New York Knicks: 30 Teams in 30 Days

2008 Statistics

Finished 32-50, fifth in Atlantic Division, 14th in Eastern Conference, missed postseason

Key Additions

Jordan Hill via draft, Toney Douglas via trade, Darko Milicic via trade, Chris Hunter via free agency

Key Losses

Quentin Richardson via trade

The New York Knicks at one time were one of the most storied franchises and were a championship contender year after year in the 1990s.

Time has run it's course on the Knicks though and they have become the laughingstock of the NBA by finishing with a losing record for the eighth straight season and have only one postseason appearance to show for it.

Over the past two or three seasons, the Knicks have not exactly tried to have a serious contending team and have traded it's big name players away for lesser named ones for one sole purpose: LeBron James.

New York has been saving up enough money to have the best chance in the 2010 offseason to sign a big name player such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh.

As not to disrupt the process of bringing in revenue by saving up on lesser known players, the Knicks know they're not going to be a legitimate team and are going to endure another season before the offseason they've been waiting for comes around.

That is why we see such little attempt at an improvement in the team this pass offseason. The Knicks drafted two, young premier players and traded for one of the biggest busts in NBA history. Championship or even playoff contention appears to be far out of the Knicks mindset.

Jordan Hill is a power forward out of the University of Arizona and has the potential to become a Chris Bosh or Tim Duncan type of forward. He averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds last year. He is known for his turnaround jumper, athleticisim, and lengthy wingspan which only improves his defensive ability.

The downside to Hill is minimal, with problems such as his man to man defense and that his shooting can be inconsistent at times. Despite his flaws, Hill appears to be NBA ready and with Mike D'Antoni as the coach, he won't even need defense so there really isn't a problem with his game.

The team also drafted guard Toney Douglas out of Florida State University. Douglas could be one of the most underrated players in the draft due to his uncanny scoring ability and the ability to play great man to man defense which is always a plus in a team that needs it as much as possible.

He's more of a shoot first type of point guard which could cause problems, but he does have the potential to become a Gilbert Arenas type of player.

Even though the team has been tanking seasons to get to one of the top 2010 free agents, it can still boast one of the top big men in the league in David Lee. Lee has been one of the most underrated players of the league and held the lead last year for most double-doubles, even more than the likes of all-star Dwight Howard.

Lee averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds last year playing in all but one game. He is set to be the cornerstone of the team and the one keeping them afloat until a superstar comes along and takes the reigns.

There is also a lot of upside in the Knicks sixth man Nate Robinson. Nate averaged a career high 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds last year while being the team's first option after the bench.

He has become one of the most reliable scoring options on the team, but his inability to play defense and throwing up wild shots is a problem. Robinson is still a player you can rely on to get 15 to 20 points per game and one of the top sixth men in the league.

Last year's top draft pick Danilo Galinari is still waiting for his emergence as a top player in the league and will have a better chance to live up to his sixth pick. He only played in 28 games while averaging six points and two rebounds playing in a limited number of minutes per game.

Despite trading away some of it's top players, the Knicks still have Al Harrington on their side. Harrington is going into his 11th year and averaged a career high 21 points last year which led the team. He is expected to remain as the team's number one scoring option and will be utilized to his full potential as a scorer in the upcoming season.

New York could also see the emergence of it's young forward Wilson Chandler after developing very nicely last year. He averaged 14 points and six rebounds last year. His explosiveness and high-flying ability is out of the roof and he got his first chance to prove himself last year and took advantage. He is set to be the team's starting small forward and will share time with Gallinari at the spot.

The Knicks are not looking for an answer to their problems yet, they are playing one of the longest waiting games in the NBA and are not even sure they will grab a top name like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, who has said New York is not an option.

But nothing is assured in the NBA and the Knicks have just as much a chance to scoop him up as anyone else and with the money they are saving, the Knicks could be a top team in the 2011 season.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Chris Duhon

SG: Larry Hughes

SF: Wilson Chandler

PF: Al Harrington

C: David Lee

This is Pt. 18 of a 30-day series of 2009-10 season previews of each NBA team. My profile will contain every other team that has been previewed before.