Knicks Fire 41 Threes—and Expose a Problem Better Shooting Alone Won’t Fix

The Knicks went 8-for-41 from three against Philadelphia. Their preseason loss raised questions about shot quality, paint touches and offensive balance.

The Knicks’ three-point shooting struggled badly in their preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. New York attempted 41 shots from beyond the arc, made only eight and finished with a 120–97 defeat.

That 19.5% conversion rate explains a significant portion of the offensive frustration. But the more useful question for Mike Brown concerns how those attempts developed—and what the Knicks could generate when the outside shots failed.

With 20 players receiving minutes, the opener featured plenty of experimentation. Even within that context, New York’s difficulty finding alternative routes to the basket offered an early area for improvement.

The Problem Goes Beyond Missing Three-Pointers

Three-point attempts accounted for roughly 45% of New York’s 91 field-goal attempts. That volume alone does not establish that the Knicks took too many.

An open perimeter shot created by penetration and a quick pass can be an excellent outcome. A contested attempt taken because the offense has run out of options presents a different problem, even though both appear in the same statistical category.

Against Philadelphia, New York too often struggled to create an initial advantage. Possessions became difficult, and challenging jumpers offered little margin for error.

Jalen Brunson provided some early relief with two first-quarter threes, while Landry Shamet also connected twice during the opening period. The Knicks could not sustain that success as the game progressed.

Better accuracy would have helped the score. Better shot creation would have helped the offense function.Separating those two issues is essential when evaluating a single poor shooting night.

The Knicks should avoid treating every missed three as evidence of a flawed approach. They should also resist assuming that normal shooting percentages would resolve every uncomfortable possession.

Paint Touches Could Give New York Better Outside Looks

Improving offensive balance does not necessarily require abandoning the perimeter. More effective interior action can produce better opportunities beyond the arc.

When a ball handler reaches the paint, defenders must decide whether to help. That reaction can open a passing lane to a shooter or create space for a cutter. Moving the ball quickly then makes it harder for the defense to recover.

Karl-Anthony Towns offers another potential starting point through interior touches. Getting him involved closer to the basket could create scoring opportunities while forcing opponents to account for more than New York’s outside threats.

Screening, timely cuts and decisive drives against closing defenders could serve the same purpose. The goal is to make the defense move before asking a shooter to finish the possession.

Those actions become especially important when Brunson rests. Reserve combinations need a repeatable way to create openings rather than relying on individual players to rescue stalled possessions.

The remaining preseason games give Brown time to test that balance. The most encouraging response would be a clearer process behind the shots: pressure on the rim, coordinated movement and perimeter attempts created with enough space to reward New York’s shooters.