Projecting NY Knicks Starting Lineup, Post-Peak Free Agency and Summer League

Despite a slew of offseason transactions, it's time for the New York Knicks to establish some continuity. And what better way to do that than by solidifying the starting lineup?

Jeremy Lin's departure has overshadowed the daunting task that is—yet again—at hand for the Knicks—finding fluidity and stability amidst a revolving roster.

While there are plenty of familiar—and even perpetually smirking—faces to find solace in, New York's rotation is anything but definitive. The frontline is written in stone, but the backcourt? There's no certainty to be found there.

But there is plenty to be found here, as an ample amount of deduction is all that's needed to accurately surmise what the Knicks' starting five will look like.

C: Tyson Chandler

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 11.3 points, 0.9 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.9 steals, 1.6 turnovers, 67.9 percent shooting

The NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year will undoubtedly assume the leading role down low for a second straight year.

Tyson Chandler turned heads last season with his tenacious rebounding, calculated shot-blocking and perpetual slashes on the offensive end. He also led the league in field-goal percentage and fueled New York's return to defensive competency.

Though the Knicks need Chandler to develop a low-post scoring skill set, his presence in the paint has become a staple; New York simply won't operate as smoothly on the defensive end without him, even with Marcus Camby in the fold.

On a team that has prided itself on recycling centers for nearly a decade, Chandler has given the organization a sense of what interior permanency feels like. 

PF: Amar'e Stoudemire

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.5 points, 1.1 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, 2.4 turnovers, 48.3 percent shooting

Fire-extinguisher abuse and Twitter tirade aside, the Knicks need Amar'e Stoudemire in the starting lineup.

While Stoudemire is fresh off the worst statistically sound season of his career since he was a rookie, he provides instant energy and proven offense New York cannot afford not to have right now, even at $21.7 million a year.

Stoudemire packed on some additional muscle prior to last season, and it visibly affected his lift and explosiveness. He wasn't playing above the rim, seldom cut to the basket and settled for jumpers like he was allergic to Madison Square Garden's orange paint.

But the Knicks are on the cusp of a new season, Stoudemire is paying a small fortune to work with Hakeem Olajuwon, and bringing him off the bench is not an option New York will consider.

Perhaps Stoudemire will get his intended "new start" after all.

SF: Carmelo Anthony

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 22.6 points, 3.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 1.1 steals, 2.6 turnovers, 43.0 percent shooting

It would be so—forthcoming name being used as a verb—James Dolan of the Knicks to relegate the player they mortgaged their future on to a sixth man role. 

Let's get serious, though. The Knicks are going as far as Carmelo Anthony—with a hint of Amar'e Stoudemire—can take them.

While Anthony himself had a lukewarm season, the expectation is that he will carry the momentum he built back in April—29.8 points per game—into next season.

Anthony is already making waves on Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics—in a good way. He already appears to have slimmed down and is navigating the court with plenty of pep—as opposed to cringes—in his step.

The Knicks are all in on the small forward, and with a continued focus on conditioning and making a constant two-way impact, Anthony may prove to be worth their investment yet.

SG: Ronnie Brewer

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 6.9 points, 2.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 1.1 steals, 0.9 turnovers, 42.7 percent shooting

Ronnie Brewer only just signed with the Knicks, but you can already bank on him starting at the 2-guard spot.

No, he's not as much of a household name as J.R. Smith, nor is he as talented a golfer, but New York needs a savvy presence at shooting guard in the starting lineup until Iman Shumpert returns to action.

Brewer is an incredibly calculated athlete. He's unlikely to put up gaudy point totals, but he's an intelligent scorer nonetheless. He's also a lockdown perimeter defender, which makes him a near-perfect stop-gap in the absence of Shumpert.

It also doesn't hurt that Smith is a perennial sixth man who has already openly admitted—spoiler alert—his desire to play alongside Jason Kidd.

Brewer will soon find out that a forced pay cut doesn't have to be all bad.

PG: Raymond Felton

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 11.4 points, 6.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.2 blocks, 1.3 steals, 2.8 turnovers, 42.7 percent shooting

Raymond Felton will not only get to play alongside the superstar he was traded for, but he will start alongside him as well, as the replacement of the point guard said superstar endorsed. 

Ironic, isn't it?

Felton was out of shape last year, en route to the worst statistical season of his career. But that's in the past. He's now back on the team that fueled his rise prominence and ready to prove his critics wrong.

When Felton is in shape and at his best—even without Mike D'Antoni—he's a sound floor general who constantly attacks the rim and excels within the pick-and-roll. His lateral quickness on defense is no laughing matter either.

The fact that the point guard is more than a decade younger then Jason Kidd and familiar with the on-court tendencies of Amar'e Stoudemire doesn't hurt either.

And we can also not neglect to mention that Felton has already dubbed himself a better point guard than the departed Jeremy Lin.

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