New York Knicks Lighting Up Scoreboards

Mike D’Antoni’s teams have never been known for their play on the defensive end of the court. They have however been known to be high scoring squads. This years New York Knicks teams is just that, a high scoring group.

The Knicks are third in the NBA, scoring an average of 107.73 points per game. The high scoring tendencies have propelled the team into contention in the Eastern Conference.

New York is 13-9 overall this season, in second place in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The Knicks are four games behind the Boston Celtics for the division. They are fifth in the entire Eastern Conference and well within playoff contention early on in the season.

Amare Stoudemire is leading the charge, averaging 25.3 points per game while shooting at a 53% rate. His 25.3 points per game is good for third in the entire NBA.

The only players currently averaging more points per game than Soudemire are Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant.

It’s not just Stoudemire though. Five Knicks are averaging at least ten points per game. Along with Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Landry Fields all average double figures. Toney Douglas is right behind them with a 9.9 average.

As a team, the Knicks are shooting 47% from the field, ninth in the league and 80% from the free throw line which is fourth in the league.

This is a team that can definitely score. They are proving that scoring can win games. New York has won 11 of the 15 games in which they have scored at least 100 points.

Everyone knew Stoudemire was a scorer. Gallinari and Chandler had the potential to be big time scorers. What many Knicks fans did not know was how well a guy like Felton could score. The point guard is second on the team, averaging 18.1 points per game and shooting 89% from the foul line.

Gallinari is shooting 90% from the line.

The biggest surprise of the season may be the play of rookie Landry Fields. The guard has started all 22 games this season and is averaging 10.4 points and 7.5 rebounds so far. His 10.4 points a game ranks third amongst NBA rookies.

Fields has six double doubles and leads all  rookies with a 52% shooting percentage. His six double doubles is the second most by a rookie, behind only Blake Griffin.

If this team can keep scoring, they can keep winning. At some point, the defense is going to have to catch up. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics can score, but they also play defense. The Knicks are definitely improving. Stepping up the defensive effort will be key moving forward.

For now, at least it is exciting watching the scoreboards light up as the New York Knicks continue to score lots and lots of points.