Image via WikipediaTop Offensive Player: Amare Stoudemire
Top Defensive Player: Ronny Turiaf
Top Playmaker: Raymond Felton
Top Clutch Player: TBD
The Unheralded Player: Timofey Mozgov
Best New Addition: Amare Stoudemire
Strengths
Offense.
Mike D'Antoni knew what he was getting in to when he signed on as
Knicks coach two summers ago. Over his first two years in NYC, he was basically getting paid to stay sane and not complain while the roster was completely gutted. Despite the fact that the Knicks were, for the most part, awful, there were plenty of excuses which helped deflect criticism away from the
head coach. However, after a major overhaul this offseason, that is no longer the case. D'Antoni has a deep roster, a star power forward, a solid starting PG, and plenty of energy and youth all over the floor. In short, D'Antoni finally has the ingredients to cook up some satisfying dishes. Now the chef has to earn that big pay check. D'Antoni's calling card has always been as an offensive mastermind. With sufficient pieces in place, the pressure is on D'Antoni to produce.
Weaknesses
Defense. As mentioned above, the Knicks have consistently been among the league's worst defensive teams under D'Antoni. Use the quantitative measure or metric of your choice (opponents FG%, PPG allowed, steals, or blocks, etc.) and you'll find the Knicks near the bottom of the heap. Correspondingly,
New York has lost far more games than they have won. D'Antoni's game plan will be to outscore his opponents, we know this; but that job will be exceedingly difficult if he can't get the necessary stops in big spots. Throughout his coaching career, D'Antoni has bristled at the notion he doesn't pay enough attention to defense and has refused to hire a de-facto 'defensive coordinator' to help him shore up that end of the floor. During his first two years in NYC, when losing was more or less expected/accepted, and potential free agents and the surrounding controversy dominated all Knicks-related headlines, D'Antoni's defense (or lack thereof) didn't receive much attention/criticism. That grace period has expired. It's up to the head coach to put a winning product on the floor – and part of that success will be determined by this team's commitment to guarding the other team.
Even before news of the infamous '
Chris Paul wedding toast' broke, Knicks fans had been hoping
Donnie Walsh would be able to pair another superstar(s) alongside
Amar'e Stoudemire and form a superpower worthy of challenging
LeBron and his buddies down in Miami. New Yorkers' greatest hope of immediately transforming the Knicks into instant contenders would be by acquiring forward Carmelo Anthony, who has purportedly expressed a strong interest in playing for the Knicks. Despite abundant rumors, a deal is unlikely at this point, as Denver is currently restructuring its front office. However, the threat of losing Anthony as an
unrestricted free agent next summer is very real (ask the folks in Cleveland); thus, if Carmelo forced the Nuggets hand, it could lead to a contentious situation at February's trade deadline. Obviously, it is something New York will keep a close eye on…
