2010-11 NBA Blogosphere Previews: New York Knicks
Posted by Neil Paine on October 19, 2010
Welcome to our 2010-11 NBA Blogosphere Previews, in which we contact the finest team bloggers on the web and ask them to contribute their thoughts on the squad they cover. What follows is their take, along with the team's depth chart (courtesy of ESPN.com), projected 2011 stats via our Simple Projection System, and polls where you get to have your say. Enjoy!
New York Knicks
Coach: Mike D'Antoni
2010 Summary:
Record: 29-53, Finished 3rd in NBA Atlantic Division
Pythagorean W-L: 31-51 (23rd of 30)
SRS: -4.00 (24th of 30) ▪ Pace Factor: 94.0 (8th of 30)
Offensive Rating: 107.6 (17th of 30) ▪ Defensive Rating: 111.6 (27th of 30)
2011 Depth Chart (with 2010-11 projected per-36 minute stats ... yellow = newcomer)
| Pos | Player | Age | PTS | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FG% | 3PM | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Raymond Felton | 26 | 13.5 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 0.441 | 0.8 | 0.342 | 0.786 |
| PG | Toney Douglas | 24 | 16.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0.466 | 2.1 | 0.394 | 0.804 |
| SG | Kelenna Azubuike | 27 | 16.2 | 6.0 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.473 | 1.4 | 0.416 | 0.775 |
| SG | Roger Mason | 30 | 13.1 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.410 | 2.2 | 0.372 | 0.844 |
| SG | Andy Rautins | 23 | ||||||||||
| SF | Danilo Gallinari | 22 | 16.3 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.438 | 2.4 | 0.396 | 0.828 |
| SF | Wilson Chandler | 23 | 15.7 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.471 | 0.9 | 0.309 | 0.801 |
| SF | Bill Walker | 23 | 15.6 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 0.527 | 1.9 | 0.432 | 0.780 |
| SF | Landry Fields | 22 | ||||||||||
| SF | Patrick Ewing Jr. | 26 | ||||||||||
| PF | Amare Stoudemire | 28 | 23.3 | 8.9 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.554 | 0.1 | 0.295 | 0.787 |
| PF | Anthony Randolph | 21 | 17.6 | 10.6 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0.466 | 0.1 | 0.292 | 0.781 |
| C | Ronny Turiaf | 28 | 10.1 | 7.6 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.521 | 0.1 | 0.296 | 0.650 |
| C | Timofey Mozgov | 24 | ||||||||||
| C | Eddy Curry | 28 | 16.7 | 6.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 0.499 | 0.3 | 0.361 | 0.638 |
2010-11 Blogger Outlook by Mike Kurylo, knickerblogger.net
If you count Eddy Curry, there are only five Knicks returning from the previous season, which means this is largely a brand-new team. One characteristic of D'Antoni's coaching is poor rebounding, and this year New York should finish at the bottom in this respect (when adjusting for pace). The front court of Ronny Turiaf, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Danilo Gallinari are all hyalophobics, which will give the opposition lots of second chances.
On the other hand, the team should see a marked improvement with regards to blocked shots. Last year only three Knicks averaged more than a block per 36 minutes, and two of them (Bender and Hill) didn't even manage 300 minutes for the team. Newcomers Anthony Randolph and Turiaf topped 2.5 blk/36 each, while Amar'e Stoudemire (1.1 blk/36) actually provides an upgrade over David Lee (0.5 blk/36).
Finally, New York should reap the reward of upside, as they have nine players with three or less years of NBA experience. Any one of these players could take a step forward in their development and provide the team with some extra production.
Poll Time