Schmeelk: 5 Things Knicks Fans Can Learn From NBA Playoffs
Updated Tuesday, May 10 10:10 a.m.
By John Schmeelk
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Here are some observations from the postseason that should be of particular interest to Knicks fans.
1. You can win even if you decide not to shoot a ton of 3s, but it helps.
The Warriors and Cavaliers continue to roll as top seeds in both conferences by spreading the floor and assaulting the scoreboard with a bevy of shots from behind the arc. Six of the top eight teams in 3-point attempts per game in the playoffs advanced to the second round.
The only two teams in the second round not in the top eight are the Spurs (fourth fewest attempts) and the Heat (third fewest attempts). Both teams operate a lot in the mid range and rely on their defense to win games. It can be done. It should be noted, however, the two teams have talent especially suited to playing in those areas. Dwyane Wade has always operated outside the paint but inside the arc, and LaMarcus Aldridge lives in the mid and high posts. The Spurs even run a lot of the pinch post stuff that occurs in the triangle offense.
The Knicks can win with the triangle. They just need to get the right pieces, which is really the hard -- and most important -- part.
2. What the Knicks need in the worst way is improved guard play.
Look at the backcourts that are in the second round of the NBA playoffs: Atlanta's Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver (the worst of them), Cleveland's Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Danny Green, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson, Portland's Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and Miami's Goran Dragic Wade. Every single one of those players would be the best player in the Knicks' backcourt this past season except for maybe Andre Roberson. That's how bad the Knicks backcourt was last year. And until the talent in those spots is significantly upgraded through young players improving (Jerian Grant, Tony Wroten) or in free agency, the Knicks are going nowhere fast.
3. DeRozan is not worth a max contract.
It's a small sample size for DeRozan compared to his work in the regular season, but his issues in the playoffs should raise a bit of a red flag. It is always going to be harder to get to the rim and draw fouls (generally more contact is allowed in the playoffs) in the postseason, and at least so far this year, it has limited his effectiveness. His jumper, already suspect, has been off, and he is shooting just 34 percent from the field. He is certainly a better shooter than he has shown in the playoffs, but combine this inconsistency with his already well below-average defense, and it's clear that granting him a max contract would not be in the Knicks best interests.
4. Coaching matters, but only to a certain extent.
The Thunder went from Scott Brooks to Billy Donovon as their head coach, but their issues at the end of games still persists. Russell Westbrook is what he is. He is a heart-stopping excitement, and someone that can carry a team for game at a time. He is also someone that makes some bad decisions, especially in terms of shot selection, late in games. I'm not sure coaching is ever going to change that. Westbrook will have to figure it out on his own.
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5. Finally, the rest of the NBA that has a coaching vacancy is moving forward with securing their future coaches.
The Knicks' president is in Montana not actively interviewing anyone, including two coaches made available in recent days, Dave Joerger and Frank Vogel. (Sacramento reportedly hired Joerger on Monday.) Roland Lazenby, who covered Phil Jackson for a long time, tweeted Sunday what most Knicks fans think: That Rambis is Jackson's guy, and it is only a matter of time before his hiring becomes official. Jackson is waiting for something. What is anyone's guess.
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