Knicks Injury News: Andrea Bargnani To Debut Saturday?
By Evan Massey
The New York Knicks could see Andrea Bargnani make his season debut on Saturday.
Andrea Bargnani was acquired by the New York Knicks from the Toronto Raptors last year, but saw him go down with injury after playing in just 42 regular season games. He has missed all of this season so far, but appears to be getting close to making his season debut. According to a report from ESPN.com, Bargnani could very well make his debut on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Take a look at the numbers that Bargnani put up last season with the Knicks:
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/18/2014.
Needless to say, Bargnani will be a very nice depth fit for the Knicks when he returns. They could use more talent coming off of their bench, and he brings a very unique skill-set to the table. New York hasn’t looked like a team that has a chance at competing for a playoff spot yet, but they have shown some flashes here and there in their three wins.
Bargnani is 29 years old, and still hasn’t been able to live up to the hype that made him the number one overall draft pick in 2006. He has always been a very solid player, but has never turned into a star scorer like many expected him to.
That being said, Knicks’ head coach Derek Fisher is very excited to have him back in the lineup and believes he will fit in very well.
"“Whenever he’s back, his versatility is huge for us on both ends of the floor. I think he can guard multiple positions and offensively he can play multiple positions. He’s another guy on the floor that defenses have to think about how they want to cover him. He makes the game easier for Carmelo [Anthony], J.R. [Smith], Iman [Shumpert]. So we’re excited to get him back soon hopefully, and start to kind of rebuild our team again once we get some guys back out there.”"
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
New York hasn’t had a steady front-court since Bargnani went down with injury, and there is a chance that he could step in as a starter fairly soon after coming back. The Knicks have played Amar’e Stoudemire, Quincy Acy, and Jason Smith in the front-court in strange rotations, but could find more stability with Bargnani.
All of that being said, the Knicks are in full desperation mode and perhaps Bargnani’s return can help them snap out of their early season funk. He isn’t exactly the type of difference maker that the Knicks could use, but he does have a unique game that can help, especially on the offensive end of the court. Don’t be surprised to see him take the court for the first time this season on Saturday.
Next: NBA Power Rankings: Where Do The New York Knicks Rank?