Highs and Lows: New York Knicks
Jamal Crawford, Dime #30Opening Night is right around the corner. While we wait for the ‘08-09 schedule to start, we’re going team-by-team, from 1 to 30, exploring where each team’s ceiling is for the upcoming season and where their basement is. In other words, what are the realistic best-case and worst-case scenarios for each squad?
Additions: PG Chris Duhon, SF Danilo Gallinari, SF Patrick Ewing Jr., PG Anthony Roberson.
Losses: SG Fred Jones, SF Renaldo Balkman, C Randolph Morris.
Ceiling: Barely missing the playoffs
The raw talent has always been there — no one said Isiah Thomas didn’t know how to spot good players — the Knicks have just been a comical result of what boils down to a bad chemical reaction; every game seemed like the whole team had just met in the layup line 10 minutes before tip-off. The biggest difference this year? Attitude. From everything that’s been said in the offseason and displayed on the court in the preseason, the players believe they can win, perhaps due to osmosis via Isiah’s replacements (Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni) and an optimistic fan base. David Lee and Zach Randolph, two keys to making D’Antoni’s system work, have been double-double machines throughout the preseason. Stephon Marbury has been more of a contributor and less of a distraction; at the very least, he’s raising his trade value so the Knicks can flip his contract into some decent building blocks/draft picks. Jamal Crawford is always a safe bet to get buckets. Nate Robinson has improved, along with Wilson Chandler, Q-Rich is playing like he wants to be out there again, and Chris Duhon is settling into a sort of homeless-man’s Jason Kidd role with his rebounding and passing, even if he’s not much of a scorer. In years past, when finishing well under .500 was still good enough to crack the Eastern Conference bracket, I would have put the Knicks’ ceiling at a playoff berth. But the conference is improved this year, and while there could be an open spot for an under-.500 squad, it won’t be this one. But they are on the right track.
Basement: Same ol’ …
Like any gimmick in pro sports, D’Antoni’s system has flaws that — especially with this roster — can be exposed by good teams. For starters, without a basketball scientist like Steve Nash running the show and world-class athletes like Shawn Marion available, the Knicks can’t start fast breaks off made shots, and good teams will make shots against them. And not only is small-ball inherently vulnerable to giving up buckets in the paint, Randolph is a bad defender in any system; the team has already been smoked by everyone from Chris Bosh to Leon Powe in the preseason. Duhon can’t shoot, Lee has no offense, there’s a decent chance the Knicks get absolutely nothing from Lottery pick Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry is just a mess, and while Steph is OK with his limited role right now, everyone’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, when New York stumbles on its first 3-4 game losing streak and Steph wonders why he isn’t getting up more shots. And since there wasn’t a whole lot of roster turnover, has the losing culture been completely expunged? If things start to go sour, given this group’s history, it could get real bad, real fast.
‘08-09 NBA preview archives
10/21 — Denver Nuggets
10/20 — Philadelphia 76ers
10/17 — Dallas Mavericks
10/15 — Indiana Pacers
10/14 — Golden State Warriors
10/10 — Detroit Pistons
10/9 — San Antonio Spurs
10/8 — Chicago Bulls
10/6 — Oklahoma City Thunder
10/3 — Washington Wizards
10/2 — Utah Jazz
10/1 — Charlotte Bobcats
9/30 — Memphis Grizzlies
9/26 — Toronto Raptors
9/25 — New Orleans Hornets
9/24 — Atlanta Hawks
9/23 — Sacramento Kings
9/22 — Miami Heat
9/19 — Portland Trail Blazers
9/18 — New Jersey Nets
9/17 — Minnesota Timberwolves
9/16 — Cleveland Cavaliers
9/15 — Phoenix Suns
9/12 — Milwaukee Bucks
9/11 — L.A. Clippers
9/10 — Orlando Magic
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
justice says:
Ahhhhh wtf AB, ur in seattle now right, what’s ur address again? For what u ask? I owe u an ass whopping or a bomb threat..Wtf man our ceiling is just missing the playoffs come on man at least give us 8th seed dude…Please i can only imagine the ungodly comment about my knicks in 5,4,3,2… Thanks dude…
P.S. Go Sonics
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
shy says:
dude, check this out:
http://nbaonthebrain.blogspot.com/
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Damon says:
Come on justice, AB has loooots basketball knowleadge.
Always remember: he wasn’t the one defending marbury and still calling him one of the best points in the league.
it surely wasn’t him…
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Diego says:
“[N]o one said Isiah Thomas didn’t know how to spot good players”?!?
Can you say “Jerome James”?
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
@ Justice….That sounds about right what AB said. If you put NY @ the 8th seed who do you take out. So far I think it’s going to look like this:
1) Boston
Toronto
2) Detroit
3) Cleveland
4) Orlando
5) Atlanta
6) Philidelphia
7) Washington
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Of every team in the East, which squad is most likely to implode. I say Washington. Though I’m always entertained by them, I think that they’ve got the perfect recipe to drop out of the playoffs this year for a number of reasons, thereby creating room for my Knicks to get that 8 seed.
- Washington will get eaten up this year inside as the East is stronger on the block and Washington is weaker. Haywood stinks even more than ever, and now he’s got to deal with a better Philly front court 4 times, a better Dwight Howard 4 times, and a better Atlanta frontcourt 4 times.
- Atlanta is right behind them. They’ve got the coaching issues as we wrote about on the site with Josh Smith and Mike Woodson this morning.
So what if those two teams disappoint and make room for Miami to get back in the mix, and for the Knicks to do just enough to win 37, 38 games? They could be in the playoffs.
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
@ Dime–
The first thing they teach you on defense is to stop the ball. I have yet to see anyone not named David Lee understand that concept.NYK will be lucky to win 30, unless they simply outscore a lot of teams or just play the Grizzlies, Bobcats, Nets and Thunder the whole season. I want NY to do well, but come on, would you bet on them making the 8th seed?. And what the hell we’re they thinking by drafting Ginirillo (however it’s spelled) when Bayless was still on board?
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Yeah I could see The Wiz and Toronto not making it and The Heat sneaking in. But Atlanta is defenitely making it coaching problems or not barring a major injury to Josh, JJ or Horford. NYK 8th seed is a pipe dream but eh anything is possible. Haven’t seen them play yet but is Mike D really that big a savior?
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
And don’t forget Dime. Wash gets Etan Thomas back this year and that to me makes them better up front…plus the rook McGee has looked good in pre-season.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm
HeadKicker B says:
I wouldnt be surprised to see the Knicks make a playoff spot. They are not among the stronger teams like the Celts, Cavs, Pistons but Atl and Washington could be in for meltdown years and for some reason Toronto has not impressed me. I think NJ could sneak in for the same reason.
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 am
Sccob says:
Mother expletive Knicks.
I’ll start watching them again….maybe…
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
BxBaller says:
Come on Dime, you don’t think the Knicks ceiling is the 8th seed? You guys had Jersey as a 8th seed, and we’re WAY better than them. Also why does everybody have Cleveland as a top 3 team in the east? I feel that Philly and Orlando are better than them.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Big V says:
I agree with BXBaller on this one. I don’t see how you can view Jersey’s ceiling as being higher than ours.