The New York Knicks have a scary starting five on paper. Did ESPN take that into consideration when predicting their 2016-17 results?
ESPN released their ninth edition of the Summer Forecast yesterday by starting with their Eastern Conference predictions.
Now, predictions are just exactly that. Predictions. They can’t take into consideration injuries that will play out or locker room drama that can create dysfunction in a team’s chemistry. With that being said, here is how the playoff picture shaped up in the East:
- Cleveland Cavaliers- 57-25
- T-2 Boston Celtics- 51-31
- T-2 Toronto Raptors- 51-31
- T-4 Detroit Pistons- 45-37
- T-4 Indiana Pacers- 45-37
- Atlanta Hawks- 44-38
- Charlotte Hornets- 43-39
- Washington Wizards- 41-41
One notable team missing from that list is the New York Knicks. ESPN had them finishing in ninth place with a 40-42 record and ultimately missing out on the postseason. The Knicks undoubtedly had one of the most active offseasons thus far by trading for point guard Derrick Rose, signing shooting guard Courtney Lee, and signing center Joakim Noah.
On paper, the starting five with those three listed above alongside Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis is extremely strong, but they’re no superteam. *Cough cough Derrick Rose*
I imagine Knicks fans who went crazy over my opinion of how their summer went will be equally thrilled about this. https://t.co/Bkbdq2Pxk5
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 25, 2016
The biggest concern with this team is whether or not they’ll be able to stay off the inactive list. Anthony has had his share of injuries that past few seasons, Rose had famously torn his knees to shreds, and Noah has played in just 96 games the last two seasons– the 2015-16 season he played in 29 games before being ruled out the remainder of the season to have surgery on his left shoulder.
Another aspect that remains to be seen is the adjustments new head coach Jeff Hornacek will make offensively. Ian Begley of ESPN reported that Hornacek will plan to incorporate more pick-and-roll situations, something the Knicks’ offense has sorely lacked.
"Hornacek said running a “bigger dose” of pick-and-rolls can be helpful in the “right situations.” The Knicks in the past two seasons ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in pick-and-roll plays. But Hornacek also made it clear that the Knicks wouldn’t be overly reliant on the pick-and-roll, mixing in some of the sets that are tenets of the triangle."
Ideally, throwing in more pick-and-rolls with Rose at the helm of the offense would benefit in creating open perimeter shots for Anthony and Lee, but that’s just the first step in getting into the X’s and O’s of the Knicks offense.
Despite these question marks, it’s somewhat shocking that ESPN didn’t give them the nod for at least the eighth seed. The loyal Knicks’ fans will take this as a sign of disrespect because there are some that think they could finish within the top five in the East.
All in all, saying the Knicks will win 40 games next season is a safe bet from ESPN. If they manage to stay healthy (which is a monumental if), they could realistically find themselves in the seventh or best-case scenario, the sixth seed heading into the postseason.
More hoops habit: New York Knicks: 2016 Offseason Grades
The unknown in the Big Apple will make for some wild predictions until the 2016-17 season is well underway, but ESPN did solid job with this prediction.