The point of the triangle offense is to help the New York Knicks become an efficient scoring unit. However, through five games of the year, the Knicks are the second-lowest scoring team in the league, averaging just 89.8 points per game. They recently fell to the Detroit Pistons despite a fourth-quarter comeback. New York will try and extend their win streak over the Brooklyn Nets who are finding early success with new head coach Lionel Hollins.
The Knicks are still trying to work out the triangle offense and struggling to do so. That became clear against Detroit when they trailed by 18 points at one point. They managed to score 36 points in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough. For the second straight game, Carmelo Anthony did not look like his normal league-leading shooting self. The guard scored just 13 points against the Pistons and went just 15 of 23 against Washington. Anthony noted in the preseason that he would taking less shots as a result of the triangle offense, but even the shots he does pull off do not seem to hit.
The Nets are looking strong despite faltering in their last outing. The team is 2-2 under Hollins, but is coming off a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves when the team made a late-game comeback scoring the final nine points of the content. The offense was averaging 107.7 points in their first three games, but turnovers have been the primary issue for the offense. They committed 18 against the Timberwolves which was two more than their previous two games.
Johnson continues to lead the offense, getting a fast start to the year. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the floor while averaging 22.0 points per game. He has not found much success against the Knicks. Last season he shot just 38.5 percent in four games.
New York is dealing with injuries. Pablo Prigioni suffered a sprained ankle on Wednesday. That, paired with the injury to Jose Calderon, means that Shane Larkin is the only remaining healthy point guard for the team. The Knicks will get JR Smith back from a one-game suspension which could help.
Watch Knicks vs. Nets live stream, click here.
