New York Knicks: 2013-14 NBA Preview

Can Carmelo Anthony take take the New York Knicks to the promised land in 2013-14? Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule

2012-13 Vitals

54-28 overall, 1st in Atlantic Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference
Defeated Boston in first round, 4-2
Lost to Indiana in conference semifinals, 4-2
100.0 PPG/95.7 OPPG

2013-14 Roster

Carmelo Anthony: SF
Andrea Bargnani: C
Earl Barron: C
Tyson Chandler: C
Raymond Felton: PG
Tim Hardaway Jr.: SG
C.J. Leslie: PF
Kenyon Martin: PF
Pablo Prigioni: PG
Iman Shumpert: SF
J.R. Smith: SG
Amar’e Stoudemire: PF
Jeremy Tyler: PF
Beno Udrih: PG
Metta World Peace: SF

OFFSEASON ADDITIONS

Andrea Bargnani (Trade), Metta World Peace (Free Agency), Beno Udrih (Free Agency), Jeremy Tyler (Free Agency), Tim Hardaway Jr. (First Round Draft pick), C.J. Leslie (Second Round Draft Pick)

OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS

Jason Kidd (retirement), Kurt Thomas (retirement), Chris Copeland (Free Agency), Marcus Camby (Trade), Steve Novak (Trade), Quentin Richardson (Free Agency), James White (Free Agency)

PROJECTED STARTERS

PG-Raymond Felton
SG-Iman Shumpert
SF-Carmelo Anthony
PF-Andrea Bargnani
C-Tyson Chandler

SEASON OUTLOOK

In a move that must’ve had executives around the NBA in stitches, the New York Knicks sent draft picks (including a first-rounder) and players (including fan favorite Steve Novak) to Toronto in exchange for Andrea Bargnani, a player who no team in the NBA wanted and who was allegedly on the brink of being amnestied anyway.  Par for the course for one of the most dysfunctional NBA franchises.  But looking past what was sent out (in reality, not much) and instead looking at the overall roster in comparison to last year’s, the New York Knicks are certainly a better basketball team heading into 2013-14.  The addition of Metta World Peace for essentially peanuts gives the Knicks a bit of toughness and some added defense both on the perimeter and in the post.  And say what you want about Bargnani (he’s been awful for two years now), but it’s amazing how quickly people forget he has been a 20 point-per-game scorer in this league and who’s to say he didn’t just need to get out of a toxic situation in Toronto?  Tim Hardaway Jr. give the Knicks some youth (finally) and some backcourt help.  Iman Shumpert showed flashes, can he make the leap and become the player Glen Grunwald and the rest of this front office envisions?  The pieces are in place for the Knickerbockers to be a pretty talented basketball team, but will they fit together? Whether it happens for this group or not, with all the personalities on this roster, 2013-14 should make for a pretty entertaining season.

BEST CASE SCENARIO

The New York Knicks jump out of the gate exactly the way they started last season behind terrific ball movement, brilliant play from Carmelo Anthony and a ridiculous amount of 3-point makes every night.  Andrea Bargnani is reborn under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, providing the Knicks with the second option they so desperately lacked.  Metta World Peace completes one of the strangest career arcs in recent memory by becoming a psuedo-veteran leader.  Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert form one of the most talent young wing tandems in the NBA.  J.R. Smith recovers from off-season surgery and doesn’t miss a beat, duplicating the career year he had in  2012-13.  Heck, even Amar’e Stoudemire gets in on the act and becomes a positive contributor in limited minutes off the bench.  The Knicks are a top five team both offensively and defensively and once again win the Atlantic Division and capture the second overall seed.  This year, however, they get over the second-round hump despite all of the talent in the Eastern Conference and finally get a crack at LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

WORST CASE SCENARIO

Can Andrea Bargnani rejuvenate his NBA career in orange and blue? (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)

Don’t schedule that championship parade down broadway just yet.  The New York Knicks stall out of the gate thanks to a number of factors.  Carmelo Anthony struggles with his shot, but that doesn’t stop him from hoisting it, as he leads the NBA in attempts but finishes right around 40 percent from the field.  J.R. Smith isn’t ready on opening day and just doesn’t seem right all year.  Surgery may have affected his explosiveness.  Metta World Peace struggles in a reserve role and spends more time working on a rap album with Iman Shumpert than working on developing chemistry with his new teammates.  Raymond Felton’s solid campaign in 2012-13 proves to be a fluke, as he shows up to the Knicks training facility after an offseason heavily prominent in cup cakes and pizza.  Andrea Bargnani stops hustling and gives up after realizing he isn’t getting the ball from Carmelo Anthony, eventually falling out of the rotation.  Tim Hardaway Jr. is a non-factor as a rookie.  Still, the Knicks remain in the limelight thanks to a myriad of locker room issues, similar to how the New York Jets constantly grab headlines for all the wrong reasons.  It doesn’t help that Brooklyn Nets have proven to be true contenders and finish as the three seed in the East.  The Knicks finish in sixth and are eliminated in round one on their home floor by Jason Kidd’s team.  Carmelo Anthony rips his jersey off and spends the offseason in a Laker fitted.

PREDICTED FINISH:

49-33, 2nd in Atlantic, 5th in East

[slider_pro id=”20″]