Kristaps Porzingis (Photo : Elsa | Getty Images Sport)
The New York Knicks opened their training camp for 2016-17 season with a certain level of optimism they can end the three-year playoff drought. But despite the addition of a former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, the Knicks are considered no better than a team looking in as far as early playoff predictions is concerned.
In July, ESPN released its summer forecast for the upcoming season. The Knicks, who then landed their biggest acquisition this offseason in Derrick Rose, tied with the Chicago Bulls for 9th place among Eastern Conference teams.
The Knicks will have an 8-game improvement from last season record 32-50, but ESPN experts don't believe that adding Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and a bunch of free-agents signings would put this team in the playoffs at the end of the regular-season.
Then again, pundits can say whatever they want but none of the metrics and analysis weighs much on the basketball court. It's a brand new season in the NBA and thus a new opportunity for the Knicks to reassert themselves as one of the elite teams in the East.
Here are the 4 reasons why the Knicks will be a major playoff contender this season:
New running-mate in Derrick Rose - Carmelo Anthony is still the main offensive weapon for the Knicks. The problem here is he has always been that the last three seasons. Melo has been carrying a heavy load of the Knicks offense for quite some. Every time the talented swingman gets hurt, the whole team collapses.
That won't be the case this season with Rose on the team.
The former MVP isn't anymore the super-athletic freak of nature he once was in 2011, but he can still put up huge numbers, averaging 16.4 points on 42 percent shooting last season. Add his ability to create shots for himself and his teammates (4.7 apg), and it's almost guaranteed the Knicks will be a much better offensive this season.
Feistier Defense - No offense to Robin Lopez, but Joakim Noah is way better interior defender than him, even coming off a shoulder injury. Noah averaged 1.4 shot blocks in his career and altered thousands of shots in the paint. Another free-agency signing Courtney Lee is poised to make a big impact defensively with his ability to contain perimeter shooters.
Deeper Bench - There no doubt the Knicks possess a much deeper bench this year with the addition of Brandon Jennings, Kyle O'Quinn and Maurice Daly Ndour. However, Lithuanian Mindaugas Kuzminskas is bound to take spotlight once he hits the court behind Carmelo Anthony. You can check his highlight against Team USA at 2014 FIBA World Cup below to know that he's that good of a prospect.
Kristap 2nd season Mission - Looking to prove his rookie year isn't a fluke, Porzingis enters the new chapter of his career with a chip on his shoulder. The Knicks forward is expected to get more touches this time around, becoming the primary offensive option for the Knicks in the middle.
The talent level in the East may have improved dramatically over the last three seasons, but I still believe the competition won’t be as brutal as there is in the Western Conference. Having said of that, the four particular areas of improvement mentioned above will be enough reasons why the Knicks can clinch at least no.3 spot in the Eastern Conference just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.
