Breaking Down New York Knicks By Position: Small Forward

The 2014-2015 season is an important for the New York Knicks. They are under new management from the front office with Phil Jackson, to the coaching staff headed by Derek Fisher. There has also been a huge turnover on the roster, as the Knicks attempt to build their roster to be tailored to the Triangle Offense, while also not digging into the precious cap space they have manufactured for the upcoming offseasons. With that, a series of articles will be written to break down the Knicks position by position, going in depth about who the starter will be, and the role each player will have behind the starter. The third position we’ll take a look at is the small forward spot.

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Starter: Carmelo Anthony

This is the only unquestioned spot in the rotation. Small forward, or power forward if Fisher and his coaching staff choose so, is Anthony’s. He is locked in and will start every game that he is active for.

Anthony carried the Knicks last season, playing a career-high 38.7 minutes per game, doing everything for the Knicks. He was the first, second and third option offensively without being put in many positive situations to score the basketball. More often times than not he was also playing out of position at power forward, and responded with a career-high 8.1 rebounds a game to go with the 27.4 points per game he carried the offense with.

This season things should be easier for Anthony. He should play more minutes at small forward instead of power forward, meaning there will be less banging in the paint against bigger opponents. The Triangle Offense will also put Anthony in great position to score, as opposing defenses will have trouble double-teaming Anthony if the offense is ran correctly. The spacing and ball movement that makes the Triangle so effective should only make Anthony a more efficient offensive player, showcasing his scoring ability and underrated passing skills.

Oct 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early (17) takes a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Overall this season will be one of a transition for Anthony and the Knicks, but he will continue to be one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA regardless of what offense the Knicks are running; he will just have more help this time around.

Backups: Cleanthony Early, Quincy Acy

The Knicks had traded for Travis Outlaw earlier in the offseason, acquiring him because they thought he would bring a veteran presence behind Anthony, something the Knicks have lacked since trading for him from the Denver Nuggets. The Knicks quickly realized what plenty around the NBA already knew, in that Outlaw just isn’t very good, and shipped him off to the Philadelphia 76ers Monday in a money saving move. This leaves the rookie Early as the only true backup small forward.

Early had an outstanding 2013-2014 season at Wichita State, leading the Shockers through a season without a loss before they fell to the Kentucky Wildcats in the third round of the NCAA tournament. It was considered a steal for the Knicks to land Early, who many draft pundits had going in the middle of the first round.

One of the reasons he fell was because teams are unsure of how he will translate to the small forward position in the NBA. At Wichita State, he played almost exclusively power forward. He has a good jump shot, and like Anthony, is an above-average rebounder for the position.

Another player who should soak up minutes behind Anthony at small forward is Acy. He is listed as a small forward, but plays more power forward. Regardless of his position, he has earned playing time with his performance in the preseason, which came mostly at power forward. He is a ferocious rebounder, but is limited offensively. But, he does make up for it on the defensive end, and will bring plenty of energy while he is in the game.

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What Fisher could do with the minutes at small forward, and what is most likely to happen, is use one of his trio from shooting guard. Each of Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. have experience playing the wing, and will most likely get some minutes there as well.

Without a viable option backing up Anthony, one of the shooting guards can soak up left over minutes. That will help alleviate some of the logjam at that position, while also not putting too much pressure on a rookie in Early or forcing a player like Acy to be out of position.

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