How Knicks' spacing will be the story of their 2023-24 season

After the Knicks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 110-105 on Friday night, the team dropped to a 2-4 record. In the loss to Milwaukee, the Knicks shot just 10-for-39 (25.6 percent) from the three-point line.

Just six games into the season, the offense has been a large concern for New York. It is currently ranked 29th out of 30 teams in offensive efficiency, scoring just 103.9 points per 100 possessions. 

At the center of the weak offense is shooting and spacing the floor.

Poor nights from the perimeter are becoming a regular occurrence for the Knicks. Before Friday night's loss, there was Wednesday night when the Knicks converted just five of 30 three-point attempts (16.7 percent) in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and before that was last Saturday night when they shot 18.9 percent from three in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The three-point shot is dictating wins and losses. In two wins, the Knicks are shooting 42.3 percent from three and in four losses, just 27.2 percent.

In New York’s loss to the Cavs, Knicks All-Star Julius Randle said spacing was at the center of the team’s struggles. 

“Everything is just pretty packed in,” Randle told the media. “We’re working really hard for everything... We’re just looking at a lot of bodies out there whenever we’re catching the ball... so we’ve just got to figure out a way to open it up a little bit.”

Spacing has been an issue. The Knicks are currently ranked 24th in three-point percentage, shooting just 32.4 percent from the three-point line. Teams know that and are loading up in the paint and throwing extra defenders at Randle and Jalen Brunson. Knicks perimeter threats such as Immanuel Quickley (32.3 percent from three), Donte DiVincenzo (33.3 percent) and Josh Hart (25 percent) have also struggled from the perimeter as floor spacers.

Randle could make quicker reads and decisions to help solve his problem. He’s seeing multiple defenders at times and struggling to finish in a crowd while also making poor decisions as the early part of the season has been rough for the Knicks starting power forward.

In the Milwaukee game, he shot just 5-for-20 from the field, including 1-for-9 from deep. On the season, Randle is averaging just 13.7 points on 27.1 percent shooting from the field and 22.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Last season, Randle primarily cut midrange shots and launched threes at a career-high rate. The difference last season was Randle was a below league average but respectable 34.3 percent from the three-point line. The Knicks need him to hit around that rate to keep the offense afloat.

The shaky three-point performances aren’t just a concern for now, but at the center of how this team has been constructed. Even at their peak, the Knicks can’t consistently rely on outside shooting to beat opponents. Last season, New York won a playoff series in spite of putrid shooting from three. During the regular season, the Knicks were 19th in three-point percentage (35.4 percent).

Of course, it’s just six games into the new season and the Knicks likely won’t be this bad from the perimeter all season, however the club is also last in the NBA in field goal percentage in the restricted area per NBA Stats. It’d be a unique feat to finish in the bottom five in shooting near the rim and at the three-point line.

It’s a reminder that this team’s offense has a ceiling. For a starting lineup featuring a paint bound center in Mitchell Robinson, as well as two historically high usage, below average shooters in Randle and RJ Barrett, the Knicks offense has limitations.

It’s something that will require a long look in the mirror. Even if the Knicks’ nightmare start turns around, the iffy spacing will be what keeps New York from being a legitimate contender in the East.