New York Knicks Roster Depth Chart After Draft
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
After dealing Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks in return for Jose Calderon, Shane Larking, Samuel Dalembert and Wayne Ellington and drafting two immediate additions to the team, the New York Knicks have a lot of work to do trying to determine who is going to stay and help the team next season. Let’s take a look at each position and who are the candidates.
Point Guard
Jose Calderon arrived in New York via the Mavs trade and is set to be the starting PG for the team next season. His great passing skills and prolific shooting are going to be essential in the traingle offense to be implemented by Coach Derek Fisher. President Phil Jackson has already praised his game and ability to create a dynamic offense, running the floor in transition, moving the ball well and banking threes like no other. Right next in line is Pablo Prigioni, Calderon’s former teammate on the Spanish national team, a guy that can also pass and shoot the ball very well, even though he is very hesitant about the latter. Last but not least it’s Shane Larkin, a young and talented PG that never had the chance to prove his talents because of an injury last season. According to his teammates, he is as fast and explosive as anybody and could bring the much needed transition threat that the Knicks lacked for the past two seasons.
Note: Toure Murry is still in the game, but he will be a free agent this summer, so it’s yet to be seen if the Knicks will cover eventual offers made to him. He is very strong defensively, something that neither of the three above are, so who knows.
Shooting Guard
JR Smith is probably going to land the starting gig, considering his passing and shooting skills, something crucial for the triangle offense to work. Even though he’s had ups and downs this past season, noone can deny what a prolific scorer he is, and if used correctly he could thrive under Fisher. Iman Shumpert is the go-to guy when it comes to defensive efforts, and even though he hasn’t developed his shooting to an elite level yet, his athleticism and handles will keep him in rotation without a doubt. Lastly, Tim Hardaway Jr., a natural scorer, be it in transition finishing off with a dunk or from behind the arc, he is an offensive threat, but is not ready to start yet because of his defensive flaws. I’m sure he is going to have a lot of time to work on that, but for now JR Smith seems to be the guy for the job.
Notes: Shannon Brown is the veteran guard that Phil Jackson signed late last season and his contract is non guaranteed. His knowledge of the triangle could be of help in his quest to make the final roster.
Wayne Ellington is the young SG that came from Dallas and depending on his performance during the summer could earn some valuable minutes during the season.
Small Forward
Carmelo Anthony would be the starting small forward. Is he comming back to New York? Nobody knows. So if he does not come back, the 34th pick in the Draft, Cleanthony Early will get the job. Great athleticism and ability to score from the perimeter and in the paint, he is also a great defender, something that ‘Melo is not. If Carmelo comes back, he could still land the SF gig if the Knicks decide to play small ball with Melo at 4, where he can use his speed and handles to get easy mismatches against slower power forwards and spread the defense with his ridiculous sharpshooting.
Notes: We could be seeing a lot of swings from the swingmen JR Smith and Iman Shumpert playing the 3, something they did a lot last year. Depends on the lineup (playing big or small ball). The 51st pick, Thanasis Antetokounmpo is a very athletic guy, but too raw for the NBA. Will probably spend some time in the D-League to build up his game after the summer league.
Power Forward
Again, it all depends on Melo and what kind of lineup they are playing, but the true Power Forwards of the team are Amar’e Soutdemire and Andrea Bargnani, who can do pretty much everything well when healthy. The starting gig should go to Amar’e who had a great run the last 20 games last season – a very strong finisher and defender that has developed an efficient mid range jump shot to complete his offensive prowess. Andrea Bargnani can do that, even though not nearly as efficient defensively, but he does shoot threes well, what could come in handy for the triangle.
Notes: Jeremy Tyler can play the 4 as well, but it’s unknown if the team will exercise their team option of his contract for next season.
Center
Samuel Dalembert is the guy here. A defensive force, he is the one to be assigned to protect the rim, even though he is not as efficient on the other end of the floor. With Tyson Chandler being traded, there aren’t many options here, so the decision should be easy. Cole Aldrich had a surprising run last season and is sure to be in the rotation, specially after Phil Jackson himself praised his style of play – strong defensively and quick offensively he is not as strong as the other centers in the league, but has developed an efficient baby hook that is hard to guard. If he is well developed and coached he is certain to take Dalembert’s job in seasons to come.
Note: Jeremy Tyler can also play 5, so can Amar’e Stoudemire when they run the small ball lineup like they did many times this past seasons.