As a team in their first 3 games, the Knicks shot 43% from depth, but against the Cavs, they drastically improved those numbers by hitting 14 out of 25 from three balls which equates to a staggering 56% on the night. These numbers obviously aren’t sustainable, but considering how anything would be an improvement over last season’s production, I couldn’t be happier with the effort made to stretch the floor so far.
With the addition of Alec Burks and the return of Reggie Bullock, Knicks fans expected these players to earn a high percentage of their three, but we also have some very unlikely contributors who have improved their high-end game in this one. season.
Between Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina and the aforementioned Julius Randle, the Knicks are starting to look more and more like the Splash brothers reincarnation of 2015. I dragged Elfrid Payton in the mud after his performances against the Pacers and Sixers, but right after the game news came that both Payton and Ntilikina stayed late at Garden to pull shots, as they were both disappointed with how they were playing. Since then, Payton has played the game of his life against the Bucks on Sunday and put together another great statistic on Tuesday night as he threw 3-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively.
Frank Ntilikina saw the floor for the full 7 minutes combined between Matches 1 and 2 of the season. Due to some unfortunate injuries, DSJ’s inability to play basketball and an outstanding performance against the Bucks, Frank has gained 35 minutes of action in his last 2 games and the boy has capitalized on his opportunity. The Frank stans out there are definitely smiling from ear to ear, as he was able to convert five of his seven 3-point attempts into those 2 games. Nothing would make me happier than Frankie proving doubters wrong by staying a Knick, becoming the New York version of Marcus Smart.