Lackluster Performances Threaten To Derail Knicks Season

This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. Just over a week ago, the Knicks woke up as the three-seed in the East. With 10 games left in the season, they were half a game ahead of the Cavaliers, and just two games behind the Bucks for the two-seed. They had 5 easy games left to come up; three against the Chicago Bulls, one against the San Antonio Spurs, and one against the Brooklyn Nets. Anything resembling a 6-4 or 7-3 finish to the season would have solidified the Knicks as the three-seed. But it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, their frailties have been ripped apart for the world to see, and their worries have been exacerbated.

Lackluster Performances Threaten To Derail Knicks Season

Knicks Seeding Situation

Since that fateful night, the Knicks have lost four of their last five and slipped to the five-seed. They lost in overtime to the Spurs despite a career-high 61 points from Jalen Brunson. Then they lost on a buzzer-beater from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after a no-call on Brunson the possession before. And then on Friday, April 5th, in a game that marked the return of OG Anunoby, they lost to the 9th-seeded Chicago Bulls 100-108. They are tied with the Magic for the four-seed and are 0.5 games behind Cleveland for the three-seed. But, the more worrying aspect is that they are just two games ahead of the seven-seed Miami Heat, who have won eight out of their last 12. If the Knicks finish the season poorly, they could fall into the play-in.

Knicks Issues

Poor starts have derailed the Knicks. In the last 5 games they played, the Knicks rank 29th in 1st quarter points scored, and 29th in 1st quarter points allowed. They lose the 1st quarter by an average of 9 points.

Why? They shot 26.7% from 3, far lower than their season average of 36.5%. Their opponents shot 50% from three, the worst mark in the NBA. This massive difference is present in their two-point % as well. The Knicks displayed a lackluster performance as they faced off against the Bulls and the Heat. They came out sluggish. Players struggled with maintaining proper defensive rotations, resulting in missed assignments and leaving opposing players unguarded across the court. Furthermore, the Knicks failed to close out on shooters positioned in the corners, and this defensive lapse allowed the Bulls and the Heat to exploit open shooting opportunities from beyond the arc. The Heat’s drive-and-kick strategy proved highly effective. They capitalized on the Knicks’ defensive breakdowns to sink nine three-pointers from the corners alone. The Knicks’ inability to step up defensively when their offense struggled cost them games.

The amount of minutes played by their core is finally starting to show, and this sluggishness has led to poor starts.

Worries Heading Into The Playoffs

The last five games have spread doubt into the minds of Knicks fans. These key games have exposed the issues within the roster now that we know Julius Randle is out for the season. The Knicks offense has struggled since the All-Star break.  Brunson is responsible for 27.2% of the Knicks points, the 2nd highest mark in the league. Since the break, he has also assisted on 19.1 points per game. That’s 45% of New York’s offense. The next best mark in both categories is Josh Hart assisting on 15.6 points per game, and Donte DiVincenzo‘s 19.0 points per game. The Knicks’ offense is sorely lacking, and against good teams, their defense alone will not be enough.

Another aspect of their worries is the lack of reliable 3-point shooting. With the return of Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks finally have a complete rotation in time for the playoffs. The ideal starting lineup would be Brunson, DiVincenzo, Hart, Anunoby, Robinson/Isaiah Hartenstein. However, the Knicks sorely lack 3-point shooting. Post all-star break, only two Knicks are shooting the three-ball at a higher rate than league average, DiVincenzo and Miles McBride. Brunson, a career 39% shooter has shot just 35.8% post-break. Hart, a career 34.3% from deep has shot just 30.2%. A Similar story for Anunoby, who is shooting the three at 29.4%, far below his career average of 37.5%. Combine this with a lack of spacing provided by Hartenstein, Robinson, and Precious Achiuwa, and opponents will find it far easier to crowd the paint instead of hunting the perimeter.

A lot of this could be related to an overload of shots. Brunson has taken the offensive burden left behind by Randle. He has shot 7.4 3’s per game compared to 6.5 attempts pre-all-star break. The same goes for DiVincenzo, who has shot 4 more attempts per game after the break. The return of Anunoby with five games left gives them enough time to find their shot as they all get on the same page. The Knicks must shoot the ball well, because that may be the difference maker in an evenly-matched series. If they can’t, they must change their approach to mask their worries.