The New York Knicks can find a two-way player among the 2016 free agent class.
The NBA’s analytics movement has not just affected the way teams play but how they build their roster. The New York Knicks aren’t exempt from that line of thinking.The league has put tremendous value on two-way players, players who can play good defense and score, and the more specific “3-and-D” specialist, a player that focuses on perimeter shooting and defense.
The Knicks were 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions during 2015-16 but they were first in opponent’s field goal percentage at the rim. They need to shore up their perimeter defense.
One way they can improve is by adding an aggressive defender. The Knicks were last in opponent turnovers and last in steals.
The Knicks had four players shoot above the league average from three-point range in 2015-16 and only one of them is under contract for next season.
When Hornacek was in Phoenix, his team’s finished 4th, 10th, and 12th in three pointers attempted per game, and 4th, 10th, and 11th in percentage of points from three pointers.
In 2015-16, the Knicks finished 23rd in threes attempted, 22nd in percentage of points from beyond the arc, and 20th in three-point percentage.
Check out the Suns offense in Hornacek’s first season (2013-14) when they finished in the top ten in offensive efficiency and three-point percentage.
Can you imagine the 2015-16 Knicks ever looking like that?
If Hornacek wants to run an offense that remotely resembles the one in that video he’ll need new pieces next season.
These are the two-way players that the Knicks should target in free agency. They can help.
1. Nicolas Batum, SF, Charlotte Hornets
Nicolas Batum will reap the benefits of the salary cap boom this summer. He projects as a max player no matter where he goes. As crazy as that might seem, it’s not as much about him as it is the way the league is trending.
He’s the type of versatile wing that every GM wants and every coach trusts. He can shoot, pass, and defend multiple positions.
When it comes to scoring though, Batum is strictly a shooter. According to Basketball-Reference, the average distance of his career FGAs is 16.4 feet. 47.5% of those have been three-pointers. Batum shoots 36.0% from beyond the arc for his career, so those numbers shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Batum is coming off the best scoring season of his career, helped largely by a superior perimeter game. He was 34.8% on three-point attempts and 36.5% on catch and shoot attempts from downtown and made his open looks, going 38.6% on “open” threes and 37.2% on “wide open” threes (via NBA.com).
He particularly excelled while moving off the ball, finishing in the 84th percentile in points per possession on plays while coming off a screen going away from the basket.
The point forward led the Charlotte Hornets in assists and assist percentage during the 2015-16 season.
Batum was a smart, aggressive passer, evidenced by 41.2% of his assists coming on makes in the restricted area (via Nylon Calclulus).
Batum’s defense is a subject for debate. Some people would tell you that he’s a great perimeter defender while others would argue he’s wildly inconsistent. It’s hard to argue with the latter.
Batum makes plays on defense but he is prone to inexplicable lapses of the James Harden variety.
He can be a bit spacy, and playing defense without bending your knees is just straight up weird, but Batum has a 7’4″ wingspan that allows him to disrupt passing lanes and help out his teammates. Your defense is better with him on the court than with him off it.
Batum may not be the Knicks first choice. He may not have any interest. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t inquire.
2. Allen Crabbe, SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers were a surprise playoff team this season and that was largely attributed to their starting backcourt. Damian Lillard is a superstar and with C.J. McCollum winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award Allen Crabbe‘s play went unnoticed.
Crabbe distinguished himself as a legitimate 3-and-D wing, amplifying his value in a contract season, and the Trail Blazers will likely match any offer that the restricted free agent receives.
Despite his low usage percentage (16.4%), Crabbe was third in scoring (10.3) and fourth in minutes (26.0) after being a little used bench player in his first two seasons. The most staggering improvement though was in his shooting.
Crabbe put all of his skills on display in this Dec. game against the Indiana Pacers knocking down a number of jumpers off the catch and pulling up off the dribble to make others.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard hovered around the league average of 35% on threes in 2014-15, but finished in the top 30 from downtown this season, converting at a 39.3% clip.
Per NBA.com, 48.2% of Crabbe’s field goal attempts this season were catch and shoots and he converted on 41.9% of those from three-point range. Unlike some three-point snipers, Crabbe didn’t have a problem putting the ball on the floor and taking a mid-range jumper.
He converted on 44.8% of his mid-range shots and shot 41.4% on pull-ups, a detriment to many pure shooters.
3. Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
Kent Bazemore took DeMarre Carroll‘s starting spot with the Hawks after Carroll left for big money in free agency. Bazemore has a similar skill set and he will get paid for it.
He had a breakout season at just the right time, filling the stat sheet and emerging as a legit two-way player.
The 26-year-old swingman averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 three-point shots made on a slash line of .441/.357/.815.
Bazemore’s an elite athlete which allows to him create second opportunities on the offensive glass or start a fast break on the defensive end.
The Knicks had very few players who can drive the ball at the rim in 2015-16. Bazemore would give them one. He averaged 4.4 drives per game and shot 43.4% on the attempts. Only one Knick averaged more than 3.0 drives per game in 2015-16, Jerian Grant.
Where Bazemore is really a threat is with his defense and his three-point shooting.
Per NBA.com, Baze defended an 8.7 FGAs per game and lowered opponent’s field goal percentage by -2.9%.
Per NBA.com, he was 38.9% on catch and shoot threes and 41.5% on corner threes. With the open looks that would come from playing with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, those opportunities would come in bunches.
In this game against the Cavs, Bazemore shows off his full arsenal. He scores in transition, off the bounce, and off the catch, attacks the basket, and plays aggressive defense.
The Hawks played fast this year and Bazemore thrived in the up-tempo offense. There’s no doubt he would fit in nicely alongside Anthony and Porzingis.
4. Courtney Lee, SG, Charlotte Hornets
Courtney Lee was such a good three-and-D wing for the Grizzlies that Ian Levy of Nylon Calculus wrote a column about his impact on the franchise after the trade to the Hornets.
Lee’s size on the wing and physical defense would be a welcome addition to a Knicks’ team that was last in steals and opponent’s turnover percentage.
A large majority of Lee’s three-point FGAs were off the catch, and rightfully so, he made them at a 40.3% clip. But he’s more than just a three point shooter.
Lee made 45.8% of his two-point shots that were greater than 16 feet and 42.5% on pull ups.
He showed off his full arsenal against the Suns, disrupting passes, pulling up for jumpers, and nailing threes. Lee would be an asset for coach Hornacek on both ends of the court.
Lee’s older than Bazemore, Batum, and Crabbe, and he wouldn’t be the future at the shooting guard position but he’s a nice role player.
5. Lance Thomas, SF, New York Knicks
There hasn’t been much discussion about Lance Thomas‘ free agency. Maybe it’s just a foregone conclusion that he’ll be back. Knicks’ fans certainly hope so.
He made less than $2 million in 2015-16 but was one of the team’s best players. Thomas went from an end of the bench guy to a three-point specialist, routinely chosen to guard the other team’s best player.
Thomas is the definition of a three-and-D guy. He molded himself into a three-point shooter because he knew it would put him on the court, and he always had the defensive chops to be a rotation guy.
Thomas finished the season at 40.4 percent from downtown, making 44 of his 109 attempts. Before 2015-16, he had only attempted 44 threes in his NBA career. Thomas didn’t attempt a single three in his four seasons at Duke.
The transformation was incredible. His defense though, was just as important, maybe even more.
Per NBA.com, Thomas defended 6.3 FGAs per game and lowered opponent’s field goal percentage by -3.1%, and the Knicks were just better when Thomas played. Especially Melo.
In the 588 minutes that Thomas and Melo shared the court, the Knicks were +7.0 points per 100 possessions (via Basketball-Reference.com). Anthony didn’t play better with anyone else on the team this season.
The Knicks could use a lot, but they must bring Lance Thomas back.
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