How the Knicks offense continues to shine through

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – They played back-to-back games in the worst offensive half of the season, a stretch emblematic of a problem that Josh Hart fears could become the blueprint for dismantling the Knicks’ scoring weapons.

With approximately 7:15 minutes left in the second quarter, Jalen Brunson’s defenseman Quentin Grimes was checked by Karl-Anthony Towns. The screen was weak, almost non-existent, but Grimes still moved to defend Towns while Maxi Kleber took care of Brunson on the ball.

The Knicks (10-8) naturally and predictably chased the size difference. Towns received a pass at the top of the key and took on the much smaller Grimes, who is a skilled defender and deceptively strong. Towns struggled to fend it off, using three dribbles to reach the ball before quickly being hit by a double team.

The hook shot didn’t even touch the rim.

About 30 seconds later, after a substitution, the same mismatch occurred. Hart threw the ball at the post to Towns, who gave Grimes too much energy and was whistled to attack.

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At that moment, the Knicks had failed to score on six consecutive possessions. They followed their lowest-scoring quarter in the first half with the lowest-scoring half.

They lost by 24.

“We give the teams the game plan,” Hart said after Wednesday’s 129-114 loss.

It wasn’t the first time Hart had expressed this concern. For all the scoring chances the Knicks have created this season, they have shown a fairly consistent weakness against “teams that switch, teams that mess up the game,” Hart said, noting that the Rockets and Celtics have the Knicks with that also punished would have strategy.

He predicted that the Hornets, whom the Knicks face on Black Friday afternoon, will do the same under rookie head coach Charles Lee, a former Celtics assistant.

Hart, in turn, offered two solutions: Either he himself would be used more often in the pick-and-rolls, which would change the rotations and the defenders who turn on the screener; or, more simply, attack the switches faster.

“We have to adapt accordingly, whether it’s me including myself in the actions and still involving the (center) and doing that. Or play faster, play with more momentum,” Hart said. “And that leads to teams making mistakes on the counters. We have a talented team. Guys who can shoot the ball. So if we play slowly we are easy to guard. Because we’re going up against a solid defense.”

To be clear, the substitution wasn’t the only reason the Knicks were locked out in the first half against the Mavericks. They shot poorly across the board, including Hart, who missed a few shots near the rim and threw a one-armed turnover in the red zone like he was Daniel Jones.

But the Mavericks also felt very comfortable spreading their defenders all over the field. There was hardly any consideration given to tasks.

“There’s a new challenge every day,” Towns said. “I can guarantee you (Mavericks coach) that Jason Kidd is a great coach. He watched the game and found ways to play against us. He did a great job. They were ready.”

Hart recognized the problem. The Knicks fell into an inefficient half-court set and not the movement offense that carried the Knicks to 145 points and 45 assists in a Denver win just two nights earlier.

In Dallas they had 20 assists.

“It causes us to stagnate. When the teams change, we can play faster,” said Hart. “We have to put them in a position to make off-ball errors, off-screen errors, miscommunications and things like that.

“When we play slow, we know they’re switching and we just try to find a mismatch. And then it doesn’t matter if we have an imbalance, if you go on the defensive with a set deficit. So we had to play faster, let them make mistakes and capitalize that way.”

Brunson agreed.

“Obviously they changed,” the point guard said. “When it comes to transition, you probably have to attack a little quicker. But it’s a mixture of the ball not coming in and looking good and also defending well at times. It honestly shouldn’t have happened the way it did.”

Unspoken but equally important: The Mavericks have a top-10 defense (ranked 7th) with versatility throughout the lineup, especially if Luka Doncic is out with an injury. The same goes for the Celtics (8th) and Rockets (2nd). The Hornets, on the other hand, are in 19th place.

Even if Charlotte (6-12) tries to exploit a weakness in the Knicks, it has shown neither the commitment nor the ability to make it successful. There are only so many Houston’s Dillon Brooks in the NBA, the type of defender who can handle both Brunson and Towns.

But the Knicks need to compete against these teams during a long season or, more importantly, in the playoffs. It’s another thing to figure out.