We were the biggest surprise in the NBA last season. There was a buzz back in The Garden. Thanks, Thibs. Thanks, Randle. Unfortunately, our campaign ended on a sour note: the Hawks outclassed us in the opening round of the playoffs. We've retooled and improved the roster by adding Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Hopefully our youth will improve.
PG: Kemba/Rose/Quickley/McBride
SG: Barrett/Bacon/Grimes
SF: Fournier/Burks/Knox
PF: Randle/Toppin/Sims
C: Mitch/Noel
That's the best lineup we've had on paper since the 2013 season, and I feel comfortable saying it's superior to that team (after all, JR Smith was our second-leading scorer that season). Whether or not they'll win the Atlantic or win 52 games is another conversation.
- Randle: last year wasn't a fluke, but will Thibs' style start to wear down Randle? His playoff performance left a bad taste in many fans' mouths. At least he will have more help and more creators this year.
- Barrett: Made nice strides in his sophomore year, especially in terms of his efficiency. Feels like it's been an eternity since we had a young player make a leap.
- Kemba: As a long-time UConn fan, it's a dream to see Kemba donning the blue-and-orange. He will be our best PG in ages. Still, he has his worts as a player, he'll turn 32 this year, and his durability is a concern.
- Fournier: A fair contract for a solid player. Shooting and tertiary playmaking were major needs for this team.
- Young returning players: IQ flashed, Toppin showed some stuff in the playoffs, and it's a big year for Mitch. I hope all three guys take steps forward but I have a hunch that this may be Mitch's last season in NYC, unless we can bring him back on a bargain deal. The ship has sailed for Knox IMO. He'll soon be out of the league.
- We'll see how the season shakes out with injuries and such, but I don't see our rookies spending much time in the rotation. Who knows though, Kemba and Rose may each miss extended periods given their injury history.
I don't know where we'll finish in the regular season, but I think we need another Top 4 finish if we want to win a playoff series.
Thoughts? Predictions?