Knicks: 3 keys to getting back on track in crucial Game 4 vs. Hawks

2. Surround Julius Randle with shooters

Julius Randle’s struggles have been well-documented, but the Knicks’ poor 3-point shooting isn’t doing him any favors. New York has shot 33.3 percent from downtown so far in this series — a significant decline from the 39.2 percent clip they posted during the regular season.

With Randle and the offense struggling, Tom Thibodeau has to breathe some life into that end of the floor. Surrounding Randle with shooters in a small-ball lineup might be one avenue to explore, even if it puts the Knicks at an inherent disadvantage with Clint Capela on the other end.

Derrick Rose and Obi Toppin have shot the ball well so far in this series, but New York has to find a way to get Reggie Bullock (41 percent in the regular season down to 33.3 percent in the playoffs), Alec Burks (41.5 percent down to 33.3 percent), Immanuel Quickley (38.9 percent down to 28.6 percent) and RJ Barrett (40.1 percent down to 25 percent) going from 3-point range.

Playing Randle as a small-ball 5 could make defending Young-Capela pick-and-rolls challenging, and it would take a team effort to close out defensive possessions with a rebound, but the Knicks’ best player and their shooters are both in need of a jumpstart. Maybe doing something drastic is the answer, as creating mismatches with Randle at the 5 while surrounding him with floor-spacers would give them both a better chance of finding their grooves again.