Cavs 110, Knicks 104: Bringing a knife to a gunfight
Capitalizing on a 2-dimensional Knick offense, Cleveland stay undefeated as New York suffer their first home loss of the season
In a game where all of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges played, Miles McBride led the New York Knicks in 3-point takes and tied for the most makes. No, he did not hit 11-of-23 attempts – just 2-of-6. Therein lies the problem.
New York, as constructed on paper, should be one of the NBA’s premier offenses, with top-heavy shooting numbers. Instead Tom Thibodeau has (seemingly) catered to an approach focused on rim protection – on both sides of the ball. In cratering his offense within the paint and 2-point zones, the Knick coach is denying natural opportunities for 3-point scores, tying his best shooters on a 24-foot chain to the basket. The numbers speak for themselves; three games is enough to get a read on what kind of team New York is trying to be on both ends.
Remember: this team traded for Bridges and Towns after what were likely a series of strategy-centric discussions. Fans' first impressions of the Knicks this season are the final cut of a script drawn up by Leon Rose and the front office this summer. A look at the numbers paints a picture that seems largely black and white.
Notes
96 of the Knicks’ 336 points scored have come from 3-pointers, just 28 percent, ranking 21st in the NBA; last year it was 35% in an offense that almost always featured a non-shooting big. The Indiana Pacers are the only team ranked lower also capable of playing five-out. Their “star” point guard is struggling to start the year, and they represent New York’s only win through three games.
Midrange scores make up 11.9 percent of the Knicks scoring, highest in the league. The only teams in the top-10 of that category with a winning record are the New Orleans Pelicans (Brandon Ingram hit a game-winner over the 0-4 Portland Trail Blazers) and the Dallas Mavericks (Luka Dončić exists).
Credit to James Edwards III of The Athletic for this one: Through three games, New York’s opponents have attempted 127 shots from deep, while the Knicks have attempted only 65. That’s nearly double! In the year 2024! So it’s not that New York is unable to connect on threes – they’re seven in 3-point accuracy – but that they’re displaying an outright unwillingness to take them.
It’s not the addition of Bridges that is playing into this, either. His so-called inability to shoot accurately from long range (just 5 of 14 so far) hasn’t dissuaded him from trying (4.7 attempts per game). No, it’s the assimilation of Towns where the Knicks offense has fallen onto the path of most resistance. Often called one of the greatest shooting big men of all-time, the Big Bodega™ has only taken six threes through three games. Players with more three-point attempts this season include Santi Aldama, Noah Clowney, John Collins, Ousmane Dieng and AJ Green, to name a few. He’s got to shoot, but he’s also got to feel enabled to, which goes back to coaching – albeit not entirely.
After making 26 points look effortless against the Pacers, Brunson might as well have been pulling his own teeth out on Monday night. He finished with 21, but shot 8-of-24 and missed all four of his threes. Brunson’s earned the benefit of the doubt. He’ll bounce back. But he certainly didn’t help New York down the stretch, going back and forth between hesitation to shoot or straight-up forcing bad shots.
Ariel Hukporti: take a bow. This in-game dunk is one of the best in recent memory for the Knicks, rivaling even the most electric of Obi Toppin’s.
After a three-minute stint in the first quarter, Jericho Sims wasn’t seen again. Is it possible that Hukporti’s already passed him in the rotation? (Ed. note: Yes. Please.) There’s no question it’s the right move, only whether it’s being considered. Please, Thibs. Hukporti finished with two rebounds and one block and was one of only three Knicks not to finish with a negative plus-minus, along with Brunson and OG Anunoby.
I don’t think I’m on record anywhere downplaying Darius Garland, so I’ll say this here: he nice. Finished with as many points (34) as Brunson and Towns combined, going off in the decisive fourth quarter with 15 on 5-of-7 shooting. If the Cavaliers are ever going to split up their backcourt, I’m of the thinking it should be Donovan Mitchell they trade, not Garland.
Josh Hart went from listed as questionable to playing and recording a 16-point, 13-rebound, 3-steal performance. He remains hilarious, and undeniably inspiring to watch.
Don’t look now, but Anunoby has put together back-to-back showings on offense: 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. With other guys figuring it out, he’s provided some stability and trademark explosive defense.
Three-dimensional graphics revolutionized life because they emphasized depth, a necessary piece to displaying otherwise unknown concepts. New York’s trajectory to start the year has not only been black and white, but two-dimensional. The only way they can get a measure on how far they have to go to get where they want to be is by joining the rest of the league and expanding their offense into that third dimension. 79 more games to go.