The Knicks open their 2012-2013 season Friday night with high expectations. After losing to the same Miami Heat team in May that they will play tonight, the Knicks hope to improve on their 36-30 season and 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Point Guards
The Knicks major loss this offseason came when they let Jeremy Lin sign with the Houston Rockets. James Dolan chose not to match the offer the Rockets gave for the breakout point guard last season. Lin was the major reason for the 8-15 Knicks turning their season around last year.
Raymond Felton will now lead New York's backcourt. Felton returns to the Knicks after playing 54 games here in 2010-2011 in Amare Stoudemire's first season. Felton looks to have the success he had early on here after having a disappointing season last year with the Portland Trail Blazers.
New York also brought in 40-year-old point guard and future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd to come off the bench. Kidd is a nice addition providing some depth and a guy who can lead this team. Kidd has been there before and will be able to mentor guys like Felton.
The Knicks also brought in 35-year-old rookie from Spain, Pablo Prigioni, to be another effective point guard off the bench.
Shooting Guards
At shooting guard, the Knicks will mix and match a couple of guys until Iman Shumpert returns from his torn ACL. New York brought in Ronnie Brewer, who becomes the opening night starter. Brewer is known more for his defense, something the Knicks definitely need out of the backcourt.
J.R. Smith returns after being a key contributor in the second half of the season for New York last season. Smith should come off the bench as a 6th man and will see plenty of playing time. When he's on, he can score at will. They're going to need his scoring out of the backcourt. Smith has the ability to score 15 points a game off the bench. The Knicks are going to need that scoring and energy from him that we saw last season.
The Knicks also added high flying guard/forward James White, who played overseas last season. The 30-year-old will provide a spark off the bench as he should be the recipient of some big-time dunks.
Small Forwards
At small forward, the Knicks are of course led by their star Carmelo Anthony. After having an incredible Olympics run and winning the gold medal, Melo is ready to have a huge season. With Stoudemire being out the first 6-8 weeks of the season, Anthony becomes the Knicks go to guy. Look for him to play the power forward position a lot until Stat returns to action. Anthony should thrive in that role with not many power forwards being able to stop the versatile scoring forward.
The Knicks also bring back three-point specialist Steve Novak this season. Novak provided a huge spark off the bench last season making a plethora of big-time three point shots. With Anthony playing at the four, expect Novak to get some big minutes off the bench at the three.
Expect to hear Chris Copeland's name a lot this season. Copeland played overseas last season and had a huge preseason surprising a lot of people. Copeland can score at will at times and will shock a lot of people coming off the bench this season. If the Knicks continue having injury problems, look for the 6'8" 28-year-old to fill in.
Power Forwards
The Knicks will go the first 6-8 weeks of the season without their starting forward, Amare Stoudemire. Stoudemire went down in preseason with a knee injury and will not return until late December. Coach Mike Woodson is going to use a lot of different lineups with Stoudemire out. The Knicks acquired veteran Kurt Thomas in the trade with Raymond Felton. Thomas is very familiar with New York after playing here for seven years from 1998-2005. Thomas should see some minutes and is a nice veteran to have to help some of the younger guys.
The Knicks also signed 38-year-old Rasheed Wallace to come off the bench. Wallace came out of retirement to join a Knicks team that went with some veteran bench presence this season. Wallace will get minutes with Stoudemire out along with Thomas at power forward.
Centers
Tyson Chandler returns as the Knicks starting center this season. Chandler had a solid first season in New York averaging 11.3 PPG and 9.9 RPG. Chandler is a double-double machine at center and will be pivotal in the paint, especially in the first two months of the season without Stoudemire. His defensive presence down low will be essential for the Knicks success this season.
The Knicks also bring back another one of their former players in Marcus Camby. Camby will back up Chandler and get some major minutes this season. The key for the 38-year-old is staying healthy. Camby has been injury prone throughout his career dating back to when he played for the Knicks from 1998-2002. Camby's defense and ability to block shots will be big for this team over the course of the season.
Prediction
The key for the Knicks this season is staying healthy. Stoudemire is already out and injuries have been a major issue for this team. If Stat and Melo can gel together, this team could be a contender in the East. Melo is expected to have possibly the best season of his career. The key is him working well with his teammates. Coach Woodson did a tremendous job last season filling in and getting this team to the playoffs. Woodson hasn't been able to get the Hawks or the Knicks over that first round playoff hump. With the talent in the Eastern Conference this season, it will be tough for him to do it this year. If the Knicks stay healthy over this 82-game season they will return to the playoffs.
Expect a 46-36 season and the 5th seed in the East for the Knickerbockers this season.
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