GDHQNBA15_2pg-New York Knicks

Cleveland Cavaliers Gameday HQ

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION New York Now that the Knicks are in the Zen Zone full time, they can concentrate on putting together a team that replicates the Phil Jackson Way. The triangle offense will be in full effect, thanks to the arrival of new head coach and former triangle pupil Derek Fisher. Jackson will be trying to re-cast a roster that is in serious salary cap trouble by jettisoning bad contracts and trying to lure top players to Gotham in the hope of creating a contender. The good news is that by this time next year, the Knicks will have washed away a lot of bad money from the books, and if they can somehow find a way to get someone to pick up J.R. Smith, it’s possible to make a fresh start around Carmelo Anthony. Anthony re-signed during the offseason for a little less than the maximum and appears committed to being part of the franchise’s rebirth. Defense While the Knicks spend time learning about the triangle and trying to figure out how they all fit into it, they might want to devote a little practice attention to the other end of the court, where the potential for trouble is great. New York was 24th in the NBA in points allowed last year, and that was with former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler in the middle. He’s gone now, part of the deal that brought Calderon and center Samuel Dalembert to town. Chandler averaged 9.6 rebounds per game and blocked 1.1 shots, not amazing totals, but his specialty is D, and he won’t be able to provide rim protection. Although Dalembert has good size and did block 1.2 shots a game in 2013-14, he isn’t as valuable along the back line as Chandler. That’s going to be a problem. The Knicks still have Iman Shumpert, though, and that’s a good thing. He’s the one player the team can point to as a defensive force, and he will be tasked every night with shutting down the opponent’s top perimeter player. Shumpert has good size and strength to handle a variety of assignments, and his limited offensive contributions are overshadowed considerably by his ability to defend and—more importantly—his willingness to do so. The rest of the roster is practically bereft of solid defensive performers, and if the Knicks are going to contend, that will have to change. Somebody has to develop as a willing defender, particularly inside. Stoudemire’s bad knees limit his leaping and mobility, as he used to be able to block a few shots in spite of his poor overall defense. This is the last year of his gigantic contract, he may well be willing to work harder on the interior in hopes of netting another deal. Anthony can be counted on for eight or nine boards a game, and he will accumulate some steals, largely because of his athletic ability. But expecting him to expend considerable effort on that side of the court is unreasonable, since his predisposition is toward scoring. In short, the Knicks have serious trouble in this area, and unless Jackson is able to upgrade the team’s defensive profile through a trade, it isn’t unreasonable to believe the Knicks could be worse on D this year. Offense There isn’t too much mystery about what the Knicks want to do. It’s more a matter of whether Anthony and the rest of the team are capable of handling the triangle and doing what Fisher—and by proxy, Jackson—says. The Knicks were 20th in points scored last year, but that’s not necessarily an indication of what will happen this season. The new offense, which will take some time to get used to, has the potential to be potent, but there must be an understanding that the ball has to move. In order to get there, there must be buy-in across the roster, beginning with Anthony. The veteran forward has developed a reputation for holding onto the ball, taking too many shots and generally being a poor team player. That’s not something Jackson will tolerate, although with four guaranteed years ahead on Anthony’s new deal, there won’t be too much he can do, if Anthony decides to call his own number every time down the court. There is no denying his ability to put up points. He averaged 27.4 a game last year, but he has yet to lead the Knicks anywhere in the postseason. If he decides to play triangle ball, Carmelo Anthony Jim McIsaac/Getty Images


Cleveland Cavaliers Gameday HQ
To see the actual publication please follow the link above