I find this to a very interesting post. To your point, I'm not really sure how they can scale up with Bridges as the P&R guy, but I'm not sure they have too many other options.
One thought I've had in the past: can they run more inverted P&R to get Towns driving downhill? He certainly isn't Chris Paul, but if they simplified his reads as a passer, I wonder if he couldn't survive doing it a few times a game. Not sure what the numbers say about that, and given he is also the team's best floor spacer besides Brunson, it might be dead in the water.
But something has to change, to your point. I found that graph of their declining P&R PPP by month quite compelling.
1. Bridges isn't a good primary PnR ball-handling option. The simple solution is to go under; teams would LOVE it if Bridges wanted to try to beat them by shooting 10 off the dribble threes.
^^ Dead in the water option ^^
2. Ehhh, Towns isn't a great ball handler (otherwise, they would be running a lot more Towns DHO actions). His passing in the short roll or on early rotations in the PnPop isn't great either — if you can't make good passing reads in those types of advantage situations, it doesn't bode well for playing as the primary ball handler in PnR actions.
Plus - teams are playing with more switchable defenders on Towns, so an easy switch is the most likely outcome of the inverted PnR.
Two simple options seem possible:
1. Post the Towns switches in the PnR like BOS does KP and see if he can start to punish.
2. Might be time to break up the volume of minutes the Starting 5 is together and layer in more multiple ball-handling + shooter players in lineups with Brunson, Payne, and McBride
Another excellent Neil and Marc collab. From a roster perspective, The Knicks is in no man's land. They don't have the superstar talent that is common among elite teams but unlike many of the elite teams today, they don't have much depth. I think they best 5 is as good as anyone, but they are not going to dominate other elite starting five like the 17-18 Warriors. I think they are still a title contender but behind Boston, Cleveland, OKC, and Dallas.
They aren’t in my inner circle of title contenders, either.
Neil and I left a bit on the cutting room floor regarding how title teams are built through multiple draft cycles. The Knicks don’t really fall into that category and it effects how the roster can be built.
I find this to a very interesting post. To your point, I'm not really sure how they can scale up with Bridges as the P&R guy, but I'm not sure they have too many other options.
One thought I've had in the past: can they run more inverted P&R to get Towns driving downhill? He certainly isn't Chris Paul, but if they simplified his reads as a passer, I wonder if he couldn't survive doing it a few times a game. Not sure what the numbers say about that, and given he is also the team's best floor spacer besides Brunson, it might be dead in the water.
But something has to change, to your point. I found that graph of their declining P&R PPP by month quite compelling.
Great thoughts, as always, Mike!!
1. Bridges isn't a good primary PnR ball-handling option. The simple solution is to go under; teams would LOVE it if Bridges wanted to try to beat them by shooting 10 off the dribble threes.
^^ Dead in the water option ^^
2. Ehhh, Towns isn't a great ball handler (otherwise, they would be running a lot more Towns DHO actions). His passing in the short roll or on early rotations in the PnPop isn't great either — if you can't make good passing reads in those types of advantage situations, it doesn't bode well for playing as the primary ball handler in PnR actions.
Plus - teams are playing with more switchable defenders on Towns, so an easy switch is the most likely outcome of the inverted PnR.
Two simple options seem possible:
1. Post the Towns switches in the PnR like BOS does KP and see if he can start to punish.
2. Might be time to break up the volume of minutes the Starting 5 is together and layer in more multiple ball-handling + shooter players in lineups with Brunson, Payne, and McBride
3. Schematically, New York could help themselves in the Hart and Brubson PnR by putting Bridges in the dunker spot.
It's very similar to what BOS did in the finals against DAL.
This would allow them to dictate Bridges’ defender, most likely the weakest defender in Low Man Help with towns and OG spacing the floor.
^^ I assume you will see this a lot in a PO setting. ^^
Another excellent Neil and Marc collab. From a roster perspective, The Knicks is in no man's land. They don't have the superstar talent that is common among elite teams but unlike many of the elite teams today, they don't have much depth. I think they best 5 is as good as anyone, but they are not going to dominate other elite starting five like the 17-18 Warriors. I think they are still a title contender but behind Boston, Cleveland, OKC, and Dallas.
Thanks, Marc!
They aren’t in my inner circle of title contenders, either.
Neil and I left a bit on the cutting room floor regarding how title teams are built through multiple draft cycles. The Knicks don’t really fall into that category and it effects how the roster can be built.