Raymond Felton Thinks New York Knicks Should Play Faster
The New York Knicks got past the first round of the NBA playoffs this season, but the Indiana Pacers put a stop to their run. In the postseason especially, the Knicks relied heavily on Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith isolations and both players were not able to be efficient. Raymond Felton did an interview with ESPN, and believes that the team should look to push the ball in transition and play at a higher pace next season:
"“No question. If we can get the ball up and down the court, and get easier shots, that’s always great. If you’ve got opportunities, you definitely want to push the ball. But when the game gets to the last four, five minutes, that’s when you’ve got to play half-court basketball, especially with one-on-one players who can get you buckets. I feel like we have a lot of those and I think we have one of the best, if not the best, in the league at one-on-one just getting a bucket with Carmelo [Anthony].”"
Transition offense is definitely something that New York needs to take advantage of more. As excellent as Anthony is, seeing him isolating on the wing in the playoffs over and over and over again eventually led to the demise of the Knicks. To rely on one player’s one-on-one talent and mid-range jumpers is definitely not going to cut it if New York wants to make a serious push for a championship next season.