In this case, the numbers really don’t tell the story.
For more than a month, but especially in the past few weeks, the Knicks’ ball movement has been sound, solid. So you’d figure assists would be sky high. Well, they are improved.
In fact, they are almost as good as last season’s disaster.
When the Knicks won 17 of 82 games last season, they averaged 21.3 assists. In winning 19 of 39 games this time, the Knicks get 20.2 assists per game. Go figure.
But the Knicks, who seek a fourth straight home victory on Tuesday against Boston, don’t care about numbers. The ball is moving. Everybody is doing it and the Knicks are getting better shots. Trust is paramount. And give lots of credit to Carmelo Anthony.
“It all starts with the trust we have now and [that] all starts with Carmelo,” said rookie Kristaps Porzingis. “He’s been the guy, the real leader. He’s been passing the ball and trusting his teammates. Trusting us that we’re going to make the right decision.���
If the guy making the most money, the guy with the highest scoring average, the guy who has been to the most All-Star games can do it, by gum, maybe others should, too.
“That shows everybody that we all have to play team basketball,” Porzingis said. “If the leader of our team, the best scorer, is passing the ball and wants to do better for the team and help the team, if you’re not him you can’t not be doing the same thing. You’ve got to follow him and play the same way.”
The Knicks are 23rd in the league in assists. No Knick averages four assists: point guard Jose Calderon tops the list at 3.9. Only two other teams have assists leaders with under 4.0 a game, the Lakers (Kobe Bryant, 3.5) and the Jazz (Gordon Hayward, 3.1). So, no one guy stands out.
“That’s the key with the system, everybody is passing the ball, everybody is in different situations,” Calderon said. “It’s not only one guy having to do it every night. It’s a different guy taking whatever the defense gives you. That’s why we’re a better team.
“It’s trusting each other. At the end of the day, if you pass the ball, the next time that guy is going to pass you the ball if you’re open. That’s what we’re trying to build. If somebody is in better position, just pass him the ball.”
Which is kind of what coach Derek Fisher has been preaching and teaching. And it is more than just giving up the ball. Everything has a reason and a purpose.
“Our group, they’re trying to do the right things. They’re still learning a lot about how to not just move the basketball, but to utilize a format offensively so that the passes have a purpose and we’re not just kind of passing it around the perimeter,” said Fisher, who has seen team shooting percentages rise to 43.8 from 42.1 in 15 games since Dec. 10 (46.5 percent on 574-of-1,235 in that stretch).
“It’s great to see that guys are continuing to show trust in each other and show belief that it’s OK to get off of the ball and share with teammates and the more you give, the more you receive,” Fisher said.
And Anthony has been at the forefront.
“It’s great when guys are just letting the game come to them and letting it happen, rather than trying force the extra pass or trying to force somebody to get going,” Anthony said.
And again, if the guy with the biggest paycheck does it …
“It’s kind of a domino effect. It becomes contagious,” Anthony said. “Guys see that other guys are willing to make the extra pass and turn down a good shot for a great shot. That becomes contagious. That builds momentum on the basketball court. That builds streaks out there.
“I was always willing to pass the ball. But now it’s just a little bit more of an emphasis of not worrying about my scoring as much and doing everything else. I know I can score. … In this system, it’s easy to double-team and load up against me so I’m just trying to make that extra play, make the right play.”
And now so is everyone else.