Crazy⑧s
Evacuee
ADDITIONS: Kelenna Azubuike (Golden State), Patrick Ewing Jr (Reno Bighorns), Raymond Felton (Charlotte), Landry Fields (Stanford), Roger Mason (San Antonio), Timofey Mozgov (Khimki Moscow), Anthony Randolph (Golden State), Andy Rautins (Syracuse), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix) and Ronny Turiaf (Golden State) .
SUBTRACTIONS: Chris Duhon (Orlando), Al Harrington (Denver), Eddie House (Miami), David Lee (Golden State), Tracy McGrady (Detroit) and Sergio Rodriguez (Real Madrid).
STRENGTHS: He may not be LeBron, but Amare Stoudemire is an All-Star frontcourt performer whose career playoff averages (24.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg) are better than his regular season numbers ... Stoudemire will demand double-teaming, allowing even more open shots for his teammates ... Raymond Felton is an upgrade at point guard where the Knicks needed the most help ... Felton has shown great durability, having missed just 11 games in his first five seasons ... The career of Felton has been marked by consistency, which considering the recent point guards, is a plus for the Knicks ... After an injury-plagued rookie season, Danilo Gallinari showed great improvement, although he?s still capable of shooting even better ... Wilson Chandler has proven to be a solid complementary scorer ... Mike D?Antoni?s system gets players easy baskets in transition ... Anthony Randolph gives the Knicks an athletic big man, who can run the court.
WEAKNESSES: The Knicks were 23rd in the NBA in rebounding and that was with David Lee ... Replacing Lee?s toughness and production won?t be easy ... The Knicks remain one of the NBA?s worst defensive teams, after finishing tied for 27th in points allowed (105.9 per game) ... The offseason acquisitions don?t make the Knicks an appreciably better defensive team ... Chandler must improve his three-point shooting ... Eddy Curry is among the biggest disappointments in recent NBA history and the Knicks can only hope to get something from his expiring contract this season ... In a system where open shots are available, the Knicks were a below average three-point shooting team (.346, tied for 19th in the NBA) ... With so many new parts, it may take time for the Knicks to jell ... As with most second-year players, Toney Douglas will have to show more consistency ... While Stoudemire?s addition is a positive, he isn?t the best or most willing defender.
PROJECTION: (43-39) 2nd in the Atlantic Division / 7th in the Eastern Conference
http://hoopshype.com/previews/2010_11/new_york.htm
43-39 is pretty much what I'm (realistically at least) hoping for.
