FanPost

Why the Hawks loss was actually a win for the Knicks

With the Knicks home opener having come and gone there was a few positives I took from the lost. Yes the Knicks lost 112-101 but this was against a 60 win team just a year ago.


The Knicks managed to score 101 points against one of the better defensive units in this league. The Knicks got the the line 21 times and converted 19 of them. We also managed to out-rebound one of the best rebounding teams in the league ( 39-48). Kyle O'Quinn grabbed ten rebounds in only 22 minutes of action last night. So the hustle and offense was there we just failed to excite defensively.

Another exciting stat was found in the assist column. The Atlanta Hawks reputation is predicted on constant ball movement. The Hawks had 26 assist which was a huge reason they won. Well the Knicks weren't to far behind with 21 assist. Which goes to show you that the triangle which requires constant ball movement is working. The ball moves faster then your feet, so if there's constant ball movement you are bound to find a open shot. The major difference offensively was the Hawks shot 41% from 3 and the Knicks shot 20%. If the Knicks hit a few more of those 3s it would have been a different story.

Lastly was the fight the Knicks put up. Playing on the tale end of a back to back we looked full of energy. Actually a bit too much energy as our rapid fast pace attack led to 21 turnovers which also fueled the Hawks attack. Yet with the lead having ballooned to 61-45 by halftime the Knicks slowly chipped away. Out-scoring ATL 56- 51 after halftime showing the fight that we so often have lacked during last years debacle.

In the end turnovers and defensive break downs at the 3 point line did us in. But those are simple adjustments fisher and the staff will work on. However there clearly is a new founded energy in these years Knicks.