New York Knicks: Breaking Down The 2013-14 Power Forwards
The New York Knicks added some much needed depth to their frontcourt for the 2013-14 NBA season as the team looks to improve on its exit in the conference semifinals last season. Huge injury clouds hang over the Knicks’ big men and the coaching staff will be hoping that with minute management and improved depth they can have all their bigs healthy and firing come playoff time. On paper, a former No. 1 overall pick and a six-time NBA All-Star appears to be a tremendous tandem, backed up by an experienced vet, but the health and contribution of these players remains a huge question mark. Here’s the breakdown of the 2013-14 power forwards on the Knicks’ depth chart and what we can expect to see from them this season.
Can Andrea Bargnani turn his career around in New York?
(Wikimedia Commons/MoRecupero)
Starter
There are huge question marks over who will round out the Knicks’ starting five alongside Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, but newcomer Andrea Bargnani could be a surprise inclusion after his recent trade from Toronto. In reality, there is a high chance that Anthony will start at the 4, allowing the Knicks to play small, but if coach Mike Woodson wants a more traditional lineup, then Bargnani may get an opportunity early in the season. A former No. 1 overall pick, Bargnani has been disappointing since entering the league in 2006. He has shown flashes of being the gifted scorer he was projected as prior to the draft, but has failed to live up to expectations, struggling with his efficiency, rebounding and, even more troublesome recently, are injury problems.
While the bright lights of New York usually add a great deal of pressure to any player that joins the Knicks, the role Bargnani will be asked to play this season may reduce the expectations and let him focus on becoming a role player, rather than trying to live up to the expectations of being a top pick. In 2012-13 Bargnani played just 35 games, which was only a marginal improvement over the 31 he managed the year before. He averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds but was dreadful from the field, shooting less than 40 percent for the season.
Bargnani is a huge wild card this season for the Knicks. In theory he could provide a different look on offense and spread the floor for the Knicks’ isolation scorers. But, if Bargnani’s struggles on the boards continue and he can’t improve his efficiency it would be hard to see him staying on the court for extended periods. Expect to see an up-and-down season from Bargnani; when injuries inevitably strike the frontcourt, you could see him go on a streak where he averages 20 points per game, but the Knicks would be happy with a 10- to 11-point, five-rebound contribution in a supporting role if Bargnani can improve his shooting numbers.
Will Amar’e Stoudemire be healthy enough to help the Knicks this season?
(Flickr.com photo by Bryan Horowitz)
Backups
Another huge question mark hanging over the Knicks’ season is the health and contribution of Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire, who has been battling knee injuries for years, once again had his season cut short, playing in just 29 games for the Knicks last season, all of which came off the bench. Now 30 years old, Stoudemire was still highly productive when he was on the court, averaging 14.2 points and five rebounds in just 23.5 minutes and shooting an extremely efficient .577 from the field. When healthy, Stoudemire gives the Knicks a presence in the paint on offense that they really lack from their other big men, who are primarily defenders, or Bargnani, who is more suited to the perimeter. After 11 seasons in the league and numerous injuries, Stoudemire must now focus on preserving his body and aiming to be healthy for the Knicks’ run into the playoffs.
There are already concerns over Stoudemire’s health as he recovers from his third knee surgery in the past 12 months. He will certainly be given a strict minutes restriction when he is able to play, but he may miss the start of the season as he completes his rehabilitation. The added depth in the frontcourt gives the Knicks the opportunity to be overly cautious with the injury-prone Stoudemire and hope that once on court, he can stay there for a deep run into the playoffs. It is likely Stoudemire only averages around 20 to 25 minutes per game in the games he does play, so expect an efficient 13-point, five-rebound average from the former All-Star big man.
Veteran big man Ike Diogu returns to the NBA after a two-year hiatus with stops in China and Puerto Rico. The 30-year-old Diogu has played in 225 NBA games and will provide the Knicks with experience and insurance in case injury strikes during the regular season. With career averages of six points and 3.1 rebounds, Diogu has shown he can be a serviceable player off the bench and will be keen to impress after finding himself out of the league recently. Diogu provides efficient inside scoring and solid defense despite his somewhat undersized 6’8” frame. Diogu will likely just be a big body for training and a garbage time bench player if the team is healthy but with the injury history hanging over the Knicks’ big men, he may see stretches of the season where he plays big minutes. An efficient five points and three rebounds, while playing in every second or third game is probably a reasonable expectation for Diogu, who is likely happy to just be back in the NBA.
[slider_pro id=”20″]