However, there is no doubt that Philadelphia has more talent on their roster. Even with Embiid limping, he managed to average 31.5 points per game. Unfortunately for the Sixers, he also shoots 39.2% from the field and 23.5% from 3, on a heavy diet of difficult shot attempts.
The Knicks may be leading 2-0, but they’ve run into a similar problem.
Emerging star Jalen Brunson is New York’s best perimeter scorer since Carmelo Anthony.
So far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Brunson has averaged 23.0 points per game. However, he shoots just 29.1% from the field and 16.7% from 3. He is a high-usage player, averaging 27.5 field goal attempts per game, nearly double that of the next highest player higher.
Josh Hart is averaging the second-most points (21.5) and field goal attempts (14.5) per game, making 53.3 percent of his 3-point attempts. A career 34.4% shooter from deep, Hart could regress to the mean sooner rather than later. However, while Brunson remains their best shot creator, Hart has been their most reliable scorer.
All of this leads to the question of whether Brunson Ball is the best strategy for the Knicks.
New York is 13-14 when Brunson attempts at least 25 field goals, suggesting he lower that number. To that end, increasing Hart’s production further doesn’t seem feasible. However, the Knicks have several players shooting at least 40% from 3 in this series.