New York Knicks season preview
The NBA season will be here before you know it and FanSided is here to get you ready. In the lead up to Opening Night, we’ll be previewing two teams each day, reviewing roster changes, discussing important players and challenges, and hearing the perspective of our FanSided site experts. Let’s get ready for basketball!
Roster changes
Inputs: Derrick Rose (PG, traded from the Chicago Bulls); Joakim Noah (C, signed for four years, $72 million); Justin Holiday (G/F, traded from the Chicago Bulls); Courtney Lee (SG, signed for four years, $50 million); Brandon Jennings (PG, signed for one year, $5 million); Mindaugas Kuzminskas (SF, signed for three years, $9 million); Willy Hernangomez (C, 2015 draft pick, No. 35); Marshall Plumlee (C, signed for three years, $2.5 million); Maurice Ndour (PF, signed for two years, $1.4 million); Ron Baker (SG, signed for one year, partially guaranteed); Chasson Randle (PG, signed for one year, partially guaranteed); J.P. Tokoto (SG, signed for one year, partially guaranteed)
Outputs: Robin Lopez (C, traded to the Chicago Bulls); Jerian Grant (PG, traded to the Chicago Bulls); Arron Afflalo (SG, signed with Sacramento Kings); Derrick Williams (PF, signed with Miami Heat); Langston Gallaway (PG, signed with New Orleans Pelicans)
Retained: Lance Thomas (SF, signed for four years, $27 million); Sasha Vujacic (SG, signed for one year, $1.4 million); Lou Amundson (PF, signed for one year, $1.6 million)
Most important player
No points for guessing this one. Even though Kristaps Porzingis is the all-conquering basketball unicorn and home-grown franchise savior-in-waiting that Knicks fans have been waiting for since Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony remains New York’s most important player, at least until Three 6 Latvia shows he can carry this team to wins on his own.
Time and again, Anthony has displayed the potency to take over games in the closing minutes. Despite trudging along at 32 with an old school game that relies more on isolation plays originating at the shoulder than ball and player movement, Anthony continues to deliver thrilling plays and draw necessary defensive attention that allows for his teammates to get open shot opportunities.
So much depends on how new head coach Jeff Hornacek deploys offensive sets. Almost certainly, Anthony and the rest will see more transition buckets, as the Knicks ranked last in percentage of points off turnovers last year, per NBA.com. Improving upon that remarkably vacuous hole would solve a lot of problems, and having an offense flow through Anthony that is comfortable in transition would eliminate many of the issues tied to his iso-heavy approach.
As he ages into his autumn years, Melo will be able to generate points. His most important contribution to the future of the Knicks franchise, however, will be the influence he has on the development of Porzingis. In response to charges that he did not enjoy sharing the spotlight with the marvelous rookie, Anthony publicly embraced Porzingis, becoming his mentor. As the Latvian continues his growth toward superstardom, Anthony will be key in showing him how to adapt, having done that himself.
Most important addition
When news came through that Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were both coming to the New York Knicks, a certain ennui befell fans. It simply felt three years and approximately 980 surgeries too late for it to be a truly impactful stab at reclaiming Garden glory. Though Rose had flashes of excellence during his 66 games last year, particularly during a post-All-Star break stretch in which he averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds on nearly 47 percent shooting from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, the collective pessimism inherent to Knicks fandom overrode much of the presumptive fanfare Phil Jackson had hoped would accompany the move. Noah, meanwhile, managed only 29 games a season ago, putting up career-worst averages in points, free throw and field goal percentages.
All of which brings us to a signing that went relatively under-the-radar, at least as far as the blinding lights of Madison Square Garden are concerned. Courtney Lee figures to fill a void beside Rose in the backcourt that will allow for greater flexibility within Jeff Hornacek’s version of the triangle, whatever they may end up looking like. Certainly an upgrade from erstwhile Knick Arron Afflalo, Lee brings reliable three-point shooting (38.4 percent from three in his career) and a defensive presence. As a low-usage player alongside the likes of Rose and Anthony, Lee will be comfortable off the ball and in catch-and-shoot situations, and he has shot over 85 percent in his career from the charity stripe. Even at 31, Lee is worth a four-year deal, as his game should age gracefully.
Next: Toronto Raptors Season Preview
What does success look like?
— Maxwell Ogden, @DailyKnicksFS, Daily Knicks
New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson defined success as a championship. Quite frankly, that’s the way that every veteran team should be thinking. If you don’t win it all, your wins don’t count.
For the 2016-17 Knicks in specific, the bare minimum of success would be making the playoffs. New York hasn’t made the playoffs since it won 54 games in 2012-13, which is as painful as it sounds. The Knicks have gone from borderline dominance to being on the outside looking in of the playoffs in the blink of an eye.
The Knicks have injury concerns, but there’s far too much talent to excuse missing the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis have great chemistry, Joakim Noah will hold everyone accountable, and Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are massive improvements over Jose Caldeorn and a rookie version of Jerian Grant.
Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas are X-Factors as 3-and-D players, as well, and Justin Holiday could be a difference maker. With seven players with established ability and an eighth with upside, Jeff Hornacek has talent to work with. A title may not be a realistic goal, but New York needs to think like a championship team and accept nothing short of victory against any caliber of opponent.
Once New York gets to the postseason, it should win at least one series if Anthony is still the star many believe he is.