Since reports surfaced Saturday that Mike D’Antoni would be the next coach of the New York Knicks, there has been strong response throughout the sports community. Almost all of these reactions, including those posted on this site, have been negative.
And rightfully so. The coach with the league’s most up-tempo style goes to a team comprised mostly of aging, overpaid underachievers who might not even listen to him. Sounds like Larry Brown part II.
But, from the Knicks’ perspective, don’t they at least have to try? Maybe D’Antoni’s previous success, and more importantly his fun style, will make their players—who still do have talent—want to play hard again. Maybe Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph will lose weight and run the floor. Maybe Stephon Marbury will rededicate himself to basketball.
Or maybe Donnie Walsh just thinks his new team’s roster is better suited to an up-tempo style than everyone else realizes. Maybe he has given up on Curry, Randolph, and Starbury.
Maybe he is ready to turn over this team to his young players—you know, the ones who actually like playing basketball. And maybe he thinks D’Antoni is the best guy for the job.
So I’m going to do what few others have done in this past week. I’m going to give D’Antoni and Walsh a chance.
What follows is a breakdown of the Knick roster, detailing who works in D’Antoni’s system, who doesn’t, and what the 2008-09 edition of the Knick team might look like.
What Doesn’t Work
Let’s start with the easy part of the equation. Curry and Randolph are perhaps the worst possible fits for D’Antoni’s fast-paced system. They both like to take their time setting up on the block and are slow to move up the court.
Despite Marbury’s recent declaration that he is preparing to play for D’Antoni, he has run out of lives in New York. For a team that is trying to start afresh, Marbury has to go.
Down the bench, center Jerome James and reserve forward Jared Jeffries also stand out as players who will struggle to find a role on D’Antoni’s new team.
What Works
There are actually quite a few pieces left, which may surprise some people. While Isaiah Thomas amassed a collection of talent that had virtually no chance to play together successfully, at least he amassed a collection of talent. Which means the Knicks can afford to cast aside several players and still maintain some semblance of a team.
David Lee is this team’s heart and soul, and he would fit in any system. He plays hard night in and night out, can run the floor, and has improved his offensive game and become a much better finisher around the basket.
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Jamal Crawford will be another building block for D’Antoni’s Knicks. He is another player who plays with passion and has improved during his time in New York. Crawford also has experience successfully running the pick and roll with Curry two years ago. Look for the offense to run through Crawford, perhaps utilizing D’Antoni’s high screen offense with Lee as the screener.
Quentin Richardson should also see a bit of a resurgence playing for his former coach. Due to his age, he will not be as effective as he was in Phoenix, he is still a smart basketball player. Most importantly, like Crawford, he can shoot.
Renaldo Balkman and Nate Robinson will bring energy to this team. Ideally, both will come off the bench. Balkman still lacks the offensive prowess and shooting ability necessary to play a wing position in D’Antoni’s offensive, while Robinson is too inconsistent and turnover prone to handle the ball in an offense where so much relies on the point guard.
Veterans Fred Jones and Malik Rose should find roles on this team as well. Jones has shown he can run the floor and shoot a little, while Rose brings veteran leadership and a defensive frontcourt presence.
Finally, Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris, both young and impressionable, fit on this team as well. Neither is ready to make a huge impact in the league, but both have potential and will hopefully improve under D’Antoni (and, if Patrick Ewing is hired as an assistant, expect him to work with Morris a lot).
The 2008-2009 Knick Team
If the Knicks cast aside—or demote to end of the bench/sitting in street clothes with an “injury” status—players from the “What Doesn’t Work” section, their line-up would probably be as follows:
PG Nate Robinson
SG Jamal Crawford
SF Quentin Richardson
PF David Lee
C Malik Rose
BN Renaldo Balkman
BN Fred Jones
BN Randolph Morris
BN Wilson Chandler
Clearly, this is a team that still has a few holes, specifically at the point guard and center positions. Luckily, the Knicks will definitely make at least one big addition prior to next season: their first round draft pick.
It’s been a while since the Knicks had the high pick they have rightfully earned the last several years—they can thank Thomas for that as well. But this year, they are guaranteed a top six pick, and have an outside chance of winning the lottery and landing in the top three.
By far, the ideal scenario for New York is to end up with Memphis PG Derrick Rose. Not only is he probably the best player in the draft, but he is the one player in the draft who can run D’Antoni’s offense from the point guard position.
The Knicks have a 7.9 percent chance of winning the first pick, and, given that there are a few teams who would prefer Kansas State forward Michael Beasley to Rose, probably have around a 10 percent chance of landing Rose overall. So it isn’t likely.
Assuming the Knicks don’t get Rose and end up with the No. 5 pick, which is their most likely scenario, they would probably take a combo guard such as Jerryd Bayless from Arizona or Eric Gordon, who would hopefully learn to run D’Antoni’s offense but at the least would emerge as a scoring threat. The Knicks would probably prefer Bayless, because he is the better point guard, while Gordon is the better scorer.
With their second round pick, I think it would benefit the Knicks to take a sharpshooter. A player such as Tennessee’s Chris Lofton could be a real weapon off the bench in D’Antoni’s offense.
Now, the roster looks like this:
PG Jerryd Bayless
SG Jamal Crawford
SF Quentin Richardson
PF David Lee
C Malik Rose
BN Nate Robinson
BN Renaldo Balkman
BN Fred Jones
BN Chris Lofton
BN Randolph Morris
BN Wilson Chandler
Bayless will be much more efficient at running the offense than Robinson, who can now provide energy off the bench along with Balkman. The Knicks also may look to trade for a veteran point guard such as T.J. Ford and bring in a veteran big man with their mid-level exception.
Suddenly, this has the look of a team that can win a few games next year and compete for a playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference.
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3 months ago
Great analysis. I want to give D'Antoni a shot too. However, I'm concerned with the lack of shot-blocking ability on the team right now. Would the Knicks draft a forward such as Brook Lopez instead of Bayless or Rose? If the Knicks have the #1 pick, I agree that Rose must be taken, but if they fall to 5 or 6, I like Lopez, especially if you're right and Curry and Randolph don't stick around.
from 3 months ago
Lopez is an interesting option. I think he would certainly be a consideration, but the one thing I'm worried about is if he would be able to play effectively off the ball on offense. That said, if they do think they could land a point guard such as T.J. Ford and want to compete immediately (often an unfortunate concern in New York in my opinoin), you are right to think Lopez might be the best piece to add to that team with the 5 pick.
3 months ago
Good article. Looks like you beat me to the punch writing this.
3 months ago
um...no. as a Knick fan I'm pretty sure this soap opera disaster is going to continue with D'Antoni being Larry Brown part 2. This only has a chance if Donnie Walsh can move both Curry and Randolph this offseason. As for making the PLAYOFFS, DON'T TALK ABOUT PLAYOFFS, YOU KIDDIN ME? PLAYOFFS...the East isn't as bad as it seems for next year. Boston, Orlando, Detroit, & Cleveland are locks. Toronto is a good team. Philly and Atlanta should show marked improvements next year. That leaves the Knicks fighting a Bulls team prime for a rebound, a Wizards team that will be much better if they move Arenas, and a Bucks team that at some point is going to mesh together.
As for who we're taking in the draft, if we're outside the top 5 the Italian, Gallinari is a lock (not that I agree with it but in NY you're not supposed to).
3 months ago
You are too negative David. There is no reason for you to believe the "soap opera" will continue, or that D'Antoni will be like Larry Brown. The whole appeal of them hiring Donnie Walsh is that it gives the team the opportunity to leave the disasters of the past few seasons behind, and there is no pressureon anyone in the near term because Walsh has already declared that making the team a winner won't happen overnight. Hiring D'Antoni is another signal that the team is moving in a completely different direction with a different attitude, and that Marbury, Randolph and Curry are one the way out unless there are drastic changes in their games. Anyway, bottom line is that Walsh has too good a track record for us to think that he doesn't have a pretty good idea what he is doing.
from 3 months ago
what exactly did Walsh do in Indiana when he didn't have Reggie?
3 months ago
Well, he drafted Reggie and it wasn't a popular move at the time for various reasons--and he has a history of pulling off against the grain moves that end up working out. Maybe hiring D'Antoni into a Knicks team that seems incompatible will be another example. In any case, the Pacers went to the conference finals five times in the 90's--partly during the Jordan era--with Walsh making the decisions. That is not so bad
3 months ago
Let's see. D'Antoni is a very good coach. Excellent in taking versitile players and getting them to run. I think that Jared and Jones will do well because of their versatility. I don't like Randolph in his system, but Curry is a banger that can run. If Marbury doens't do better, Robinson may take his role and then a Marbury move will be enivitable, but I think Starbury knows that this is his last chance to get to star status again. Amazing what humble pie can do! I love Lee but he is not an offensive threat and will have to become better in the new system. Crawford may finally become the star that Isiah thought he could be. I still think the Knicks need a solidifying inside presence and I think that stabililty will come in the form of Roy Hibbert. I like him, but don't be stunned if its an international player which they have never had any good fortune doing. Overall, I think the Knicks know that this is a proven coach who can teach them to win... And they know talent alone won't get it done.
3 months ago
The Knicks need to make that trade for Barbosa and Diaw. Not to mention, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudamire, and Steve Nash... and sign Shawn Marion, then trade him for Shaq, who will then nickname himself "The Big Apple."
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