The beginning of the 2013-2014 season brings high hopes for the New York Knicks. Playing in the Mecca of Basketball, players and fans alike want – no, need! – a successful campaign from their beloved Knicks. What would constitute success? When you play in New York, it is championship or bust baby! Are the Knicks, as currently constructed, ready to win a championship though? Probably not, which means Rizzo has got his work cut out for him in the Big Apple.
Coach: Right now, the Knicks employ Mike Woodson as their head coach. But with a new regime means a new direction and so Woodson has already been told that he will not be returning on the bench for the Knicks this season. Reports now are stating that New York is pursuing the Czar of the Telestrator Mike Fratello to be their head coach. Let the bidding war begin!
PG: The point guard position for the New York Knicks should be one of the most glamorous positions in all of the CSL. I mean the ball is in your hands almost every possession in the biggest city in the country. So who to the Knicks have to play the position? How about Raymond Felton, Beno Udrih and Pablo Prigioni? What, none of them excite you? Me neither. If this team is to succeed, they need to get a true point guard in here that will run the show. This collection of “assets” at the point guard position need to go.
SG: The deepest position on the roster is definitely at shooting guard. The biggest name at the position is J.R. Smith, a gunner in all senses of the word. When the man is hot, he is as tough of a scorer to stop as you will see. When he is cold, well, he keeps shooting as if he is hot. He can single-handedly win or lose a game for his team with his shooting.
Also at the position is young Iman Shumpert, who after suffering a knee injury doesn’t look to be the same player he used to be. His still a good defender but struggles to find his offense. He’s got good handles to slash to the rim, but he struggles to convert. He could spell at point guard for spot duty if needed.
The third shooter on the team is rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. Although he doesn’t project to be the star his father was in Miami, Timmy can shoot the rock and that’s exactly what he’s going to be asked to do. With two star scorers going to work on the inside, Hardaway will be able to space the floor with his knockdown jumper.
SF: The superstar of the New York Knicks resides at the small forward position in CARMELOOOO ANTHONYYYY!!! One of the most dominant and physical scorers in the CSL, Melo scores in a variety of ways whether it be in the post, off the dribble pull-ups or getting to the rim as well as from three. With the current roster, Anthony will be asked to provide most of the scoring punch night in and night out, a job I’m sure he won’t mind performing.
Backing up Anthony is Ron Artest (we will not be using his new stage name). Artest will bring a defensive energy to the floor but little else outside of that. With him playing behind Melo, there shouldn’t be many minutes for him anyways.
PF: The position with the most money tied up in it is at the power forward spot where we have Amar’e Stoudemire ($21m), Andrea Bargnani ($11.8m) and Kenyon Martin on the veteran’s minimum. The once high-flying Stoudemire has been much more grounded lately. Though he still shows some quality scoring ability in the post, his ability to dunk everything in sight is long gone. On top of that, his durability is a huge issues. It would be a miracle to see him play out 70+ games this season.
Newly acquired Andrea Bargnani is a stretch four in the sense where he is very good at stepping out and shooting the basketball…and just about nothing else. He’s got a variety of moves whether it be on the perimeter or turnarounds in the mid post, but got help the Knicks if he decides to put the ball on the floor. Like at the shooting guard position, Bargnani will see valuable minutes stretching defense to allow the bruisers on the inside to go to work.
C: Tyson Chandler is the enforcer on defense almost by default because nobody else on the team plays on that side of the floor besides Ron Artest and Iman Shumpert. He’s a premiere defender in the paint, an adept shot blocker and a ferocious rebounder. After 12-years in the NBA and at the age of 30, his body is starting to break down on him but he still brings a presence on defense that is invaluable to the Knicks at this point. Without Chandler, it’s not unfathomable to see the Knicks allow 110+ points per game! The only other center on the roster is Kansas’ own Cole Aldrich. If he is seeing minutes, kiss the season goodbye!
Prediction: As rosters stand, the Knicks have to be considered co-favorites with the Brooklyn Nets, leading to a natural location rivalry in the division. A division crown guarantees us home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. With the East very top-heavy, we should be able to get into the second round of the playoffs. From there, we will need to put it all together to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. For now, second round of the playoffs is our prediction before any moves are made.
2028
