New York Knicks: 7 Burning Questions Facing Knicks' Front Office in Offseason

The New York Knicks' 2011-12 season didn't exactly end the way that most Knicks fans hoped it would.

It ended with a lot more questions surrounding the future of the franchise than answers, and that's an uncomfortable place for the Knicks and their fans to be heading into next season.

If the Knicks want to contend in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season, there are quite a few questions that their front office will have to answer this offseason.

Ahead are seven burning questions facing the Knicks' front office this offseason. 

If Both Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire Should Be Back in 2013

One of the biggest reasons why the Knicks weren't able to make it past the Miami Heat this postseason was because Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire couldn't seem to coexist.

The Knicks were arguably a less efficient and less consistent team this season when both 'Melo and Amar'e were on the court together.

A lot of fans will throw out the "Amar'e's and 'Melo's egos are too big to coexist" argument. But it has nothing to do with their egos and all to do with the way they play the game.

Amar'e and 'Melo both aren't fond of defense, which makes the Knicks that much more vulnerable when both guys are on the court.  Their offensive skill sets are also solidified in isolation offense, which doesn't complement either player when both guys are on the court.

This offseason, the Knicks need to decide whether they want to be an under-performing team heading into the future or if they want to move their franchise in a different direction—either without 'Melo or without Amar'e.

Whether Jeremy Lin Is the Future of the Franchise

The Knicks have a very difficult decision to make this offseason, and that is whether Jeremy Lin will be the foundation of their franchise moving forward.

Lin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and to say that there will be some interest in him from around the NBA would be a vast understatement.

If the Knicks want to make Lin a piece of their future, they will undoubtedly have to commit a large amount of capital to him, which means they will have to part ways with a number of players currently on their roster.

The Knicks will have to decide if Lin is worth the mega-millions they will have to commit to him or if they can be a successful franchise without Linsanity at the helm. 

My opinion is that that the Knicks should let Lin go and focus on signing a free agent like Steve Nash, but the Knicks will have to make that decision for themselves. 

Which Role Players They Need to Bring Back Next Year

Take a look at the list of players currently on the Knicks' roster that aren't under contract heading into next season: J.R. Smith, Baron Davis, Iman Shumpert, Jared Jeffries, Mike Bibby, Steve Novak, Bill Walker, Landry Fields and Jeremy Lin.

If the Knicks bring back Jeremy Lin, a lot of those guys won't be back next season. While that might be the best decision to make, it's not going to be an easy one.

Bringing back guys like Smith, Jeffries and Bibby could be detrimental to the Knicks moving forward as a franchise, but it also might be the only decision they'll be able to make.

If New York has all its money tied up in Tyson Chandler, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin, it won't be able to sign many other players that aren't currently on the roster.  Doing that will help solidify them as a team set up to under-perform year-in and year-out.

Figuring out who to bring back and who to let go will be one of the most difficult decisions the Knicks' front office will have to make this offseason.

Which Free Agents They Should Pursue

For the sake of this argument, let's just say the Knicks part ways with Jeremy Lin this offseason.

Without Lin the Knicks will have to dive deep into the waters of free agency and try to find a player or two who can help them turn the corner and become legitimate contenders in the Easter Conference.

The Knicks will need a legitimate point guard who can manage their helter-skelter offense, and they'll need a guy coming off the bench that can actually spark their offense.

Guys like Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Andre Miller and Jason Terry could get the job done at the point for the Knicks. While guys like Terry, Nash and Miller wouldn't obviously be long-term solutions, they're the kind of players that can buy the Knicks some time while they try to find their long-term solution at the point.

The Knicks will be one of the most active teams this offseason, and the question of which players they'll bring aboard heading into next season will be one of the most important questions they need to answer.  

If Mike Woodson Was the Right Man for the Job

The Knicks are reportedly close to a deal that would make Mike Woodson their head coach for the near future.

While making Woods the Knicks' head coach was obviously the safe choice to make for the future of their franchise, it may or may not have been the one they needed to make.

With guys like Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson potentially available, it's shocking that the Knicks chose their head coach of the future in such haste.

It's clear that Woodson doesn't have what it takes to control the personalities of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  The Knicks won't be a successful franchise until they have a coach who can rule with an iron fist and hold their egos in check.

New York will be in for a long and painful ride if Woodson is unable to help the team make it past its recent playoff woes.  Knicks fans will get a good indication if Woodson is ready to be the man in the Big Apple based on how he handles this upcoming offseason. 

If They Can Compete with the Coaching and Talent They Currently Have

For the sake of this argument, let's say New York's roster looks nearly identical to the way it looks right now heading into the 2012-13 season. 

The biggest question for the Knicks is if they will be able to win with the current talent they have on their roster.  It will be interesting to see if the Knicks can ever win playoff series with guys like Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin together.

They've proven that they can be a slightly above-average team with the talent they have, but that's not going to be enough for the fans in New York City.

Time will tell whether or not the Knicks, as a franchise, are satisfied with being a perennial playoff team or if they'll make the moves to become an actual contender in a powerful Eastern Conference. 

If J.R. Smith Can Solidify Their Bench Produciton

J.R Smith will have to decide if he wants to be a member of the Knicks this upcoming season, as he's in the player option of his contract.

If Smith decides to come back, and the Knicks welcome him back, it will be interesting to see if he's the player the Knicks have been looking for who can solidify their bench production.

One of the Knicks' biggest problems this past season was their inability to get efficient production coming from their second unit.

New York will certainly expect Smith to solidify its bench production this upcoming season.

While a lot of that will hinge on who else the Knicks' front office brings in to build around Smith, there's no doubt that Smith being the go-to guy off the bench could be a very dangerous move for the Knicks to make.