Power Rankings
Overall Rank: 22nd
Tier: Playoff Hopefuls
Projected Seeding: 11th in East
The Knicks, with a superstar in SF/PF Carmelo Anthony, 13-time champion in President Phil Jackson, the allure of playing in the Big Apple, and boatloads of salary cap space, were supposed to come out of the summer with one or more new star. PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge, C Marc Gasol, PF/C Greg Monroe, and PG Rajon Rondo were just some of the studs that Phil Jackson took a swing at, but ultimately struck out on. He did, however, add some nice complemntary pieces to Anthony, in SG/SF Arron Afflalo and C Robin Lopez. Joining this trio in the starting five, though, is a pair of rookies in PG Jerian Grant and PF/C Kristaps Porzingis. This team also has some solid depth, including SG/PG Langston Galloway, PF Derrick Williams, PG Jose Calderon, and C/PF Kyle O'Quinn. With a retooled roster around one of the best scorers in the game, New York definitely has a shot at sneaking into the postseason. However, a fair comparison for the Knicks, and perhaps their chief competition for a back-end playoff spot, is the Indiana Pacers. They too, re-did their roster around a superstar small forward, Paul George. However, Indy added SG Monta Ellis, a legitimate 20 point-per-game scorer, to be George's number two, a standard that Afflalo falls just short of for Carmelo. All of the other factors of the two teams are approximately equal, from the floor generals to the big men to the depth to the superstar small forwards themselves. However, it is this premiere beta dog that will give the Pacers a considerably higher chance of making the playoffs, and showing through contrast, the opposite fortune awaiting the Knicks.
Overall Rank: 22nd
Tier: Playoff Hopefuls
Projected Seeding: 11th in East
The Knicks, with a superstar in SF/PF Carmelo Anthony, 13-time champion in President Phil Jackson, the allure of playing in the Big Apple, and boatloads of salary cap space, were supposed to come out of the summer with one or more new star. PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge, C Marc Gasol, PF/C Greg Monroe, and PG Rajon Rondo were just some of the studs that Phil Jackson took a swing at, but ultimately struck out on. He did, however, add some nice complemntary pieces to Anthony, in SG/SF Arron Afflalo and C Robin Lopez. Joining this trio in the starting five, though, is a pair of rookies in PG Jerian Grant and PF/C Kristaps Porzingis. This team also has some solid depth, including SG/PG Langston Galloway, PF Derrick Williams, PG Jose Calderon, and C/PF Kyle O'Quinn. With a retooled roster around one of the best scorers in the game, New York definitely has a shot at sneaking into the postseason. However, a fair comparison for the Knicks, and perhaps their chief competition for a back-end playoff spot, is the Indiana Pacers. They too, re-did their roster around a superstar small forward, Paul George. However, Indy added SG Monta Ellis, a legitimate 20 point-per-game scorer, to be George's number two, a standard that Afflalo falls just short of for Carmelo. All of the other factors of the two teams are approximately equal, from the floor generals to the big men to the depth to the superstar small forwards themselves. However, it is this premiere beta dog that will give the Pacers a considerably higher chance of making the playoffs, and showing through contrast, the opposite fortune awaiting the Knicks.