Breaking Down New York Knicks By Position: Center

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 fifth and final position we’ll take a look at is the center spot.

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Starter: Samuel Dalembert

One of the pieces acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason, Dalembert should step right into the spot that was occupied by Tyson Chandler the past couple of season for the Knicks. He is a good fit on this roster, as he is a player that doesn’t need the ball offensively to succeed, and will battle on the boards. He is also a capable rim protector when he wants to be.

That is one problem the Knicks may experience with Dalembert on the team. He does not always give all the effort he can, which will not sit well with Fisher and the coaching staff. But when he is on top of his game, he is a capable double-double producer who can add a handful of blocks. Jackson thinks Dalembert is capable of it, so you can bet he doesn’t want to disappoint his new boss.

What Dalembert should provide that Chandler did not is consistency, as he has a much cleaner bill of health in his career than Chandler. Dalembert played in all 82 games from 2006-2010, 80 in the 2010-2011 season, the full lockout shortened season, and then 80 games last season with the Mavericks. The only season he failed to reach 80 games in a full season since 2006 was the 2012-2013 season with the Milwaukee Bucks

The Knicks do not need Dalembert to be a world beater in the middle, just play up to his capabilities. If he can patrol the paint and protect the rime they will be happy. The only thing the Knicks have to prepare for is Dalembert not getting big minutes, as he has averaged only 24.7 minutes per game in his career, which is a little more than half the game.

Jan 26, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Cole Aldrich (45) shoots the ball over Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre (50) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Backups: Cole Aldrich, Amar’e Stoudemire

Aldrich had a nice season for the Knicks in 2013-2014 in spot duty. He never had a true role in the rotation, but he stayed ready and performed whenever Mike Woodson called his number. It will be much of the same role this season for Aldrich with the Knicks, as the injury concerns for the other big men are already popping up. Andrea Bargnani is out at least the first three games of the season, which should open up a couple minutes in the front court.

Expect Aldrich to have an inconsistent playing time, but to perform much like he did last season. He is a capable rebounder, and is a big human being, giving him the ability to alter shots at the rim. He can also score a little bit, but in reality any points he gives the Knicks while on the court is an added bonus.

The X-Factor at Center is Stoudemire. This could actually be the main reason Fisher is keeping Stoudemire out of the starting lineup so that he can let him play Center with the second unit instead of power forward with the starters. With the Phoenix Suns, and early on with the Knicks, Stoudemire thrived playing the center position. Even in a diminished role that he has now, Stoudemire has still worked best while at the center position, using his quickness to blow by slower defenders and his deadly jump shot to hurt opponents that play off of him.

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As well as Stoudemire has shown he can play at the center position, he can still thrive playing power forward. Expect him to fluctuate between the two positions depending on the flow of the game and matchups the opposing team throws out there. Stoudemire is an extremely versatile piece for the Knicks to use to their advantage, as he can also play the perimeter spot in a pinch in the Triangle Offense. This will allow the Knicks to use bigger lineups if need be with a front consisting of possibly Stoudemire, Quincy Acy and one of the other big men on the team to give Carmelo Anthony a breather. The Knicks have plenty of options at power forward and center; Fisher will have to figure out how to mix and match the players to make things work.

So for a recap, it looks like the Knicks will be using a starting lineup of Jose Calderon, Iman Shumpert, Anthony, Jason Smith and Dalembert. There is no guarantee that lineup will be the one used in two weeks, as players work their way back from injury (Bargnani) and others may prove they deserve minutes, like Acy did in the preseason. Keep an eye for more articles and breakdowns of the team as the Knicks will open up their season Wednesday, October 29th at Madison Square Garden against the Chicago Bulls.

Click HERE for the point guard breakdown

Click HERE for the shooting guard breakdown

Click HERE for the small forward breakdown

Click HERE for the power forward breakdown