One of the biggest disasters in all of sports in recent history, the Knicks have to prove that their enormous payroll can win games or face a not-so-good future. With most of their money locked up with selfish swing men new head coach Isiah Thomas will have his hands full trying to fulfill New York fan expectations.
The most talented player on the Knicks is point guard Stephon Marbury. The problem with Marbury is that he is often too selfish for a point guard and usually finishes on losing teams because of his attitude. It is hard to imagine the Knicks succeeding if Isiah can’t get Marbury to start playing team basketball. Behind Marbury is young, and short, Nate Robinson. Nate is a good option off the bench and can score points, but his size makes him a serious defensive liability.
At the two position are Jamal Crawford and Steve Francis. Both players are selfish shoot-first players with a lot of talent. Both players also have to find a way to be more effective in scoring. Expect the two to share time unless one of them emerges as a reliable option game in and game out.
The forward positions are filled by Jared Jeffries, Quentin Richardson, David Lee and Channing Frye. Of the four, Frye is the one with the brightest future as a Knick. Channing had a great rookie season, averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a game and should expand upon those numbers with a year under his belt. Jeffries was acquired from the Wizards and the Knicks are hoping that he will bring toughness and defense to a team without either.
Finally at the center position is Eddy Curry, who once was referred to as a possible second coming of Shaq. Curry is not one of the brightest players in the league, but should be able to score in the paint enough to help the Knicks stay balanced. Right now, it is a pretty safe bet that the Knicks are regretting trading their picks for him.
The Knicks of 2006 are not much different than 2005, but a new coach, who is coaching for his job, and maybe desperation might help them score more wins. It is hard to see the playoffs for a team with as much selfishness as this one, but they certainly have the talent to do so if they find a way to play together.
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