What to Watch for at NY Knicks 2014 Training Camp

The New York Knicks enter their 2014 training camp looking to spark a turnaround after one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory.

Plenty has changed in The Big Apple over the summer. New President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson made Derek Fisher his head coach, and along with a handful of moves to solidify the roster, the Knicks go into camp as a team capable of making some noise in the Eastern Conference.

Of course, with so much in flux, training camp is as important as ever in 2014. Let's go through some key storylines to watch develop throughout camp and preseason.

The Triangle Offense

Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images

Derek Fisher's first order of business in training camp is to get everyone on the same page and running the triangle offense. He did this effectively in summer league—especially considering he was coaching a bunch of young players—but things may be more difficult now that he's coaching veterans who have spent years under different systems.

In terms of personnel, the Knicks are made for the triangle. They have a pass-first point guard who can hit the three in Jose Calderon, as well as plenty of shooters and a superstar on the wing in Carmelo Anthony.

Done properly, the triangle has the potential to make the Knicks one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the NBA, and with little on the defensive side of the ball, this is going to be their bread and butter this season.

There's plenty to do in training camp, but by far establishing the triangle is the most important, and how quickly the players grasp it will determine just how far New York goes in 2014-15.

Amar'e Stoudemire's Comeback

USA TODAY Sports

In the final year of his contract with the Knicks, Amar'e Stoudemire has made it clear he wants to return to the All-Star level he was at when he first got here.

Over the past two seasons, STAT has quietly been one of the better power forwards in the league in terms of per-36-minute production, averaging 19.9 points and 7.8 rebounds on 56 percent shooting.

Now that he's in a contract year, Stoudemire will be playing without restrictions, looking to show exactly what he's capable of right now instead of preserving himself for the future. According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, he wants to be playing 30-35 minutes a night, after averaging under 25 minutes for the past two years.

Health has always been an issue for Stoudemire—particularly when it comes to his knees—but it's been a while since he's had any real scares. After spending the last two summers in rehab, he's been able to work purely on basketball this offseason.

Look for Stoudemire to give his coaches, and anyone else watching, a reminder of just how good an offensive player he can be and establish himself as a force in the triangle offense.

Carmelo Anthony at Small Forward

USA TODAY Sports

After moving to power forward under Mike Woodson, Carmelo Anthony will be reverting back to small forward this season as the Knicks run the triangle.

On the surface, this seems like a strange move given just how successful Melo has been at the 4, but we must remember that traditional positions are less important in this system, and that we should still see him in the post a lot.

What will be interesting to watch in training camp is how different Melo's game will be now that he's lost the necessary weight to play on the wing. According to the New York Post's Berman, he wants to be as athletic as he was as a rookie, which can only be good news for the Knicks.

Outside of a few highlight dunks, Melo has never been an above-the-rim player, but this change should help to extend his career and make the most out of New York's $124 million investment in him. Not to mention that as long as he retains his strength, it will make him a matchup nightmare both inside and out.

More to the point, moving Anthony out to the wing will make room for the likes of Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani inside, where they have previously clashed in terms of spacing and chemistry.

In camp, look for Anthony to make a quick adjustment to his new position in the triangle and start making the most out of his transformed body.

Positional Battles

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

As it stands, the Knicks have only two players who are guaranteed a starting role in 2014-15—Anthony and Calderon. Every other position should be up for grabs for whoever performs best or has the best chemistry with the rest of the starters.

Shooting guard is arguably the Knicks' biggest competition. Between J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., New York has three players worthy of a starting role, and all three bring different things to the table.

It's very possible that the Knicks will end up trading one of the three before the deadline to save cap space for 2015, which adds an extra element to the competition.

In the frontcourt, the Knicks have plenty of options between Stoudemire, Samuel Dalembert, Bargnani, Jason Smith and Cole Aldrich. For now, we can expect STAT and Dalembert—the two veterans—to line up in the middle, but there's plenty of time for that to change in camp.

There will also be a competition for the backup small forward spot behind Anthony, with rookie Cleanthony Early and new additions Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw going head-to-head. The same applies at point guard where Pablo Prigioni and Shane Larkin will be battling for minutes behind Calderon.

Phil Jackson's Input

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

While Phil Jackson's role is officially front office-based, it makes sense that as one of the greatest coaches of all time, he'd make some contributions on that front in camp.

One of the main reasons Jackson quit coaching is because of the toll travelling took on him physically, but that won't be an issue in camp, and with a rookie head coach, now is as good a time as ever to make some contributions on the sideline.

Jackson obviously isn't going to undermine Fisher or run any drills, but it would make sense for him to get in certain players' ears and let them know what is expected of them in this system. He is the Zen Master, after all.

The likes of J.R. Smith could certainly benefit from guidance from someone like Jackson, especially after his infamous shoelace incidents in 2013-14.

Staying close to the team will also ensure that Jackson gets a good look at any potential needs that open up ahead of 2015 free agency, as well as deciding on who to re-sign with the likes of Stoudemire, Bargnani and Shumpert potentially coming off the books.