New York Knicks 2009-2010 Preview

By General
for NBA-Basketball.org

Published: October 25, 2009

Background of 2009-2010 New York Knicks

New York is suppose to be the mecca of basketball, and each year there’s this belief out of New Yorkers that their team DESERVES to be good. I’m not entirely sure why, basketball was invented by a Canadian and the Knicks are hardly above the average NBA team when it comes to franchise playoff success. In fact, the Knicks have been more of a laughing stock over the past couple years than anything else. Last year the Knicks were seven games out of the playoffs and this year they didn’t do much to improve. Save for a 2010 arrival of LeBron James which they seem to have placed all their hopes upon, this is a team that will continue to be disappointed year after year and the Madison Square Garden will be relegated to a place where opposing superstars try to break records on how badly they can beat the Knicks.

Knicks additions in 2010

Darko Milicic

Knicks departures in 2010

Quentin Richardson

Probably Starting Lineup for the 2009 2010 New York Knicks

PG – Chris Duhon
SG – Wilson Chandler
SF – Jared Jeffries
PF – Al Harrington
C – David Lee

New York Knicks Guards

The Knicks might have the weakest backcourt in the league. For a Mike D’Antoni team, this isn’t exactly a good thing. Chris Duhon is the player expected to lead the Knickerbockers again this season and after playing 37 minutes per game, we saw that there’s no real upside to him as a player. At least there is Nate Robinson coming off the bench to provide some energy to this team. Krypto-Nate had impressive numbers of 17 points and 4 assists per game last season, but Coach D’Antoni will hope that he improves on his 33% accuracy from beyond the arc.

At the shooting guard spots, the Knicks are quite a mess. Larru Hughes and Cuttino Mobley, two players well past their prime, are going to make a combined 23 million dollars this year. That’s just troubling to hear, you would have thought the Knicks would have learned to not get stuck with inflated contracts after the Allan Houston incident, but the good news is they’ve pretty much gutted their team to get rid of these contracts in time for the 2010 sweepstakes. The good news out of this is that young player Wilson Chandler will have some more room to build on a solid 14 points 5 rebounds season. Toney Douglas is another young player that should see minutes ahead of the aging dinosaurs on the team.

New York Knicks Forwards

I said the New York Knicks backcourt might be the worst in the leauge, but I really believe that the Knicks’ starting small forward, Jared Jeffries is the worst starting small forward in the league. He average 5 points and 4 rebounds last playing 24 minutes with percentages of: 44% FG, 8% 3PT, 61% FT. At least you have some upside in his reserve, with Danilo Gallinari. D’Antoni called his Italian prodige the best shooter he has ever seen, and with a 44% accuracy beyond the arc and 96% beyond the FT line, he might not be totally insane in proclaiming that. With this level of support and confidence from his fellow Italian coach, don’t be surprised to see a breakout year from Gallinari.

Al Harrington will be the main scoring option on this team, and he will yet again find a way to put 20 points on the board per night. His efficiency wasn’t where it could be last year, and with some improvements in his percentages, he can be more of a contribution to his team. His backups Marcus Landry and Chris Hunter likely won’t see many minutes.

New York Knicks Centers

It’s hard to imagine a 6’9 Center out in the East, but if one team is ready to accommodate a player like Lee, its the run-and-gun New York Knicks. David Lee is a workhorse that plays at a supremely efficient level and will give it his all night in and night out. He doesn’t need the ball often to get his 16 points per game and he will continue to dominate the offensive boards with the Knicks jacking up as many 3 points as they do. Such a small lineup will be suitable against some teams, but when facing off against the Shaqs and Howards of the league, D’Antoni will have to make use of his newest player Darko Milicic. Perhaps it will be this kind of setting that will finally give Darko the chance to prove that he is a quality player. What happens with Eddy Curry is somewhat of a mystery box, but after a 3 game season last year, it is hoped that he does SOMETHING to earn even if its a fraction of that 10 million dollars he will be paid next year.

Best Case Scenario for the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks won’t be expected to make the playoffs this year, and they really don’t have the personnel to make that kind of a push. But if anything D’Antoni has proven in his years coaching in the NBA, is that weird things can work. So if this is a reincarnation of the 7 seconds or less Suns team that was so successful, and the Knick players are able to somewhat replicate it, then a playoff spot can perhaps be a long shot.

Worst Case Scenario for the New York Knicks

More realistically though, the Knicks will stroll though another season of making their loyal fans go nuts and trying to fill in another year until that free agency of 2010 might perhaps save them out of another decade of mediocrity.

Knicks 2010 Outlook

The New York Knicks will look to improve younger players Gallineri and Milicic while hoping for better season from their vets: Harrington, Curry, and Hughes. Despite all that, the main point of talk will remain on the prize free agents of 2010, because they will be well out of any playoff contention.

New York Knicks 2010 Predictions

Record: 30-52

Surprise Player: Danilo Gallinari making a name for himself and becoming a lone source of optimism for NY fans.

Key Player: Nate Robinson and whether he can play to the level of a 6th man of the year candidate.

That wraps up the New York Knicks 2009-2010 season preview and our detailed look at the Knicks in the 2010 NBA season.

Author:General

General has written 38 articles for us.

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