New York Knicks will have a tough time making the playoffs

Once the New York Knicks made Phil Jackson their team president, he knew he had his work cut out for him.

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Jackson started fast, dealing center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks for point guard Jose Calderón, center Samuel Dalembert, swingman Wayne Ellington, point guard Shane Larkin and two second round picks, the 34th and 51st-overall selections of June’s draft, which were used on former Wichita State Shockers’ swingman Cleanthony Early and Greek swingman Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Then, after star forward Carmelo Anthony visited several teams in free agency, they met their biggest goal of the offseason, re-signing Carmelo Anthony to a five-year deal.

The Knicks are hopeful they can return to the playoffs but Larry Coon of Basketball Insiders believes the Knicks will have a tough time getting back to the postseason.

"I’m really not sure what to expect, because I don’t have anything on which to gauge Derek Fisher as a coach or Phil Jackson’s indirect influence on the team. That said, I think the Pacers would have to drop out of the playoffs in order to open up a spot for the Knicks, and I don’t think they’re going to fall that far. I think we should anticipate this being a transition year for the Knicks, and not set expectations too high."

Of course with Lance Stephenson in Charlotte and Paul George likely out for the season, the Pacers very well could fall out of the playoffs.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.

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