For a team that boasts a lot of strong perimeter defenders, the Knicks certainly concede a ton of points outside the 3-point line.
The Timberwolves were the most recent opponent to score against the Knicks, making 22 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc in a 116-99 victory Friday night at the Garden. I made it a success.
“It's pretty hard when they're making shots like that. We're just trying to catch up and stop them, but tonight was their night,” he said after the Knicks lost for the sixth time in nine games. OG Anunoby said afterwards. “I think we haven't done a good job of getting shutouts because they're just making shots. We've got to get better at that.”
Despite the presence of high-profile perimeter defenders like Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and reserve guard Myles McBride, the Knicks were already 25th in the NBA in opponents' 3-point percentage at 37.3 percent. is ranked.
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards sank eight 3-pointers on 13 attempts, and Naz Reid was a perfect 6-of-6 off the bench.
“We've got to get better and help each other. … It's just us. The players in the locker room, the coaches. It's us,” Bridges said. “We have to be better, that's all I can say.”
Tom Thibodeau said how he always deals with this statistical weakness, focusing on the amount of trays attempted over efficiency.
The Knicks are allowing 36.3 3-point attempts per game this season, the sixth-fewest in the league.
“There are several ways to look at it. Our tolerance is pretty high,” Thibodeau said. “We didn’t pick it up tonight, we gave up 40 points, and the best way to protect our line is to prevent 3s, and that’s what we’re pretty good at.
“But we must try [shots]. We have to have the ability to get in and out, and we have to recognize if a guy is aroused. We need to reliably capture and deprive him of his airspace. You have to read the game and make the players do one or two things that they really don't want to do. ”
