2016-2017 Season Preview: New York Knicks

Last year, the Knicks had made nice improvements from their horrific campaign in 2014-2015. The team had finished 32-50 and began to emerge with some youth. Kristaps Porzingis, the 4th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, shocked the sports world with his impressive play, and others like Robin Lopez and Derrick Williams proved to be nice complementary players. Fast forward one year, and the Knicks are now primed to make a strong playoff push.

The Knicks have turned to Jeff Hornacek (middle) to lead their squad

The addition of head coach Jeff Hornacek will be under the microscope as some suspect that he will be unable to run the triangle offense. In three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, he compiled a record of 101-112 (.474), and was fired by the organization this past February. At this point, Knicks fans are simply happy that Derek Fisher is no longer associated with the team, but there will be pressure on Hornacek to deliver for a franchise that has not won an NBA title since 1973. 

In this article, we will take a preview at the 2016-2017 New York Knicks team, offering predictions both individually and as a team. 

Guards

Rose will be a free agent at seasons end

Derrick Rose was the team's biggest acquisition over the summer, and will be the starting point guard. He missed most of the preseason due to a civil trial, thus putting in question his ability to adapt and find chemistry with this new-look Knicks squad. Everyone knows the story with Rose: an amazingly gifted athlete that can light up the scoreboard, but has had major health problems in the last few seasons. In 2015-2016, Rose started 66 games for the Chicago Bulls, putting up 16.4 PPG with 4.7 AST. While his shooting has taken a large dip (.293 3P%), many believe that he still has plenty to offer. At age 28, youth is still on his side, and he will be a free agent at season's end, so look for him to have an explosive year if healthy. 

Like Rose, his backup has dealt with considerable injury scares in the recent past. Brandon Jennings, former All-Star caliber player on the Milwaukee Bucks, has racked up just 89 games in the previous two seasons, and started just 42 of those last year. His numbers have taken an incredible dip, partially due to diminished playing time, and many teams were hesitant to bring him aboard this year. The 27 year old was impressive in the preseason, and will begin the year behind Rose on the depth chart. Jennings' role on the team will be very important moving forward, as he is capable of providing a spark to the team and has shown the ability to properly run the offense. In his first four NBA seasons, Jennings averaged 17.0 PPG with 5.7 AST in almost 35 minutes per game. If the Knicks can get even three-fourths of that production, it would go a long way. 

The final point guard on the roster is Ron Baker, the Wichita State product. The 23 year old rookie went undrafted this past June, but was quickly scooped up by New York after the draft came to a close. He had impressed in the preseason, racking up 5.8 PPG in only 15.8 minutes per game, and showed that he was more than capable of handling an NBA offense. Last week, the Knicks chose Baker over Chasson Randle, and expect him to be an immediate contributor to the rotation. 

Moving on, the starting shooting guard will also be a new face. Courtney Lee was given a multi-year deal by the Knicks this off-season to provide the club with a steady outside perimeter threat and shore up the two-guard position. Lee has been in the NBA for seven seasons, carving a niche as a nice rotation player. He has started in just more than half of his career games, and hasn't seen a full-time bench gig since 2013 when he was a member of the Boston Celtics. Last year, he split time between the Grizzlies and Hornets, averaging 9.6 PPG with 38% from three point range. Look for him to because the reliable scorer that New York thought they were getting with Arron Afflalo last season. 

The Knicks have not announced an official backup, but one has to imagine that it will be Justin Holiday. The 27 year old had found mixed success in the league, but did a fine job with the Chicago Bulls in 2015-2016. During that time he posted 6.5 PPG while shooting an astonishing 43% from the three point line. Holiday was essentially a throw-in for the Derrick Rose deal, but the Knicks may have found themselves a decent role player. 

The only other remaining guard on the roster is Sasha Vujacic, the 32 year old veteran. Vujacic, who has a long history of success with GM Phil Jackson, inked a deal with the Knicks last summer and had varying levels of prosperity. He put up 4.9 PPG while shooting 36% from three point range in 61 games for New York, and returned to the organization on a one-year deal. He isn't likely to get much playing time, but injuries could push him on the court similar to the previous season. 

Forwards

Carmelo Anthony enters his seventh season with New York, and is still seeking his first NBA title. The 32 year old has repeatedly said that he would like to remain a Knick and will not waive his no-trade clause, which is admirable. This season, however, he should have no reason to leave since the roster is as stacked as it has been in a number of years. Last year, Anthony put up 21.8 PPG and a surprising 7.7 AST, and only missed ten games. Look for him to have a huge season in 2016-2017 with his above-average supporting cast. 

The Knicks have two viable options to back up Anthony. The first is Lance Thomas, who was given a four year, $27 million contract to remain with the team. Thomas was seen as an after-thought when he was initially acquired from Oklahoma City two years ago, but has morphed into a fine player. Last year, despite injuries, he put up 8.2 PPG with a 40% three point shot. 

Kuzminskas may be a huge surprise this year

The second option is Mindaugas Kuzminskas, the 27 year old out of Lithuania. "Kuz" is an unknown commodity that showed glimpses of talent in the preseason. Standing at 6 foot 9, the rookie has seen time at a variety of positions and that versatility should keep him in the rotation on a nightly basis. 

Maurice Ndour, a 24 year old out of Senegal, was one of the final players to earn a roster spot, and may find a few minutes of playing time every now and then. Some were upset that he made the team following his awful preseason performance, but the Knicks seem to like something about him. New York has signed him twice in the last calendar year. 

Next we have our starting power forward, Kristaps Porzingis. As we said in the introduction, the 21 year old Latvian took the city by storm last year, and will look to continue building on his overall game. He had 14.4 PPG in 72 games last year, but at times looked over-matched in the interior game. Hopefully that issue will be resolved following his weight/muscle gain, which allows him to become more of a defensive presence. Another aspect to keep an eye on is his ability to score in the post, as in preseason he seemed to show off a new arsenal of shots to fool the defenders.

Backing up Porzingis will be Kyle O'Quinn, the 26 year old big man. O'Quinn signed a four year, $16 million deal with the team last summer, but underachieved in his first year. Granted, he only received 11.8 minutes per game, but more times than not he looked lethargic and sluggish on the court. O'Quinn reportedly lost weight in the off-season to give him an edge on the defensive side of the floor, so time will tell to see if it pays off. One thing is for sure, if O'Quinn finally taps into is full potential, he could be an enormous asset for the Knicks.

Centers

Noah will look to bounce-back his career as a Knick

Joakim Noah was another big-get by Phil Jackson, but many question his ability to stay on the court. The former defensive player of the year took a sharp decline in production last season, but it could have been as a result of depleted minutes. He played in just 29 games (2 starts), attaining 4.3 PPG, 8.8 REB and 3.8 AST. That was a far cry from his All-Star days when he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds and owned over 5.0 assists per game. The Knicks gave Noah a four year, $72 million deal to reunite with his good friend Derrick Rose, and they expect him to emerge as a leader for this team. One constant in Noah's career has been his incredible ability to motivate and teach his teammates, as well as keeping everyone calm and collected in the locker room.


Right now, the backup center will likely be Willy Hernangomez, acquired from Philadelphia last season. The 22 year old has zero NBA experience, but is good friends with Kristaps Porzingis, and showed some key tools in the preseason to indicate that he is an NBA-level caliber player. Fans understand that Hernangomez may not develop overnight, but nevertheless could be an exciting one to watch as the season unfolds.

The final player on the roster is Marshall Plumlee, the 24 year old out of Duke University. Marshall, of-course, is the brother of both Miles and Mason, who are currently with the Bucks and Trailblazers, respectively. Marshall isn't exactly the most exciting player, but represents depth at the center position. With the health concern of Joakim Noah, having a 7-footer like Plumlee on the roster makes complete sense.

Final Predictions

2016-2017 W-L Record: 44-38
Team MVP: Carmelo Anthony
Breakout Player: Mindaugas Kuzminskas
Biggest Disappointment: Joakim Noah
# of games for Derrick Rose: 60
# of games for Joakim Noah: 50
# of games for Brandon Jennings: 70

• The New York Knicks will open up their 2016-2017 season on Tuesday, October 25 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 
• To check out our latest article regarding the Knicks' last round of cuts, click here
• To view our Brooklyn Nets 2016-2017 Season Preview, click here