Games Guy | February 6, 2012
After making some drastic moves the last year, the Knicks have one of the league’s most intriguing teams. The Knicks added All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire last year and traded for Carmelo Anthony at the trade cut-off point last season to make a solid one-two punch. The Knicks had their first winning season since 2000-2001 and made the postseason for the 1st time since 2003-04 season. They were consequently swept in the 1st round by the Celtics though, as key injuries depleted an otherwise talented team in the playoffs.
The Knicks dealt away the majority of its youth in Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov to bring in Billups and Anthony to New York. This offseason, they made far more of a splash to try to compete in the all of a sudden improving Eastern Conference as soon as this season. They amnestied Billups during the offseason, let go of a burst of role players in Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Carter, Shawne Williams, Shelden Williams and a couple of others while getting Tyson Chandler thru trade, Mike Bibby through free agency and Iman Shumpert in the draft. They also got Baron Davis from amnesty waivers for the vet minimum.
This team is definitely centered around Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Anthony is one of the NBA’s best pure scorers in the game. He contributed 26.3 points and 6.7 boards in 27 contests with New York, but truly showed his worth in the playoffs. Stoudemire put up 25 points and 8.2 boards a game in his first year with the Knicks. These two players can be one of the finest pairs in the NBA on offense, but the question is whether they can make a contribution on the defensive side of the floor.
One guy that will make a huge difference for New York defensively is defensive stud Tyson Chandler. Chandler was a key part in the Mavericks championship win last season and he will try to implant the same sort of defense and discipline in this primarily offensive-minded team. The Knicks most important concern this season is their lack of depth on the inside. Jared Jeffries and Josh Harellson aren’t precisely solid rotation guys.
For the Knicks to be an elite force in the Eastern Conference, 3rd year point guard Toney Douglas and second year shooting guard Landry Fields need to step up massively. While Bibby might be given the starting job, the majority of the minutes should be given to Douglas until Davis returns from injury later in the season. Douglas put up 10.6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench last season, and should Douglas get better, he would give a massive boost for a Knick team desperate for good point guard play. Fields started 81 games last year and he averaged 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds as a rookie. He was one of the finest rebounding guards in the game but struggled late in the year after the arrival of Anthony. They expect Fields to play better this year but he is not going to get plenty of shots with Anthony and Stoudemire on the squad.
Shumpert’s main job on the squad will be for his play on the defensive end. Shumpert is an impressive outside defender who could see plenty of time if the Knicks select a more defensive-oriented lineup.
Prediction: 2nd Eastern Conference Atlantic Division – With my NBA predictions I think the Knicks are definitely a team to watch out for this season. One of their largest flaws however is their lack of depth all over the court. Their defense is also a huge question mark and whether Mike d’Antoni can play a more defensive minded philosophy. Offensively, this team will score a lot but unless they improve defensively, they will have a difficult time winning playoff games come April and May. If they add more pieces off the bench, they could contend for the division title and a deeper run in the playoffs, but as it stands they are likely heading for the 4th or 5th seed in the East.
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Category: games of sport |
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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Anthony Carter, Baron Davis, basketball, Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Celtics, Conce, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Bibby, Nba, New York, new york knick, New York Knicks, Offseason, Raymond Felton, Ronny Turiaf, Season Preview, Shawne Williams, Shelden Williams, Shumpert, Talented Team, Tyson Chandler, Wilson Chandler