Knicks 2007-2008 Season Predictions Part 2

BENCH PLAYERS

SF/PF: #42 David Lee aka D-Lee
Last seasons statistics: 10.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg
Where do I start with David Lee? Lee has proven that he is ESSENTIAL to the success of the team with his hard work ethic. If there is a rebound up for grabs, count on David Lee to get you that ball. I don’t think there is one moment where Lee is on the court and not running. He has often been compared to Dennis Rodman as one of the best rebounders in the game. I’m pretty confident that Isiah realized Lee’s importance to the overall chemistry of the team and his minutes should not suffer with the addition of Randolph. If anything, Lee should be great support for an incredible NBA backcourt. Not to mention, Lee is one of the best defenders on the team and he can make up for some of Curry and Randolph’s defensive flaws. To add to Lee’s credentials, he has been working on that mid range jumper that he somewhat struggled with last year. With his improvement in offense and his rebounding and defensive capabilities, Lee remains one of the best/ most important Knick’s. So don’t be afraid to go and get yourself that David Lee jersey because I know I will purchasing one sometime soon.

PG: #4 Nate Robinson aka Nate the Great
Last seasons statistics: 10.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.4 rpg
Yes he is only 5’8 and he can beat Andre Iguadola in a dunk contest. Forget all the glamour because Nate is all grown up now. With an extremely impressive showing at the Las Vegas summer league, Nate is ready to become an NBA point guard (not an undersized SG like he was his first 2 seasons). Nate proved that he can be that pass first point guard the Knicks need. In addition, he is now able to make smart decisions with ball, not just throwing it away on a careless pass or launching a poor three-pointer. Not only that, but Nate will now make sure he finishes a play before adding glitz. In several preseason games he passed up a ridiculous dunk to finish a play by simply putting in a lay-up to get the two points. I think this is a good sign as Nate moves away from his former role as an entertainer. With his energy and popularity, Nate should have his best season yet…. So get a Nate Robinson jersey while you’re purchasing that David Lee one.

SF: #32 Renaldo Balkman
Last seasons statistics: 4.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg
All questions about Balkman as the Knicks draft choice in 2006 were put to rest quite quickly. I was one of the doubetrs yelling at the TV that night as I looked at Marcus Williams and Rajon Rando’s names still on the board when the Knicks selected Balkman. But you know what, Balkman is what this team needs now. A solid defender with hustle and determination that resembles David Lee, Balkman is great off the bench. In one of his earliest performances last year in a November game against the Bulls (I was at this one), my brother and I watched Balkman almost single handedly lead the Knicks back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter. He made big defensive stops and ran the court like an all-star point guard. When given the playing time, I’m certain Balkman can be a major asset to the team. Anybody want a Renaldo Balkman jersey? It might be a wise investment.

F: #21 Wilson Chandler
Last seasons statistics (at DePaul University): 14.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg
The 6’8 forward out of DePaul could be a nice addition to the team. He was quite impressive when I watched him during the Las Vegas Summer League and preseason. The one problem for Chandler is minutes. As for any late first round pick rookie, minutes are often an issue in their first season. Hopefully, Isiah can get him some playing time when it matters. Overall, I like the pick and I think it was the right move. One more thing to remember: Isiah may not make good decisions for the franchise as a whole, but he is great at drafting young prospects. As I’ve learned with Balkman, DON’T DOUBT THE PICKS!

SG/SF: #20 Jared Jeffries
Last seasons statistics: 4.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Well, I think it is obvious that Jeffries was a bad acquisition. He is an awful offensive player and his defensive capabilities are not very impressive. He doesn’t add the energy of Lee or Balkman and he only takes away valuable time from these players. I really hope Isiah can swallow his pride and give Balkman and Chandler minutes over Jeffries. Overall, a contract that I wish was wiped off the Knicks salary. O, and I also hate that he has Allan Houston’s old number, for some reason it really pisses me off.

C: #31 Jerome James
Last seasons statistics: 1.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg
I sometimes try to forget that James is even on the team, but unfortunately every few games the camera passes by his face on the bench. There is not much to say about Jerome James because he simply does not belong on the Knicks. In addition, he is one of those inflated veteran contracts that Isiah seemed happy to take on. This year he is set to make 5.8 million dollars (next two seasons, 6.2 million and 6.6 million). To make you all understand how awful this is, take a look at the salaries of the young VALUABLE players on the team. (Nate: 1.268, Balkman: 1.234, Chandler: 1.091, and one of the Knicks MOST IMPORTANT AND BIGGEST ASSESTS DAVID LEE: 990,600 dollars. All of these players are making substantially less than the useless Jerome James).

PF: #13 Malik Rose
Last seasons statistics: 3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
I’m not going to say much about Malik because my feelings on him are similar to those of Jerome James. He is slightly better than James, but the the 7.101 million dollars he is set to make next year take away any value he has to this team. I can’t believe he is making that much.

SG: #25 Mardy Collins
Last seasons statistics: 4.5 ppg, 1.6 apg, 2.0 rpg
Better than both James and Rose, Collins is set to make only $932,760 next year. I like Collins, he comes from a solid Temple basketball background and he has some knowledge about the game. In the midst of the Knicks injuries woes at the conclusion of last season he stepped up big time. During those games Collins had stellar numbers, resembling those of a starting guard. So it is clear, if he gets minutes, Collins can be quite valuable.

C: #5 Randolph Morris
Last seasons statistics: well, he really didn’t play.
Morris played well in the Las Vegas summer league and he could be a solid backup for Curry. The kind-of-rookie should be getting more playing time this year and I can only hope that he gets all of Jerome James’ minutes.

G: #2 Fred Jones
Last seasons statistics: 4.8 ppg, 2.2 apg
An Isiah Thomas pick from the Indiana days, Fred Jones showed some promise during the preseason. In several games Jones showed that he can actually be of use to the team, not just a name that came with the Zach Randolph deal. I don’t know how it is going to work with minutes for him, but I would be happy if he got some playing time.

CONCLUSION
So what about the team as a whole? How are these 15 guys going to fair in the seemingly harder Atlantic division? Well, when it comes down to it, I really believe the team will have another improved season. In fact, I think the Garden lights will shine into the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The addition of Z-Bo to the frontcourt makes the Knicks a great offensive threat. Also, Isiah has a deep bench that provides a great deal of energy and chemistry to the team. My one concern lies in defense, especially with the starting line. NBA teams are lacking defense right now and those teams that do have a solid defense can go far in this league. Overall, I think the Knicks are going to surprise those NBA analysts who are all buying the Celtics to destroy the Atlantic division. The team has now had time to mesh together and the youth and capability of this team can lead to big things for the upcoming season. I think Curry and Randolph will defy critics who say that they cannot play together, and they will not be another Steph-Francis blunder. Wake up NBA because here come the New York Knickerbockers.
Predicted record: 42-40.

GO NEW YORK GO NEW YORK GO!

One more thing to add: Jeff Van Gundy is currently unemployed and making kind of funny commercials on ESPN. I know this is a long shot, but if Isiah really wanted to be a good President he would step aside and let Gundy take over. Gundy would turn this predominantly offensive team into a defensive powerhouse. We all know how Gundy makes defensive teams and that is what the Knicks need. Lets get some “HIRE GUNDY” chants going this season.

Check out the team salary at: http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm