Knicks의 효율성 문제는 Pelicans의 뜨거운 슈팅보다 더 큰 문제

The Ingram Problem, Not Just His Hot Hand

Look, the Pelicans beat the Knicks 115-92 last night. That's a 23-point drubbing. But if you just look at the raw score, you miss the real story, which, for the Knicks, is an ugly one about shot quality. Brandon Ingram dropped 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three. That's a true shooting percentage of 86.8%. He was lights out. But it wasn't just Ingram hitting tough shots; the Knicks were giving them up like candy.

New Orleans shot 50.6% from the field as a team and 46.2% from beyond the arc, draining 18 threes. That’s an offensive rating of 127.8, which is frankly unsustainable against a decent defense. The Knicks, for all their supposed defensive identity, allowed far too many open looks, particularly in transition and off broken plays. They ranked 7th in opponent three-point percentage coming into this game at 35.1%, so this was a significant dip.

Knicks' Self-Inflicted Wounds on Offense

Here's where it gets painful if you're a Knicks fan who cares about scoring efficiency. They shot a dismal 37.5% from the field and 27.5% from three, making just 11-of-40 attempts. Julius Randle, bless his heart, went 4-of-16 for 13 points. RJ Barrett wasn't much better, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting. That's a combined 10-of-33 from your two primary offensive creators. You just can't win in the modern NBA with that kind of production.

The Knicks' offensive rating was 102.2 for the game. That's a season-low for them, and it’s a stark contrast to their season average of 113.4. Jalen Brunson tried to keep them afloat with 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting, but he can't do it all. The issue wasn't just missing shots; it was the quality of the shots they were getting. Too many contested mid-range jumpers, too many rushed looks early in the shot clock. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.1%, miles below the Pelicans' 63.8%.

The Ugly Truth About Their Shot Diet

Real talk: the Knicks need to look in the mirror about their shot selection. They attempted 40 threes, which is a good number in today's game, but they only made 11. That tells me they weren't getting enough high-percentage corner threes or open looks off penetration. Instead, it felt like a lot of forced perimeter shots. The Pelicans, meanwhile, generated 32 free throw attempts to the Knicks' 19, showing they were attacking the rim and drawing contact more effectively. Getting to the line is the most efficient way to score, and the Knicks left too many points on the board there.

My hot take? Until the Knicks can consistently generate high-quality looks for players not named Brunson, they'll remain a playoff team that struggles against truly efficient offenses. They need more off-ball movement, more pick-and-roll variety, and fewer hero-ball isolations. The talent is there, but the offensive scheme needs to evolve to maximize their scoring potential.

Bold prediction: If the Knicks don't improve their shot quality metrics by the All-Star break, they'll be buyers for a true floor-spacing wing who can hit open looks consistently.