New York Knicks: Depth Analysis and Mid-Season Review
If you’re familiar with the New York Knicks, you know all about their horrific 2014-15 season. After 82 long, heartbreaking games, the Knicks were only able to muster 17 wins. Now, however, things are starting to look up for the Knicks, who just recently passed their previous win total.
Now 19-20, New York is making a strong case for themselves once again. If it were a couple of years ago, I’d attribute most of the Knicks’ success to Carmelo Anthony. Why wouldn’t I? He’s been responsible for most of the wins the Knicks managed to scrounge up in their previous two seasons despite obvious struggles.
Most of the criticism the Knicks received in that time frame was pointed at the pieces around Melo. This is not the same Knicks team we were watching last year.
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Kristaps Porzingis is the centerpiece for most of the growth the Knicks have had this year. He’s only a rookie and has already impacted games beyond anyone’s expectations. Consider the game against the Spurs on Friday. Porzingis managed to score 28 points and grab double-digit rebounds against a Spurs team that is undoubtedly championship caliber.
He outdid himself in the second game of the series against the Spurs, in San Antonio. He’s averaging 2 blocks on the season, and that is crucial to the Knick’s defensive prowess. What impresses me most about him is how consistent he is on the defensive end. In the first few games, foul trouble seemed imminent for Kristaps. Then he adjusted. Now he’s swatting shots that instantly change the momentum for the Knicks.
Between him and Robin Lopez, the paint is a dangerous place to go against the Knicks. The duo of Lopez and Porzingis is one of my favorite changes to the Knicks this season. They can both pass extremely well, and they have a good tendency of scoring in the paint, which the Knicks haven’t had in years. Tyson Chandler had no post offense, Bargnani was a bust, and Stoudemire simply couldn’t stay healthy. With two young giants on the roster, the Knicks are a serious threat.
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Coming into the season, there was a known deficit at the small-forward position. Cleanthony Early hasn’t really developed well, and a lot of the forwards the Knicks had are either in the D-League now, or were waived from the team entirely. Carmelo Anthony, thus, has taken the most work at the small-forward position. However, I will forever vouch for Lance Thomas after seeing how he’s performed this season. He’s a 90% FT shooter, and although he doesn’t score in high quantity, he has the potential to change the pace of the game.
was called in his days with the Knicks. They’re easily comparable to one another because of their similar game play.
The bench started the season looking strong as a whole, but they fell off very quickly. Now, though, they’re starting to pick it up again.
Derrick Williams has found his niche in the offense, Lance Thomas is becoming a solid second option at the SF position, and Jerian Grant is proving to be a promising point guard for the future. I’ve been just as impressed by Arron Afflalo for stepping up when the Knicks need him to. The unlimited scoring options are crucial to the New York Knicks’ season, so naturally this is an exciting year for a Knicks fan.