Although Phil Jackson was busy during the offseason, many still think the New York Knicks will win less than 30 games. Melo disagrees.
By Robby Sabo
The question of whether the New York Knicks will be a good squad seems to crop up every Fall. Questions are always plentiful, as the team usually comes off a terrible season.
The 2015-16 NBA season is no different.
Coming off a truly pathetic 17-win season, Phil Jackson decided to get busy this summer. Though the free-agent market didn’t shine through (like most expected it would), Jackson did snag a potential gem in Kristaps Porzingis fourth overall in the draft.
Still, many experts are predicting a miserable fail for the orange and blue. Carmelo Anthony couldn’t disagree more with that sentiment, via Marc Berman of the New York Post:
“I think we will be better than people predict. If you’re predicting 27 wins, I laugh at that. We use that as kind of motivation. But it’s a good thing to be under the radar.”
There’s no question they’ll be an improved team. The presence of Porzingis alone will hold that idea true.
What most pundits can’t wrap their heads around are the very average additions of Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez. Afflalo, granted, is a sub-par addition. He’s a solid, middle-tier swing-man who truly screams mediocre.
Lopez, on the other hand, is exactly what a group like this needed. While he can’t score with the best of them, he provides a perfect garbage big man who’ll play a perfect compliment to Melo and Porzingis.
Melo loves the Iso, well all understand that. Porzingis is a stretch-four. Due to the style of both of these players, the center spot shouldn’t come by way of a back-to-the-basket type guy. Instead, he should be a tough-minded baller who can rebound and bang with the best of them. Lopez provides this.
Instead of thinking about the pure fact the Knicks didn’t add the big names this past summer, these experts should be pondering how Jackson molded these players together. NBA wins aren’t measured through a collection of talent, they’re measured by which team has the best collection of talent that works best together.
Barring injuries, these Knicks will be playoff bound in 2016.
[su_button url=”https://elitesportsny.com/2015/10/20/new-york-mets-are-one-game-away-from-world-series/” target=”blank” background=”#000080″ size=”10″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” radius=”0″]NEXT: Mets Now Only One Game Away From World Series[/su_button]
