Working Less For Better Shots

Last season, the Knicks finished near the middle of the NBA pack in field goal percentage. As most teams strive for a near 50 percent clip from the floor, New York will not only look to improve its percentage but also work less for easier shots. Seems like a simple concept. However, high volume shooters will face a learning curve in the Triangle Offense and attempt to change their shot selection approach.

“Once we’re into our halfcourt execution, the shots are going to show up and we just have to catch and shoot it,” Fisher explained. “I think we’ll find that many of our guys will enjoy not having to work so hard to get shots. Some guys have done that in the past because that’s what they had to do to get a chance to shoot it and so we hope to be a team that can execute, that doesn’t force guys into overdribbling to get shots off.”

Carmelo Anthony should flourish in the Triangle, especially when he works out of the pinch post as opposed to initiating his offense at the three-point line or bringing up the rock for the Knicks. J.R. Smith will face similar opportunities and if New York can exploit his remarkable catch-and-shoot abilities, the team efficiency numbers will rise. NBA.com’s John Schuhmann highlighted Smith’s No. 5 ranked effective field goal percentage at a startling 67.2 percent compared to 36 percent on pull-up attempts.

“He’s continuing to find ways to be effective within what we’re doing. He’s trying his best to not force a lot and just let the game come to him. That’s hard to do for scorers,” Fisher maintained.

Freelance Opportunities

Four games into the preseason and we’ve seen the Knicks Triangle Offense against two different opponents featuring a variety of lineups. Fisher told me they haven’t “greased the cookie sheet” in terms of implementing the entire offense. There’s a myriad of counters to the Triangle and players will begin to find freelance opportunities out of the basic set in read-and-react situations.

“Right now everything is a read. We have our basic set, it’s just a matter of getting used to how guys read things and countering off that,” J.R. Smith confirmed.

Rookie Cleanthony Early provided additional thoughts on the learning process. “Guys are out there and you see they say sometimes we’re out there looking like robots and stuff and we’re just trying to get it down pat to what we know we have those other options to freelance and play a two-man game over in the corner, down screen, or whatever it is and that once again comes with time and just running the offense and running it against other people instead of ourselves.”

Injury Update

