BDL's 2014-15 NBA Season Previews: New York Knicks

Dan Devine By Dan Devine
September 26, 2014 2:51 PM
Ball Don't Lie

After winning their first Atlantic Division title in two decades, the New York Knicks entered the 2013-14 season with championship expectations. (Well, their owner did, at least.) Things fell apart quickly, though, as the Knicks lost 13 of their first 16 games, digging a hole out of which they couldn't climb.

The offseason trade for Andrea Bargnani worked out as poorly as everyone expected, with gaffe after gaffe eliciting boos from the very start of the year through his season-ending injury. J.R. Smith signed a new contract, then promptly had knee surgery and got suspended for testing positive for marijuana; in the biz, we call that "foreshadowing," as J.R.'s season proved equal parts tumultuous and disappointing.

Tyson Chandler's leg broke, and then his spirit did, which happens when you're constantly cleaning up the messes of a roster full of terrible defenders. Raymond Felton was perhaps the NBA's worst starting point guard last season. Expected to break out, Iman Shumpert stayed shackled. The veteran frontcourt (Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin, Metta World Peace) proved injury-prone and ineffective, and New York's reserves offered little respite on either end of the court.

That placed the burden for keeping the Knicks competitive squarely on Carmelo Anthony's shoulders. Despite the All-Star's best efforts — 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in a league-leading 38.7 minutes per game, a 40.2 percent mark from 3-point land, a Knick-record 62 points against the Charlotte Bobcats — they fell short. New York won 16 of its final 21 to briefly re-enter the playoff picture, but finished one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 seed, the first postseason miss of Anthony's career.

Anthony's back after testing free agency. (For the last time, he says.) With a new head coach and a shuffled supporting cast, 'Melo has tempered expectations, but still expects to return to the postseason. Is that wishful thinking in a deeper East? Or can a new system and a few personnel tweaks give the Knicks the boost they need?

2013-14 season in 140 characters or less:

From division champs to the lottery. “The East is big, man." Rancid Swiss cheese D. Melo’s best, wasted. A rising Bargs sinks all ships.

Did the summer help at all?

Some, but probably not too much. One big plus: retaining Anthony's services.

Yes, it cost James Dolan a pretty penny, and it's unlikely a 35-year-old Anthony will merit anything near the $27.9 million he'll make in 2018-19. In the here and now, though, 'Melo remains one of the league's most devastating scorers, an offensive force whose inside-out skills seem a hand-in-glove fit for the triangle offense the Knicks will implement under Phil Jackson and new head coach Derek Fisher. (Provided, of course, the ball keeps moving.) He's coming off arguably the best season of his career and looks to be in fighting trim, which bodes well for a Knicks squad looking to improve on last year's 11th-place finish in points scored per possession.
Beyond 'Melo, though, none of the Knicks' summer moves seem likely to vault them into contention. A multiplayer trade with the Dallas Mavericks brought an upgrade at point guard (so long, frustrating firearm-brandisher Felton; hello, Jose Calderon) but at the price of a downgrade at center. The version of Chandler who finished last season didn't bear much resemblance to the one who won Defensive Player of the Year, but he's still more reliable than Samuel Dalembert, who can protect the rim and clear the glass when in the mood, but has also apparently never met an alarm clock he couldn't ignore.

The Knicks also netted three young pieces in the Dallas deal: second-year point guard Shane Larkin and a pair of 2014 second-rounders, Wichita State's Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it was somewhat jarring to see New York gain inexpensive youth with upside in a trade, none are likely to make a big impact this year. The defensive-minded Antetokounmpo will play in the D-League, Larkin's behind Calderon and incumbent Pablo Prigioni on the depth chart, and Early's path to significant minutes behind Anthony seems impeded by the midsummer trade that imported Travis Outlaw. (The less said about Outlaw's addition as Anthony's primary backup — and, by extension, the decision to put 'Melo back at small forward as opposed to keeping him at the four, where he's been a matchup nightmare for the past two seasons — the better.)

The Knicks also brought in veteran Jason Smith to add some midrange shooting and toughness to their frontcourt rotation. The former Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans big man could prove a bargain on a one-year deal at the taxpayer's midlevel exception, provided he can stay off the trainer's table.

The task of making the most of this mix falls to first-time bench boss Fisher, who now must validate the faith his mentor showed in hiring him mere weeks after he last suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 40-year-old will surely experience growing pains during his maiden foray into coaching at any level, as contemporary Jason Kidd did in his stumbling start to last season.

Then again, even a neutral coaching job could represent an improvement over the ousted Mike Woodson, who learned the wrong lessons from the Knicks' 2013 playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers — "we got beat by a bigger team, so let's play more bigs and go away from our small-ball offense" — and never found any answers to stop New York's freefall. For the Knicks to rise up the standings, Fisher must learn from Woodson's missteps and quickly translate his vaunted "veteran leadership" into on-the-bench acumen.

Go-to offseason acquisition:

Calderon. The 32-year-old Spaniard won't blow past defenders, but he's long been a steady distributor, boasting a sterling 4.1-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio. He's also one of the league's most reliable long-distance snipers, shooting 44.9 percent from 3-point land (the NBA's fourth-best mark) on a career-high 5.2 attempts per game for the Mavericks last season. His game seems tailor-made for the triangle, which asks point men to move the ball and drill open looks rather than breaking down the D off the bounce. (Ditto for Argentine cult hero Prigioni, who shot 46.4 percent from deep last season while posting the league's third-best assist-to-turnover ratio.)
Calderon's still a heady pick-and-roll playmaker, but he thrived in Dallas working more as a spot-up option opposite pick-and-rolls run with Dirk Nowitzki by the likes of Monta Ellis and Devin Harris. The Knicks don't have near the playmaking depth of last year's Mavs, but if you squint, you can see a path to some fruitful possessions with Calderon and Prigioni (and perhaps Larkin or even J.R. Smith) taking turns running the two-man game with Anthony while shooters spread the floor away from the play. Calderon has his shortcomings, but he should be a clear upgrade over Felton as both a decision- and shot-maker for a Knicks team often starved for supplementary creation when Anthony stalls. If he performs as advertised, he'll bolster New York's hopes of producing an elite offense.

Glaring weakness:

Defense. The Knicks fell from middle-of-the-pack (tied for 16th in points allowed per possession) in '12-'13 to 24th among 30 NBA teams in defensive efficiency last year, amid glaring lapses that often bordered on the unbelievable. That was before they traded Chandler, their lone interior deterrent (albeit one who was injured, overtaxed and often listless last season), and replaced him with the intermittently interested Dalembert and the infrequently healthy Smith.

Moving away from Woodson's switch- and double-heavy scheme toward a simpler system in which everybody knows what they're supposed to do could help ... but then there's the small matter of actually doing it. Felton was a sieve, but the slow-footed Calderon won't offer much of an improvement. Expecting Bargnani and Stoudemire to be anything more than nightmarish seems a fool's errand. The often-spacey J.R. tops out as an average defender at best when engaged; Tim Hardaway Jr. needs a telescope to see "average at best." Slimmed down or no, Anthony will likely struggle to check quick opposing threes.

With the possible exceptions of Shumpert, noted sneak Prigioni and sparingly used Cole Aldrich, the Knicks don't have many players capable of providing even slightly-above-average defense. That makes climbing out of the bottom-third of the defensive rankings seem unlikely.

Contributor with something to prove:

Shumpert. Knicks fans look at the 24-year-old Georgia Tech product and see a potential star, a big guard who can lock down on the wing, who can finish at the rim and knock down open 3s, and who plays with the sort of motor and swagger that New Yorkers love. Non-Knicks fans see someone whose defense isn't that good, who has shot 39.1 percent from the field for his career, and whose hairstyle and freestyles get more attention than his game merits. This is his chance to prove he's closer to the former than the latter.

After the injuries, surgeries, myriad trade rumors and squabbles that have marked Shumpert's last two years, he's eager for a fresh start under a coach who might not hate him in an offense where he might do "more than standing in the corner.” He's shown flashes of being able to — his impressive Game 6 against the Pacers, his back-to-back big games against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets — but in his fourth season, he needs to show more than flashes.

If he can increase the frequency of those performances while actually serving as the stopper he's reputed to be, he could put himself in line for a lucrative second deal when he enters restricted free agency next summer. If not ... well, at least his "hold up, hold my phone" celebration made it into "NBA 2K15."

Potential breakout stud:

Hardaway. He can fill it up, earning selection to the All-Rookie First Team after leading all rookies in made 3-pointers while ranking fourth in per-game scoring (10.2 points in just 23.1 minutes per game) and long-range accuracy (36.3 percent). On an often plodding Knicks team that played at the league's second-slowest pace, Hardaway offered a much-needed injection of open-court punch, averaging 1.31 points per possession finished in transition, the 35th-best mark in the league, according to Synergy Sports Technology's game-charting.

He's a confident shooter — too confident for some fans' tastes — who very much looks the part of an instant-offense off-guard. The problems, though, came when Hardaway was asked to do anything other than go for goal.

Hardaway assisted on just 5.8 percent of his teammates' baskets during his time on the floor; he's one of only 24 guards in Basketball-Reference's database to post an assist rate that low while playing more than 800 minutes in a season. He grabbed a lower share of available rebounds than any other shooting guard in the NBA who played at least 500 minutes. He was an inattentive turnstile on defense, ranking 440th in points allowed per possession by Synergy's numbers — 482 players saw NBA action last year — with the Knicks allowing a dismal 109.2 points per 100 possessions when he played, a worse mark than the dead-last Utah Jazz defense. He was as one-dimensional as it gets in Year 1, and the Knicks suffered for it.

Hardaway's saying the right things after working out with the USA Basketball Select Team this summer, talking up a desire to improve on the defensive end. Showing that he knows where to stand would be a start, as would making the occasional pass and helping his bigs on the glass every now and again. If he can improve from "glaring weakness" to "somewhat serviceable" in the other areas of his game while continuing to show the shot-making prowess he displayed as a rookie, the 22-year-old could be a player on the rise.

Best-case scenario:

Anthony plays even better after getting his megadeal, pairing with Calderon to lead the Knicks to a top-five offensive finish. After struggling last season following summer knee surgeries, J.R. and Shumpert come out healthy and hot, boosting New York's perimeter playmaking and defense. The team takes to the triangle quickly while Fisher coaxes a league-average defense out of a roster led by Dalembert, Shumpert and a surprisingly impressive Aldrich. Early looks like the steal of the draft, Stoudemire offers enough interior scoring to offset his D, and Bargnani mostly stays out of the way. New York rides an elite offense to a middle-of-the-pack playoff seed and a return to the second round.

If everything falls apart:

Anthony, now on the wrong side of 30, breaks down amid the strain of carrying the team, submarining the Knicks' offense. Fisher shows a Woodsonian predilection toward big lineups that often pair Stoudemire and Bargnani, and New York plummets to dead last in defensive efficiency. Shumpert still can't locate his confidence and shooting stroke. J.R. still can locate opponents' shoelaces and recreates the first 35 games of last year rather than the last 45. Furious at paying $90 million for one of the three worst teams in the East, Dolan drops any pretense of staying out of Phil's way and makes Prigioni his personal kazoo carrier.

Kelly Dwyer's Best Guess at a Record:

37-45 — hey, that sounds familiar! — and another ninth-place finish in the East. Oh, well. At least the Knicks will have their first-round pick this time.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports.

How they finished 2014: The Knicks finished the 2013-14 season really well, winning 16 of their final 23 games. When the Knicks went small with their best lineup of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler during this stretch, they destroyed teams. During those 23 games, that was their second most used and they blew teams out of the water by 20.6 points per 100 possessions. The Knicks got back to what made them successful in the previous season when they were a small ball, 3-point chucking offensive wonder.

The Knicks made 38.7 percent of their 3-pointers during that stretch, two full percentage points better than they shot during the first 59 games. Their offensive rating rose from 103.6 points per 100 possessions to 110.2 points per 100 possessions. The defense also improved by 1.1 points per 100 possessions. It's a big reason the Knicks were able to shave four games off Atlanta's lead over them for the 8-seed over the final month and a half, ultimately finishing a game behind the Hawks.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the first 59 games were an abomination. Winning 54 games the previous season was wiped away. It was clouded by Smith being really bad as he worked his way back from knee surgery. It was clouded by Andrea Bargnani looking like one of the worst players the Knicks have ever seen. It was clouded by a poor defensive effort all around that seemed to actually break Chandler's spirit by the end of the season. Mike Woodson battled going to a small lineup as long as he could, often bemoaning the idea to the media. Felton was also horrendous most of the season.

Offseason needs: The Knicks needed direction. They needed a strong, reputable voice to lead the organization and offer up enough experience to keep owner James Dolan at bay. All that added up to Phil Jackson, of course. They parted ways with Woodson as the player-coach relationship was a lost cause. From there, the Knicks needed to find a way to remain somewhat competitive in the East while beginning to transform the roster to one which could contend in the near future.

Jackson and the front office had to pull off all that while convincing Carmelo Anthony it was worth the money only they could offer (a max of $129M over five years) as incentive to stick out the transition. However, the league's largest market faced challenges from the Bulls, who made Anthony a very good pitch, and the Lakers, who offered up being the face of an organization with a better track record while retooling toward title contention.

The draft: The Knicks headed into the draft without a single pick. They owed Denver (which turned into Orlando) their first round pick (No. 12) for the Anthony trade and their second-round pick (No. 42) to the Rockets for the Marcus Camby trade. A deal prior to the draft involving Tyson Chandler going to the Dallas Mavericks gave the Knicks another shot at the 2014 draft.

With the 34th pick (acquired from Dallas), the Knicks selected Wichita State forward Cleanthony Early. The 23-year-old fell to the second round despite many feeling he was a first-round talent. Early is a solid scorer, did a good job of knocking down 3-pointers (37.3 percent) last season, and is projected to be a nice NBA defender. The Knicks also received No. 51 in the second round, which they used to select Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo played in the D-League last season and is a nice hustle, energy player who can be a good defender.

The Knicks also purchased the 57th pick in the draft from the Pacers and selected Louis Labeyrie out of France.

Free agency and trades: The Knicks have been extremely busy this offseason with Jackson on board. The biggest win is Dolan being star-struck enough to stay out of Jackson's way. This led to Jackson making sure his vision is put into action by hiring Derek Fisher as the new coach. Assuming Fisher isn't a disaster, there is unified voice and direction from the team president down to the sideline, critical in a league all about continuity and consistency.

Their big deal was trading Chandler to the Mavericks. It weakens depth for the time being but it jump-starts a needed change on the court. Chandler had been hung out to dry enough defensively by a unit and coach that didn't seem to care about consistent at that end. The Knicks moved Chandler and Felton to the Mavericks in exchange for the second-rounders mentioned above, plus Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert and Shane Larkin. Calderon gives them a better point guard who can shoot and make plays for others. Dalembert might be able to fill in for Chandler on some respectable level.

The Knicks then moved Ellington and Jeremy Tyler to the Sacramento Kings for forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw. They also signed Jason Smith to a one-year, $3.3 million deal to bring in some much-needed depth and strength inside.

They also managed to convince Anthony to stay, as he agreed to a five-year, $124 million deal to be the man around whom Jackson rebuilds. They'll clear a lot of salary in the summer of 2015 and it will allow the Knicks to go after another big name player to put next to Melo. It was the right move because Anthony has played his best basketball as a member of the Knicks and doesn't look to be slowing down. This puts the pressure on Jackson and Co. to build a roster befitting Anthony's star power in the next two years.

Overall grade and accomplishments -- B-plus: Have the Knicks remade themselves into title contenders this offseason? Absolutely not. This team has a lot of holes and they don't necessarily have the assets to plug them now. This organization has rarely shown patience in executing a plan, but with the Zen Master at the helm, patience won't be a problem. Jackson has the clout to keep Dolan away and the vision to create a team-oriented roster.

Knicks front offices of the past would have thrown more money on top of the problem and taken away future flexibility. The Knicks made themselves a better offensive team and have the options and breathing room next summer to really add to this team on both ends of the floor. You can watch them finally develop Shumpert and use him properly. They can harness the energy and scoring of Tim Hardaway Jr. off the bench and make him part of a squad that tries to run your defense ragged. Their defense likely will remain poor. Counter that with consistency and firepower on offense, remain competitive, make the playoffs in the East, and get the plan to gain steam next summer.

The Knicks aren't fixed by any means. But they don't look hopeless either.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24658330/offseason-report-new-york-knicks

The Zen Master Phil Jackson has taken over, brought in some fresh new faces and retained the most important old one in Carmelo Anthony. For a city yearning for a championship contender, there’s still only a promise that one is on the way, but the wait could be coming to an end sooner than later.

Basketball Insiders previews the 2014-15 New York Knicks:

Five Guys Think
If they’re smart, Knicks fans will sort of glaze past this upcoming season and set their sights on the summer of 2015, mostly because that’s when the team will clear away their cache of bad contracts and hit the free agency market to find pieces to go around Carmelo Anthony. Phil Jackson has done some interesting things at the onset of his new career as president of basketball operations for the Knickerbockers, but even he knows that this upcoming season has the potential to be just as big of a train wreck as last year’s campaign. Granted, new head coach Derek Fisher will inject some life (and the triangle offense) into the team, and there were some nice moves over the summer, like trading Tyson Chandler for Jose Calderon and drafting Cleanthony Early, but this team isn’t ready to compete for a championship just yet. If Carmelo wanted immediate results, he’d have been better off signing in Chicago, because he’s very likely not getting them in New York in 2014.

3rd Place – Atlantic Division

– Joel Brigham

The New York Knicks appeared to be a team on the rise in 2013 but embarrassingly came crashing back down to earth, with a thud, during the 2013-14 campaign. Newly crowned president of basketball operations Phil Jackson started the housecleaning process at the end of the season, shipping starters Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks for Jose Calderon. Jackson then hired freshly retired Derek Fisher to serve as the team’s head coach for his rebuilding project. Lastly, Jackson was able to convince All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to re-sign with the organization after a whirlwind free agency process. The Knicks don’t have the hype they did this time last year heading into training camp, but expect the team to be better on the court.

3rd Place – Atlantic Division

– Lang Greene

Re-signing Carmelo Anthony was an important move for the Knicks because it’s very hard to recruit other stars without that first marquee piece in place. Even if New York can’t turn into a contender this year, Phil Jackson and Anthony will be able to recruit some quality free agents next summer and will have significant cap space to work with. It’ll be interesting to see how Derek Fisher makes the jump from playing to coaching. The fact that he has a close relationship with Jackson and they’ll be on the same page is good for the organization. This will be an interesting year for the Knicks, but I’m really curious to see what they can do next offseason when Jackson will be able to work his magic with cap space.

2nd Place – Atlantic Division

– Alex Kennedy

With Derek Fisher taking over in New York City, he and Phil Jackson have invested heavily in Carmelo Anthony and the vision that he can be effective in a triangle offense. And while that is a safe bet, what the Knicks’ fortunes may really hinge on is how effective the duo of Samuel Dalembert and Jason Smith will be manning the pivot on the defensive end. With the departed Tyson Chandler being sent back to Dallas in return for a package featuring Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and the draft pick that became Cleanthony Early, the Knicks have certainly upgraded their talent base. With Travis Outlaw, they suddenly have nice depth at the small forward and power forward spots, but whether Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani can give the Knicks meaningful minutes up front will go a long way toward determining how their season plays out. Most importantly, though, is J.R. Smith. Although we are not certain as to how Fisher will use Smith, we can safely assume that Smith will still be counted on to be the Robin to Anthony’s Batman, and the Knicks need Smith to revert to his 2012-13 form. If that happens, they should have a solid opportunity to return to the playoffs after a brief, one-year hiatus. The unfortunate injury to Paul George and the Indiana Pacers’ loss of Lance Stephenson only bodes positively for the Knicks. With Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway, Jr., there may be a bit of a shooting guard controversy brewing, and whether or not the Knicks attempt to package one of the youngsters with the expiring contract of Stoudemire or Bargnani is a storyline that is worth keeping an eye on. It is difficult to predict exactly what will become of the Knicks this season, especially with the improvements other teams have made in the conference. Still, the Knicks appear to have improved while the Pacers and Brooklyn Nets have probably regressed. For Anthony’s team, a return to the playoffs is likely, and challenging the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic Division crown is not completely out of the question if things break right in Gotham. All in all, the offseason for the Knicks was one marked by pushing the reset button in many ways, but picking against them to not make the playoffs for a second consecutive year seems unwise.

2nd Place – Atlantic Division

– Moke Hamilton

As much as Phil Jackson tried to make it seem like the Knicks were going to be just fine if Carmelo Anthony left in free agency, make no mistake about it: They would have been set back years by his departure. The hardest part of the rebuilding process is getting an upper-echelon star that can carry the load like he can on most nights. Plus, his presence will serve as one of their main selling points as they go after additional stars next offseason. The fact that the team is no longer dealing with the distraction of whether Anthony will be back and who will be their coach long-term should help them be better than last year. If Jackson can find a way to turn some of the $30+ million in expiring contracts they have on the books into a piece of significance, a quick return to the playoffs is definitely a possibility for the Knicks. As currently constructed, they’re far from a contender, but the core of Jackson, Anthony and Derek Fisher at head coach provides stability and hope for the near future that the team hasn’t had in quite a while.

3rd Place – Atlantic Division

– Yannis Koutroupis

Top Of The List
Top Offensive Player: Not merely the best offensive player on the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony is arguably the best offensive player on the planet. The all-around individual numbers ‘Melo posted last season were incredibly impressive. Anthony became the first player in over a decade to average at least 27 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game throughout a full NBA season. He was also remarkably efficient on the offensive end of the floor. In fact, he became just the fourth player in NBA history to average over 27 points a night while shooting above 45 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free-throw stripe. The other three members of that incredibly exclusive club are Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant.

Top Defensive Player: For each of the past three seasons in NYC, former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler was the obvious choice here. However, with Chandler dealt to Dallas in the Jose Caldron deal, the Knicks desperately need someone to step up. Unfortunately, the roster has far more offensive-minded scorers, than players that focus on defense. New York’s best perimeter defender is Iman Shumpert. Early in his career, Shump appeared to have “All-NBA Defense” upside. However, he struggled a bit on the defensive end last season, as he worked his way back from an ACL injury. The Knicks are hoping Shumpert can raise his game in 2013-14. As far as rim protection is concerned, Samuel Dalembert (acquired along with Calderon) will likely be penciled in as the team’s starting center. Dalembert was a solid shot-blocker as younger player in Philadelphia, but is no longer the same defensive presence he once was.

Top Playmaker: In the first major move during his tenure as Knicks president of basketball operations, Phil Jackson addressed a glaring need by dramatically improving the team’s point guard play via a trade for Jose Calderon. Despite creeping toward his mid-30s, Calderon is still a well above-average NBA playmaker. He possesses an impressively high basketball IQ and is a solid facilitator. He started 81 games for the Mavs last season, dishing out 4.7 assists and scoring 11.4 points per contest. Calderon has long been, and remains, one of the NBA’s elite marksmen. His calling card is his efficiency. In 2012-13, he led the NBA in three-point accuracy, shooting a scorching 46.1 percent from behind the arc (which makes him ideally suited for the triangle offense that Jackson and Derek Fisher will run). He also hit 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. This is not an anomaly for Calderon. In fact, he is one of just two active NBA players shooting over 47 percent from the floor, 87 percent from the charity stripe and 41 percent from behind the three-point arc for their career.

Top Clutch Player: Throughout his career, Carmelo Anthony had been one of the NBA’s better clutch scorers. And during his first couple of seasons as a Knick, Anthony knocked down a number of game-winners. However, ‘Melo was remarkably ineffective in big spots last season. He was 0-for-8 on shots with 10 seconds or less in the fourth quarter or overtime when trailing by one possession or tied in 2013-14. It was commonly believed that Anthony was worn down by the massive minutes he was forced to play, and had little left in his legs in fourth quarters. In addition, many pundits believed that former head coach Mike Woodson’s lack of offensive imagination resulted in ‘Melo too often being isolated on the wing, resulting in difficult, contested jumpers. The hope is that fewer minutes and more creative offensive sets will allow Anthony to regain his reputation as one of the NBA’s best closers.

The Unheralded Player: Many Knicks fans were dubious of Tim Hardaway Jr. when New York selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2013 draft. However, Hardaway proved his doubters wrong, exceeding expectations in a major way. He finished the year averaging 10.2 points in just 23 minutes per game. After the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Hardaway is quickly establishing himself as one of the best young gunners in the league. In fact, he became just the second player this decade, and just the 15th player in NBA history, to knock down at least 130 three-pointers in their first professional season.

Best New Addition: Technically, Phil Jackson was hired near the end of last season; however, we’ll label the tag-team of new head coach Derek Fisher and his boss, Phil Jackson, as the best new addition to the Knicks franchise. The combo of Jackson and Fisher hope to usher in a much-needed culture change within the organization. Besides the obvious adjustments, such as revamping the offense via the installation of the triangle, Jackson and Fisher will be steadfastly determined to instill an overriding philosophy. This culture change will manifest itself in myriad ways, as both men believe embracing this ethos is essential to creating a healthy and successful environment.

– Tommy Beer

Who We Like
1. Carmelo Anthony: Due to the fact the Knicks are capped out this season, Phil Jackson won’t be able to upgrade the roster and provide Anthony with an improved supporting cast until next year. As a result, Carmelo will have to shoulder an incredibly heavy load once again. If he can come close to matching the incredible stats he posted in 2013-14, that would be considered a great success. However, he will ultimately be judged by just one number: the Knicks win total.

2. Amar’e Stoudemire: Stoudemire beat the odds and managed to stay healthy for most of last season. And when Amar’e was on the floor, he was impressively effective. He appeared in 65 games in 2013-14, and averaged 19 points per-36 minutes, while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor. He is also one of the NBA’s hardest workers and a well-respected leader in the locker room. Next season could very well be Stoudemire’s final season as a Knick.

3. Cleanthony Early: The general sense around the league after the draft was that the Knicks have secured themselves a solid player with the 34th overall pick. Early is a mature 23-year-old small forward who should be able to contribute right away. He fell into Phil Jackson’s lap in the second round, and many within the Knicks organization have high hopes for the youngster, who starred for Wichita State University. He played well in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 11.5 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 4.8 rebounds per game. Ideally, Early will be able to provide solid minutes off the bench behind Anthony (who led the NBA in minutes last season and needs to play far less in 2014-15).

4. Jason Smith: The Knicks used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign seven-footer Jason Smith back in July. If he can stay healthy (he’s missed 82 games over the last two seasons), he certainly has the ability to contribute. He possesses intriguing upside for a big man. In 2011-12, he averaged 10 points and five boards a night off the bench for New Orleans. However, despite measuring in at 7’0, Smith is not a bruiser or rim protector. He is more of an athletic ‘stretch four’ that is content to float around the perimeter. Consider this: Last season, only 17 person of Smith’s total FG attempts were the result of layups or dunk attempts at/around the rim (within three feet of the hoop); in contrast, 61.3 percent of his FG attempts came on jumpers from between 16-to-20 feet away from the basket (data courtesy of basketballreference.com). For his career (199 games), Smith is averaging just 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. Smith’s per-36 minutes averages (7.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks) aren’t all that encouraging either. New York will need Smith to stay healthy and attack in 2013-14.

– Tommy Beer

Strengths
The Knicks should have no problem putting up plenty of points. New York ranked 11th in the NBA in offensive efficiency in 2013-14, scoring an average of 105.4 points per 100 possessions. They should be even more effective and efficient in 2014-15. Re-signing Carmelo Anthony for a near-max contract may come back to bite the Knicks on the back end of the deal, but it ensures one the NBA’s best scorers will wear orange and blue for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the Knicks were well above-average offensively last year in spite of the massive struggles of Raymond Felton, one of the league’s least effective starting point guards. As noted above, Jose Calderon is a massive upgrade in that department. And Shane Larkin should be able to provide a spark off the bench as well. Andrea Bargnani is coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued campaign. If he can bounce back, the Knicks’ offense will further benefit from his offensive skill set (Bargnani’s career scoring average stands at 15 ppg). The Knicks have plenty of talented scorers, and the implantation of the triangle offense should help increase efficiency once the team becomes comfortable and works out the kinks.

– Tommy Beer

Weaknesses
Scoring won’t be an issue for the Knicks, but stopping other teams from scoring almost certainly will. New York ranked 24th overall in defensive efficiency last season. And they finished 27 out of 30 teams in total rebounds collected. And, in order to upgrade at point guard, New York had to sacrifice their best defensive player and top rebounder in Tyson Chandler. Chandler struggled last season recovering from a multitude of injuries, but his energy, defense and rebounding will undoubtedly be missed. He led the Knicks in rebounding in each of his three years in New York and last season, despite playing in just 55 regular season games, he led the Knicks in blocks (63). Even more alarming, Andrea Bargnani was second on the team in swats, despite appearing in just 42 games. As it currently stands, the Knicks may actually need to rely on Cole Aldrich to play meaningful minutes if they want to insert a defensive-minded big body into the lineup. Jackson and Fisher may also believe/hope that the system and schemes they implement may be able to hide some of the individual defensive deficiencies of some players. Right now, based on how the roster is currently constructed, it seems highly unlikely the Knicks will be even average defensively.

– Tommy Beer

The Salary Cap
Barring trade, the Knicks roster appears set at 15 players, with 14 fully guaranteed, and almost half of Samuel Dalembert’s $4.1 million deal locked in. New York should have spending power next summer, with Amar’e Stoudemire’s $23.4 million and Andrea Bargnani’s $11.5 million coming off the team’s books. In the meantime, the Knicks are deep into the luxury tax with an early estimate of $27.2 million in penalties. The team used its primary spending tool, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, on Jason Smith, limited since to minimum contracts. New York does have a $3.6 million traded player exception for Raymond Felton that won’t expire until June 25, 2015. As a team over the tax threshold, the Knicks do not have access to the $2.1 million Bi-Annual Exception.

– Eric Pincus

Dunc’d On
Phil Jackson has talked about adding more energy and athleticism to the team, but those qualities remain sorely lacking among the primary players. A key dynamic in this Knicks season will be what type of players are out there. There is a very interesting dichotomy between older, more famous players like Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Samuel Dalembert on one hand, and Quincy Acy, Cleanthony Early and Cole Aldrich on the other. With Carmelo Anthony and Jose Calderon likely fixtures in the starting lineup, the Knicks could well benefit from mixing in younger players and hoping to establish a bit more of a defensive identity. Whether Coach Fisher stays with the vets or goes younger in the frontcourt, and whether his choice is the correct one, may determine the Knicks’ fortunes this season.

Best Case

41-41

The Knicks’ offense emerges as one of the league’s best. Anthony repeats last year’s performance, and Stoudemire proves able to play 30 minutes a night. Bargnani rediscovers his outside touch, and the ‘Bockers simply outscore enough teams to sneak into the lower end of the East bracket. Aldrich emerges to provide some modicum of rim-protection, while Early and Acy allow New York to get younger and more athletic. The squad avoids the bottom five in defense.

Worst Case

25-57

Anthony starts to decline, as would naturally be expected. Dalembert, Bargnani, Calderon, Stoudemire, Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all as bad as you might expect on defense, and the squad finishes last on that end. Calderon wears down, Hardaway regresses from a solid-shooting rookie campaign, and Iman Shumpert is no better than replacement level on offense. At least the Knicks have their 2015 draft pick.

– Nate Duncan

The Burning Question
Will their 2014-15 season win total be closer to 54 or 37?

The New York Knicks won 54 games in 2012-13, capturing the Atlantic Division title and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Yet, the same Knicks won just 37 games last season, missing the playoffs completely in a weak Eastern Conference. As detailed above, the Knicks have plenty of offensive firepower. They are returning most of their same core of players, so familiarity and continuity should not be an issue. However, will the team be able to pick up the triangle offense quickly and seamlessly? More importantly, will they be able to defend well enough to compete for a playoff spot. The East is wide open; New York should be squarely in the mix with even slight improvements.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/2014-15-new-york-knicks-preview/

If Jason smith can play anything close to how he's portrayed in NBA 2k, I mean he's absolutely automatic from mid range,rebounds the ball well, and solid around the basket.

Toronto and Nets will finish ahead. Im assuming all teams healthy.

My hope is a late surge as the chemistry takes hold. I am hopeful, but Im a fan.
Good thing is nobody in our division is really that good.

BasketballJones wrote:My unofficial prediction at this time is 79-2. I will wait until the official prediction thread to make my official prediction. This can't be the official prediction thread since it starts with an article from some dude on Yahoo.

Typical hater- it's pretty obvious to me that we will go 82-0, or at worst 81-1

F500ONE wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:45-37

If Jason smith can play anything close to how he's portrayed in NBA 2k, I mean he's absolutely automatic from mid range,rebounds the ball well, and solid around the basket.

Your post made me laugh

Video games always brings out the kid in you

I'm going with 34-48 +/- 3gms

I'm wondering why you should think this team would end up even worse than last yer when everything went wrong? It seems that this team is at least mentally focused in a way that they weren't last year. I would think that the unity from top to bottom would have a greater impact in a positive way than compared to last year at this team when

Posted Sep 26, 2013 1:26 PM - Updated Sep 26, 2013 7:34 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Steve Mills is returning to the New York Knicks as president and general manager, replacing Glen Grunwald in a front-office shake-up just days before the start of training camp.

Mills spent a decade as an executive at Madison Square Garden and before that worked at the NBA for 16 years. He left MSG in 2009 after the arrival of Donnie Walsh as Knicks president.

Grunwald took over when Walsh left in 2011 and constructed much of the roster that helped the Knicks win a playoff series last season for the first time since 2000. He will remain with the organization as an adviser, the Knicks said in a release Thursday.
Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan called Mills "a well-respected sports executive with a strong background in basketball, as well as a familiarity with NBA operations and our company."
"We look forward to his leadership and believe he is the right person to help us reach our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship," Dolan said.

The surprising news came with the Knicks set to open training camp Tuesday coming off a 54-win season and their first Atlantic Division championship since 1994.

Grunwald tied for third in last season's voting for Executive of the Year and had made a series of moves over the summer, including signing Metta World Peace and trading for former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, but now Mills will inherit the roster and try to keep strengthening it.

This was what we went into camp with last year!!! It was one of Dolan's major meddling moments and it really was a horrible move. The change this year is stark. Phil, Fish and Mills is a much better situation than we had at this point last year. This year we have a united front and players are talking about buying into what Fish and Phil want them to do.

34 wins would mean a massive disaster again this year but even worse than last year. I still think this team is closer to 50 wins and winning the Atlantic Division than being another total disaster again.

smackeddog wrote:

BasketballJones wrote:My unofficial prediction at this time is 79-2. I will wait until the official prediction thread to make my official prediction. This can't be the official prediction thread since it starts with an article from some dude on Yahoo.

Typical hater- it's pretty obvious to me that we will go 82-0, or at worst 81-1

Now I'm thinking 84 and -2.