Leon Rose is to blame for New York Knicks continued struggles

New York</a> Knicks initially signed Kemba Walker to reduce the offensive workload of Julius Randle. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"https://www.yahoo.com/now/led-knicks-signing-kemba-walker-215058846.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Bagley of SNY</a> stated on August 4th that the team was looking to acquire a playmaker on a short-term deal to help lift the burden off of Randle.</p> <p>New York had conversations with Kendrick Nunn about filling the role, but he decided to sign with the Lakers. Nunn’s decision contributed to them pivoting towards signing Walker. Unfortunately, the signing of Walker has not worked out as the organization thought.</p> <h2>Are the playmaking skills of New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker declining?</h2> <p>He is currently averaging a career-low 46.5 passes per game in 22 outings. Walker’s passing statistics are down 4.9 percent from the first 22 games of last season when he averaged 48.9 passes per game.</p> <p>The decline in passing statistics has negatively impacted his playmaking. He is averaging a career-low 3.8 assists per game, a 15.6 percent decrease from the first 22 games of last season. Walker’s decrease in assists has allowed him to produce a career-low 10 points per game off of his assists.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Offseason moves made by Leon Rose </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_394771" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-394771 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1047,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1213063152-1.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Leon Rose" width="1600" height="1047" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1213063152-1.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1213063152-1-768x503.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) New York Knicks president Leon Rose (C) watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden on March 06, 2020 in New York City. The Thunder defeated the Knicks 126-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>The offseason roster moves of New York Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose have put Randle in a position to showcase his weakness</h2> <p>Walker’s reduced playmaking role is related to the roster constructed by President of Basketball Operations, Leon Rose. Rose decided to re-sign Nerlens Noel to a $32 million contract for 3 seasons on August 2nd. One day later, Rose chose to re-sign Taj Gibson to a $2.7 million contract for one season.</p> <p>His decision to bring back those two centers meant that New York had three big men on the roster who needed to be inside the arc on offense. Mitchell Robinson, Gibson, and Noel all have career three-point percentages of below 23 percent.</p> <p>The lack of shooting from the center position has created an issue, as Walker or Randle is forced to stay behind the arc. New York runs an offense revolving around pick and rolls, isolation, and post-ups.</p> <p>New York is fifth in pick and rolls as they spend 20.7 percent of their possessions in the offensive set averaging 22.5 per game. Walker currently accounts for 32.4 percent of the team’s pick and rolls, averaging 7.3 per game.</p> <p>Walker has done most of his playmaking as a pick and roll ball handler throughout his career. Walker has spent 49.6 percent of his possessions in the offensive set, averaging 10 per game. He shoots 43 percent as a pick and roll ball handler on 8.2 attempts per game, creating 9.9 points per game.</p> <p>Walker doesn’t have a consistent pick and roll partner, though, as the team has chosen to split their roll man possessions among 5 players.</p> <p>New York is averaging 5.7 roll man possessions per game. Randle leads the team in the category averaging 2.5 per game; the rest are split among Obi Toppin, Gibson, Noel, and Robinson.</p> <p>The lack of a consistent pick and roll partner has contributed to Randle spending many possessions behind the arc. New York likes to have three shooters surrounding the pick and roll.</p> <p>Consequently, he has spent 20.1 percent of his possessions in the spot-up shooter role, averaging 4.5 per game. Unfortunately, Randle has struggled in the role, shooting 39.4 percent on 2.7 attempts per game.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Kemba Walker's time off the ball </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_439872" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-439872" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1334702724.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1334702724.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1334702724-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 17: Kemba Walker #8, Leon Rose, and Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks pose for a photo after a press conference at Madison Square Garden on August 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>New York point guard Kemba Walker is off the ball when the team doesn’t call a pick and roll. Leon Rose didn’t give the New York Knicks the right pieces to succeed</h2> <p>The Knicks often call an isolation or post-up when they aren’t running a pick and roll. They ran an isolation possession 8.8 percent of the time, averaging 9.5 per game. The team has given Randle 49.4 percent of the isolations, averaging 4.7 per game.</p> <p>Randle has also been the focal point of the team’s post-up possessions averaging 3.3 per game. He accounts for 76.7 percent of their possessions as the team runs a post up 3.9 percent of the time, averaging 4.3 per game.</p> <p>Like the pick and roll, the team likes to have multiple players behind the arc as they run these offensive sets. For example, Walker has taken 52.5 percent of his shots from behind the arc, averaging 6.1 per game.</p> <p>Fortunately, Walker is an above-average shooter with a career three-point percentage of 36 percent on 6.3 attempts per game before this season.</p> <p>Walker has continued to be an above-average shooter, shooting 40.7 percent this season on 6.1 attempts. Walker’s shooting ability hasn’t been good enough to elevate the starting lineup.</p> <p>They have shot 42.6 percent on 34.1 attempts, creating 39.5 points per game. New York’s inefficiency has contributed to them being outscored by 4.7 points per game.</p> <p>The Knicks’ starting lineup would be better if they had a stretch five. A three-point shooting center would open the door for Randle to get more roll-man possessions where he is more effective. He has shot 50.8 percent in the role since 2015 on 1.5 attempts per game.</p> <p>More importantly, it would increase the likelihood that both players can have big nights within the same game as they won’t have to alternate possessions. Rose appears to be aware that the team needs a stretch five, as they have been tied to Myles Turner in the trade market.</p> <p>In conclusion, Leon Rose’s roster moves this past offseason have played a vital role in the chemistry issues between Randle and Walker.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 NBA trades to help the Knicks make the playoffs" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/new-york-knicks/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/27/new-york-knicks-leon-rose/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/new-york-knicks/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 NBA trades to help the Knicks make the playoffs </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">