After a slow start Thursday night, the Knicks put together another remarkable offensive performance.
They hit 54 percent of their shots (54.5 percent from beyond the arc) in a 125-101 win over a depleted Hornets team.
Yes, the Knicks should dominate a rebuilding team without three of their best players — LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges And Tre Mann dropped out due to an injury.
But Thursday’s performance was not an outlier. The Knicks have the NBA’s best offense through the first quarter of the season.
They rank No. 1 in offensive efficiency, No. 2 in effective field goal percentage, No. 3 in assist ratio and No. 2 in assist/turnover ratio.
“They made a conscious effort to move the ball and create advantages,” Tom Thibodeau said Thursday after the win. “I think the more you help someone else, the more you help yourself. I think the cuts have been decisive; hitting the ball off the edge, and then moving it, and just being unselfish, making the extra pass to get a great shot. That requires everyone to work together, and I think they all do. The selflessness was amazing.”
Over the last ten games, the Knicks have averaged 29.9 assists per game and shot 50 percent from the floor (42 percent from beyond the arc).
“I just think we have the basketball IQ and everything to go out there and do what’s asked of us,” Jalen Brunson said. “We know we have a lot of weapons. We know there are many threats everywhere in the field. And we just have to play off each other.”
Brunson has been a driving force behind the offense. He ranks fifth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio among players who play at least 30 minutes per game (minimum 18 games played). He ranks ninth in assist ratio among the same group of players.
“The big thing with Jalen is that he has always given what the team needs, no matter what role he has played,” Thibodeau said. ‘He’s had all the roles. In Dallas he was off the bench. And then he comes here and changes his role. And then we had injuries and then he had to score a lot more. And he has adapted very well to that. And now we have goalscorers, so he reads the game very well.”
ACHIUWA IN, WHO IS OUT?
Precious Achiuwa made his regular-season debut Thursday after missing the first 21 games due to a hamstring injury.
Achiuwa played 11 minutes against Charlotte. How will the rotation change once Achiuwa is back? It is possible that Jericho Simsminutes decrease. Sims played just three minutes on Thursday.
Thibodeau was asked if Achiuwa’s presence would remove Sims from the regular rotation.
“No. I didn’t like the energy of the group, so we just looked for something to help us along the way,” the coach said. “So you have to make sure you get things done there.”
