RealGM Analysis
2007-2008 Finish: 23-59
2008 Draft Picks: 6th
Pre-Draft 2008-09 Projected Starters:
PG Stephon Marbury
SG Jamal Crawford
SF Quentin Richardson
PF Zach Randolph
C Eddy Curry
Key Reserves:
PG Nate Robinson
PF David Lee
SF Renaldo Balkman
SF Wilson Chandler
What the Knicks Do Well:
The Knicks aren't without talent, but haven?t been able to put it all together, just yet. Perhaps the best thing new President Donnie Walsh did was bring in Coach Mike D?Antoni to try to get the most out of this group of misfits. D?Antoni is not afraid to sit a guy who isn?t performing and loves to use a short bench. This will be a rude awakening for the Knicks, who became used to varying minutes and excessive 10-12 man rotations under ex-coach Isiah Thomas.
The Knicks have very capable scorers at every position. They have two of the best scoring big men in the league and have guards who can score from anywhere on the floor. The only excuse for this team underperforming the past two seasons is selfishness and lack of motivation on the court.
Coach D?Antoni will be reunited with Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson from his coaching days with the Suns. Marbury is coming off a horrible year that saw constant feuding and a reported fistfight with Isiah Thomas, the tragic death of his father while at a Knick home game, and ankle surgery that limited the troubled point guard to only 19 starts. Richardson had one of the finest seasons of his career under D?Antoni in 2004-05. He led the NBA in three-pointers made and was a key cog in the Suns' march to the West Finals.
Zach Randolph had a successful first stint in New York. The talented power forward came to New York and posted 17.6 points and led the team with 10.3 rebounds per game. Despite missing 13 games for various reasons, he was 10th in the NBA with 40 double-doubles . He also proved to be a decent passer out of the high post, which enabled him to contribute 2.0 assists per game for the scoring big man.
Jamal Crawford also had a solid season, leading the team with a career-high 20.6 points per game while continuing to build on his reputation as being one of the best ?last shot? clutch shooters in the league.
Rookie Wilson Chandler showed signs of being a solid pick late in the first round. The small forward out of DePaul started getting minutes over the final month and a half of the season and looked to be one of the more competitive players on the roster. His all around game reminds some of Shawn Marion with a normal jump shot, and it makes sense that D?Antoni is the perfect coach to sculpt him into an All-Star caliber performer.
Greatest Areas of Improvement:
Shot Blocker
The Knicks were historically awful in the defense department. They registered only 213 blocked shots all season. To put that into perspective, Marcus Camby, a guy they disastrously traded six years ago, had 285 blocked shots last year. No Knick had even 0.5 blocks per game. Renaldo Balkman led the team with 30 blocks in 65 games while Eddy Curry led the team with 0.49 blocks per game (29 in 59 games). If defense wins championships, then this Knick team is nowhere near winning a championship.
A Long Range Sniper
All three Knick ?point guards? who will be responsible for handling the ball this season are fully capable of splitting the defense and penetrating the paint. Both Knicks' big men are fully capable of commanding a double team and scoring at will on the low block. That is why having a sniper on the wing is crucial for a balanced attack. Currently, the Knicks do not really have a reliable three-point threat. Fred Jones led the team with 38.5% shooting from deep, but he isn?t expected to return. Marbury shot 37.8% in limited minutes last year, and Richardson only hit at 32.2%. They will need a marksman on the outside if they wish to keep defenses honest when pounding the ball inside.
A Real Floor General
Enough slashing shoot-first point guards. That?s all these Knicks have! Coach D?Antoni will look to get more out of these point guards. He helped Steve Nash win back-to-back MVP awards by putting up double-digit assist numbers in each of his seasons under D?Antoni. Can Coach D do the same with one of the Knicks' point guard trio of Marbury, Crawford, and Nate Robinson?
Who?s Gone Number 6 Recently?
The sixth pick has been very productive over the past five years. Brandon Roy was a steal at six, Josh Childress is developing into one of the best sixth men in the league, and Chris Kaman is coming off a breakout season. The Knicks should find a guy fully capable of making a major contribution next season with this pick.
2007
Yi Jianlian, Milwaukee Bucks
2006
Brandon Roy, Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Portland)
2005
Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers
2004
Josh Childress, Atlanta Hawks
2003
Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers
Who Should the Knicks Target?
For more in-depth analysis and background regarding the players that the Knicks should target in this year?s Draft, click on each player's name to be redirected to Christopher Reina?s Prospect Report piece.
O.J. Mayo was born for New York and Madison Square Garden. The star guard out of USC has been in the spotlight since middle school and has a showman's flair. His solid defense, quality stroke from deep, and overall fierce intensity would be revered in The City that Never Sleeps. He would immediately be a fan favorite, and his explosive dunks and penchant for getting the crowd amped up could put the Knicks back on the block. New York needs O.J. Mayo. O.J. Mayo needs New York.
In the extremely likely event that Mayo is off the board when the Knick logo resides behind David Stern on the stage at the WaMu Theater, the Knicks should target Anthony Randolph with their pick. Randolph is a 6-10 left-handed combo forward who reminds many scouts of a combination of Lamar Odom and Chris Bosh. Randolph has all the tools to become an elite player in the league and also provides abusive and freakish shot-blocking from the 3 and 4 positions. This ultra-talented big man has an incredible handle and plays with tenacity around the rim. Passing on this type of talent by the Knicks in a Draft this important for the franchise would be an enormous mistake.
- Danilo Gallinari of AJ Milano
With Coach D?Antoni?s ties to Italy and Gallinari?s father, this seems like a likely potential selection for the Knicks. Plus, the fact that he is a talented long range shooter and somewhat known for his toughness and scrappiness make him a somewhat natural fit for New York fans. However, with the future of one of the league?s most storied franchises weighing heavily on this offseason and Donnie Walsh, this is a pick he really cannot make. It is difficult to gauge how Gallinari?s game will translate to the NBA and seems like a tremendously risky pick. The fans will no doubt boo furiously and perhaps riot if they use the sixth overall pick on Gallinari over Mayo or Randolph. Many Europeans have busted in the past five years, and who?s to say that this year?s 6-10 19-year old Italian small forward/power forward won't be just as awful as 2006?s 6-10 20-year old Italian small forward/power forward by the name of Andrea Bargnani?
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna?s New York Knicks Lottery Summit, an interactive column featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Knicks Draft discussion, the fans of New York seemed to believe that this year?s selection had to be Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, or bust. Since it is extremely unlikely that any of those three will slip all the way down to 6, the consensus is the Knick faithful would be happier if the sixth overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft resulted in:
Trade Down (if O.J. Mayo, SG ? USC doesn?t fall)
Picks Over the Past Five Years
Thanks largely to the keen eye for talent by Isiah Thomas, the Knicks have made some high quality selections during his tenure. However, while Thomas was able to find sleepers late (Trevor Ariza, David Lee, Renaldo Balkman), he also had a strange addiction to small forwards. Despite already having Richardson, Balkman, and Jared Jeffries on the roster, Thomas selected the would-be second rounder Chandler last season even with a need for a pass-first point guard and a shot-blocking big man.
2007
Wilson Chandler, 23rd
2006
Renaldo Balkman, 20th
Mardy Collins, 29th
2005
Channing Frye, 8th
David Lee, 30th
Dijon Thompson, 54th (traded to Phoenix)
2004
Trevor Ariza, 44th
2003
Mike Sweetney, 9th
Maciej Lampe, 30th
Slavko Vranes, 39th
Previous Editions of the 30 Teams, 30 Days Series
30 Teams, 30 Days: Chicago Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Miami Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Minnesota Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Seattle Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Memphis Draft Preview
Who do you want the Knicks to draft at number 6? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments and questions.