Knicks excited about new-look roster
Could the New York Knicks finally return to relevance this season after years of under-achievement?
The Knicks front-office and coaching staff have answered this question in the affirmative, something everybody would have expected. But there is no denying that the Knicks could bring
some of that old excitement back to Madison Square Garden this season.
"I know we’re really excited about who we have," said head coach Mike D’Antoni Wednesday. "We’re very content at the people we can put on the floor this year."
The Knicks were particularly busy this off-season and they will go into training camp this Friday with 10 new faces.
They finished last season with a dismal record of 29-53.
Although they didn’t manage to land the biggest free-agent of a summer filled with them, LeBron James, they did manage to sign All-Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire. The eight-year NBA veteran
has played his entire career for the Phoenix Suns, for many years under D’Antoni. Although injuries have always been a concern for the explosive Stoudemire, he played in all 82 games last season, averaging 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
Of Stoudemire, team president Donnie Walsh said he’s "as good a player as we’ve had here in a long time."
The other major pick-up was point guard Raymond Felton, who has spent his entire five-year NBA career with the Charlotte Bobcats. The reliable floor general has never missed more than
four games in any given season since he was drafted by the Bobcats in 2005. He boasts solid career averages of 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists and might be the reliable presence at the point guard position the Knicks need.
"You’ve got a really good point guard, you’re going to be pretty good and the coach is going to look pretty good," said D’Antoni. "If you don’t, then you’re going to struggle some nights
and I think Raymond has an ability to win basketball games and that’s what he’s here for."
With the Knicks hoping for continued improvement from sharp-shooting forward Danilo Gallinari, the Knicks are confident with the product that will take the floor this season.
Nobody is certain the team will stay the same from now until tip-off, especially with the swirling rumours that Carmelo Anthony wants out of Denver and has put New York at the top of his
wish-list.
However, according to the New York Times, the Knicks have been told by the Nuggets that they don’t have the pieces necessary to acquire Anthony.
Whatever happens, the Knicks should be a better basketball team than they were last season. "I think we should be exciting," said D’Antoni.
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