Grading New York Knicks' Final 15-Man Roster

Preseason is over, and the 15-man roster is set, but the New York Knicks won't look like a finished product from the opening tip.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Throughout their training and tune-ups, Derek Fisher's Knicks displayed frequently how much they're struggling to learn the triangle offense. While flashes of effectiveness shone through at times, as is wont to happen with players as skilled as New York's, they were too few and far between to portend wins when the games start counting.

And it's not like Phil Jackson had much more maneuvering left to do after a busy summer of shaping the roster. Fifteen Knicks had guaranteed contracts heading into the 2014-15 campaign, and all Phil could do now was to dump Travis Outlaw on the Philadelphia 76ers, as reported by ESPN's Marc Stein, in order to finagle an open spot for undrafted rookie Travis Wear.

Per Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Fish is expected to trot out Iman Shumpert and Jason Smith as starters alongside inevitable picks Jose Calderon, Carmelo Anthony and Samuel Dalembert. Given that information, let's break down the personnel by position and evaluate what the Knicks have to work with.

Grades are based on overall player talent as well as preseason performance. Some marks are poised to rise as guys get more comfortable with what the team is trying to do, but for now, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Point Guard: B-

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

Projected Starter: Jose Calderon

Backups: Shane Larkin, Pablo Prigioni

After the calamitous experience with Raymond Felton running the point in 2013-14, Jackson went out and got one of the most dependable guards in the game.

Like a rich man's Prigioni, you know exactly what you're going to get from Calderon. Though he hasn't mastered the triangle yet, he's an expert passer who is capable of making entries and cross-court dimes that few players in the league can. He's also a career 41 percent three-point shooter and notched a 3.66 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, so the Knicks offense is in very sure hands.

The same holds true for when Prigs comes off the bench, who actually bested his new teammate's assist-to-turnover mark with a 3.80 in 2013-14 and has knocked down 43 percent of his threes in two NBA seasons. Prigioni might not have the same skill as a passer, but he has the fundamentals down pat.

So why is this grade so low?

Well, defense will remain an adventure for the Knicks. Pesky Prigioni moves like a 37-year-old basketball lifer, while Calderon was slow-footed even before he breached the wrong side of 30. Any ball-handler with wheels will be able to turn the corner unabated.

Water-buggy Shane Larkin is the only potential saving grace against speedsters, but at a generous 5'11", his size is a major liability that his inexperience only amplifies. On the offensive end, he's the least prepared of the three to run the offense and the least capable of properly filling the position-less off-ball roles the triangle promotes.

Shooting Guard: C+

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Projected Starter: Iman Shumpert

Backups: Tim Hardaway Jr., J.R. Smith

If these three guys played to the best of their abilities, the Knicks could have one of the most dangerous wing corps in the NBA.

That said, Shumpert, Hardaway and Smith all have way too many flaws in their respective games right now to reach that great potential.

Shump got the starting nod because of his defense, which is vital to the Knicks' winning chances. No one else at Fisher's disposal can be counted on to lock down a perimeter threat, and even Shumpert has a tendency to gamble for steals rather than maintain his positioning. With some more composure, he has the skill to make an NBA All-Defensive team.

But Shumpert's discipline wanes when he gets rattled on offense. He needs to get a better grasp of what the defense is giving him depending on where he is in the triangle at a given moment. In the meantime, he is at least a half-beat slow on his decision-making, making his opportunities harder than they need to be.

That goes for Hardaway and especially Smith, too. Both guys are prone to over-dribbling, which runs totally counter to triangle precepts, and their shoot-first instincts lead them to put up heaves from unsavory looks rather than pull the ball out and reset things. Such play is not only inefficient on an individual basis but also reduces the efficiency of the offense overall.

On the other end, Smith can guard solidly on any given possession, but there is no rhyme or reason to if and when he does so. Hardaway is just a minus here heading into his sophomore year. Until the offense starts coming more naturally to them, their defensive shortcomings are going to be all the more glaring.

Small Forward: A-

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Projected Starter: Carmelo Anthony

Backup: Cleanthony Early

No surprises here. New York guaranteed itself a grade in the A-range at small forward the moment Melo decided to spend the next five years as a Knick. Anthony will thrive with the protection from double-teams the triangle offers, and he can score at an elite level either from the pinch post or spotting up beyond the arc.

On defense, expect the same uneven play, although Anthony is better than his reputation would have you believe. While he's consistently a step slow when opponents take him off the bounce, he uses his strength to his advantage down low; in post-up situations, he actually qualifies as a plus when he doesn't give up too much height.

The Knicks only get the minus here because of rookie Early's rawness. Yes, he's polished as far as first-year players go in terms of two-way IQ and awareness, but his offensive game lacks an off-the-bounce component, and he needs to add to his slight frame in order to play a solid defensive game.

The shooting guards will also see some minutes at this spot, but they need to prove themselves before that can be considered a substantial positive. Until then, there's Melo and everyone else.

Power Forward: C

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Projected Starter: Jason Smith

Backups: Quincy Acy, Andrea Bargnani, Amar'e Stoudemire, Travis Wear

The decision to start Smith has more to do with rotational balance than with putting the best big forward.

From about 18 feet in, Smith is a potent jump-shooter. He's the kind of guy who doesn't exactly stretch defenses but takes advantage of the mid-range space left unoccupied between the inside scorers and the deep threats. That skill set might otherwise be deemed inefficient in today's NBA, but with the importance the triangle places on working through the high post, it's necessary.

Smith is a true 7-footer, which will help when it comes to protecting the paint. Beyond that, he's merely fine on that end. In other words, he's far and away New York's best defender at this position.

The only thing that separates Stoudemire from Bargs, a two-way ineffective mess, is the return of his offensive prowess. That makes STAT playable, but he's still a sieve, constantly losing track of his man and mistiming his help efforts.

Acy is better in terms of his positioning, but that's no contest. His style of defending consists mostly of wild hacks in hopes of dislodging the ball, which mostly just draw whistles and get the eager energy guy in quick foul trouble.

As for Wear, it's unlikely the 15th man will see much of New York City; he'll likely spend most of his time in Westchester with the D-League team. When he does play with the NBA squad, he'll be a little too light and inexperienced and lacking synchronicity with a not-totally-familiar set of teammates.

So things won't be much different at all.

Center: C-

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Projected Starter: Samuel Dalembert

Backup: Cole Aldrich

Given the glut of options at power forward—including Anthony, who will get some run there in smaller lineups—it's remarkable how few viable centers the Knicks have.

We can consider Jason Smith and Stoudemire in addition to these two true 5s. Smith will obviously see a good chunk of time alongside Dalembert and thus will have fewer chances to man the center spot than he might coming out of the second unit. That's how Stoudemire will get some center time, albeit in small doses, given the boom-or-bust nature of such an offense-only unit.

That leaves the majority of the minutes here to a blah first option and an oafish, intriguing backup.

Dalembert doesn't sport a very good jumper or any niftiness around the rim. He's an old-fashioned banger inside, someone who will work his way to the vicinity of a double-double each game through a mix of bulkiness, length and motor. He's too quick to force tough passes from the high post and is too block-dependent on defense, but you could do worse at center.

The quandary moving forward for New York is that Aldrich might be even better.

Aesthetically, Cole might actually play the position even uglier than Dalembert does, but he does sport some nice little hook shots and an extra dose of athleticism. On defense, he has better footwork and timing to protect the rim than Dalembert does; in fact, no Knick is better equipped to fill the departed Tyson Chandler's interior sentinel role than Aldrich.

This grade could go up just by rejiggering the minutes distribution. New York's best true center will most likely be the fourth option here when you count Smith and STAT.

In the very best-case scenario, more time for Aldrich would make the difference between a minus and a plus. It's not much, but for a team in need of some success in this transitional period, every little bit helps.

All stats via NBA.com.

Josh Cohen writes about the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @arealjoshcohen.