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The New York Knicks have been outstanding in their opening fixtures early in the 2021-22 NBA season. It's been a delight watching them as they look formidable enough to cause major upsets in the Eastern Conference.
The New York Knicks' resurgence is in full effect as they solidify their position as part of the top players in the East. Their 4th-place finish in the 2020-21 season was impressive, but the Knicks are upping the ante as they desire much more than just playoff qualification.
So far in the 2021-22 season, the New York Knicks are one of five teams with the best record in the East. Five wins in six games is commendable, and they will be looking to keep the streak going as the season progresses.
The New York Knicks have made clear improvements in several aspects to elevate their performance, let's take a look at three of them.
#1 Three-point shooting
Based off of how their 2021 offseason went, it was obvious the New York Knicks were looking to bring in more shooters. Although they were efficient from beyond the arc, they ranked 27th in three-pointers attempted last season.
The introduction of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier has further improved their three-point shooting. While efficiency is still upheld, the New York Knicks are attempting a lot more three-pointers this season.
The New York Knicks are shooting 40.7% (2nd in the league) on 246 attempts so far this season. Only five other teams have made more attempts than the Knicks, but none has made more than them. They lead the league in three-pointers made with 100.
Walker, Derrick Rose and Fournier are shooting the lights out from beyond the arc. The French man is shooting 45% on 8.3 attempts per game while the former Boston Celtics player is shooting 57.9% on 6.3 attempts per game. If they continue shooting at this rate, it will be difficult for any team to stop their winning run.
#2 The New York Knicks have more scoring options
In the 2020-21 season, if Julius Randle does not have a good game, the New York Knicks will undoubtedly lose the game. But things are different now with the plethora of elite scorers on the team.
The New York Knicks' bench last season deserves to be applauded as they kept the offense going in the absence o Randle. Led by Rose, three rotation players averaged double-digits in points and also created at a decent clip.
Since the start of the new season, four of the five New York Knicks starters are averaging double-digits in points. Even though Randle remains the leading scorer, he has had less efficient games that resulted in victories because the team was carried by someone else's scoring. That was hardly the case last season.
#3 Greater ball movement
The New York Knicks were ten assists shy of being the worst team in the league in regards to assists last season. Most of their possessions ended in Randle going mano a mano with his defender.
However, there have been major improvements on that front as the ball movement is a lot more fluid and productive. So far this season, the New York Knicks have made 143 assists and are ranked 12th in the league.
Fans at Madison Square Garden have had plenty to cheer about so far this season. If the New York Knicks maintain their intensity in these areas that have helped elevate them and maintain the brand of defense they are known for, it will undoubtedly be an intriguing season to follow.
