New York Knicks have a star studded roster, but lack the game plan to go with it – NBA News
The New York Knicks then signed veteran centre Marcus Camby to the team as a back up to both Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. Camby, although now nearing the end of his career, was once one of the most feared centres in the
league, and commands extensive experience in the NBA. The Knicks also signed Ronnie Brewer from the Chicago Bulls, who is also a good backup guard who played on the Chicago Bulls roster this past season and was one of the main reasons why the Bulls bench
was one of the deepest in the league and was named “the bench mob”.
If the number of quality players and stars weren’t enough already, the Knicks have Iman Shumpert at the shooting guard position. Shumpert is also a rising talent in the league, and is considered one of the best defenders in the
league at his position. The Knicks then have talent such as J.R. Smith and Steve Novak to cover up the minutes as the core unit rests. Hence, the Knicks are one of the top teams in the NBA when it comes to having a comprehensive roster filled with talent and
skills. They do not need to be worried about the Brooklyn Nets or any other team for that matter.
But the question that arises from this whole discussion is why the Knicks have been so unsuccessful these past few seasons. And that is one question that has puzzled all the analysts that are attached to this game. One of the reasons
could be the fact that Anthony is demanding too much attention in the franchise, and is unable to live up to the expectations. As an official team strategy, the Knicks run their offence through Anthony, which means a pure point guard’s utility to the team
becomes limited. In addition to that, Anthony is not a great passer, not is he a great playmaker.
There is a reason why he is a forward and not a guard. Hence, in the role he has been given, he can score points but that is just about as much as he can do, which makes him team mates less useful than their actual potential. A
combination of Stoudemire, Anthony and Chandler should send spills down opponents spines, if they are able to play together and complement each other on the floor. Plus, considering the fact that the reigning defensive player of the league is in their team,
the Knicks are a poor defensive unit.
Although Chandler is a strong centre and Shumpert does a great job at his position, guarding some of the best players in the league, the Knicks overall do not have a defensive mindset which is costing them games. There are too
many weak links in the Knicks offence.
Nobody denies the dearth of talent that the Knicks possess at this point, and they have made some serious roster improvements this season. But the addition of players like Felton and Kidd will only be beneficial if the Knicks shift
the focus off Anthony and towards the overall team. Theirs is a text book example of a team filled with stars, but lacking chemistry and team work.
On the other hand, teams such as the Chicago Bulls rely on great coaching and a tightly knit unit, even though they do not have the best of players. This is a dilemma that the Knicks have to work out soon, otherwise the multi-million
dollar roster will eventually not be able to deliver anything, and the Knicks will have to undergo a roster restructure in the future.
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