The Knicks’ hulking All-Star forward Julius Randle pulled up and banked in a shot from 25 feet at the end of the first quarter on Monday. Even on an earlier Tom Thibodeau-coached team, this type of shot might have resulted in him being sent to the bench. In the span of 12 minutes on Monday, Randle had made four 3-pointers.
This year’s Knicks are using 3-ideas, and this was a shot that symbolised it. There are a lot of them around. On Monday, the New York Knicks scored 13 of their 19 shots in the first quarter of their game against the Toronto Raptors, and five of those shots came from the 3-point line.
The Knicks’ new Bing Bong era has been marked by the use of the method, which is part of the team’s strategy. Thibodeau’s team is off to a 5-2 start, the best since the 2012-13 season for the club.
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The Knicks Set a Team Record
The Knicks set a team record for 3-pointers in a game with 24 in their second game, leading to a 121-96 win over the Celtics. At 40.6 attempts per game, the Knicks are sixth in the league and up 10 attempts a game from last year, when they were among the league’s worst.
With the trio, Thibodeau asserted, “you can make up ground quickly.”. It’s up to you whether or not you want to. After 36 attempts, the Knicks were defeated 114-103 by the Raptors on Monday, their second loss of the season.
Knicks’ 39.2 percent 3-point field goal percentage ranks third in the NBA despite the team’s less attempts. Again, they’re among the most accurate, albeit with a larger sample size. New York is on pace for its first top-five offence since the 2012-13 squad, if present trends continue.
Mitchell Robinson’s return to the starting lineup was also a positive factor. As one of the Knicks’ most potent rim-rattling threats, Robinson commands attention at 7 feet. As a result, the Knicks will have more room to operate in the paint and set up open looks.
On defence, the Knicks have been below par, which is rare for a Thibodeau-coached club, and a concerning indication. In spite of the fact that the Knicks have made a lot of 3-pointers, they have given up more than any other NBA team.
Walker and Fournier, the team’s newest additions, aren’t exactly known for their defensive prowess.
A 36-point performance from Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby on Tuesday night stung the New York Knicks. The 14 3-pointers Toronto made in the second half were enough to give them a double-digit advantage.
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Last Words
There isn’t a lot of data to draw conclusions from in just seven games. It is inevitable that some arbitrary numbers, such as Walker’s, will return to their proper place in time.
It’s hard to deny that the new-look Knicks have a team capable of earning their early optimism.