Knicks · ECF imho as of now (page 1)

1. Toronto--Easily the class of the field ---restructured their team to balance off inefficient offensive players and increased defensive capabilities
projection 54 wins

2. Boston-- Very deep and athletic team in the backcourt. I can see them playing a lot of 3 and 4 guard sets and running teams crazy. Added some much needed interior depth with Mickey Lee and Johnson. Team is well-coached and has good chemistry projection 45 wins

3 Brooklyn--I dont think they did much of anything to help their team--If Brook stays healthy I think they win 35 games if not watch out below.

4 NY Knicks-- They get Carmelo back and added 3 players who are 6-10+ so I believe defense should take one step 4ward--I think. Made the decision to stick with Calderon and have very little interior scoring very little backcourt speed and unknown chemistry 31 wins

5. Philly--Basically the same Will have some games where Okafor and Noel dominate will have some games where Woten and Cannaan get hot have some depth upfront despite losing Embiid 19 wins

I expect the Knicks to leapfrog BK and Boston.

Knixkik wrote:I expect the Knicks to leapfrog BK and Boston.

Youre asking the Knicks to beat out a team that has improved and won 40 games last year. Other than Carmelo--they will have us beat at every position. Then they have a deeper bench--it would be very difficult. For that to happen Porzingis would have to come of age from game 1 inside no one can get hurt and everyone would have to play to the upside. Their guards are VERY good and then their back ups are good--so you have 48 minutes of hel guarding that backcourt. We dont have the juice there.

31 wins sounds just about right. Highest is 34.

the knicks will win 29 games without melo or in spite of melo or will win 38 games if melo is melo, and if melo somehow learns how to play within the triangle and plays just average defense the knicks could be a .500 team.

.500 is not happening with this roster as is. They'll be lucky to win 35, and thats with a late win streak, when everyone else is either out of the race or resting.

knickscity wrote:.500 is not happening with this roster as is. They'll be lucky to win 35, and thats with a late win streak, when everyone else is either out of the race or resting.

If melo grasps the concept of team bssketball and is healthy I see us as a 500 win team.

knickscity wrote:.500 is not happening with this roster as is. They'll be lucky to win 35, and thats with a late win streak, when everyone else is either out of the race or resting.

If melo grasps the concept of team bssketball and is healthy I see us as a 500 win team.

knickscity wrote:.500 is not happening with this roster as is. They'll be lucky to win 35, and thats with a late win streak, when everyone else is either out of the race or resting.

it's certainly a stretch but if everything goes perfectly, ie the defense is galvanized and melo not only buys in but executes within the system, then they will overachieve in the regular season.

I want progress and a low playoff berth. Please.

dk7th wrote:

knickscity wrote:.500 is not happening with this roster as is. They'll be lucky to win 35, and thats with a late win streak, when everyone else is either out of the race or resting.

it's certainly a stretch but if everything goes perfectly, ie the defense is galvanized and melo not only buys in but executes within the system, then they will overachieve in the regular season.

Way too much has to go right. It wont.

BRIGGS wrote:1. Toronto--Easily the class of the field ---restructured their team to balance off inefficient offensive players and increased defensive capabilities
projection 54 wins

2. Boston-- Very deep and athletic team in the backcourt. I can see them playing a lot of 3 and 4 guard sets and running teams crazy. Added some much needed interior depth with Mickey Lee and Johnson. Team is well-coached and has good chemistry projection 45 wins

3 Brooklyn--I dont think they did much of anything to help their team--If Brook stays healthy I think they win 35 games if not watch out below.

4 NY Knicks-- They get Carmelo back and added 3 players who are 6-10+ so I believe defense should take one step 4ward--I think. Made the decision to stick with Calderon and have very little interior scoring very little backcourt speed and unknown chemistry 31 wins

5. Philly--Basically the same Will have some games where Okafor and Noel dominate will have some games where Woten and Cannaan get hot have some depth upfront despite losing Embiid 19 wins

so this is an Atlantic division preview? definitely agree with TOR; they are the class of the division right now.

agreed Boston has the best coach in the division and have upgraded the talent. i really like their addition of Perry Jones, think he will thrive as a scorer on a team that needed one.

Brooklyn yuck, they stink. plus they have Bargnani, i don't see them winning more than 30 games.

RE: our Knickerbockers, lets not forget or discount the fact that the best player in the division (Carmelo) is on our squad. if he returns to form that's 28/8 every night, no other team can count on that. Grant added much needed athleticism to the backcourt, and the Calderon bashing around here will slow down once is healthy and playing with some legitimate NBA players. he was playing hurt last year with a bunch of D Leaguers; there's a reason DAL signed him to a 4 yr $30M deal - he is one of the best pure shooters in the League (shot over 40% from 3 even with the garbage on the team last year and basically 0 ability to create his own shot), he never turns it over, excellent passer, excellent PNR guy. i love the Lopez signing and the upgrade of him over the losers last year (Dalembert, Aldrich) will be massive. how quickly Grant and Porzingis mature into reliable NBA players will dictate the ceiling, but i think 36-38 wins and being in play for the 8th seed is a very realistic assessment of this team.

Ledo's no-show in Vegas was troubling and i think backcourt depth/athleticism is a major issue heading into the year. i expect a lot of Calderon/Grant off the bat. i think Calderon, Afflalo, Carmelo, Porzingis and Lopez is the starting 5, with KP as the first man off the floor, Grant as the 6th man (with Melo sliding down to the 4). fill out the rotation with O'Quinn, Galloway, Derrick Williams (ages 25, 23 and 24 respectively and who all will get better) plus the vets like Amundson and Thomas who have already been in the system a year and know whats going on. throw Ledo, Ndour and Early into the D League and hope one of them emerges.

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:I expect the Knicks to leapfrog BK and Boston.

Youre asking the Knicks to beat out a team that has improved and won 40 games last year. Other than Carmelo--they will have us beat at every position. Then they have a deeper bench--it would be very difficult. For that to happen Porzingis would have to come of age from game 1 inside no one can get hurt and everyone would have to play to the upside. Their guards are VERY good and then their back ups are good--so you have 48 minutes of hel guarding that backcourt. We dont have the juice there.

I'm not so sure that the gap is going to be that big between NY, BK and Bos. I think where the Knicks will make up a huge amount of ground is gonna be on Defense and Rebounding. It's not the sexy part of this team's rebuild but I think it's going to be the area of biggest growth for the Knicks. I think Phil has really sured up the teams defensive ability and toughness. IF they improved enough to be in the upper middle of the pack that could be enough to get them a lot of more wins.

Boston was 12th in Defensive Efficiency last year. I don't know if the Knicks can get that high but if they're in range of that it would be a huge improvement. Brooklyn was 23rd and the Knicks 28th in Defense. I expect the Knicks scoring to make a huge leap from 29th. It's not going to be easy but the Knicks will have a chance to get in the mix if they really get serious about defense. I think they have a lot more length inside and if the perimeter guys can force the opponents off the 3pt line and into the teeth of the D they have a good shot to have a good defense. We have some good length inside now and a bit more toughness overall.

Robin Lopez      7'5" Wingspan
K. Porzingis     7'6" Wingspan
Kyle O'Quinn     7'4.75" Wingspan
Derrick Williams 7'1.5" Wingspan

Despite still having Jose, I think Galloway, Grant and Afflalo will be solid defensively. Thomas and Amundson give good effort on D. Early and Ledo need to pick it up on D along with Melo, but being surrounded by more defenders should help them get in the right mode.

Great!

We will league the league in wingspans

nixluva wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:I expect the Knicks to leapfrog BK and Boston.

Youre asking the Knicks to beat out a team that has improved and won 40 games last year. Other than Carmelo--they will have us beat at every position. Then they have a deeper bench--it would be very difficult. For that to happen Porzingis would have to come of age from game 1 inside no one can get hurt and everyone would have to play to the upside. Their guards are VERY good and then their back ups are good--so you have 48 minutes of hel guarding that backcourt. We dont have the juice there.

I'm not so sure that the gap is going to be that big between NY, BK and Bos. I think where the Knicks will make up a huge amount of ground is gonna be on Defense and Rebounding. It's not the sexy part of this team's rebuild but I think it's going to be the area of biggest growth for the Knicks. I think Phil has really sured up the teams defensive ability and toughness. IF they improved enough to be in the upper middle of the pack that could be enough to get them a lot of more wins.

Boston was 12th in Defensive Efficiency last year. I don't know if the Knicks can get that high but if they're in range of that it would be a huge improvement. Brooklyn was 23rd and the Knicks 28th in Defense. I expect the Knicks scoring to make a huge leap from 29th. It's not going to be easy but the Knicks will have a chance to get in the mix if they really get serious about defense. I think they have a lot more length inside and if the perimeter guys can force the opponents off the 3pt line and into the teeth of the D they have a good shot to have a good defense. We have some good length inside now and a bit more toughness overall.

Robin Lopez      7'5" Wingspan
K. Porzingis     7'6" Wingspan
Kyle O'Quinn     7'4.75" Wingspan
Derrick Williams 7'1.5" Wingspan

Despite still having Jose, I think Galloway, Grant and Afflalo will be solid defensively. Thomas and Amundson give good effort on D. Early and Ledo need to pick it up on D along with Melo, but being surrounded by more defenders should help them get in the right mode.

don't discount Lopez. he is going to anchor our D. per ESPN - "According to SportVU player tracking, opponents made just 42.5 percent of their attempts within five feet of the rim with Lopez defending, the fourth-best mark among players who faced at least five such shots per game."

i expect hope to win 34 games and double the win total. by the allstar break melo gets frustrated and traded away

BigSm00th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:I expect the Knicks to leapfrog BK and Boston.

Youre asking the Knicks to beat out a team that has improved and won 40 games last year. Other than Carmelo--they will have us beat at every position. Then they have a deeper bench--it would be very difficult. For that to happen Porzingis would have to come of age from game 1 inside no one can get hurt and everyone would have to play to the upside. Their guards are VERY good and then their back ups are good--so you have 48 minutes of hel guarding that backcourt. We dont have the juice there.

I'm not so sure that the gap is going to be that big between NY, BK and Bos. I think where the Knicks will make up a huge amount of ground is gonna be on Defense and Rebounding. It's not the sexy part of this team's rebuild but I think it's going to be the area of biggest growth for the Knicks. I think Phil has really sured up the teams defensive ability and toughness. IF they improved enough to be in the upper middle of the pack that could be enough to get them a lot of more wins.

Boston was 12th in Defensive Efficiency last year. I don't know if the Knicks can get that high but if they're in range of that it would be a huge improvement. Brooklyn was 23rd and the Knicks 28th in Defense. I expect the Knicks scoring to make a huge leap from 29th. It's not going to be easy but the Knicks will have a chance to get in the mix if they really get serious about defense. I think they have a lot more length inside and if the perimeter guys can force the opponents off the 3pt line and into the teeth of the D they have a good shot to have a good defense. We have some good length inside now and a bit more toughness overall.

Robin Lopez      7'5" Wingspan
K. Porzingis     7'6" Wingspan
Kyle O'Quinn     7'4.75" Wingspan
Derrick Williams 7'1.5" Wingspan

Despite still having Jose, I think Galloway, Grant and Afflalo will be solid defensively. Thomas and Amundson give good effort on D. Early and Ledo need to pick it up on D along with Melo, but being surrounded by more defenders should help them get in the right mode.

don't discount Lopez. he is going to anchor our D. per ESPN - "According to SportVU player tracking, opponents made just 42.5 percent of their attempts within five feet of the rim with Lopez defending, the fourth-best mark among players who faced at least five such shots per game."

I thought that Lopez was a dummy

mreinman wrote:Great!

We will league the league in wingspans

Nice joke but I really do think this team is longer and tougher around the basket on both ends. That's going to have an impact. You have to stop thinking as a 2014-15 Knicks fan and imagine combinations of RoLo and KP or O'Quinn inside deterring penetrators, protecting the rim and going for rebounds. It's just a better core to the teams D. On top of that we'll have some nice PnR/PnP with those bigs.

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:Great!

We will league the league in wingspans

Nice joke but I really do think this team is longer and tougher around the basket on both ends. That's going to have an impact. You have to stop thinking as a 2014-15 Knicks fan and imagine combinations of RoLo and KP or O'Quinn inside deterring penetrators, protecting the rim and going for rebounds. It's just a better core to the teams D. On top of that we'll have some nice PnR/PnP with those bigs.

In the NBA right now many teams play 4-1 and in some cases that 1 can shoot it from the outside. Its nice to defend the basket but perimeter speed is more important. Unless Porzingis comes in 245 and has 3-4 post moves down--we can be guarded inside by 3-4s

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:Great!

We will league the league in wingspans

Nice joke but I really do think this team is longer and tougher around the basket on both ends. That's going to have an impact. You have to stop thinking as a 2014-15 Knicks fan and imagine combinations of RoLo and KP or O'Quinn inside deterring penetrators, protecting the rim and going for rebounds. It's just a better core to the teams D. On top of that we'll have some nice PnR/PnP with those bigs.

agreed.

thats why I think that we improve and take the big jump to 30-35 wins.

BRIGGS wrote:

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:Great!

We will league the league in wingspans

Nice joke but I really do think this team is longer and tougher around the basket on both ends. That's going to have an impact. You have to stop thinking as a 2014-15 Knicks fan and imagine combinations of RoLo and KP or O'Quinn inside deterring penetrators, protecting the rim and going for rebounds. It's just a better core to the teams D. On top of that we'll have some nice PnR/PnP with those bigs.

In the NBA right now many teams play 4-1 and in some cases that 1 can shoot it from the outside. Its nice to defend the basket but perimeter speed is more important. Unless Porzingis comes in 245 and has 3-4 post moves down--we can be guarded inside by 3-4s

I think the Knicks are more prepared to defend a small ball team than they were last year. Also I think it's really a red herring to be worried about KP being 245. KP has shown he can move and defend just about anywhere on the floor. KP won't have to carry the load but he can fill in nicely I think. Teams will have some issues dealing with KP too. It's not just a one way street. The roster in general is much more flexible than it was. We should be able to defend a big tough team or a small quick team.