New York Knicks forward Julius Randle struggled offensively during Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. He shot 26.1 percent from the field on 23 shot attempts. The shooting percentage allows him to generate 15 points.
These statistics are far below his regular-season average, as he shot 45.6 percent on 18.6 shots per game. The field goal percentage was the catalyst for him averaging 24 points per game. But why was his production significantly decreased in Game 1?
Let’s take a look at the catalyst behind Knicks forward Julius Randle’s struggles in Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series vs the Hawks
The answer is that the Atlanta Hawks’ defensive system is designed to stop how the Knicks are using Julius Randle this season. The Knicks primarily use Randle in isolation and as a post-up player. Randle isolated 17.3 percent of the time during the regular season, averaging 4.2 possessions per game.
During those 4.2 possessions, he shot 46.7 percent from the field on 3 shots creating 3.9 points per game. Randle complimented his isolation game with post-ups as he averaged 5 post-ups per game. Randle shot 42 percent during these post-ups on 4.6 shots per game, creating 8.9 points per game.
The combination of these two factors accounted for 36.9 percent of Randle’s scoring output as he averaged 8.9 points per game in isolation and post-ups. Unfortunately, the Hawks run a defensive system that is built to stop isolations and post-ups.
The Hawks like to play man-to-man defense on the perimeter, but once the ball handler reaches the painted area, the Atlanta Hawks send multiple players at the ball handler to prevent them from getting a wide-open look at the basket. The defensive system propelled the Hawks to be an above-average team at defending shots coming from the middle of the floor.
The Hawks were tied for third in opponents’ above the break three percentage, holding opponents to 34 percent shooting on 25.9 attempts per game. They were also 12th in opponents’ restricted area field goal percentage as they held opponents to 63.6 percent shooting on 27.9 attempts.
Consequently, every time Randle was getting near the painted area, he would be surrounded by several Hawks players. For example, Randle was being defended by Danilo Gallinari on the left wing late in the first quarter.
Randle began to drive to the basket until he was near the free-throw line. Once Randle was near the free throw line, Tony Snell rotated over, forcing him to shoot a mid-range jumper which he missed.
Therefore, he only posted up one time during game 1. He made that shot but was hesitant to post-up again due to how the Atlanta Hawks played him. Randle decided to replace his post-up possessions by isolating more, as he isolated ten times during Game 1. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful in those isolations as he shot 37.5 percent from the field on 8 shot attempts. It is ill-advised for Randle to keep doing this for the remainder of the series due to the Hawks’ defensive system.
Therefore, the Knicks should use Randle in one of two ways. They could use Randle as a facilitator where he goes into the paint to draw the attention of the Atlanta Hawks’ defense with the sole purpose of passing it to the corner for a wide-open three.
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On the other hand, they could use him as a screener as the Knicks were in the top 5 in pick and roll possessions. The Knicks were fifth in the league in pick and roll possessions during the regular season averaging 24 per game.
Using him as a screener will allow the Knicks to get Randle more wide-open looks. Once the ball handler goes over the screen and reaches the painted area, the Hawks’ players who are typically defending the corner like to go over into the paint as extra protection to ensure that the ball handler doesn’t get an open shot near the basket.
Therefore, they tend to leave players who stand in the corner wide open. The Atlanta Hawks allowed opponents to shoot 38.3 percent on corner threes on 8.1 attempts per game during the regular season. The Atlanta Hawks continued to give up corner threes in the first game of the playoffs as the Knicks converted 44.4 percent of their corner threes on 9 attempts.
Unfortunately, Julius Randle only accounted for one of those attempts. If the Knicks decide to use Randle as a screener, they should aim to get him more open looks in the corner as he has excelled in that area over the past three seasons, converting 39.1 percent of his attempts on 0.8 attempts per game.
Consequently, Randle should set a screen; once the ball handler goes over it, he should go to one of the corners and wait for the ball handler to pass him the ball to shoot the wide-open three.
If the Knicks can succeed with Randle shooting corner threes, the Hawks will have to tell their players to stay closer to the corner to prevent him from shooting corner threes. If this occurs, it gives the Knicks one of two scenarios; either Julius Randle can pass it to a player attacking the basket for an open shot, or he can drive to the basket himself and try to score.
However, if the Knicks continue to utilize Randle as they did in Game 1, he will have the same result for the rest of the series.