Knicks Struggle with Pace Post All-Star Break

The Knicks are facing some challenges with a key aspect emphasized by coach Mike Brown since the All-Star break.

This season, he’s been advocating for a faster pace, yet the team remains in the lower half of the league speed-wise. They are certainly quicker than last year under Tom Thibodeau, though.

Interestingly, since the break, the Knicks have managed only an average of 97.25 possessions per game, a dip from their season average of 98.57.

“We really need to focus on improving our pace, especially on the offensive end,” Brown remarked after a significant loss in Cleveland on Tuesday. “Our pace isn’t good enough. We must do better at positioning ourselves in the corners and maintaining speed in the frontcourt.”

In that loss, the Knicks recorded just 95 possessions, which seems indicative of the issue.

“It felt like running through mud tonight,” he commented, capturing the struggle. “No matter what happens, we need to pick it up.”

After the defeat, the Knicks found themselves tied with the Cavaliers in standings. Following Cleveland’s acquisition of James Harden before the trade deadline, their competition has intensified, with a record of 6 wins and 1 loss against Harden’s new team. However, they’ve also been dealing with injuries. Harden fractured his right thumb and is currently questionable for their matchup against the Bucks.

In addition, Donovan Mitchell suffered a groin strain during Tuesday’s game, sidelining him as well.

Should the Knicks and Cavaliers face off in the playoffs, Cleveland has seemingly found an effective strategy to handle Jalen Brunson. Dean Wade has primarily been tasked with guarding Brunson this season, and stats back the effectiveness of that matchup. This year alone, Brunson has struggled against Wade, scoring only six points across three games and shooting poorly when defended by him. In Tuesday’s matchup, Brunson managed just one field goal out of four attempts and couldn’t convert any deep shots when Wade was on him.