New York Knicks
2008-09 Record: 32-50
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Chris Duhon
SG- Larry Hughes
SF- Danilo Gallinari
PF- Al Harrington
C- David Lee
Key Reserves: Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, Darko Milicic, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries
Biggest Strength: Offensive system
It’s clear no matter what players he has Mike D’Antoni can get them to put points on the board. The Knicks were 23rd in the NBA last season but they ranked 17th in offensive efficiency and 12th in eFG%. They have a versatile Al Harrington who can score inside and out. Nate Robinson is a ball of fire on offense and Duhon does a decent job of distributing the rock in this high octane offense.
The other benefit of this offense is it sometimes gets their opponent to fall into the trap of playing the same way and that allows the Knicks to stay in some games.
Biggest Weakness: Defense
28th in eFG% allowed. These guys don’t defend, don’t think about defending and couldn’t defend even if they tried. It’s not what these particular players like to do or are capable of doing and D’Antoni doesn’t coach it either.
Key Players: Darko Milicic and Jordan Hill
I had to go with two guys this time because they serve the same purpose. If the Knicks want to have any type of success this season they’ll need someone to really play defense and rebounding in their front court. Darko gives them a legit 7-footer who if given minutes could give them 10 points, 10 boards and 2 blocks per game. Hill will provide more height in the front court (David Lee is playing center at 6-9) but can also get up and down the floor, has a lot of energy and will rebound and defend. Those two guys have the potential to give the Knicks something they didn’t have last season.
Biggest Question: Will Danilo be any good?
Unlike Dannie, I like most European players and think that it is good for the league if they are good. Gallinari is the most recent example, as the Knicks picked him over Eric Gordon, Anthony Randolph, DJ Augustin and Brook Lopez (ouch) in the 2008 draft. He showed flashes last year, but was injured and very much a disappointment. Unlike many Euros though, Gallinari actually put up decent numbers at a very young age in a competitive foreign league. He just turned 21, so it’s waaay too soon be labeling him a bust. The Knicks are clearly going to give him time on the court this year, as he averaged 23 min/g in the preseason. His numbers? Not good, not bad. His 36 minute averages were 13.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.8 apg. He’s got a lot of catching up to do to get to the guys the Knicks passed up.
Best Individual Season of All-Time: Patrick Ewing, 1989-90
28.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 4.0 bpg, 1.0 spg
The blocks is what really makes this an impressive season. Only 2 other players (Hakeem and Jabbar) averaged 4 blocks per game while scoring 25 points or more in a season.
Pete’s 2010 Outlook: 4th place, Atlantic division / 12th place, Eastern conference / 24th place, NBA
A weird mix on this team. A bunch of older, overpaid guys you can’t build a team around (Hughes, Jeffries, Curry, Harrington). A bunch of younger role players (Duhon, Robinson, Chandler, Darko) and 2 promising power forwards (Lee, Hill). The personnel just don’t match up with the coach and I think it’s going to take awhile for them to get there. I don’t see much here that would make LeBron want to come, so I wouldn’t hold my breath on that either.
Dannie’s 2010 Outlook: 5th place, Atlantic division / 13th place, Eastern conference / 27th place, NBA
The Knicks are a weird team. They are a rebuilding team that really doesn”t have a lot of young players they’d want to keep or commit to once the rebuilding converts to “let’s win now.” What they do have is some okay players that will surely keep them in the lottery but not the absolute worse team in the league. And if everything goes right for the Knicks (Darko plays well, Jordan Hill was worth high pick and Gallinari turns out to be more than a stiff) they could compete well on a nightly basis.
See all 2010 NBA team previews
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Greatest strength(s):
-Madison Square Garden (great, legendary arena with some great fans) They’ve had SOME great games/victories there!
-Mike D’Antoni’s offensive style
-They have potential!
-Still get a lot of attention (hey it’s NY and ESPN is there!)
-Donnie Walsh (once the cap is stable and flexible)
-Spike Lee (give him credit for sticking around)
Greatest weakness(es):
-DEFENSE
-Ball movement
-Looking ahead to next season and thinking about tanking
-Getting their fans back to cheering instead of jeering!!
With that said, the Knicks will be 4th in the Atlantic Division, 13th in the NBA.
(On a side note, the Sixers are going to be (3-1) against the Knicks. What do you get when you have an Eddie Jordan team and a Mike D’Antoni team in one court? A jackpot of Offense, but this series will come down to which team will play smart and make the stops! Look for the Sixers frontcourt to dominate the Knicks frontcourt.)