Got some down time, felt bored and wanted to get some written reps before I get back to post game break downs...
Here's an Optimist's Guide to Watching the Preseason:
This is literally the most realistic, I've ever seen the fan base heading into a season. Everyone knows and acknowledges that the team needs to stay healthy. But it's more fun to look for reasons to become unreasonably hype; so here's how to get yourself worked up into a rabid frenzy before the regular season even tips off.
What we want from new Vets:
Rose: The way he plays the gaps. Even the most enthusiastic fans acknowledge that MVP Rose has a .0001% chance of returning; but this fan base has endured two straight seasons of Jose Calderon as the key ballhandler. Having a PG that consistently shoots the gaps and draws defenders in is really all we need to see for this to be an improved position. Cynics will tell you D-Rose was inefficient; Jose refused to shoot at all. Rose is defensively deficient; Jose was as bad or worse. Literally, the only thing that matters is Rose will be a willing slasher we haven't had. To get really through amped, check for his floater and decision making on the drives. If he's already finding kick outs and knocking down floaters, that bodes well for the entire offense.
Lee: Just be the player everyone knows he is. Knock down threes, make good off ball cuts and play defense. This is another case of replacing somebody who wasn't good. AA played little D and was wildly inconsistent on offense. Lee has been the picture of consistency for his career. If he's not trying to do too much, then he'll live up to the value of his contract easily.
Noah: Pick and Roll defense all day. Last season attacking offenses abused the pick and roll because our guards would switch and RoLo would be isolated on a quick guard (or KP). It was the easiest way to break down the whole defensive line-up and the Knicks never really found an ideal answer. Noah, even in his down years, has been one of the best bigs defending on the switch. His high post passing will be fun to watch, but it's his ability to mitigate that pick and roll weakness that should count the most for this squad.
Jennings: He's attacking without too many forces. The bench has a lot of questions, but Jennings is the obvious scorer here. He needs to be attacking consistently, but he can't be doing so in a completely inefficient manner. If he's getting double digit scoring without completely collapsing the team FG% and he's not turning the ball over at a high rate; the rest of the bench will have an easier life. Also, like Rose, the slash and kick should be a major tool if Thomas and Kuz are gonna be out there.
Justin Holiday: 3 and D...the closer to Courtney Lee he can be, the better. Anything beyond that is a bonus.
What we want from Returning Vets:
Melo: Comfortably playing off the ball. With Rose and Noah, plus KP's improvement, Melo shouldn't have to be relied on nearly as much for long possessions. His numbers shoot to elite levels when he's making a decision with the ball inside of 3 seconds or so. So if he can focus more on getting good positioning while Rose and Noah act as the guys making the offense move; his efficiency will improve. If this is typical post-Olympics Melo, he could have a really big season.
Thomas: Focus on D and don't force things. The guy can be a good role player, but the more you ask of him the more his deficiencies start showing up. Improved ball handling and awareness will help; but the reality is he should be relied on to knock down open looks and make scoring a nightmare for somebody.
KOQ: Mobility. He lost some weight and hopefully has improved on a developing jumper. But the key here is that he can give us minutes at both big man spots. If he's mobile enough to play PF, that leaves room for bigger line-ups. His mobility should improve our standing defensively and on the boards.
Sasha: That he's not playing any meaningful minutes.
Lou: Ditto.
What we want from the Young cats:
KP: Actively asserting himself. It will be extremely easy to play the background, but he needs to demand the ball and get his reps. His skillset should be a headache to defensive schemes. With Rose and Melo demanding the attention, he's gonna be the one that can eat off a weaker match-up and ruin the game plan against the Knicks. But if he just steps back and waits for the vets to look for him, it won't be as easy for anybody.
Willy: Is he mobile enough to keep up with athletic bigs. His post game, passing and motor are gonna be good. But his comfort and decisiveness against better athletes is gonna be the key to him adjusting quickly. His agility hasn't looked great in the limited views I've had of him, but also not as bad as advertised. So hopefully, he shows that he can defend comfortably. I think his offensive play will be predicated more on being in the right places and making the right decisions, but I'm fairly confident that will come around fast due to his pedigree.
Kuzminskas: Can he defend anybody? His offensive game looked really strong in the Olympics. He can shoot, attack, handle well enough for his size and he's aggressive when he feels it. His defensive game looked highly questionable though. Slot him into the D-Will role for now...a player who can run off some quick scores when he's on; but NEEDS to be mentally locked in on the other end to have value.
Randle/Baker: One of these kids needs to prove he can be the third string PG. Best case scenario? They're both so good that the Knicks start talking to Sasha about an office role. The inside track goes to Randle; he was great in summer league and has superior ball handling. Baker looked like a guy who can instantly be a quality defender though, and that's really hard to find in a rookie.
Ndour: Can he find ways to have impact consistently. His motor was incredible, he showed a bit of a jumper and his defense looked strong. But none of that happened in NBA play because of his injury and he floundered over seas. I don't see a true elite skill that he can always count on, but with his motor he can find a way to fill one of our needs any time out. He should find his way to rebounds or get some open looks up or focus on shutting his man down...pick one and anything after that is a bonus.
Health isn't something these guys can really control. But the decisions they make and the style they play with is in their hands. I don't think any of the expectations above are too lofty for these guys, but if the conditions are met that will bode well for each individual. The more players meet the conditions, the better the sum of the whole becomes. Knicks basketball is finally back!