Knicks' Shooting Drastically Improves On Paper After Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the New York Knicks were one of the most active teams in the market this time around.
New York added Bojan Bogdnović and Alec Burks from Detroit last week, nearly two months after previously picking up OG Anunoby in December. In analyzing the aftershocks a week after the transactions, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report noted that the Knicks' shooting should improve in the post-All-Star break slate ... once they're back at full strength, of course.
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"Given the problems presented to opposing defenses by Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle off the bounce ... it makes sense for the Knicks to seek optimal spacing around them," Buckley writes. "They took a big step toward having exactly that with the trade for Bogdanović and Burks, both of whom have buried better than 38 percent of their career three-point tries."
"Between the newcomers, Donte DiVincenzo's emergence as a quality-plus-quantity sharpshooter, and the spacing upgrade from swapping out RJ Barrett for Anunoby, New York suddenly has a depth of deep-distance threats."
New York (33-22) hasn't been able to enjoy the full yields of their deadline hauls: Aunoby remains out with an elbow injury while Bogdanovic sat out of Wednesday's loss in Orlando with a sore calf. Combine that with further injuries to Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein, Julius Randle (shoulder), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle), the Knicks have dropped four in a row and five of their past six.
The Knicks currently rank 16th in three-point percentage entering the All-Star break. While that's a drastic improvement a playoff effort saw them sink less than 30, New York will likely take any advantage they can get as they plan for a deep playoff run. Adding shooters like Bogdanovic and Burks should improve their fortunes from deep ... again, once everyone's healthy.
The Knicks will be back in action on Feb. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers. But before that, Jalen Brunson will represent the team in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in Indianapolis (8 p.m. ET, TNT).
