3 Knicks trends that stood out during first half of 2023-24 season
After passing the halfway mark of the 2023-24 season, the Knicks find themselves at 25-17, and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
The first half of the season has been highlighted by change. Starting center Mitchell Robinson has missed half of the season due to ankle surgery, and the Knicks made a significant trade to acquire OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors.
Trends in the first half of the season were both old and new. The Knicks continued to rely heavily on offensive rebounding while the defense has improved after a rough start.
Here’s a look at three trends that have stood out from New York’s first half of the season...
1. Offensive rebounding is still king
After 41 games, the Knicks are ranked 10th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, putting up 117.3 points per 100 possessions. It is an amazing feat considering the team is in the bottom third of the NBA in effective field goal percentage (53.9 percent) and true shooting percentage (57.6 percent).
The real reason behind the Knicks’ offensive success is offensive rebounding -- New York is second in offensive rebounding rate. It’s been a recurring theme for the club. The Knicks were ranked second last season and sixth two years ago.
The success on the offensive glass can initially be attributed to Robinson. The starting center led the league in offensive rebounding early on. Even after an injury removed Robinson from the lineup indefinitely, his backup Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped up.
Hartenstein is currently fifth in offensive rebound rate in the NBA among players who have played at least 20 games and 15 minutes per game this season, per NBA Stats.
Additional contributors on the offensive glass such as Julius Randle and Josh Hart deserve credit as well.
2. Anunoby is a catalyst to defensive growth
In December, the Knicks were in a rut on the defensive end. Last year, the team finished just 19th in defensive efficiency. The club was ranked 18th on defense in late December before Anunoby’s arrival.
Since Anunoby entered the lineup on New Year’s Day, the Knicks are ranked second in defensive efficiency (104.1 points allowed per 100 possessions). Anunoby has proven he can prop up a defense by himself in a short amount of time, helping the Knicks rise to 11th in the category this season.
Anunoby can guard multiple positions and often defends the opposition’s best perimeter offensive option. Off the ball, he is equally effective with deflections and timely rotations.
If New York can consistently defend, that gives the team more hope in the playoffs. The team was always going to have issues guarding big wings like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jimmy Butler. Now, the Knicks have a defender in Anunoby who can go toe to toe with some of the best offensive talent in the NBA.
3. Brunson and Randle carrying the offense, and the bench becoming a weakness
To acquire the elite defense and quality three-point shooting of Anunoby, the Knicks dealt two of their top four shot-creators in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
The trade has improved the team’s defense and floor spacing on offense but has also placed more pressure on Jalen Brunson and Randle to score while thinning out the bench.
During Thursday night’s 113-109 win against the Washington Wizards, every Knicks starter played at least 38 minutes and the bench scored just seven points. Brunson stepped up, scoring 41 points in the win.
Brunson has scored at least 30 points in five of his last seven games, and Randle has reached the mark in five of his last 10 games. With Quickley traded, New York is relying on Hart, Quentin Grimes, and Miles McBride to contribute off the bench, which has been inconsistent.
That’s part of the reason why the Knicks are pursuing a complementary guard who can play alongside Brunson, while being a playmaker and lead operator when Brunson is on the bench. Names such as the recently traded Bruce Brown and Malcolm Brogdon are potential Knicks targets.
