KNICKS

After making it into the playoffs for 14 consecutive years, the New York Knicks weren’t used to missing out on the fun. The team played well below expectations during the 2002 and 2003 seasons and the fans were sure to let them know exactly how they felt about the situation. The 2004 season started in the same way and general manager Scott Layden was fired and replaced by Isiah Thomas. Thomas was one of the more aggressive players in his day and he brought that same style to the table as new general manager of the team. He fired Coach Don Chaney and many people thought he might name himself as the new coach but he soon hired Lenny Wilkens to lead the team to the playoffs. Wilkens has arguably the best résumé of anyone to ever coach in the league (almost 2,500 games coached, more than 1,300 games won, and 178 games coached in the postseason) and Thomas felt that the team would play well for a coach with his credentials. The team rallied to finish with a 39-43 record that was good enough to make the playoffs as a #7 seed. They met up with the New Jersey Nets in the first round and were swept in four close games but the team made a few off-season moves that should take them near the top of the Eastern Conference this season.

Last season’s team was led by point guard Stephon Marbury who was acquired mid-season from the Phoenix Suns. Marbury played 47 games for the team and averaged almost 20 points and 10 assists a game while playing for the Knicks. Allen Houston averaged 18.5 ppg in 50 games for the team before suffering injuries near the end of the season. Kurt Thomas led the team with 80 games played while averaging 11.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg. The team made one of the bigger moves in the off-season by trading for Chicago Bulls star Jamal Crawford. The teams both knew that the trade could go through but the conversations continued to drag on because there were salaries that had to be included to make sure everything would fit. The Knicks lost four players including Dikembe Mutombo and Othella Harrington but they acquired a player in Crawford who is very explosive and capable of taking a team on his back on a given night. The team also resigned Vin Baker, an ex-all-star who has had trouble with alcohol in recent seasons. The team is hopeful Baker can stay clean and help the team but they also know the risks involved with signing a player with issues like his. The team only had a second round draft pick after giving away their first round pick in the Marbury deal so they took Trevor Ariza, an athletic small forward out of UCLA, with the 43rd overall pick. Many people feel Ariza needed more time in college to work on his game but his athleticism alone will earn him a roster spot on most teams.

The Knicks will move into the newly realigned Atlantic division along with the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the Toronto Raptors, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets and Celtics have owned the division over the last few seasons but each has taken a step back in the last 12 months so the Knicks will have their chance to win the division and earn a top-three seed in the playoffs this year. The Knicks will have one of the deepest backcourts in the league with a probable starting lineup of Marbury at the point and Allen Houston at the shooting guard. The team will have Crawford and Penny Hardaway coming off the bench and if Houston isn’t completely healthy, Crawford will likely jump into the starting lineup. The Knicks will start Tim Thomas at the small forward position alongside Kurt Thomas (no relation) and Nazr Mohammad in the frontcourt. The Knicks will have one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference but they’ll still need to play as a team if they want to win the division and make a run through the playoffs next year. There’s no doubt they have the talent, but they’ll need to piece it all together to be successful.

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