The New York Knicks are close but still not among the true title contenders in the NBA. They are still a few pieces away from catching up to teams like the Heat, Thunder, and Spurs. Can they make the necessary moves this off-season to catch up to the elite?
New York Knicks (54-28 last year)
2012-13 Season Summary:
The New York Knicks finished with their best record in sixteen years. Unfortunately, that success didn’t carry into the playoffs where the Knicks were bounced in the second round by the Pacers.
There remains mixed reviews on the Knicks supposed “Big 3.” Carmelo Anthony led the NBA in scoring while Tyson Chandler controlled the paint but Amar’e Stoudemire remains an eyesore for the franchise. He once again battled injury and spent more time in a suit than an actual uniform on the bench. That put extra pressure for Anthony to rise to the occasion which he did more often than not this season though still was very much a volume shooter.
With Stoudemire banged up, somebody needed to step up and take some of the scoring load off ‘Melo and that was J.R. Smith. He won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award posting career numbers in points and rebounds. The off-season acquisition of point guards Raymond Felton proved to be a vital part of New York’s success, and Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni also added value to the backcourt.
The rest of the roster was very up and down. Chris Copeland came out of nowhere to be one of the surprises of the NBA season. Iman Shumpert missed about half of the season due to injury and never quite hit stride. Veteran big men Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, and Rasheed Wallace couldn’t get the job done so the Knicks turned to Kenyon Martin who was solid down the stretch and in the post-season. Steve Novak caught fire from three every once in awhile but didn’t do much else.
2013-14 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Tyson Chandler/Marcus Camby
PF: Amar’e Stoudemire
SF: Carmelo Anthony/Steve Novak
SG: Iman Shumpert/#J.R. Smith
PG: Raymond Felton/Pablo Prigioni
NBA Free Agents:
#SG-J.R. Smith (PO)
PF-Kenyon Martin (UFA)
SF-Chris Copeland (UFA)
SG-James White (UFA)
SF-Quentin Richardson (UFA)
C-Earl Barron (UFA)
2013-14 Team Salary: approximately $71.4 million
Team Needs:
1. What’s J.R. Worth?: Smith will certainly opt out of the final year of his contract with the New York Knicks since it would only pay him a measly $2.9 million next season. Coming off his NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, Smith is due a hefty pay raise but can the Knicks afford to keep him? He is a perfect fit in New York as the sixth man but will probably be in line for a near ten million dollar per year deal. Several questions pop up: Can the Knicks afford to keep him when they are already so far over the cap? Will Smith be happy as a sixth man in New York or seek a starting spot elsewhere?
2. Point Guard: Jason Kidd’s retirement opens up some minutes at the point guard position especially since Mike Woodson used a lot of Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni in the same backcourt. New York should be looking in free agency for another affordable point guard to add depth at the one or possible draft a younger point guard who can add some playmaking ability.
3. Bargain Shopping: With their only their mid-level exception and league minimums contracts available to use this off-season, the Knicks need to land some veteran, role player free agents looking to join a contender in hopes of having a shot at winning a ring. Adding guys like Chris Copeland and Kenyon Martin were key pick-ups last season and the Knicks need to find more of the same this summer without having to open up their checkbook too wide.
4. What to do with Amar’e?: At this point, the Knicks simply cannot count on Amar’e to be a productive player. His injury issues have derailed his career and suddenly with two years at more than $45 million, Stoudemire has perhaps the worst contract in the NBA. Anything he provides from here on out these next two seasons will be considered a bonus so the Knicks need to find some more talent at power forward in preparation for the inevitable Amar’e relapse injury.
OTHER NBA TEAM NEEDS PAGES:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
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Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
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David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag.)
You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.