3. Improve offensive efficiency. The Knicks can also compensate for the loss of Chandler and Felton by adjusting the offensive scheme, albeit a foreign concept to Woodson, who appears married to isolation offense.
Last season, the Knicks thrived thanks to 3-point shooting. They averaged NBA records of 10.87 makes and 28.91 attempts per game, and their percentage of .376 was fifth in the league.
However, that has not been the case this season. New York is second in attempts at 25.73 but just 25th in 3-point percentage at .322.
Steve Novak’s discount double check dance has been missed at MSG.
The decline is largely a product of losing snipers Steve Novak, Chris Copeland and Jason Kidd.
Last season, Novak was the NBA’s 11th best 3-point shooter at .425 and Copeland was 13th at .421. Kidd retired with the third most 3-pointers in league history (1,988).
The Knicks must hope Smith’s early season struggles from downtown are due to rust. After shooting .415 from the arc in his previous two seasons in New York, Smith’s current mark of .310 appears to be an aberration.
Felton must also regain his form. He has shot a career-worst 3-point percentage (.206) through nine games.
Taking time off to heel a nagging hamstring injury may be just what the shooting doctor ordered so Felton can get more lift on his jumper.
Bargnani will have to replace Copeland as the stretch big while Chandler remains sidelined.
To improve upon these dreadful numbers, Woodson should run more pick-and-pop plays for Bargnani at the top of the key, where’s he’s an above average shooter, perhaps with Anthony as the ball handler since the defense must respect his ability to beat a defender off the dribble.
The Knicks can also try and create space for shooters by running pin downs to free players such as Smith, Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. for wing catches, where they can shoot or attack in space.
Based on Woodson’s inability or unwillingness to adjust, I don’t see the Knicks being able to duplicate the shooting performances of proven departed shooters Novak, Copeland and Kidd.
To compensate, the Knicks must get to the foul line more. They are next to last in both free throws made (13.82) and attempted (17.82).
“If that’s the case then, if we’re going off of statistics, then yeah, we’ve got to attack a little bit more,” Anthony said after the loss to Indiana.
Anthony has shouldered the offensive burden more than any other player in the league as the only player to lead his team in scoring every game.
New York shoots .776 from the line, 10th in the league. If the Knicks can successfully attack the paint and draw fouls, they will be rewarded at an above-average rate.
Even if New York doesn’t draw fouls by attacking the defense in the mid-range game, it would stand a better chance of improving its woeful 27th-ranked true shooting (.502) and effective field goal (.467) percentages.
Woodson must make these adjustments soon or the proverbial coaching hot seat will get warmer and the Knicks will quickly fade from contenders to pretenders.
Michael Scotto is a Sheridan Hoops NBA columnist. You can follow him on Twitter.