The New York Knicks have seen a vast improvement from Kyle O’Quinn in his second season with the team. He credits it to the new offense.
The New York Knicks signed Kyle O’Quinn in 2015 to come off the bench behind Robin Lopez. He was expected to help the team with his perimeter game.
But O’Quinn’s first season in New York didn’t go as planned. He was in and out of the rotation accumulating 15 DNPs and averaging just 11.8 minutes per game. That’s why the start of this season is so special for him.
2016-17 has been a breakout season for the 26-year-old and he is crediting it to new head coach Jeff Hornacek’s offense. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, O’Quinn has recognized his improved efficiency on offense.
“It’s Jeff’s offense. You look at some of the bigs he had (at his last job in Phoenix), and that’s where they found a home at – dunker spots, little midrange jumpshots,” O’Quinn said. “And he encourages those so we got guys like Brandon (Jennings) and Derrick Rose and they know where to find me in those spots.”
O’Quinn was a good mid-range shooter in 2015-16 (46.4 percent), but through 25 games this season he’s been converting at an elite level. The big man has knocked down 52.6 percent of his attempts (via NBA.com).
O’Quinn’s biggest problem last season was his inability to convert at the rim. He only finished 59.8 percent of his attempts in the restricted area. The league average is 60 percent. Now he’s converting at a 71 percent clip.
As big a difference maker as O’Quinn has been on the offensive glass (5.1 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes) it’s his scoring that has gone surprisingly unnoticed.
O’Quinn and the Knicks next take on the Denver Nuggets Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET.
