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New York Knicks 2008-09 Season Preview

Written September 30, 2008 by Luke Knight

The Knicks have been the laughing stock of the NBA for far too many years as far as New York natives are concerned, so Knicks President of Basketball Operations hired Mike D’Antoni, best known for his success in Phoenix running the fast paced “run-and-gun” style headed by Steve Nash. D’Antoni averaged 58 wins over 4 years in Phoenix so he is far from unproven, but will this fast-paced style transfer over to the much maligned Knicks’ lineup? Continue reading our New York Knicks’ Preview to find out just how much we think D’Antoni will improve the Knicks. The Knicks are at +8000 odds to win the NBA Championship this season. That means for every $100 you bet you can win $8,000!

Stephon Marbury claims that he can play for Mike D’Antoni, but we will believe it when we see it. Marbury may not even be around due to persistent buyout rumors during the offseason. Regardless of Marbury, the Knicks picked up Chris Duhon, a pass-first point guard, from the Bulls. Duhon is a decent defender and has shot .387 during his career. Also Duhon brings a bit of a reputation as a party animal with him, so the bright lights of New York will be shining very brightly on him. Nate Robinson, who has great end-to-end quickness, is also an option here. His speed may work very well in D’Antoni’s system. Robinson averaged 12.7 ppg in 26.2 minutes per game last season.

Jamal Crawford, who averaged 29.9 minutes per game and 20.6 ppg last season, has 532 NBA games under his belt, but not one playoff game. Crawford is a streak shooter, who can go completely on fire or completely icy, but he is not afraid to take any shot and could fit into the new Knicks’ system. Robinson could also get time as a 2 guard since he plays more like one. Robinson is known to be a full-court pest, but his size could be trouble half-court. The Knicks also signed Anthony Roberson to give them some depth at this position. Roberson has 36 games of NBA experience going for him and recently played in the NBDL.

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Quentin Richardson should be the man for the Knicks at small forward. He averaged 8.1 ppg and 4.8 rebounds last season, but in his best overall season, Richardson averaged 14.9 points and 6.1 rebounds playing for none other than Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix in 2004-2005. While Richardson is the starter, all eyes will be on rookie Daninlo Gallinari out of Italy, who will definitely be a work in progress. Wilson Chandler could also push for the starting job here. Chandler is athletic, can shoot and get to the rim, and will play defense. Chandler’s downside is experience however. Jared Jeffries could get some time here as a 3, but like Chandler may play as a 4 as well. Jeffries is like glue on defense, but offensively Chandler has the edge.

Zach Randolph, the Knicks big offseason acquisition going into last year, averaged a double-double (10.3 boards and 17.6 ppg) last season. Randolph is a scorer, but defensively he is a nightmare and he cannot pass. Randolph does have good range, but other than offense his game is a liability. David Lee is a fan favorite out of Florida and he grinds, hustles, and rebounds. His offensive game is coming around, but he needs minutes more than anything, as he averaged only 29.1 minutes per game last season. Jeffries will get time here as he is a stud defensively, but on the offensive end of the court he allows the opposing team to double team elsewhere as Jeffries cannot score. Malik Rose is also a player at this position, although his game has declined significantly he is a solid locker room presence and can play in short bursts.

Eddy Curry looks to be the guy at this position, but he seems to lack the confidence to play up to his size and athleticism and skill. This is a position that could improve the Knicks if Curry fits into D’Antoni’s system and improves his rebounding and defense and passing. Curry is definitely a low post scorer, but he also only averaged 25.9 minutes per game, which is far too few if the Knicks expect to be competitive at all. Behind Curry is Jerome James, who played 5 minutes last season despite the enormous contract Isiah Thomas gave him.

Final Analysis

The Knicks moved in the right direction getting Mike D’Antoni, but the more important thing this season will be the potential buyouts of big contracts such as Stephon Marbury, Jerome James, and Malik Rose if the cannot fit into D’Antoni’s system. Overall, the Knicks are just a bad team in a division and conference that has gotten stronger. In the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference moving in the right direction coaching-wise just isn’t enough to win games. If the talented players fit in to D’Antoni’s system, then the Knicks should win more than 23 games, but for the most part the Knicks are still going to be the doormat. D’Antoni will need time to turn this nightmare of a team around and instill some sort of chemistry on the court. We have the Knicks finishing 5th in the Atlantic and missing the playoffs again this year, but lets be honest, any more than 23 wins is a step in the right direction. The New York Knicks odds to win the East are at +3000.

For more 2008 New York Knicks predictions see this article by Jack Jones.

More team predictions from Luke Knight:

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