NY Knicks Season Preview

The following will be both a complete run-down of the New York Knicks 2007-08 season and a devastatingly convincing argument as to why the Knicks will finally return to their rightful throne as the class Eastern Conference.

PG-Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford
Since Isiah Thomas arrived and brought Marbury over from Phoenix, the Knicks faithful has patiently waited for Thomas to inspire and enable Marbury to play as if he really was the "best point guard in the league". Going into his fifth season in NY, I suspect marbury will continue to provide the most entertaining interviews in the league as well as finally establish himself as a veteran leader of a contending team. At 30 years old he still has the physical skills to play the position and contribute a solid 14ppg and 7apg in about 32mpg. I see his numbers improving as he feels less pressure to do everything with more talent around him and not having to play close to 40mpg with Robinson as capable backup. Robinson, coming into this third season in the league, has made it a focus this preseason to work on pressuring the ball in the backcourt and harassing opposing pgs into mistakes with his quickness and athleticism. After being named the MVP of the NBA summer league this offseason, it appears Nate is finally figuring out how to play his game and provide high quality minutes off the bench. I see Nate averaging about 9ppg, 4apg, and 1.5spg in about 25mpg.

SG- Jamal Crawford, Fred Jones, Mardy Collins
Crawford has earned the honor of being my favorite Knick following in the footsteps of the legendary Latrell Sprewell. Both were/are exciting, inconceivably confident two-guards who had/have the ability and the reputation to get hot and carry their teams offensively at the end of games. Crawford has been the go-to guy in the clutch for the Knicks over the past couple season. A great ball handler, shooter and playmaker as well as an underrated defensive player, Crawford has supposedly added 20lbs of muscle over the offseason which can only help him over the course of a grueling NBA season. The prediction for JC's numbers is 17ppg and 4apg in about 36mpg. Fred Jones came over in the Randolph trade and I see him as a strong, athletic defender who can guard the 2/3 positions off the bench as well as run the floor and finish plays above the rim. I don't forsee Mardy Collins getting extended minutes unless their is a big injury, but he has the ability to play solid defense at the 2 and provoke bench clearing brawls with the best in the league.

SF-Quentin Richardson, Renaldo Balkman, Wilson Chandler/ Demetris Nichols
When healthy Q has the ability to be the knock down 3pt shooter the Knicks need to stretch the floor for their post game and their playmaking guards. A solid defender as well, Richardson can contribute about 11-13ppg as well as helping out the boards at about 5rbg in about 30mpg. Balkman will continue to develop as a lockdown defender with his length and athleticism. As long as he can return from his injury, run the floor, and provide hustle plays off the bench he will be able to be an important contributer to the Knicks return to glory. I see him getting 18-20mpg and giving the Knicks some extra possessions with his offensive rebounding and provide an energy boost off the pine. The duo of Chandler and Nichols(who I am pulling for as a former SU stud) should be able to provide solid defense and outside shooting, respectively, if any further injuries occur to the other small forwards, which isn't out of the question with the guys playing ahead of them.

PF- Zach Randolph, David Lee, Jared Jeffries
Randolph arrives in NY and instantly provides the Knicks with 18ppg and 9rpg in about 36mpg. An offensive force, Zach uses a soft shooting touch and clever angles to consistently abuse taller and more athletic players on a nightly basis. He should serve as a good offensive complement to Curry as he can strech the defense with his shooting and driving ability as well as dominate on the offensive boards. David Lee might well be the Knicks most efficient player and he is going to once again be one of the league leaders in rpg despite coming off the bench. A solid defender, rebounder and intelligent player provides a reliable backbone for this squad as he will most likely be in the hunt for 6th man of the year. As long as Isiah can figure out how to get enough minutes for both Lee and Randolph, the 4 should be one of the knicks strongest positions. Jeffries provides versatility along the front line as he can play the 3, 4 or 5 depending on matchups and is a good defender with length and energy.

C- Eddy Curry, Malik Rose
Curry is a beast in the paint offensively and as long as he can provide something resembling an effort on defense and on the boards, the Knicks will have one of the best frontcourts in the league. He consistently shoots a high percentage from the field and scores effectively against practically anyone that he comes up against. If he could only improve his passing and cut down on his turnovers, he would be one of the best centers in the league. He has all the physical skills to do it, hopefully with the pressure on Isiah to get both Lee and Randolph minutes and possibly turn to a smaller lineup, Curry will see this as a challenge to improve on his weaknesses so that he can stay on the court and give the business to opposing centers on a daily basis. I see 19ppg and 8rpg in about 34 min. Malik Rose is a great veteran presence on this team who can still play a little bit, grab a few boards, throw some elbows and make sure the big men keep their heads on straight.

Overall the Knicks have tremendous potential. Obviously the key is going to be Isiah instilling the toughness and relentlessness that he had as a player into this squad so they know what it takes to contend for a championship. Defense if obviously going to be a concern, especially with the big men, but the pressure for playing time should convince these guys that they are going to need to bring it on the defensive end if they want to be out there and get significant time.

Personally, I'm excited with the multitude of different lineups they can put out on the floor. They can go real small with robinson, crawford, jones, jeffries and lee and press the shit out of teams for a few minutes at a time or they could go big with marbury, crawford, lee, randolph, and curry and just dominate other teams in the paint. They have a ton of versatility and for the first time in a number of years, Knick fans are legitimately excited about the upcoming season. They are deep, athletic, and should be coming into their prime.

I see them fighting with Boston for the Atlantic Division crown and being within the top 4-5 seeds in the Eastern Conference. Their lack of experience obviously figures to be a concern but with Isiah, Rose, and Richardson having gone through deep playoff and championship runs, they should have the leadership to guide this group back into the promised land.