The New York Knicks rolled with Elfrid Payton at starting point guard for most of last season, something that didn’t bode well for them in the playoffs.
In the offseason, they set out to make an upgrade there, and that’s exactly what they did.
Kemba Walker is now the starting point guard with Derrick Rose backing him up, so the position can provide much more offense now. In fact, they are already set to surpass last year’s point guard position in a very important area.
Through five games, where the Knicks sit 4-1, Walker and Rose have combined for 30 three pointers. To put that in perspective, the starting point guard for the Knicks hit 29 total last season.
This is definitely a new Knicks team we’re looking at this year.
New Point Guard, New Team
This stat was pointed out by ESPN’s Alan Hahn, and it just shows how much better off this team is now with Walker instead of Payton. That’s not to say Payton isn’t a good player because he found a new home pretty fast, but it’s clear he just wasn’t a great fit for a Knicks team that wants to launch threes.
Pretty much everyone on the roster is shooting them nowadays, including Taj Gibson, so it’s clear that Thibodeau has changed his approach to the offense and it has paid off so far.
Signing a shooter like Evan Fournier as the first thing you do in the offseason indicated this approach early, and through five games the team is launching from beyond the arc.
Last season, the Knicks were among the most accurate shooters from three, but also barely shot from beyond the arc.
It’s unclear if the Knicks can keep up their torrid stretch from three, but things are looking very good for the team so far. With so many shooters on the roster, there’s bound to be somebody who can get hot on any given night and that’s a really good thing to have.
Lots of Strong Performers
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Even players who don’t shoot that well from behind the arc are doing well. Mitchell Robinson was a big question mark coming into the season, but he’s performed very well and has proven he can play strong defense as well as hammer down lobs.
Obi Toppin is getting more playing time this season and he’s shown he can run the floor with the best of them. His three point accuracy can still use some work, but once he gets into a rhythm with that shot, he’ll prove to be a very vital asset off the bench.
The Knicks have shown they are quite deep this season, and that has shown with their 4-1 record, but they might have an issue with closing out games. The game against the Bulls got very close at the end even though the Knicks were in a commanding position just a few minutes before the fourth quarter buzzer sounded. That’s something they’ll have to work on, but the early goings have been very promising.
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