New York Knicks Have Nowhere to Go but Up in 2006

If nothing else, I expect the New York Knicks to play better than they did all season last year. That's not a knock on former head coach, Larry Brown, who is undoubtedly one of the best basketball coaches on the planet, but more of a statement as to how bad the Knicks performed last season when they were the worst team in the entire league. Simply out, the Knicks have nowhere to go but up. Here is my preview on the Knicks for 2006-07.

The Knicks are once again counting on point guard Stephon Marbury to lead them out of mediocrity - and once again, they are sadly mistaken by believing that Marbury is the player who can lead this team to that almost impossible task.
Simply put, Marbury is a shoot-first player who has always been concerned about his own personal statistics rather than those of the teams he has been on.

Personally, I think the Knicks should start undersized point guard, Nate Robinson, and go from there, but hey, if Isaiah Thomas is content watching Marbury jack up shots at will, then who am I to tell him that Marbury's going to eventually cost him his job?

By the way, did I mention that I feel sorry for third string point guard, Mardy Collins out of Temple University? He may never touch the ball in New York they way some of these guys hog the ball.

Shooting Guard Jamal Crawford is another gunner who doesn't do much besides shoot the ball - and not that well either. Oh, did I mention that he's backed up by another gunner in Steve Francis? Or is that Marbury? Oh well, you get the idea.

The Knicks have another problem at small forward. Jared Jeffries is a decent player, but certainly nothing to write home to mom about. Backup, Quentin Richardson is basically a standstill three-point shooter, who needs someone to penetrate and kick out for him to score. Veteran, Jalen Rose is still on board too, not that he brings much to the table these days, and the Knicks also inexplicably drafted Ronaldo Balkman, another underachieving wing player to sit the bench.

The power forward spot is a plus for the Knicks with young power forward, Channing Frye, a player who has a legitimate chance to become an all-star at some point in the future. The Knicks also have another talented young player in David Lee that could turn out to be a player in the near future and veteran, Malik Rose, a player I've always liked since he attended Drexel University in Philadelphia over a decade ago. I almost forgot, New York has another veteran power forward in Maurice Taylor, who still has some gas left in his tank as well.

At center, all I wanna' know is, 'what the hell is wrong with Eddy Curry?' The talented young big man looks like the second coming of Shaquille O'Neal one minute and the "rotund one," Oliver Miller, the next. If he doesn't get his act together immediately - and begin to show some consistency, the Knicks could be in real trouble. Oh, let me not forget to mention that the Knicks have veteran slacker, Jerome James backing up Curry. This almost comatose pair can make a zombie look lively.

Prediction:
Things don't look good in New York, but I am predicting a better season for the Knicks than the 23 wins they posted last season. If New York can get to 30-35 wins, that will be a huge improvement. Expecting anything beyond that would be ridiculous.