Knicks' Three-Point Shooting Has Drastically Improved
The three-pointer has been the most valuable shot in modern NBA basketball. Nowadays, success from three-point range is used as a relative barometer for a team's fortunes. Each of the last two NBA champions, for example, ranked fourth in percentage with an extra point on the line.
Last season, the New York Knicks figured that out the hard way: despite their most successful showing in a decade (winning 47 games and a playoff series), regret from deep led to a disappointing second-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat. After placing 24th in the regular season (34.7 percent), the Knicks were the only group among the 16 NBA playoff teams to shoot less than 30 percent from deep during the tournament.
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But this season has been a different story: through 30 games, the Knicks were shooting 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, good for 10th in the NBA entering Friday night's action. The average of 13 they've sunk a game also rounded out the top 10.
Starting point guard Jalen Brunson has been the biggest surprise in terms of three-point shooting this season, improving upon his impressive first season in New York when he shot a career-high 41.6 percent from deep.
Somehow, he has blown that number out of the water this season, shooting 45.3 percent on 1.6 more attempts per game. He is currently ninth in three-point percentage and has attempted to most among anyone in the top 10. Brunson made history from deep earlier this season, as his 9-of-9 output en route to 50 points in a Dec. 15 win over Phoenix tied an NBA record for most three-pointers without a miss.
Brunson has been assisted by old and new teammate Donte DiVincenzo has also impressed with his shooting, hitting 44.8 percent of his threes and attempting the second-most on the team at 5.4 per game.
The league average for three-point percentage this season up until this point is 36.5 percent, slightly above last year's 36.1 percent. In addition to Brunson and DiVincenzo, Immanuel Quickley (39.4) and Quentin Grimes (37.1) are the only two other Knicks players who are above league average.
While there's been drastic improvement, not everything's a swish on the Knicks' outside ledgers. The roster also features one of the worst three-point shooters in the NBA this year in Julius Randle: his current success rate of 29.1 percent is fourth-worst among qualified shooters, so it's probably best not to expect him back in All-Star Weekend's 3-Point Contest, even if the field gets desperate again.
The three has failed the Knicks (17-13) over the first half of their Friday night visit to Orlando: New York hit only 1-of-14 attempts en route to a 55-44 deficit at the midway mark.
