New York Knicks
Atlantic Division
Last season's record: 37-45
Roster additions and losses
The New York Knicks did not make any hugely significant roster moves per say. What they did do however was revamp their front office by bringing in Phil Jackson on a five-year deal and then hired rookie head coach Derek Fisher to man the sidelines. Now they did surround Fisher with some very experienced assistant coaches by the likes of Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons but at the end of the day one is still left with a first-year head coach on a very high profile team with playoff expectations.
Although not really considered a roster addition, the Knicks did procure the services of Carmelo Anthony via a new contract. With so much hype around Anthony and what many perceived to be his eventual and certain departure from New York, the fact that he is committed for another five years has got to be considered a success.
The only real impactful roster move that was made was the trade of Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks for Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin, Samuel Dalembert and a couple draft picks. This was more of a cost-saving move than anything as Felton and Chandler had big deals that had to come off the books.
Keys to Success
New head coach Derek Fisher must show that he isn’t over his head here. Fisher needs to have respect in the locker room, be viewed as his own coach and not Phil Jackson’s puppet and demonstrate that he can call plays and manage sideline coaching responsibilities.
Anthony of course needs to stay healthy and be the productive player that he can be, both offensively and defensively for the Knicks. This team will only go so far as Anthony can take them and if Anthony gets frustrated at the general lack of talent and discipline in making the triangle offense work and starts playing outside of the offense; it will be a long and painful year in Madison Square Garden for Knicks fans.
Fantasy Roster Impact
I like two Knicks not named Anthony to have decent fantasy relevant years. First up we have second-year standout Tim Hardaway Jr.. Hardaway might be the only ‘untouchable’ Knick in terms of trades for a reason, his potential and ceiling are high and he should get a chance this season to excel.
I also like the rookie Cleanthony Early to be a contributor much the same way as Hardaway was last season. Early is a strong bodied 6’8” small forward who is versatile in his scoring and ball handling abilities. If he is able to grasp the triangle offense early on, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Early get significant minutes as the season progresses.
Two big salaried players who have similarly big expectations are going to fall flat once again. Andrea Bargnani and Amare Stoudemire carry recognizable names into the fantasy world, but their production and history of injuries are not worth the pick. If it weren’t for the huge dollars on their contracts they would have been traded long ago and the fact that their salaries come off the books at season end for the Knicks must be cause for optimism.
2014 Season Prediction
With a rookie head coach, new front office and no real new players to help Anthony, the Knicks will be relegated the the NBA Lottery once again as a non-playoff team. I don’t see them improving at all over last season’s record and I expect a similarly disappointing season out of them this go round.
Carmelo Anthony will once again make an All-Star appearance and he will be a fringe candidate for league MVP as the season nears an end. Ultimately the Knicks team record will torpedo his chances at serious consideration and skeptics will wonder if the five-year max contract was worth the lack of playoff success.