After a slow start on Thursday night, the Knicks turned in another impressive offensive performance.
They hit 54 percent of their shots (54.5 percent from beyond the arc) in a 125-101 win over a shorthanded Hornets team.
Yes, the Knicks should dominate a rebuilding team without three of its best players: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann were out with injuries.
But Thursday’s performance was no exception. The Knicks have the NBA’s best first-quarter offense of the season.
They rank first in offensive efficiency, second in effective field goal percentage, third in assist ratio and second in assist-to-turnover ratio.
“They made a conscious effort to move the ball and create leads,” Tom Thibodeau said after Thursday’s win. “I think the more you help someone else, the more you help yourself. I think the cuts have been the big thing; pushing the ball out of the cut, and then moving, and just being unselfish, making the extra pass to get a great shot. That requires everybody working together, and I think everybody is doing that. The unselfishness has been great.”
Over the last 10 games, the Knicks are averaging 29.9 assists per game and shooting 50 percent from the field (42 percent from beyond the arc).
“I just think we have the basketball IQ and everything we need to go out there and do what we’re asked to do,” Jalen Brunson said. “We know we have a lot of weapons out there. We know we have a lot of threats all over the floor. And we just have to play off each other.”
Brunson has been a driving force for the offense. He is fifth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio among players who play at least 30 minutes per game (minimum 18 games played). He is ninth in assist ratio among the same group of players.
“The big thing about Jalen is he’s always provided what the team needs in every role he’s played,” Thibodeau said Thursday. “He’s been in every role. In Dallas, he was on the bench. And then he came here and his role changed. And then we had injuries and then he had to score a lot more. And he’s adapted to that very well, too. And now we have scorers, so he’s reading the game very well.”