Arron Afflalo is already making the Knicks offense better
There are two good pieces of news for the Knicks right now: First, Arron Afflalo is back on the floor after returning an entering the starting lineup for Wednesday's game in Charlotte. Secondly, Sasha Vujacic is out of the starting lineup. And those two elements have added a different dynamic to the Knicks offense.
Marc Berman details that at the New York Post:
Vujacic is shooting just 31 percent from the field and 19 percent from three on the season. He didn't play in Afflalo's first game back, which is a huge deal considering he was running for more than 20 minutes a night while with the starting unit.
With Afflalo, the Knicks seem like a different club. Even point guard Jose Calderon looked a lot smoother playing alongside the 30-year-old vet. Calderon had a nice night, shooting 6-of-9 from the field for 13 points. The Calderon-Afflalo pairing makes sense.
Afflalo logged 28 minutes in his debut. He made 6 of 13 baskets, but was 0-of-3 on 3-pointers. He found a way to create mid-range shots, a good sign.
“It actually helped — a guy who’s another threat,’’ Carmelo Anthony said. “Offensively, first game back, he made some shots, missed a couple. A rhythm thing with him getting back in the flow.’’
The pregame concern was whether Afflalo’s legs would tighten or be sore after his first stint of action. He rode a stationary bike to stay loose when he was out.
“It was good in the first quarter. I had a month to prepare for the first quarter,’’ Afflalo said. “The second quarter was tough.’’
