Once viewed as a strength on the team, the New York Knicks have suddenly run into a problem at the free throw line. Those woes have held them back in their recent games, as they have now dropped two of their last three games.
The Knicks are struggling from the free throw line
Over their last three games, New York is shooting just 60.7% from the charity stripe, an alarming figure given that they have Karl-Anthony Towns, a center who is capable of knocking down free throws. Before this recent slide, they were shooting an NBA-best 83.6% from the line and started the season 14-8.
The issues at the line have arguably been the difference-maker for the Knicks lately. Last Saturday against the Pistons, they missed 11 free throws in a nine-point loss, and they missed six free throws in an eight-point loss to the Hawks on Wednesday.
The Knicks have also not been getting to the line enough, making the missed opportunities more costly. New York is averaging just 19.8 free throw attempts per game this season, which is the fourth-fewest in the NBA. The few times that they do draw fouls and get to the line, they are not converting at the times they need to.
The Knicks offense is slipping of late
The Knicks’ offense is the most potent in the NBA. They have the third-best offensive rating at 120.8, and all five starters are averaging at least 14 points per game. However, the free throws becoming a weakness could be a massive issue for them moving forward, as they will not always be on point offensively every game.
Additionally, the Knicks have started to struggle with their three-point shooting, as they shot just 11-for-42 from beyond the arc in Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks. If they are not going to make their free throws, they will be banking on knocking down their other perimeter shots, which is always a tall task to overcome.
Hopefully, the Knicks can snap out of their funk at the free throw line sooner rather than later, as they are dropping winnable games as a result of the issues at the line. They will look to bounce back from their loss to Atlanta when they head to Orlando to take on the shorthanded Magic on Saturday.
