Get Kristaps Porzingis Involved Early and Often
Duh.
KP had a solid sophomore debut against the Cavs, notching 16 points, and 7 rebounds on 5 of 13 shooting (.385), but he could’ve been involved more.
Carmelo Anthony dominated the ball in the first quarter as he had the hot hand, scoring 11 points. Porzingis only put up 3 shots. Derrick Rose took over in the second quarter as he was 5 of 7 for 10 points and the Knicks cut the lead to three at the half.
They were blown out in the third when both Anthony (2-6) and Rose (0-4) went cold. Porzingis (3-4) shot the ball well in the fatal period, but it meant nothing.
KP ranked just fifth in touches against Cleveland and his usage percentage from that night (22.8%) was significantly lower than the average from his rookie season (24.6%), per Synergy.
The obvious answer is that Rose isn’t ready to be a third option quite yet.
