The New York Knicks are projected to roll into the 2026-27 season with the NBA’s number one offense, a ranking built on some serious league-wide offensive shifts that hit a historic high last year. Get this: the NBA just saw its highest league-wide offensive rating *ever* last season. But if you think it’s just about everyone suddenly becoming a Steph Curry clone, you’d be missing the real story.
Forget What You Thought: Offense Is Bigger, Faster, and Smarter Now
Honestly, the league had a weird dip in offensive output between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns. That was the biggest year-over-year decline in over two decades, not counting the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. For years, offense just got better as shooting and shot selection improved. Layups and threes replaced those mid-range jumpers, boosting efficiency. But eventually, you hit a wall, right? Defenses adapt.
Last year, though, we got back on track with that record-breaking offensive rating, and it came from some unexpected places. First off, the NBA is getting BIGGER again! Teams posted their highest league-wide offensive rebounding rate since the 2012-13 season. We’re seeing less small-ball and more muscle. Second, teams are playing at a blazing pace, the fastest since the 2019-20 season. Faster offense tends to be better offense, so more teams are pushing the tempo.
Now, here’s the counter-intuitive one: the average NBA team had its highest turnover rate since the 2019-20 season. How does that help offense? It’s really more of a defensive trend. Live-ball turnovers lead to easy points on the other end, and teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder are making turnover generation a cornerstone of their defense. So, defenses create these quick buckets. Finally, teams are getting to the line. Last season had the third-most free throw attempts per field goal attempt of the past decade, and the most since the 2022-23 season. More fouls, more free points. Sure, shooting and picking the right shots are still crucial, but last year showed us it’s no longer enough to just outshoot your opponent.
The Knicks Unlocked Something in the Playoffs and They’re Bringing It Back
The New York Knicks were already legit last season, finishing as the No. 4 offense in the league with a 118.7 offensive rating. But we all saw what happened in the playoffs. It was next-level stuff. By using Karl-Anthony Towns as a passing hub, the Knicks orchestrated the greatest offensive postseason in NBA history. Yeah, you read that right.
They’ve got shooting all over the court, which is still super important in this league. Plus, they’re a relatively low-turnover offense, avoiding those self-inflicted wounds. Now, taking those playoff principles and integrating them even *more* thoroughly into this regular season should only make them better. They’re built for this new era of offense, combining all the old staples with these emerging trends.
We’re about to find out if these trends truly reshape the league. Keep your eyes peeled for how teams adapt, especially if the Knicks truly run away with it. This season is going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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