New York Knicks Roundtable: 2014-15 Season Preview

It is finally game day! The regular season begins for the New York Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden as they take on the Chicago Bulls. The staff over at Daily Knicks has decided to get together and weigh in on some of the questions surrounding the Knicks’ season. We are as excited about the season as all of you are so check out what we had to say below.

***Alex missed the memo on short and sweet. However, he does provide some entertaining rants.

What do you think the Knicks record will be at the end of the season? Why?

TJ:

45-37. I’m more on the positive side with this Knicks team. I can’t see them being as bad as last year, which only produced 37 wins in the lowly Eastern Conference. Getting rid of Raymond Felton will boost the Knicks at least 5 wins. Throw in the amount of late game blunders by Mike Woodson and you have another 3 wins. I trust in Fisher and Jackson. They have made improvements at their weakest spots (point guard and front court defense), and I think a change of chemistry can get this team back in the ballpark that saw them win 54 games two years ago.

Andrew:

41-41 and a playoff berth as the eighth seed. I’ll go with .500 for the Knicks. I really like the upgrade they made a point guard with Jose Calderon. The Knicks should struggle to learn the triangle early in the season but there doesn’t appear to be an eighth team that can really run away with a playoff spot. The Brooklyn Nets will likely regress and I think the Knicks take their spot in the postseason.

Rich:

40-42. I’m not as low on the Knicks as those computer sims are predicting but the East has gotten stronger and the Knicks are going to go through some major growing pains as they shift from Woodson’s NBA 2K-like”system” to one of the most nuanced ones in the league. Add in the fact that the chances of a 30 year old Melo, who played the most minutes in a season since he was a rookie, having the same monstrous season as last year are slim, I don’t think we have the makings of a very magical year.

Frank:

36-42. Why? Defense. The Knicks last season ranked 24th defensively and just traded their best defensive player. This team has a some intriguing offensive weapons and Carmelo Anthony is coming off the best two seasons of his career, the thing is though, the team has a very rough stretch to start the season. Anthony is also moving back to small forward, where he has been slightly less effective. This team will look better than a 36 win team by season’s end but the hole they dig may be too deep.

Dave:

41-41. I believe the Knicks record will be around .500 assuming Melo stays healthy. It all depends on how well the Triangle Offense translates.

James:

I’ve been flirting around with 34-48 as the lowest record, last year’s record of 37-45 being the most realistic and 40-42 as the most successful record the Knicks can achieve in Derek Fisher‘s inaugural season.

Alex:

I’m taking the high road here, and going against all basketball logic. I have the Knicks pegged at 47 wins and 35 losses this season, which would represent a 10 game improvement over last year. In reality, there are so many signs pointing against New York: a new coach, a completely redesigned playbook, the loss of Tyson Chandler. NBA pundits seem to have a knack for always picking against the Knicks, and I’m dumbfounded how not one single ESPN “expert” selected the Knicks to win the Atlantic Division this season. Seriously, are the Knicks THAT bad that even the Nets received two votes for division champion? How can you possibly tell me that a team with Brook Lopez and a bunch of washed up scrubs is better than one led by the greatest mind in basketball history. How does Brooklyn gain respect over the Knicks when Brooklyn’s former head coach Jason Kidd left the team after one season. It’s not like he left for a championship-bound team, though. Kidd darted for the big-market Milwaukee Bucks (#Sacrcasm…I’m still waiting for the day the Bucks are referred to as a big-market team…which will be never), who posted the league’s worst record last season. Hey, I’m sure that Kidd is a nice guy. But you’d think he’d be decent enough to stick with the Nets, whom he starred for at the turn of the century. Well, nope. That just goes to show how poor of an organization the Brooklyn Nets are, so the fact that they are considered to be better than the Knicks this season is beyond me.

Anyway, enough of my rant against the Nets. Back to the my thoughts on the Knicks record prediction. Phil Jackson has NEVER coached a losing team. Not once. His worst team while on the sidelines was the 2006-07 Lakers, who “only” went 42-40. And even THEY still qualified for the playoffs, although they were bounced out in five games by Phoenix in the conference quarter-finals. It’s not like we’re dealing with a small sample size here, either. The Zen Master was an NBA head coach for 20 seasons, and his teams made the playoffs in all 20 of them. Critics, such as the aforementioned experts, might point out the fact that Jackson is with the Knicks in a front office role, rather than as a head coach. He basically is the head coach though, and Derek Fisher is implementing any and all of what Jackson tells him to do. Even owner James Dolan has taken a seat back with Jackson in town, and you know this means that Jackson is really in charge now. Phil Jackson is a basketball genius, and one way or another, he will march this team to the NBA postseason, at worst.

Who do you feel is the most important piece to this team? Why?

TJ:

Jose Calderon is easily the most important Knick. Derek Fisher needs some stability at the point guard position to make this triangle offense flow, and Calderon’s skill set is a perfect fit. The team struggled mightily in the preseason when he went down with a calf injury showing just how valuable of an asset he is to the team. The weakest part of the team last year was point guard play, so it is not surprising at all that the most important piece again this year is their point guard.

Andrew:

Carmelo Anthony. He’s one of the of the league’s most gifted players and the Knicks are only going to go as far as he can take them. With Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher now in the fold, I expect Anthony to buy in more than ever as a team player and a leader and believe he will have the best all-around season of his career.

Rich:

Carmelo Anthony. If he can find his way into fitting the triangle, he not only will become a more efficient player, but he’ll also solidify himself as an anchor in a system that serves as the bedrock of the Phil Jackson regime. This is year is more than just about the 2014-2015 season, its about the years after that when cap room finally becomes available again and Phil molds this team to his vision. If Carmelo doesn’t buy into it he’s not going to have an audience to air his grievances to, or a President that might even really care to be honest. With Dolan off on his kazoo tour, this is Phi’s show now.

Frank:

Well, Carmelo Anthony for obvious reasons but the other player to be brought up here is Iman Shumpert. The East has Derrick Rose, John Wall, Knicks killer Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Kyrie Irving, and Deron Williams as opposing really good point guard for the Knicks. Jose Calderon, for all of his amazing shooting abilities can guard none of them. Shumpert is the lone plus defender on the Knicks perimeter and will have to guard both guard positions on a nightly basis just to keep teams from whizzing into the paint.

Dave:

Besides Melo the next obvious answer is Calderon. He brings stability to the position that the Knicks have not seen in a long time. I believe his contributions will be very noticeable from the beginning.

James:

The 5 year, $120 million near-max deal man, Carmelo Anthony. Aside from being the franchise player, the triangle offense will be flowing pretty much through him. Imagine what could happen if he proliferates his scoring and his underrated passing abilities in the triangle…man, just thinking about that gives me loads of optimism.

Alex:

Carmelo Anthony is this team’s MVP, and there is no way of arguing about that. However, in terms of the team’s most important piece, I believe that will be Iman Shumpert. One of the Knicks’ biggest issues last year as perimeter defense, and Shumpert will be the man primarily responsible with locking down opposing guards. He has often been hailed as a defensive force, but his potential has yet to be fully realized. This could be because of knee injuries and disagreements with MIke Woodson, but now that both are out of the way, expect Shumpert’s focus to be solely back on playing productive basketball on both ends of the floor. The Knicks already have their offense down set, for the most part, with the triangle offense. That said, in order for them to reach their goals this season, they will need to pick up the effort and results on D. A good offense but poor defense will do nothing to earn victories. Defense wins championships, and if the Knicks truly believe this statement, then they will need “21 Shump Street” to be the lock-down defender that team management has always envisioned.

Who was the most important acquisition this offseason? Why?

TJ:

Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher. Yes, it is management that saw the most improvement within this organization, not the players themselves. Jackson brings light to an organization mired in dark days for a long time, and actually has a plan, unlike Glen Grunwald who was stock piling power forwards. Fisher is a breath of fresh air for guys like Iman Shumpert, who were sick of seeing Mr. Potato Head stare blankly at the players.

Andrew:

Jose Calderon. The Knicks really missed having a steady presence in the back court last season and Calderon should prove to be a big upgrade from Raymond Felton. He is a very good shooter and can create for his teammates. Not only will he help get the Knicks open looks but he will help their spacing.

Rich:

Derek Fisher. Fisher serves as Phil’s extension on the bench and will be the one charged with teaching the system to players that have been conditioned by flawed defense (D’Antoni) and a horrific offense (Woodson). It won’t be easy but if Fisher can make things work, he’ll be on the path to making a great coach and perhaps even justify his sizable salary.

Frank:

A tie between Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert must at least partially play up to the role Chandler had in the Knicks two playoff seasons he was a part of. He doesn’t have to lead the league in FG% and offensive rating for two consecutive years like Chandler did but he has to be a hammer at the rim and at least give opposing players pause when attacking the rim. Calderon is an all-time great shooter and while the triangle somewhat minimizes traditional point guard duties I am not convinced the Knicks will always run the system. Anthony at the power forward is a huge reason why the team won 54 games a couple a years ago and Calderon is a great point guard to rekindle that magic. If they do consistently run the triangle though, look for Jose to drain corner threes all game.

Dave:

Calderon certainly fits this bill but after him I would argue Shane Larkin. A young athletic point guard has been even rarer for the Knicks in recent memory. As a former draft day target of the Knicks, I am eager to see how Larkin plays with the second unit considering it will be his first real crack at meaningful NBA minutes. His development could be a big part of the Knicks future. I also am a fan of the Jason Smith acquisition and believe he will be a solid contributor.

James:

Outside of Melo, Jose Calderon. Not only has he been a favorite of mine ever since he stepped foot on NBA hardwood, he’s the epitome of what you want in a point guard; he’s a pass-first distributor to the bone, a fantastic three point sharpshooter (posting back-to-back consecutive 40%+ seasons, as well as being a career 41% three point shooter). Knicks fans did nothing but suffer through the cupcake man, Raymond Felton’s legal troubles and his haphazard methods of trying to be a competent point guard. Finally! A proficient floor general!

Alex:

By leaps and bounds, the most important acquisition for the Knicks this offseason was Jose Calderon. Acquired in a trade with Dallas that sent Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler down south, Calderon represents a massive upgrade at point guard for the Knicks. He was recently praised by team staff for having an adequate knowledge of the triangle offense during training camp and the preseason. However, many of his teammates have struggled to keep up with the complexity of Derek Fisher’s new and historical system. One of the major reasons for the Knicks’ downfall last season was the lack of production from their floor generals, and Felton specifically gets called out on this one. His slowness of both ends of the floor allowed opposing point guards to post career games on a nightly basis, and it became a running joke throughout New York’s season – remember when Mike Scott poured in 30 off the bench for Atlanta? With Calderon now in charge, expect the Knicks offensive production to noticeably improved. This comes as no surprise, considering that the offense begins and ends with its point guard, especially in the triangle offense. Calderon’s defense is nothing to get excited over, but honestly, how can it be worse than how Felton played last season. If you were looking for any additional reasons to fully support the signing of Calderon, check Felton’s criminal record. An incident involving a gun put Felton in jeopardy of serious legal trouble for the second-half of last season, and although he avoided jail time, the situation essentially put a stamp on his Knicks career. Calderon appears to be a respected guy throughout the league, and considering his reputation as a good locker room player, chances are slim that he’ll run into any of the shenanigans that Felton pushed himself into.

Who do you think is most likely to step up this year?

TJ:

I’m going to give the nod to Amar’e Stoudemire. STAT has been through a lot ever since he joined the Knicks: he went from being the face of the franchise, dominating night in and night out, to playing second fiddle to Carmelo Anthony, to being the man made of glass, and now to being the reclamation project. The triangle offense will finally cater to Stoudemire’s strengths on the offensive end, and also allow he and Melo to play effectively at the same time. He was a monster the last twenty games of the season last year, averaging close to 20 points per game, so if we can get even 15 a night out of Stoudemire, I call the season a success. Coming off the bench or starting, Stoudemire gives the Knicks a scoring punch with both mid-range jumpers and quick, smooth post moves. Plus, everyone has to love Amar’e’s little celebrations after each play.

Andrew:

Iman Shumpert. I’m not sure he’ll ever be the type of shooter some hope he can be, but he is a good athlete with the potential to be a very good defender. Now that he is healthy, he should see a jump in his game and could become a more well-rounded player. He’s also been handling the ball as a backup point guard lately (and is currently starting in practice while Calderon nurses his injury), which will only help him become a better player.

Rich:

Iman Shumpert. I feel like Shump has been on a leash for most of his Knick career and forced into to doghouse for reasons not entirely fair to him. I also am not taking for granted the fact that he is playing for his next contract which often brings out the best in young athletes eying their next career move. He’s looked good in preseason games but he also looked great in preseason games last year and we all know how that ended: 6.7 points, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and a career low FG% of .37.

Frank:

Tim Hardaway Jr. THJ was a pretty good shooter last year who could have attacked the rim more. This year I think he will be much improved on defense, where he was pretty terrible last year at times, and will be more aggressive. If the Knicks ever do slide Anthony to the four and start JR, that could leave Hardaway as one of the main cogs of the second unit and allow him to really blossom as a player.

Dave:

Shumpert in the Triangle Offense could be a great pairing. Shumpert won’t need to create his own shots and can continue to develop defensively. Shumpert certainly realizes this himself because he is in a contract year and needs to prove that he can continue to mature if he wants to stay a Knick.

James:

Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. Unfortunately, throughout his Knick career, Shumpert has been toyed around at many different times and, at the same time, has also been unlucky as well. From being played as a point guard in the D’Antoni era, to tearing his ACL to not being able to fully regain himself and not being played where he should be under Mike Woodson, I expect Derek Fisher to manage him properly. And for THJ, we know he’s capable of hitting the three and the clutch shot, but there comes one caveat: Defense. It’s understandable that the Knicks have no idea how to play defense as a collective, but a 114 DRtg for an individual player is…pretty bad. If THJ can do that, then he’ll have an even better sophomore season and overcome the rookie mistakes.

Alex:

As I recently explained in a piece for the site, I believe that Amar’e Stoudemire is most likely to step up this year. After several years dealing with injury troubles, STAT is finally fully healthy entering this season. He’ll come off the bench initially, but he has the ability to put up 20 points a night if all goes well. Aside from an on-the-court standpoint, Amar’e must also be counted on this year to be one of the team’s leaders. The Knicks lost their clear leader from last season, Tyson Chandler, so they will need a veteran to fill the void made by Chander’s departure. Both Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are the most seasoned players on the team currently, and they also have significant playoff experience. They will need to use their role as a leader and as a league veteran to guide some of the younger players on the team. In addition, it will be vital to keep guys like JR Smith in check, or anyone else who commits foolish acts that will hurt the team. Notice how when the Knicks had Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas, and Marcus Camby two years ago, Smith was a much more responsible player. Hopefully Amar’e and Melo can reinforce this same discipline.

Starting Five?

TJ:

Calderon, J.R. Smith, Melo, Acy, and Dalembert

Andrew:

Samuel Dalembert/Jason Smith/Carmelo Anthony/Iman Shumpert/Jose Calderon

Rich:

Calderon, Shump, Jason Smith, Melo, Dalembert

Frank:

What I hope? Calderon-Shumpert-J.R. Smith-Carmelo Anthony-Samuel Dalembert. I think it will be Calderon-Shumpert-Anthony-Jason Smith-Dalembert. The Knicks have been starting these five the last few preseason games (except Larkin who is starting as an injury replacement for Calderon). Also the triangle offense typically has two traditional big men, something Carmelo is not. This isn’t a bad starting 5 but aside from sliding Anthony back to the three, it also suggests either Bargnani or Stoudemire may play center in the second unit and that is scary.

Dave:

Who will start? Calderon, Shumpert, Anthony, Acy, Dalembert
Who should start? Calderon, Shumpert, JR Smith, Anthony, Dalembert

James:

The starting five will probably look like Calderon-Shumpert-Anthony-Jason Smith (you fools, thinking of J.R at the four)-Dalembert, but I would like to see the majority of the minutes go to any unit that has Melo at the four, specifically Calderon-Shump-J.R-Melo-Dalembert.

Alex:

The starting lineup is mostly set in stone right now. Here are the no-doubters. Jose Calderon at point guard, Carmelo Anthony at small forward, and Samuel Dalembert at center. Thus, that leaves two positions up in the air before the Knicks start things off tomorrow night: shooting guard and power forward.

In a piece for Daily Knicks earlier this summer, I broke down the Knicks shooting guard battle. Although at the time I said that second-year guard Tim Hardaway Jr. would win the battle at the 2, it now appears as if Iman Shumpert will get the starting gig to open up the season. He has impressed the team during the preseason, and is starting to show some of the potential that the Knicks envisioned within him when they made him their first selection in the 2011 draft. While the past couple of seasons Shumpert has at times looked uncomfortable playing under Mike Woodson, those issues are a thing of the past, and Iman has the chance to be a new, special player this season. With Shumpert starting, I still expect both JR Smith and Hardaway Jr. to receive significant minutes coming off the bench. Either one has a solid chance at claiming 6th Man of the Year honors this season, as they will likely be the Knicks first two players off the bench in the majority of games.

At power forward, the battle gets even tighter. It looks like there are two main options to start at this position: Jason Smith and Quincy Acy, both preseason surprises and offseason acquisitions. I actually believe that Amar’e Stoudemire should be in the discussion as well, but it looks like the Knicks feel Amar’e is better suited as a bench player at this point in time. As for Smith and Acy, the Knicks can’t go wrong with starting either one. Acy is more of a player that does the dirty and under appreciated things, such as grabbing lose rebounds, while Smith is a solid jump shooter and can provide the Knicks some depth in the post. Given Acy’s reputation for being a major energy and hustle guy, I think he’d maximize his assets best while coming off the bench, which would put Jason Smith in line to start. It’s funny how things work out like this, because when the Knicks signed Smith to a 1 year deal worth $3.3M this summer, I just looked at is as a signing of a possible veteran rotation player. Now, he is on track to be their opening night starter.

What team are you worried the most about?

TJ:

Chicago. There is no team in the Eastern Conference more fit to dominate than the Bulls. Yes, of course Cleveland has LeBron James and Kevin Love now, but that team is not nearly as complete as Chicago. While Cleveland will light up the score board, I have a hard time seeing them making a defensive stop. The Bulls are the best defensive team in the league and are finally welcoming back superstar Derrick Rose. Add in the addition of Pau Gasol as a perfect complement to Joakim Noah, and you have a scary team in Chicago again.

Andrew:

The Cavaliers. In terms of the Knicks getting into the postseason, the teams that they will be battling seem to be the Brooklyn Nets, provided Brook Lopez can stay healthy (and he’s already hurt) and the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were a mess last year but they now have one of the best minds in basketball coaching them and running their team in Stan Van Gundy. The Knicks will likely battle for the eighth seed with these two squads.

Rich:

Toronto. The Knicks can’t compete with upper echelons of the East so I’m not worried about them. Its the probable Division champs that are going to be hard to watch Knicks struggle against.

Frank:

The cross town pseudo rival Nets and the old time rival Heat. By my estimation there are six teams that should be better than the Knicks and they are in no order, CLE, CHI, TOR, DC, CHA, and ATL. The Heat I believe will be as well but Dwyane Wade’s knee and Chris Bosh’s first taste of double teams in four years may prove to be an issue (for the record I do think Bosh is still very good). The Nets are a healthy Brook Lopez away from being in the top 5-6 of the Eastern Conference but a healthy Brook is no guarantee. He is already injured and who knows how long that will last. If he misses big time the Knicks could jump Brooklyn for that last spot.

Dave:

In general I am worried about any team with an athletic point guard I.E. most of the league. Although Calderon is an upgrade at the position he is not much of a defensive upgrade over Felton. Additionally, Larkin is undersized and will need to develop his ability to steal the ball. In the meantime, star point guards will continue to torch the Knicks, specifically the Wizards and Raptors.

James:

The Raptors are a pretty scary team. Last season was just the beginning of a formidable, young gun team that can overtake the Atlantic for years to come and as a potential perennial top 5 Eastern Conference team. Also, the Knicks against the Bulls the last couple of seasons were just excruciating to watch. The Bulls have always nagged the Knicks in general anyways (see Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen).

Alex:

Despite the emergence of the new Big 3 in Cleveland, I view the Chicago Bulls as the team the Knicks should most be worried about this season. Oh, and great, the Knicks get to play them tonight, in their first game of the season. What a way to start off the year…

Jokes aside, the Bulls are truly a team to fear this season. They have a stacked 1-2 front-court punch in reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah and former Laker Pau Gasol. Jimmy Butler is one of the best young wing players I have watched (he kind of reminds me of Iman Shumpert, actually). Then, of course, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, hampered by injuries the past couple seasons but still a a legit star in this league. To think that he won MVP in 2011 and he is still only 26 years old…Wow. If what I just said does not imply the obvious, well…the Knicks do not match up well at all with Chicago. The Bulls have better guards, big men, and a far superior coach. They did lose Luol Deng to Miami, but with Rose back and Gasol in town, they are not a squad to be messed up. Sorry, LeBron, but this year you will be denied a Finals berth for your fifth consecutive season. It is the Bulls time to shine now, and unfortunately the Knicks will not be able to stop them.

Where will the Knicks finish in the Atlantic? How about the Eastern Conference?

TJ:

I wrote a piece earlier this offseason projecting the Knicks to finish at the top of the division. I still believe they will win the Atlantic Division, but competing with the big boys in the East will be tough. People will say, “oh the Raptors beat the Knicks twice in the preseason!” Really? We’re basing it off preseason? It all depends on how quickly the Knicks pick up the offensive rotations. If they ca do this and knock down their open shots, there is no reason to believe this team doesn’t have the talent to compete in the Eastern Conference. Three seed in the playoffs due to winning the division.

Andrew:

Third in the division and ninth in the conference. The Knicks are in a transition year and simply don’t have the horses to compete with the upper echelon of the East. They could sneak into the playoffs if things really break their way but I am unsure that will happen.

Rich:

2nd, 8th. I don’t believe for a second the Nets will have a full year of health from their starting 5 and do believe the Knicks will be able to grind out an 8th seed spot among the rest of their fellow “barely over .500” teams of the East.

Frank:

Dave:

Knicks will finish 2nd in the Atlantic beyond Toronto. Philadelphia is not trying to win now. Boston are improving but also pretty young, especially if they trade Rondo. Brooklyn can challenge the Knicks with a healthy Brook Lopez but I believe the loss of Paul Pierce and the aging Deron Williams will be too much to overcome. Toronto will repeat with Lowry and Derozan leading the way.

James:

In the Atlantic, 3rd; in the East, 9th. Their Atlantic spot all depends on the Nets’ ailing health. If not for them succumbing to long-term injuries, particularly Brook Lopez, they’ll snag the second spot. The Knicks’ East spot will also be a toss-up with the Hawks (again…), quite possibly the Pacers without Paul George for the season and Lance Stephenson to the Hornets, their best defenders from their back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals teams, and even the Nets in some cases. If they couldn’t grab the 8th seed in a historically atrocious Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference last year, I’m not convinced they can do it this year. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Alex:

The Knicks probably play in the worst division in all of the NBA. I mean, the probable division winner, the Raptors, are only a borderline playoff team if they played in the Western Conference. Despite this, the Knicks are still worse than Toronto, who surprised many around the league last season. Even though I think the Knicks will make the playoffs, they won’t be doing so as division winners. They’ll finish second in the division, behind the Raps, and in front of Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Boston respectively.

Within the entire Eastern Conference, I am also taking an optimistic approach, as I have the Knicks finishing 6th in the conference, behind Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, Toronto, and Washington. They are definitely a better team than they were last season, but not yet good enough to catapult themselves into the elite ranks of the East. Most, if not all of the East contenders improved during the offseason as well, which doesn’t help the Knicks cause.

Team MVP?

TJ:

Carmelo Anthony. As the face of the franchise, Melo never fails to provide the Knicks with offensive power, and he even learned how to pass this offseason! Finishing a close second is Cole Aldrich‘s missing tooth.

Andrew:

Carmelo Anthony. He will need to once again dismantle defenses on a nightly basis to give the Knicks a chance of winning most of their games. The triangle is partly designed to alleviate pressure on superstars by spreading the ball and opening up passing lanes but the Knicks don’t exactly have the Lakers or Bulls surrounding cast. The Knicks could help by spreading the floor and running a more spaced out offense but that remains to be seen.

Rich:

Bargs! (I pust put that there to see if you were paying attention. Its Melo)

Frank:

Dave:

Carmelo Anthony plain and simple. Knicks will be lost without his offense.

James:

As PA announcer, Mike Walczewski would say, CARMELOOOOOOOOOOOOO ANTHONYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Alex:

Whether or not the Knicks make the playoffs this season will ultimately lie on the performance of Carmelo Anthony. Their unquestioned best player, and arguably the most dominant scorer in isolation sets, Anthony will need to be at his best for the entire 82 game season. When he gets hot from the field, their is no stopping him, and it usually results in a Knicks blowout victory. In contrast, their have been times when Melo puts up brick after brick, and he feels the need to keep shooting out of his slump. This was a frequent occurrence during the debacle of 2013-14, but now playing in the triangle, Melo will be encouraged to pass more often. When he does shoot, more often than not they will be quality attempts, instead of forced shots from low percentage ranges. Regardless of these slight changes to his style of play, Melo will continue to be a top-tier player in all of professional basketball, contrary to the opinions of many experts. Quite frankly, I was very disappointed by his rank of 17 in ESPN’s Top 500 Player Rankings. Melo is not a number to the Knicks though. He is way more than that. He represents the first step towards building a contending team, and if he can take full advantage of the triangle offense, while continuing to be the elite.

Biggest surprise of the preseason?

TJ:

Quincy Acy’s emergence as a potential starting power forward. When the Knicks acquired the bearded warrior, I wrote up a piece on how he could flourish if given a chance. Well, he got his chance and flashed what he is capable of. Now it’s a matter of whether or not he can be consistent.

Andrew:

Shane Larkin. I wrote an article about how he and Stoudemire could potentially be developing some chemistry and it is something I hope to see happen. Larkin is lightning quick and a good finisher around the rim. His shot selection isn’t always great and he could pass some more but I think the Knicks may have something here as far as a spark off the bench goes.

Rich:

JR Smith’s struggles. For JR to be struggling isn’t entirely a surprise but to the extent he’s been at is surprising. Both his contract and his struggles will probably be the source for nonstop trade talk throughout the year and I don’t know if that’s going make things worse for him since he is already an emotional player.

Frank:

Dave:

Quincy Acy. I did not expect him to make quite an impact to the point of potentially starting. Then again, he has not received much of a chance yet to prove himself in his short career. His energy and hustle will be much encouraged.

James:

Travis Wear, just because.

Alex:

The biggest surprise of the preseason was Travis Wear. Coming into training camp as an un-drafted rookie free agent, the UCLA shocked many when he beat out Travis Outlaw for the final roster spot. He was expected to be an early preseason cut, or at best, an automatic lock for the Westchester D-League squad, but instead, Wear will be playing at the Garden when the Knicks open up their season tonight. He might not get many minutes at first, but if he can work on his defensive game, he can quickly become a solid depth player for the Knicks, especially since he can play at multiple wing positions.

What’s the opinion on how Derek Fisher will fair this season?

TJ:

It’s going to be a bumpy ride. Any coach in his first year will have a tough start, but New York is another beast. Having Phil Jackson’s unconditional support will help take the heat off Fisher, but don’t be surprised at how quickly the New York media turns on him. A fair comparison will be Jason Kidd last year in Brooklyn. No experience, but figured it out along the way and coached his team to a solid season.

Andrew:

He will be ok. The Knicks have a very rough stretch to start the year and Fisher was playing meaningful NBA games just six months ago. Still though, he is surrounded by veteran coaches and has shown to be a smart basketball mind at times this preseason. By the end of the season he will look much better than he will in November and December.

Rich:

It’s going to be a long year.

Frank:

Dave:

It will be a long season for sure as the lineup is bound to fluctuate even before injuries come in to play. Fisher’s success will correlate to how well the team implements and understands the Triangle.

James:

Just like anything else, time will certainly tell. Maybe Fish will surprise with stuff that was completely unexpected. Who knows? Maybe he could achieve the success of Jeff Hornacek with the Suns or Jason Kidd with the Nets in his first season as a head coach (that escalated quickly with his departure to Milwaukee, right?), although, it’s highly unlikely. And, even though Kurt Rambis had his fair share of damning head coaching experiences, I think him as an assistant and D-Fish will work nicely as a coaching doublet. D-Fish will be fine. Wait until 2015, then that’s where the real action will occur.

Alex:

As a first-year head coach, Derek Fisher will probably struggle for the first part of this season. It’s bound to happen. However, Fisher also has Phil Jackson essentially acting as his mentor, which will make the transition from player to coach a smoother one. Hopefully, Fisher can pick from Jackson’s brain wisely, and use his mentor to enhance his coaching abilities. When Jason Kidd made the similar transition from point guard to head coach last season with Brooklyn, he too had a mentor in Lawrence Frank. However, the pair quickly grew apart, leading Frank to be dismissed from the team by Kidd. Lawrence Frank is obviously not an eleven-time champion though, so this will not be a problem the Knicks will have to worry about luckily. The way I see it, Derek Fisher is Head Coach 1A and Phil Jackson is Head Coach 1B. Overall, though, I believe that Derek Fisher will prove that he is the man for the job in the Big Apple, quieting any doubters who would have rather seen the Knicks hire now-Warriors coach Steve Kerr instead.

Well, that was a lot of opinion for one piece. Happy Opening Day everyone! Knicks take on the Bulls at 8:00 pm tonight. Time to see what this team is made of. Be sure to check back for the game preview.

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