Amar'e Stoudemire and 9 Other Reasons New York Knicks Will Make the NBA Playoffs
The most anticipated offseason in NBA history has come and nearly gone. This year's free agent class included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, and others. Some teams had been preparing for these last few months for years.
We now know where all those players wound up, and how those teams filled the slots they vacated in anticipation of 2010. Several teams have completely reconstructed in just a few months. A power shift from the Western Conference back to the east seems to have begun.
Obviously, the team that has received the most hype is the Miami Heat. They landed LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and retained Dwyane Wade. Once the world knew that those three had joined forces, it no longer seemed to care about any other teams.
A year ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that LeBron would play in New York. So, how did the Knicks respond to not getting the guy everyone thought would save this franchise? They have upgraded their roster significantly (yet quietly).
Even though the Knicks whiffed on LeBron, they still improved enough to get themselves into the playoffs this season. This list will provide 10 reasons they'll get in.
10. They're Not Done Making Moves Yet
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The lineup is not set in stone yet, and one of the biggest unsolved mysteries for this team is the question of who will start at shooting guard. Coach D'Antoni gave Wilson Chandler and Roger Mason some time at the position during training camp. Once he gets healthy, Kelenna Azubuike figures to compete for the spot as well. If any of these three wind up starting, the shooting guard slot could be a weakness.
I expect New York to pull off a transaction or two before the deadline. Rudy Fernandez has not been shy about expressing his frustration in Portland and he will almost certainly be elsewhere by February. He would fit in very well in New York's system. D'Antoni likes to have good shooters on the wings and the Euro combo of Fernandez and Danilo Gallinari would knock down four or five three-point shots a game.
9. Timofey Mozgov
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Mozgov has been a very pleasant surprise for the Knicks in training camp. At 7'1" and 270 pounds, this guy is huge (even for NBA standards), but he still gets up and down the floor. He will be a great asset for New York now, and in the future.
Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph, and Mozgov will ensure that Stoudemire will play most of his minutes at his natural, power forward position. Amar'e is more effective in this role.
Mozgov has touch, a mid-range jumpshot, and some heart. He will impact a few games this season, and a lot more in the future.
8. The Atlantic Division
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The teams in the Atlantic Division are the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors.
The only absolute lock for the playoffs from this division is Boston. Philadelphia and New Jersey slightly improved this offseason but I still don't see either of those squads winning more than 35-40 games. As for Toronto, they took a big step back and won't be competitive in many of its games this season.
Being in this weak division will undoubtedly benefit New York. A big chunk of every team's schedule are divisional matchups, and the only team in the Atlantic Division that is better than New York is Boston.
7. The Bench
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New York acquired three solid players (Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph, and Kelenna Azubuike) from Golden State in exchange for David Lee. That deal did a lot to deepen this rotation. Other new additions include Roger Mason, Timofey Mozgov, and Landry Fields who played well during summer league.
The bench will also feature a couple of holdover guards from last year's roster that played very well in spurts for the Knicks. Toney Douglas and Bill Walker both have a lot of potential.
6. Danilo Gallinari
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Gallinari's improvement from year one to two was immense. He went from 6.1 points per game to 15.1 in one season. In 109 career games, he is shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Expect another jump in production this season as Gallinari will finally get to play extended minutes at his natural position. He has spent most of his time at power forward, but he is more suited to play small forward.
He will also get better shots this season because of the roster upgrades around him. He now has a more legitimate point guard to get him the ball in Raymond Felton. Amar'e Stoudemire will demand a lot of attention on every possession he plays, which means less attention paid to Gallo.
Also, playing Gallinari at small forward will create a lot of matchup problems. A 6'10" wing who can shoot from outside is a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Think about the length and athleticism of this potential starting lineup:
PG - Raymond Felton (6'1")
SG - Wilson Chandler (6'8")
SF - Danilo Gallinari (6'10")
PF - Amare Stoudemire (6'10")
C - Ronny Turiaf (6'10")
5. Mike D'Antoni
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Mike D'Antoni is a former NBA Coach of the Year, and while that award has been the kiss of death for many coaches, D'Antoni's system and style can still be effective provided he has the personnel he needs.
For the first time since D'Antoni became the Knicks head coach he has a roster that can bring back "Seven Seconds or Less."
The Knicks will be one of the most exciting offensive teams in the league this year. They'll put plenty of points on the board while running full-speed for 48 minutes.
4. Amar'e Stoudemire
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Stoudemire was the most highly publicized acquisition by the Knicks this offseason. Offensively, Stoudemire is as gifted as any forward in the NBA. He consistently plays above the rim and over the last few seasons he has developed a really good mid-range jump shot and a deep repertoire of post moves.
For his career Stoudemire has averaged 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He is a five time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year. His credentials are impressive and he will continue to shine in New York.
The drawback with Stoudemire has always been his defense. However, he is still a huge upgrade over David Lee on that side of the floor.
3. Raymond Felton
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Why is Raymond Felton ahead of Amar'e Stoudemire on this list? Mike D'Antoni's system is more reliant on the point guard than any other position. The difference between this offense with Steve Nash and without him is huge. The Suns were much worse whenever Nash was hurt. The point guard deprived Knicks have been nowhere near as effective as the Suns were under D'Antoni.
The Knicks signed Raymond Felton to fill this all-important role, but he is nowhere near as good as Steve Nash, right? Right?
Take a look at the career stats of both Nash and Felton prior to joining Mike D'Antoni and Amare Stoudemire:
Nash: 12.5 points, 6 assists, and 0.8 steals per game.
Felton: 13.3 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game
Hmmmm...
D'Antoni's uptempo system did wonders for Steve Nash's career. Felton is more athletic than Nash. He is also a better defender.
He is going to love playing in this run and gun offense and passing to guys who can really score like Stoudemire and Danilo Gallinari.
2. The Eastern Conference
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I mentioned earlier in this article that the balance of power in the NBA may be heading East. That may be, but it hasn't totally shifted yet. There are four (maybe five) teams in the East that are legitimate locks to make the playoffs. After that, the conference is wide open.
If New York plays up to their potential, they could wind up as high as the sixth seed in what is still the weaker NBA conference.
1. A New Attitude
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There is a lot to be said for confidence in sports. Teams generally don't win if they don't think they can.
The Knicks not only think they can, but they think they will. The new attitude and confidence in New York is going to translate to the court and will be the difference in several close games.
Gone are the days Isiah Thomas. Gone are the days of Eddy Curry (even though his contract is still on the books). Gone are the days of season-long pessimism.
The New York Knicks can, should, and will make the playoffs this year.
