Danny Green Should be on a Top Free Agent Priority for the New York Knicks

Danny Green Should be on a Top Free Agent Priority for the New York Knicks by William Lee

No facet of NBA basketball has increased in value over the past decade like the 3-point shot. Previously viewed as a novelty with merit in valuing, it’s now become the life and death of many contenders.

New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson doesn’t believe the hype.

NBA analysts give me some diagnostics on how 3pt oriented teams are faring this playoffs…seriously, how's it goink? — Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) May 10, 2015

Whether or not you agree, Jackson has some credibility on the matter of what does and doesn’t work in basketball.

Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion with 11 rings as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, and two as a player with the New York Knicks. That unparalleled level of glory saves him from any questions about his basketball intelligence.

All things considered equal, it gives him more credibility than just about anyone who may weigh in on the NBA’s infatuation with the 3-point shot.

For those unfamiliar with what Jackson is referring to, it’s the shocking inefficiency of the 3-point dependent teams in the 2015 NBA Playoffs. A quick glance at the numbers illustrates as much.

Of the teams that ranked in the Top 10 in 3-point field goal attempts in the 2014-15 NBA regular season, eight made the playoffs. The only two that failed to do so were the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.

All 10 of those teams attempted at least 25.0 per game, while No. 11 fell below that mark. Thus, the distinction of the Top 10.

Of the eight teams that reached the postseason, three were eliminated in the first round: the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors. Toronto was swept, while Dallas and Portland fell in five games.

Of the three teams Dallas, Portland and Toronto lost to—the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards—only Houston ranked in the Top 10 in 3-point field goal attempts.

Of the remaining five teams, two are trailing 2-1—the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a LeBron James buzzer-beater to pull to a 2-2 series tie, and that came in a game in which they shot 5-of-25 from 3-point range.

The Rockets, which pulled out a 4-1 series victory over the Mavericks, trail the Los Angeles Clippers by a dominant and distant 3-1.

All in all, the 3-ball hasn’t led to the success some expected it to.

The most efficient the 3-point field goal has looked thus far has been in buzzer-beating situations.

There’s no question that the 3-point field goal is of extraordinary value; the fact that it’s worth one more point than a 2-point field goal is evidence enough. A dependence upon the shot, however, is proving not to be healthy.

It seems that Jackson, a head coach who won his championships with elite half-court and low-post offense, likely won’t be building the Knicks as a 3-point juggernaut.