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System: Xbox 360
Roster: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ter-360-a.html
Sliders: Default (Slightly Modified)
Draft Class: Tricfecta/Game Changers
Season Length: 82 Games
Team Chemistry: On
Player Roles: Off
Progressive Fatigue: Off
Trade Deadline: On
Trade Override: Off
Allow CPU Trades: On
Preseason Games: On
Injuries: On
Playoffs: 7-7-7-7
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Team Preview
2013-2014 Record: 37-45, No. 3 in Atlantic Division, No. 9 in Eastern Conference
Roster Additions: Jose Calderon (via trade), Samuel Dalembert (via trade), Shane Larkin (via trade), Wayne Ellington (via trade), Cleanthony Early (34th pick in NBA draft), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (51st pick in NBA draft), Jason Smith (via free agency)
Roster Subtractions: Tyson Chandler (via trade), Raymond Felton (via trade), Toure Murry (via free agency), Kenyon Martin (via free agency), Shannon Brown (waived), Lamar Odom (waived)
Predictions:
New York Knicks first-year head coach Derek Fisher will have some difficult personnel decisions to make for the 2014-15 season, beginning with his starting lineup. Fisher is faced with the challenge of developing young talent like Tim Hardaway Jr., Shane Larkin, Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, all while competing for a playoff spot. His job is complicated by an imbalanced roster with a large amount of wing players and lack of a two-way big man.
The starting lineup
Point Guard: Jose Calderon
Calderon is not a speedy drive-and-kick point guard. Rather, he is a facilitator, whose game is built on intelligent decision-making and efficiency. The Spaniard has finished among the top four in assist-to-turnover ratio every year since the 2007-2008 season, and is deadly from long distance. He connected on 44.9 percent of his three-point attempts in 2013-2014 and is a 41.1 percent shooter from behind the arc for his career. Unfortunately, Calderon will not provide much relief for the Knicks' defensive woes. Calderon, who turns 33 next season, does not have the lateral agility to keep quick point guards out of the paint.
Shooting Guard: Iman Shumpert
Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all candidates to be the Knicks’ starting shooting guard. Shumpert's defensive supremacy gives him the edge. The Knicks finished 24th in defensive efficiency in 2013-2014 and traded their best interior defender, Tyson Chandler, in the 2014 offseason. S hump had a disappointing 2013-14 season in what was expected to be a breakout campaign. He was often afraid to pull the trigger and shot a dreadful 37.8 percent from the field. The fourth-year guard will be a free agent next summer and has been shopped repeatedly by the Knicks.
Small Forward: J.R Smith
Starting Smith at small forward has a couple of benefits. Without a penetrating point guard, Smith is the only player on the roster other than Anthony who can create his own shot. Smith found his groove over the last few months of the season, averaging 16.6 points per game, while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 41.7 percent on three-point attempts after the All-Star break. His defensive intensity picked up as well. It would also benefit the Knicks to showcase Smith, and a bounce-back season could convince Smith to try free agency or enable the Knicks to trade him.
Power Forward: Carmelo Anthony
Anthony played almost exclusively small forward for the first nine seasons of his career. During the past two seasons, he has bounced back and forth, playing the majority of minutes at the 4. Anthony has thrived at the 4, using his quickness and improved range to exploit slower forwards. Most importantly, the Knicks have played their best team basketball with Melo at the 4. The spacing has been better and ball movement crisper. New York's personnel also favors Melo at the 4. The Knicks have three talented wing players in Hardaway Jr., Smith and Shumpert, who they would like to either develop or showcase for trade purposes and not one starting-caliber power forward on the roster other than Anthony.
Center: Samuel Dalembert
No one man on the Knicks roster is capable of filling Tyson Chandler's shoes. As a result of this, Derek Fisher will be forced to turn to center-by-committee. Recently signed Jason Smith is a legitimate 7-footer with a solid mid-range jumper. However, Samuel Dalembert, who the Knicks acquired in the Chandler trade, is the favorite to earn the starting nod. He is the best defender and rebounder of the bunch (11.6 boards per 36 minutes for his career), two areas where the Knicks are expected to struggle and has started 673 games at center over his 12-year career.
Bench
Amare Stoudemire- PF
Tim Hardaway Jr.- SG
Andrea Bargnani- PF
Shane Larkin- PG
Cleanthony Early- SF
Jason Smith- C
Pablo Prigioni- PG