New York Knicks 2022-23 Season Preview
Adding Jalen Brunson give the Knicks a point guard, but will it fix the Knicks below average offense?
Welcome to the 2022-23 previews for every NBA team! These breakdowns are designed to look at stats, film & anything I found interesting in my preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
If you liked this breakdown feel free to share it & if you have any other scenarios, plays, or thoughts on any future breakdowns let me know in the comments below!
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Stats
2021-22 Record: 37-45
Net Rating: -0.1 (18th)
Offense Rating: 110.9 (21st)
Good
2nd in FT Rate, meaning the Knicks did a good job attacking the rim. Adding Brunson’a dribble penetration and skill getting downhill will help improve this stat even more.
Bad
Took lots of Short mid (4-14 feet) and didn’t make much. Brunson again comes into play here with his scoring ranking in the 90th percentiles from short and mid range shooting.
Ugly
Outside of 3 pointers, finishing at the rim and mid range was terrible. Brunson will help with this he ranked in the 90th percentile in rim, short mid and all mid fg%.
Defensive Rating: 111.0 (12th)
Good
VERY good defensive rebounding team, only giving up 24.7% of rebounds back - 4th in the NBA.
Bad
Gave up the 3rd most 3s in the NBA, allowing teams to take 40% of their shots from 3. Not the worst thing in the world, but needs to be tweaked in certain lineups.
Ugly
25th in the NBA, only forcing turnovers 13% of the time, while also fouling - ranking 19th in the NBA in defensive FT rate.
Film
Angle 45 Hand Off
Offenses are designed and created to get to the “second side” or get the ball reversed and make the defense move - there has been research that shows ball reversals typically result in more PPP (Points Per Possession).
One way teams do this is to design a pick-and-pop action with a 45 cut (typically called “Slash” action in the NBA) and have the ball go into a second side action.
Strong Dribble Indiana
A complex, yet awesome set the Knicks ran primarily for Fournier was to have lots of action resulting in a throwback look. The play starts off with “Boston” action out of “Strong” to curl the shooter into the lane.
Then after the first screener will come off the second screen and flip it back to the point guard - this is the dribble action.
After the flip the initial player who curled sets a backscreen then comes off a downscreen looking for a shot.
Strong Dribble Keep Punch
Not many teams design post up sets without a cross screen or simple action before to give the offensive player some room to create a post up, but the Knicks use Strong action to fake the hand off back and then go into a side post up - normally for Randle.
Wide Sprint
When most teams run “Wide” action into a ballscreen, they usually screen for the guard and then follow directly into a ballscreen.
The Knicks run the normal “Wide” screen then sprint up the screener into the screen, this can allow the big to “Arrive Alone” and create tougher ballscreen coverages.
SOB X
Super common sideline out-of-bounds play, the San Antonio Spurs under Pop have been running this play since 2002 at minimum. I wanted to showcase it since it will help explain the next play easier as a counter, with this play the setup is simple - two players cut over the top of the big creating an X.
Then the big screens in the middle of the floor for the guard in the lane and then chases into a spread ballscreen.
SOB X Spain
The counter the Knicks setup is to have the ballside player cutting become the backscreen in “Spain” action.
The inbounder goes to the ballside corner and then it flows into Spain action with the backscreen for the ballscreener.
SOB STS Spain
Another variation with “Spain” pick and roll is the set that Nick Nurse initially ran with the Toronto Raptors as a flow after the normal screen the screener action. This play starts off like every other STS play, with the ball reversed and a backscreen for the inbounder and then a downscreen for the player who set the backscreen.
Then after the pass (usually a dribble hand-off, it was easier to execute), the player who came off the backscreen becomes the backscreener.
SOB Zipper Chicago
A super simple but effective play a guard screens down for a big on the ballside to receive a pass.
This then flows into a reversal into “Chicago” action or a pindown into a hand off.
The tricky part with lots of these plays is the Knicks best players this year will be Brunson, Barrett & Randle - all leftys. So if the play is on the right side they will be going to their right hand - pay attention to this and see what tweaks the Knicks might make based on where the ball is.
If you liked this breakdown feel free to share it & if you have any other scenarios, plays, or thoughts on any future breakdowns let me know in the comments below!
🏀Resources:
Basketball Playbooks | Coaching Clinics | Coaching Membership | Newsletter
👉🏻Follow:
🔎Explore:
5-Out Breakdowns | Space & Pace Clinic | NCAA “Delay” Series Playbook
Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Outwork Yesterday.
Coach Pyper