Last year's NBA season was certainly eventful, chock full of juicy storylines from the Atlanta Hawks to the Golden State Warriors to Kevin Love's shoulder to everything in between. A few storylines kept rolling throughout the whole season, none more frivolous than the downfall of the New York Knicks.
The 'Bockers were god awful in 2014-2015, finishing the year at 17-65, the second worst record in the league. New York didn't have super high hopes for the season, but many expected them to at least come close to repeating the ninth place Eastern conference finish of the 2013-2014 season. The Knicks now have a different aura surrounding them, which is one of rebuilding and rebranding, but are they doing it well? As we cruise into training camp, let's take a look at what we can expect from the Knickerbockers in the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Offseason Moves:
Knicks President Phil Jackson entered the recent offseason looking for star power to shine alongside Carmelo Anthony. Instead, he came up with Arron Afflalo (2 years, $16 million) and Robin Lopez (4 years, $54 million). Jackson also roped in some new bench guys, signing Kyle O'Quinn (4 years, $16 million), Derrick Williams (2 years, $8.8 million), and Kevin Seraphin (1 year, $2.8 million). In the draft, New York came away with Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick, and they also traded Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Hawks for the 19th pick of the draft, Notre Dame's Jerian Grant.
Roster and Playing Time:
The moves that New York made definitely don't make them contenders, but they sure do make them better. We're not quite sure what the starting lineup is going to be, but it could very well end up looking something like this:
PG: Jerian Grant
SG: Arron Afflalo
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Robin Lopez
This isn't such a bad lineup, but Afflalo and Lopez might not prove to be as offensively sound as many think they are. Afflalo averaged 13.3 points last year with the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, but he's never been an integral part of his team's offense, and the Knicks still need that. Afflalo sure can defend, but the Knicks are going to need solid contributions from Porzingis, Lopez, and guys like Langston Galloway off the bench. Last year, we seemingly learned that the Triangle doesn't work so well without Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, but maybe the cutting and shooting of Grant and the outside shooting of Derrick Williams and Porzingis can change that for the Knicks.
Coaching and the Triangle:
Derek Fisher's first season as a head coach didn't bode so well. Sure, his roster was horrific and consistently battered by bruises and injuries, but his in-game coaching proved to contain multiple flaws. So many times last year, the Knicks started games off as slow as Eddy Curry swimming in a tub of jell-O. Really, Fisher just seemed unprepared to coach immediately after retiring from playing, and some of his former teammates would actually agree with that. Fisher seemed uncomfortable and frustrating, eventually lecturing his team like a Little League coach, but maybe the new veterans like Lopez, Afflalo, and former Lakers teammate Sasha Vujacic can help Fisher ease up and take better control.
One thing's for sure though, the Knicks can't just run the Triangle all game. They'll get slaughtered. After the their 5-36 start, the Knicks began retreating from Jackson's famed halfcourt set, playing a more up-and-down style which allowed Langston Galloway to emerge as a solid scoring guard for New York. This is how the Knicks should be playing all game long, moving the ball from side to side looking for layups and open threes, not the contested Jason Smith long twos of old. But, even with the struggles of the Triangle, the Knicks' most important asset will be defense. If the team can't defend, they won't get anywhere, and the crazy idea of playing solid team defense has been alien to New York since Mike Woodson was head coach. Afflalo and Lopez will definitely help, and the Knicks should be a better rebounding club than last season, but mediocrity on the defensive side of the ball can only get you so far.
Season Prediction:
The Knicks are sort of moving in the right direction, but with the aging Anthony and a lack of desire from top free agents like DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe, the 'Bockers aren't where they thought they would be this season. A playoff appearance seems possible, but unlikely, which is why a record like 34-48 with a 12th place finish in the East seems reasonable.