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The New York Knicks are on course to turn things around following a series of woeful performances in the NBA this century.
The two-time champions have largely failed to replicate their exceptional performances of the 1970s. But ending a seven-year postseason absence is a step in the right direction for the Knicks. However, their continued success in the East, considering the caliber of players on other teams' rosters, is not always guaranteed.
Nevertheless, one cannot take away from the effort made by the New York Knicks to reach this stage. Following a series of mediocre performances, Tom Thibodeau at the helm has been an instant success in only one year with the franchise.
Thibodeau took an average New York Knicks team without a superstar, and led them to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings last season. But the question on the lips of every Knicks fan is if he can bring a championship home for the first time since 1973. Their last attempt to do so ended in a first-round exit against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks earlier this year.
A strong defensive identity and a successful 2021 offseason show should keep the New York Knicks in good stead ahead of the 2021-22 season. Nevertheless, there are areas of weakness that opposing teams could exploit.
On that note, here are three weaknesses of the New York Knicks heading into the 2021-22 season.
#1 The New York Knicks do not have enough presence in the paint
Defensively, the New York Knicks are solid. Nerlens Noel was their standout player, leading the league in defensive box plus/minus. He was third in defensive win shares, behind Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
While they are solid defensively with Gibson coming off the bench, the same cannot be said for the New York Knicks at the offensive end of the court. They were the third-best team shooting three balls last season, but struggled to convert from close range.
The New York Knicks were the fourth-worst team in the league from close range, converting only 63% of field-goal attempts 0-3 feet from the basket. The percentages continued to improve as they got closer to the three-point line, though.
In terms of grabbing rebounds, the New York Knicks ranked 16th in offensive rebounding. Robinson had the highest tally in that regard, averaging 3.6 offensive rebounds per game despite featuring in only 31 games.
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#2 The New York Knicks lack scorers in the frontcourt
The New York Knicks are not the most effective scorers in the NBA, finishing the 2020-21 NBA season ranked 23rd in offensive rating and 26th in points per game. While they have made moves in the offseason to have more scoring options, no effort was made to improve their scoring in the frontcourt.
Except for Julius Randle, no other big man on the New York Knicks' roster averaged double digits in scoring last season. Noel ended his 2020-21 campaign averaging 5.1 points in 64 games, Taj Gibson averaged 5.4 points in 45 games, while Mitchell Robinson averaged 8.3 points in 31 games.
The heavy reliance on Randle to provide scoring in the frontcourt might inadvertently prove to be the New York Knicks' demise in the 2021-22 season. On a night when Randle is off his game or unavailable, the burden would fall on the backcourt to rally the team to victory.
Speaking of the backcourt, the New York Knicks deserve praise for improving their squad. They've brought in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, two elite scorers and creators.
The New York Knicks also re-signed Alec Burks, who shot an effective 41.5% from the three-point land in 5.1 attempts per game last season. R. Barrett also had a breakout season, averaging 17.6 points, and improving his three-point shooting from 32% in his rookie season to 40% last campaign.
#3 The New York Knicks have poor ball movement
Randle was the focal point of the New York Knicks' offense in the 2020-21 NBA season, and he brought the ball up the court on several occasions. As a result, not many touched the ball during some of the offensive possessions.
The New York Knicks were second-bottom in assists, averaging 21.4 assists per game, last season. Considering how they play, defending against them is a lot easier, as they rarely move the ball.
Their ball movement might be a bit better in the upcoming season because of the elite-level creators who were brought in. But most of the New York Knicks' possessions will unlikely end with an assist.
Walker and Fournier are certified bucket-getters. That means there would be fewer kick-outs when they attack the lane and get the defense to converge in the paint. While the New York Knicks have players who are lethal in 1v1 situations, success is not always guaranteed.
