2009-2010 New York Knicks NBA Preview
Preview courtesy of Stu Holdren @ NBANoise
Key Additions:
Darko Milicic (trade)
Gabe Pruitt (free agency
Jordan Hill (draft)
Toney Douglas (draft)
Key Losses:
Quentin Richardson (trade)
Chris Wilcox (free agency)
The Breakdown:
The New York Knicks finished last season with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, only finishing above the injury-plagued Washington Wizards. It was somewhat of a transitional year for the Knicks, recovering from the Isiah Thomas debacle and getting adjusted to the up-tempo Mike D’Antoni offense. We saw some continued progress from young talents such as David Lee, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler, giving Knicks fans hope for the future.
New York Knicks 2009-2010 Preview (media)
But “future” is indeed a word that weighs heavily on the minds of the Knicks organization. While the Knicks likely haven’t made enough improvements to do much more than compete for a final spot in the playoffs, we continue to hear about their high hopes for landing a major free agent in the 2010 offseason. Among the names that they will be heavily pursuing include LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. While the big market exposure will be a primary selling point to luring these key free agents, the Knicks would benefit from demonstrating that they have constructed a team that is poised for future success.
The Knicks didn’t make many notable upgrades this season, which makes me think that they won’t be remarkably improved from their 32-win season last year. As maligned as Darko Milicic (who was acquired in exchange for Q-Rich) is, I think that he can be a decent addition to what was a rather un-imposing frontline. Switching over to D’Antoni’s system may be just the boost he needs to step his game up. I like their rookies Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas, but I don’t expect them to be major contributors right away.
One of their biggest upgrades could come from a player they already had on their roster. I think that Danilo Gallinari could be an important factor to the Knicks’ improvement this season. Gallinari struggled with back problems all season, limiting him to only 28 games and about 14 minutes per contest. Coach D’Antoni is high on Gallinari and his potential, and if he can stay healthy he could be a significant contributor for New York.
The Knicks have a lot of players who I like individually. The aforementioned Lee, Robinson and Chandler should all prove to be key players for the Knicks this year. Chris Duhon has proved to be a capable distributor in the D’Antoni system. Al Harrington will likely be looked upon to be their primary scorer again this year. And Larry Hughes should be settled in and provide an additional veteran presence (and bad shot selection – sorry, couldn’t resist). While these players are all good “pieces,” collectively they do not make a winner. The lack of a true go-to scorer is always a problem that leads to inconsistent play, and an even bigger problem when the team doesn’t defend well on a regular basis – which is certainly the case with the Knicks.
The Prediction:
Without any major additions in the form of impact players, I expect more of the same in NY. Look for a slight improvement (maybe four to six more wins), but don’t expect them to be a playoff team this year.
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