3 ways in which New York Knicks can run their offense in the 2021-22 NBA season
The New York Knicks had one of the worst offenses in the league, scoring only 107 points per game, to make them the fourth lowest-scoring team in the NBA. The Knicks' defense was the best in the league, so it was a significant factor in being the fifth seed in the playoffs last season. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett would do just enough on offense to win the games they needed to.
Evan Fournier is gonna have a lot of fun playing for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks this season 💯 https://t.co/H6djGbaZpb
However, in the playoffs, it was clear that if the New York Knicks wanted any postseason success, they would need to add more talent and expand their offense. The Knicks added talent to the offense by signing Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Both should have an immediate impact on this team, providing more shooting and playmaking. That said, let's take a look at three ways the Knicks can run their offense this season.
#1 The New York Knicks play the same as last year, but just better
Last season, the New York Knicks offense ran through Julius Randle. Randle averaged 24.1 points and six assists per game, leading the Knicks in both of those statistics. On top of that, his usage percentage was up to 29.3, his career-high.
Randle did get some help from Barrett and Derrick Rose, who were the next two highest scorers on the team. Barrett averaged 17.6 points per game on 23.4 usage, and Rose averaged 14.9 on 24.3 usage.
Julius Randle scoring montage for the culture
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Despite that, when the playoffs started, it was clear the Knicks needed some help on offense. Randle lost his shooting touch, shooting 30% from the field throughout the five playoff games, while Barrett is still a sophomore in the NBA and played like one. Rose was the player that stood out on offense, leading the team in scoring in the playoffs with 19.4 points.
The biggest issue was clear: the Knicks did not have a second playmaker or shot creator on the team. Randle pretty much ran the offense, and no one other than him averaged more than five assists.
Walker can come in and improve that by being the second primary ball-handler and has averaged 5.4 assists in his career. Even though Fournier doesn’t have the assist numbers, averaging 2.8 for his career, he has become more of a ball-handler over the last few years. Furthermore, both can get their own shots, as both averaged more than 15 points a game last season. The Knicks signed Walker and Fournier to replace Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton, an upgrade on offense.