New York Knicks Continue Alarming Trend in Preseason Win

In their preseason opener against the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks continued to miss three-point shots.

Last season, the New York Knicks were 19th in the NBA in three-point percentage despite being in the top 10 in attempts. Their poor shooting from deep was highlighted when they were the only team among the 16 NBA playoff competitors to shoot less than 30 percent from beyond the arc.

The Knicks were not a bad shooting team, they were just slightly worse than average with an extra point on the line. In a league dominated by players who can score from distance, the Knicks have fallen behind the trend.

Entering this season, the Knicks were hoping to add more shooting and have more confidence from deep, especially from RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson. The latter's collegiate teammate, Donte DiVincenzo, was added over the offseason after shooting a career-best 39.7 with Golden State last season.

Rather than wins and losses, the preseason is about individual performances and highlighting the expectations for the upcoming season. With outside shooting being an area of concern, fans were hoping that the Knicks could dismiss the naysayers early and prove that a deep playoff run is in the cards.

Jalen Brunson (R) guards Boston's Payton Pritchard in Monday's preseason victory

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Alas for those hoping to see noticeable improvements, New York's outside attack left much to be desired in their exhibition opener on Monday. 

The Knicks topped the Celtics 114-107 in their first preseason game but shot only 31 percent from three. Barrett was 1-of-5 over 16 minutes while DiVincenzo and Immanuel Quickley were 2-of-5 each. Evan Fournier, long-exiled from the Knicks' rotation did most of his damage in the second half and shot 3-of-7 and Brunson hit his only try in an abbreviated six-minute showing. 

The whopping 42 attempts, which would have been among the top of the league last season, is the result of the green light often seen in the preseason. That kind of volume shouldn't be expected when the games count.

However, Monday's percentage would have been the worst in the league and a drop from last season's mark when they hit 35 percent. With a limited sample size, it looks like there's still work to be done.

The next opportunity to right the ship lands on Saturday when the Knicks host the Minnesota Timberwolves for an exhibition at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).