Dylan Backer
The New York Knicks have hit a mini slide, losing three of their last four games, including two convincing losses to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. During this stretch, their offense has sputtered and their shooting has gone cold.
The Knicks need to improve their offense
Against the Lakers, the Knicks were just 8-for-34 from three and scored only 97 points. Against the Clippers, they shot better from three (14-for-35), but struggled with ball control as they turned the ball over 20 times, as they fell short of winning 118-126.
In addition, players such as Mikal Bridges and Jose Alvarado have been quiet of late. Bridges and Alvarado both went scoreless against the Lakers, and Bridges only scored seven points against the Clippers and Alvarado continued to struggle offensively.
That leaves the question of whether head coach Mike Brown needs to make a tweak to his rotation. Since Alvarado’s arrival via trade, Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson have been forced to take a back seat, losing their playing time in favor of some of the other guys.
Brown has thrown Clarkson back in occasionally, but only when the offense sputters. Perhaps he should consider placing Kolek back in, to help add more playmaking and a faster pace.
Tyler Kolek could provide a spark to the Knicks’ bench
The numbers back up the idea as well. Though it is a small sample size of only 24 minutes together on the floor, the five-man lineup of Kolek, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns have a net rating of 38.3. Kolek has shown the capability to run the offense well, as well as provide some perimeter scoring.
In no way does this indicate that Jalen Brunson is at fault for the recent offensive drought. Brunson has improved as a playmaker this season and got back on track with his scoring against the Clippers with 28 points. However, the Knicks could use the spark Kolek provides, and the fact that he plays well with the starters could signal that he is capable of re- entering the rotation.
Kolek flashed his ability in the blowout win over the Denver Nuggets last week, where he recorded eight assists in only nine minutes during garbage time. The idea of him re-entering the rotation is not to say that Alvarado should be out of the rotation, as his energy on defense is still very valuable, but the extra offense could be a real boost to the team.
Ultimately, tweaks to the rotation could be forthcoming as they try to snap out of their funk. They got the Utah Jazz up next on Wednesday on the road.
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