends to win after a close game with the middle and lower teams.
Analyzing New York's offensive system, there are several reasons why the team throws fewer 3-pointers. New York is not basically a fast-paced team. In addition, there is a lot of isolation in offensive deployments, and it tends to emphasize cut-in play. And the biggest problem is that players who take a lot of 3-point attempts within their team are not the type to shoot naturally.
Jaren Brunson, the main guard, is the type to solve the offense in the midrange, and Josh Hart and OG Anunobi also prefer cut-in plays to three-point shots. Even Carl-Anthony Towns is trying more paint-zone attacks than outer shots this season. Mikal Bridges, who has increased the proportion of attacks than he did in Brooklyn, is also taking a variety of attack options rather than acting as a high-efficiency catch-and-shoot shooter like he did in Phoenix in the past. 온라인바카라
New York manager Tom Thibodeau said, "Of course, I want to throw three more points. But I don't want too many three points. What we want is to hit the rim first, and then take advantage of open chances when the opponent narrows down the defense. In the end, it is important to throw without hesitation when a good three-point shot chance comes out."
New York's missed 3-point shooting opportunities are often seen in games. Anunobi, for example, had the perfect open 3-point chance in the game, but hesitated without attempting a shot before eventually committing a travelling. This is a common problem among Knicks players.
Defensively, New York is succeeding in reducing three-point attempts, but the three points it allows are succeeding with a high probability. This can be linked to communication problems. In the game against Golden State, there were many scenes in which the New York defense was more helpful than necessary, allowing the Warriors an open three-point chance. In particular, if you give an open chance to an elite shooter such as Stephen Curry, it will inevitably lead to a loss.
New York has only about 20 regular-season games left. If the three-point shooting problem is not resolved during this period, the team will likely have a hard time playing against strong teams in the playoffs. If the improvement is made from three-point shooting, New York will be able to go beyond being a good team to become a "winning team."