The Knicks took four more shots than the Warriors on Tuesday. They hit 45 percent of their field goals. Golden State made 49 percent of their shots. Not a huge discrepancy. So how did the Warriors end up with a 12-point win?
The three-point line.
Golden State made 13 threes. The Knicks made eight. Obviously, this wasn’t the only reason the Knicks fell short on Tuesday. But it’s a common occurrence for New York.
The Knicks rank 30th – dead last – in opponent three-point field goal percentage. Fortunately, they are not allowing a ton of threes. (The Knicks have the sixth-lowest three-point attempts allowed per 100 possessions in the league.) But they also aren’t shooting a ton of threes. They are 27th in three-point attempts per 100 possessions.
Players have said all year that there’s an emphasis on shooting threes. But it hasn’t translated to the floor often.
How can they create more three-point attempts?
“For us, I feel like it’s our pace,” Miles McBride said after Tuesday’s game. “I feel like our pace can be a lot quicker getting up the floor. And then when we get up the floor, then moving with action, getting the ball flowing. It’s hard to just not really get action and then go into a shot, so I feel like for us, we just have to get a lot more action, a lot more pace.”
What about the other side of the ball? How can the Knicks improve their three-point defense?
“Communication is big in guarding,” McBride says. “If we’re switching, talking early so they can’t get downhill and kick out threes.”
The communication wasn’t there on Tuesday night. It will have to be better over the final few weeks of the season if the Knicks want to have success in the playoffs.
WATSON ON BOARD
By claiming Anton Watson off waivers Tuesday, the Knicks will be able to make him active for the rest of the regular season. Watson is on a two-way contract. Most two-way players signed at his point in the season are eligible for 12 regular season games. But the Knicks avoided that limit by claiming Watson off of waivers. With Watson on board, the Knicks have now filled both open two-way spots created when Jacob Toppin and Matt Ryan were waived.
With Watson on the roster, the Knicks now have five players selected in the 2024 NBA Draft: Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar, Ariel Hukporti and Watson. The Knicks are intrigued by Watson’s potential shooting and positional versatility. He shot 42 percent from beyond the arc in his final season at Gonzaga. ESPN first reported the Watson transaction.
New York still has an open roster spot and can sign a veteran while remaining under the second apron. The available pool of free agents for the Knicks include Mo Bamba, Moses Brown, TJ Warren, Chuma Okeke, PJ Tucker, Marcus Morris Sr. and Taj Gibson.
Just my opinion from being around the NBA for a few years: the Knicks should take a hard look at Tucker. The 39-year-old gives New York something it doesn’t have right now: a longtime veteran in the locker room. Tucker, a 13-year vet and NBA champ, would, in my opinion, be an influential/impactful voice. The Knicks obviously have a need at center, which is why they’ve touched base with Brown. They could sign a center – or any free agent – to a 10-day deal or a rest of season deal. If they signed a non-center like Tucker, the Knicks, in theory, could play Precious Achiuwa as a reserve center.
FOUNDATIONAL IMPACT
The NBA Foundation awarded $250K in cash prizes to entrepreneurs during All-Star weekend as part of its fourth annual Pitch Competition.
The competition featured start-up companies in the host city’s market (San Francisco) and aimed to help innovators from the Bay Area communities with tools, resources, financial support and funding opportunities.
Jodi Anderson of Rezme – a start-up app providing tools for job candidates with previous justice system involvement/criminal records – won first prize in the contest.
The judging panel included native New Yorker and radio personality Angela Yee and Chiney Ogwumike.
Yee was connected to the competition by Tameek Floyd, director of the New York-based Taj Gibson Foundation and CEO of sports and management company Three K3ys Inc.
“Yes, the NBA is a sport but they have arms that impact things that are bigger than basketball. They’re empowering underserved communities; they’re doing a lot of good work,” Floyd said. “It was great to see it first-hand.”
Established in 2020, the NBA Foundation has delivered $140 million in grants aimed at addressing systemic barriers to success for youth in underserved communities. The foundation is dedicated to providing economic and career advancement opportunities for youth in NBA markets.
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