If Lee gets enough playing time, he could be a star. Before you dismiss his stats as the result of playing on a lousy team, remember that the Knicks were at .500 when Lee went down. He also dominated in the Sophomore-Rookie game. Lee's player win% of .931 overwhelms Curry's player win% .338, just one indicator that Lee should get more of Curry's minutes.
The rest of the Knicks roster features young players with scant chance of getting regular playing time, despite an undefeated performance in the Summer League.
Rookies Wilson Chandler and Demetris Nichols may be assigned to the NBDL, but a ride on the bench or release seem more likely. Randolph Morris should play backup center. Fred Jones and Dan Dickau can play the point, but at least one will probably be released. Since Isiah Thomas waived Matt Barnes and Ime Udoka in the last two seasons, respectively, his penchant for waiving promising players may continue.
Renaldo Balkman is an energy guy, and can be inserted into the lineup to embarrass the guys he replaces. Mardy Collins can foul hard, and has displayed a balanced game with allegedly solid defense. He doesn't play enough minutes to give an accurate reading.
Firecracker Nate Robinson dominated the Summer League en route to an MVP award—but that performance was rumored to be a showcase of his talent, and he may have earned his ticket to a new team.
A reasonable prediction for the '07-'08 Knicks is 41-41. In an improved Eastern Conference now boasting Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, that should be good for eighth place in the East.
If the team starts slow, Isiah Thomas should be fired and replaced with a coach who can maximize the team's talent—and a GM who can do more than draft players.
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