Recent stretch has exposed Knicks' biggest offensive problem

Players like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are reliable shooters and overall scorers. However, their other offensive threats in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have been rather streaky from beyond the arc, especially Bridges. Alongside this, three-point shooting is not a heavy part of these players' shot diets. 

According to cleaningtheglass.com (subscription required), the Knicks only have four above-average three-point shooters in terms of their shot diet. That being Towns, Bridges, Miles McBride and Cameron Payne. 

It's worth noting that when we say Bridges and Towns are above-average shooters, we mean that they barely are. Towns is in the 51st percentile at his position, and Bridges is in the 52nd percentile.

Shooting a small amount of threes can be worthwhile if you are hitting them like the Knicks have been for most of the season. However, in their four recent losses, they have gotten completely outclassed by their opponents both in attempts and efficiency. 

A concerning note: the worst team in the NBA in terms of three-point shots made per game is the Toronto Raptors with 11.4. In the Knicks' last five, they are averaging just 7.4. 

How can the Knicks solve this problem? For starters, getting Towns open from beyond the arc will go a long way. He is averaging his lowest three-point attempts per game since 2018 with 4.8, yet hitting his shots at a 45% rate. Towns is arguably the best three-point-shooting big man of all time, and the Knicks simply must take advantage of that fact. 

Not only will running plays to get Towns open give him an advantage, but his gravity as a shooter could pull defenders away from players like Bridges and Anunoby, making their lives easier as shooters as well. 

Another solution is simply adding a shooter at the trade deadline. An interesting candidate for the Knicks could be Luke Kennard. Kennard has remained one of the league's best shooters, yet, due to the Grizzlies' absurd depth, he's playing his lowest minutes per game average since 2020. 

Kennard could be a good low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Knicks. Having him off the bench could do wonders for their shooting and provide some real consistency from range if Bridges and Anunoby continue their streaky shooting. 

Regardless of how they do it, the Knicks must figure out their shooting problems. Considering they statistically have a top-five offense in the NBA despite their shooting woes, one can imagine what they could look like once they figure it out. We've seen glimpses of how this Knicks offense can look once their threes are falling, if they can do so consistently, the league may not have an answer for New York.