This is either a very strange time in Charles Barkley‘s life or he’s finally turned a corner on the New York Knicks. One way or another, he’s approaching the point of denouncing his hate for the organization.
One day after praising Phil Jackson for his offseason moves, Barkley made a bold prediction in favor of the Knicks during an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio: they’ll make the playoffs.
"Carmelo is not the reason the Knicks aren't winning, he's the only reason why they're on TNT..I expect them to make the playoffs" Barkley
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 14, 2015
This humble evaluator is inclined to agree.
Carmelo Anthony returning to the rotation is enough to suggest that New York will be significantly more competitive in 2015-16 than it was in 2014-15, when it finished 17-65. He’s an eight-time All-Star, a former scoring champion and a future Hall of Famer in the prime of his career.
Generally speaking, a player of Anthony’s caliber guarantees a postseason appearance—especially in the lowly Eastern Conference.
The East projects to be stronger than it has been in recent seasons, but the No. 6 seed in 2014-15 was 41-41. Furthermore, two teams made the playoffs with a record below .500—as telling a statistic as you’ll find.
It still won’t be easy, but the Knicks should make the playoffs if .500 is the standard.
Beyond Anthony, the Knicks have added a significant measure of depth to the rotation. Barkley described New York’s 2014-15 roster as being filled with non-NBA players.
Saying they weren’t NBA players is a bit of a stretch, but they didn’t exactly have the track record to suggest they should’ve been seeing major minutes.
Much has changed.
In the backcourt, Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon are lights out shooters who can easily score in double-figures on a nightly basis. Langston Galloway lives for clutch moments and rookie Jerian Grant has the potential to be a full-time starter.
If healthy, that group should keep the ball moving and give the Knicks a reasonable amount of production.
Up front, New York will be led by the recently signed Robin Lopez and heralded rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Lopez is a respected two-way player who’s trusted to show up every time out, and Porzingis has genuine star potential.
Whether or not both players live up to the hype—Lopez’s contract and Porzingis’ upside—they have the tools to be a very effective two-way tandem from Day 1.
Beyond that, New York has loaded up on talented young players. A vast majority are hoping the Triangle Offense is the proper system to help them put it all together in.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Seraphin and Derrick Williams have all of the potential in the world, and the likes of Cleanthony Early and Kyle O’Quinn could be quality contributors.
The question is, how far can Anthony lead this team of solid, but not spectacular players? How influential can the Triangle Offense be in bringing the best out of the more enigmatic acquisitions New York has made?
We’ll have our first look at an answer on October 28, when the Knicks open the season against Greg Monroe and the Milwaukee Bucks at the HMO Harris Bradley Center.
From there, only one question will need to be asked: can the Knicks do as Barkley projects and make the playoffs?
Next: Kristaps Porzingis reflects on NBA's Rookie Transition Program
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