The New York Knicks came off a stellar season last year with a 54-28 record, one that was their best of the century. Despite a great regular season, stars like Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith did not produce as they were expected to in the playoffs, causing the team to lose in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Even with the great regular season the Knicks had last year, many believe that they will not improve to be a potential conference finals team this year.
The Knicks, who statistically were the “oldest” team in the NBA last year, lost many key players this offseason. This included New Jersey Nets head coach and future hall of famer Jason Kidd. They also lost strong offensive weapons in Chris Copeland, three-point specialist Steve Novak, rebounder Rasheed Wallace and veteran Marcus Camby.
These losses are crucial for the Knicks, however they also picked up key players this offseason who have the potential to improve the team. The Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. with the 24th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Hardaway, who averaged 14.5 points per game his final year at the University of Michigan, can provide the Knicks with valuable minutes off the bench in the guard position. The Knicks also acquired Andrea Bargnani this year through a trade with the Toronto Raptors. Bargnani, a former first overall pick in the NBA draft has struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons and hasn’t performed to his full potential. If he can stay healthy, he could provide star Carmelo Anthony with another scoring option, due to his dominating offensive skill-set from both inside and outside the paint. Finally, the Knicks signed defensive stud Metta World Peace to a two year deal. World Peace will probably be a starting forward along with Anthony this season. His defensive skill along with former “Defensive Player of the Year” award winner, Tyson Chandler, can supply the Knicks with a stronger and more physical defense than in previous seasons.
The Knicks have lost important veterans in the rotation, but have replaced them with younger players such as Hardaway Jr. and Bargnani. They also still have two of the best offensive players in the NBA: Anthony, the league’s leading scorer a year ago, and Sixth Man of the Year, J.R Smith. The Knicks have starting point guard Raymond Felton, a veteran who is coming off a solid season. They also have the young and highly talented Iman Shumpert, who has fully recovered from his torn ACL injury that happened two years ago. The wild card this year is former MVP candidate Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire missed most of last year due to knee injuries, but when he played he was able to contribute greatly to Knick victories
The Knicks seem to have made very smart moves this offseason in order to have a younger team. The talent they are putting behind their stars gives more passing options to further improve the team’s offense. If Bargnani can stay healthy, he is a crucial back up to provide points off the bench. Metta World Peace has always been a great defensive player, someone fans hope he continues to be while with the Knicks. Tim Hardaway Jr. might only be a rookie, but the expectations for him are high and his potential even higher. These three moves along with Anthony’s continued all-star play, and contributions from J.R Smith and Tyson Chandler can lead the Knicks to the playoffs again in the 2013-14 season.
