10 out of 10
That is how many ESPN sports writers picked the Knicks NOT to make the playoffs. And what does this Knick fan (yes, this is a FAN post) think about that? I LOVE IT! It just feeds into the "us against the world" mentality that will be part of this season. This prediction seems to be the consensus outside of ESPN as well. However, we believe that Ian "Nostradamous" Thompson from Sports Illustrated has one of the only properly functioning crystal balls in America as he has picked the Knicks to finish as the 6th seed. That sounds about right. But forget this transition year. Let’s talk about the next three years:
5 Reasons Why the Knicks Will Likely Contend for a Championship within 3 Years:
1) THEIR HEART!: Don’t focus solely on their record in 2006-2007. Did anyone notice how this team played with serious guts and energy last year? How many games did they come back from 20 points last year only to fall one or two points short? They even trailed Boston by THIRTY in one game, and cut it to three. Falling behind wasn’t surprising for a young team finding its way. As all the young players continue to mature and develop, they will not create 20 point deficits to begin with; they will no longer play down to their competition against bad teams; and many of those lost thrillers will become easy wins.
2) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: The Knicks are young and will only get better. Also, Isiah is one of the best developers of young talent in the NBA. Does anyone remeber how Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, Brad Miller, and Al Harrington progressed under his watch? Look for Eddy Curry, Renaldo Balkman, Nate Robinson, Mardy Collins, and others to make some strides. Look for David Lee to possibly become a top 5 rebounder in the league.
3) BUILT FOR PLAYOFFS: Thomas is building a team to win in the playoffs — which is all about match-ups. Their depth and versatility will give Thomas multiple options to exploit. Guys like David Lee, Quentin Richardson, and Mardy Collins can play more than one position depending on the matchup. Bench players like Nate Robinson (offensive) and Jared Jeffries (on defense) could become key players in a key series.
4) AT LEAST 1 MORE TRADE: The Knicks roster depth, their cadre of young players, and a couple of expiring contract in the next two years make them viable trade partners. Is Ron Artest on the horizon? And if, in the worst case scenario, the Randolph/Curry experiment doesn’t work out? Can’t Curry or Zach (Eddy has the more favorable contract) still be part of a trade package for talent that might better fit the roster (Jermaine O’Neal?)? There are many possibilities, but the Knicks will definitely be players.
5) KNICKS AGAINST THE WORLD: Motivation shouldn’t come from outside sources like ESPN, the New York City tabloids, or bulletin boards. But the legions of naysayers just might add that extra fuel to the Knicks fire. Knicks fans can only hope.
You’re right Modi, the MSM watch is NEEDED all over the place. Good outcomes in Jenna and with Genarlow in GA. And what about the trick-a-roo pulled off by FEMA with the MSM? I’m LMAO about that one.
BSPN wrong as usual. What a bunch of hating hacks. I’m not a Knicks fan, nor a hater either. But I know damn well they’ll make the playoffs this year. I agree with you that a 6 seed sounds about right.
What’s funny in all of this is that the MSM rep reveals the MO of his cohorts. Some way, somehow, they collude on a stance/position/storyline and all the papers run it. So if the flavor of the month is booing IT and the NYK, all the MSM will be on that story and beat it like Peewee Herman minus the nut. As an exercise, just pay attention to the topics the hacks hop on throughout the month or week and see how often they talk about the same nonnews drivel.
Teams that should make the playoffs:
Cavs
Bulls
Pistons
Celtics
Raptors
Nets
Wizards
Magic
That’s 8 right there, on the bubble:
Knicks
Bucks (if they stay healthy, they’ll be better than most people expect)
Hawks (they have a ton a young talent, and were playing well before joe johnson got injured)
Heat
So while i wouldn’t be shocked if the knicks made the playoffs, it’ll be extremely tough, and a 6th seed seems a little optimistic BUT that’s why they play the games.
I’m not so sure about the Wizards, JOnes. Arenas needs another year to regroup from that knee injury and without him playing lights out, the Wiz do not score enough points to make up for their shoddy defense. I also expect the Raptors to regress some, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Magic struggle if Rashard Lewis’s injuries continue.
Actually, Jones, the last four teams you consider “locks” to make the playoffs (Raps, Nets, Wiz, Magic) are no more likely to make it than the four teams you consider to be “on the bubble” (Bucks, Hawks, Heat, and my Knicks).
Raps: will NOT repeat as Atlantic Div. winners; will NOT sneak up on opponents anymore; they are undersized; and Bargnani, though talented, has no true position. The Raps go as Bosh goes.
Nets: the addition of Magliore and the return of Kristic do not make up for the presence of Air Pussy (copyright SML) or the absence of both a bench and good coaching. The Nets go as Kidd goes.
Wiz: they play no D, they’re down a big man (Etan), and their best player is a head case with a bum knee. The Wiz go as Gil goes.
Magic: basically exchanged Grant & Tamia Hill for Shard Lewis. I understand that Grant & Tamia are injury prone, but Grant is still the better player, and so his losss will be felt (and Tamia is better looking than anybody Shard could possibly be sleeping with). The Magic go as DHoward goes.
Bottom line: none of these teams are locks, the Knicks as presently constructed can compete with any of them, and I’m cautiously optimistic that the Knicks will outperform some or all of them this season. The Knicks go as… who goes? Randolph? Curry? Starchild? Mr Thomas?
We shall soon see!
I’ll admit my bias and state that I’m a Raptors fan, and i’m drinking the kool-aid. I think with the raptors the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and so they’ll do better than a lot of people expect even though their roster may not look that impressive. It’s amazing how many games you can win with just team work, ball movement and shooting.
The wizard had one of the better records last year (in the east) before Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas went down. I can’t imagine that they’ll miss Etan that much. At least now Brendan Haywood has noone to fight in the locker room. But their season definately depends on Agent 0 bouncing back to near MVP form
I don’t see the nets dropping off that much, remember Richard Jefferson missed significant portion of last season and krstic missed all. Of course as you mentioned their season completely depends on JKidd.
I agree the Magic aren’t a lock, I should have had them on the bubble. I predict DHoward having a MONSTER year, but I’m not sure he’ll have enough help. It’ll be interesting to see what effect Stan Van Gundy has.
The Knicks, who knows. I think it’s fair to admit that they have yet to live up to expectations. Will this be the year?
Bottom line: Last season’s “race” for the 7 & 8th’s seeds in the east was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. the magic, pacers, knicks, wizards were in a freefall the last two months of the season. This year i expect it to be a dog fight (insert Michael Vick joke) to get in
Bring on the regular season!
LP,I agree with you that after the first 4 teams mentioned it is a completed crapshoot. I also expect the Cavs (no upgrades)and Pistons (front line getting older) to regress a bit. Overall, i agree but you are selling the Raptors short
Jones, I actually see the Raptors kicking ass. The Raptor will absolutely kill people with Bosh (poor man’s KG) on the inside and their deadly shooters spreading the floor including Barngarni, Garbosa, Kapono, and their guards. you simply CANNOT double Bosh down low. I see the Raptors as one of the top 4 teams with the Cavs slipping down. But if Bosh gets injured, its all over.
– let’s face it. Someone on the Nets will get injured.
– Howard will be ridiculous, but they have no other low post players which might hurt them. We know he will be a force and Rashard can play. Ariza should also break out. To me it is all about Jameer’s ability to run the offense.
– The question I have is what team can guard the Knicks low post game? The only hope is to deny the entry pass. If the Knicks can solve that and needless turnovers then they will make great noise. Also, watch for N8 to create havoc off the bench this year.
Given length of NBA season, and assuming an equitable share of injuries for all Eastern Conference teams, the Knick depth will suprise ESPN and other ostensible know-it-all NBA “experts,” and carry Orange & Blue team to playoff birth, where game preparation and game-to-game adjustments as wekk as crowd noise and team intensity levels may also provide some surprise, surprise Knick triumphs.
i would love to see more blogs like yours?