There is a growing myth that only elite three-point shooting teams are able to win championships. The reality is that balance takes precedence over everything else, and even the Golden State Warriors would echo that sentiment.
Teams that fail to convert the three balls with any form of consistency, however, could also resign themselves to the level of the suitors.
Many teams rank in the lower third of the NBA in three field goal points and still manage to win post-season. This is true of the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
The difference between those teams and the New York Knicks, who rank last in the three-point goals scored per game, is the efficiency with which they shoot.
Of all the post-season teams that were listed, only the Magic are currently shooting below 35 percent from beyond the arc as a team. Orlando is also five games below .500, despite being the seed no. 8 of the Eastern Conference, often criticized.
As the Knicks finish 27th in a three point goal percentage with a painful 0.333, it’s easy to put together how desperately the team has to improve from distance.