Adjustments the New York Knicks must make in order to win games

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New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier (Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports) /

1. The New York Knicks must make their open jump shots.

Although the game of basketball has changed a lot over the years, one thing that will never change is the overall objective of the game. Putting the ball in the basket is the goal of every offensive possession. The team who is able to do that at a higher frequency than their opponent will ultimately be the winner.

Thus far, the New York Knicks are averaging 114.9 points per game, so on the surface, it looks as if their offense is okay. However, a closer examination reveals a much different story. For starters, we’ve already established that the team’s commitment to defense is questionable at best, so an average offense is not going to compensate for a far below-average defense. For the Knicks to win games, they are going to have to start making open shots.

The team is currently shooting 45.6 percent from the field, good for 23rd in the league. Unfortunately, teams are often shooting a higher percentage against them than they would on most nights, so New York’s inability to make shots is exacerbated even further. Normally, when a team is not shooting the ball well, a concerted effort to get more points in the paint is a good temporary fix. However, the Knicks’ woes are more complicated.

With players like Julius Randle and Obi Toppin, the team is equipped with options who are capable of attacking the basket. Overall, they’re doing a decent job of getting to the free throw line, attempting 24 free throws per game, good for 11th in the league. They are knocking down 78.6 percent of their attempts, which is 12th in the NBA and far from dismal.

These stats reveal that the team is attacking the basket with regularity. However, the team is shooting an awful 32.6 percent from 3-point land, which leaves them ranked 28th out of 30 teams. Clearly, if the Knicks want to be competitive they are going to have to start knocking down 3-point shots.

Otherwise, the rest of their offense will continue to suffer for the remainder of the season.