Knicks, Nuggets among those set to defy expectations

Zach Randolph will likely have to take his game a bit more outside to accommodate new teammate Eddy Curry in the paint. AP

This week SI revealed its visions for the upcoming NBA season. My confession is this: I am responsible for the predictions. So when the Knicks are playing like an Edsel on a flat tire, blame me for picking them No. 6 in the East. (But I don't think that's going to happen.)

My sense is that several of these picks demand explanation, if not rationalization, so please allow me to explain the logic (or lack thereof) that went into my decisions.

1. The Knicks earn the No. 6 seed in the Eastern conference playoffs.

I'll be hearing a lot of jeering if New York doesn't start strong, because the free-world consensus is that the Knicks will habitually crumble and force owner James Dolan to consider replacing team president and coach Isiah Thomas with Jerry West, Kiki Vandeweghe or another big name.

But I look at the Knicks roster and see a team that's hard to guard, whether in the halfcourt with their low-post scoring and backcourt shooting, or in the open court with their wings fully extended.

When the Knicks acquired power forward Zach Randolph, many skeptics doubted whether he and center Eddy Curry could play together in the post. It's true that Randolph will be forced to move out of the paint to make room for Curry, who is the less versatile scorer. But Thomas can reduce the conflict with his three-big rotation of Randolph, Curry and David Lee, whose passing will bring out the best in either of the other two. If Lee gets 30 or more minutes then Randolph and Curry will rough it together for one quarter of every game, which means their chemistry issues shouldn't define the team.

I'm also guessing the improvement of Nate Robinson will make a big difference, giving the Knicks a true point guard -- a meddlesome ball-hawking defender at one end and a distributor at the other -- that will enable Stephon Marbury to shift off the ball. Robinson, Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Lee and Randolph or Curry is not a bad lineup in the East, especially when augmented by a lot of young legs from the bench.

Of course they have too many non-defenders and non-passers. But I'm imagining they'll play hard for Thomas in an us-versus-world kind of way, leading to a strong start up to the All-Star break. Then I can see them fading while the better teams are gearing up. At the moment it's politically incorrect to forecast good things for the Knicks. And while no one should take my prediction as a show of support for Thomas' hurtful testimony or for the phenomenally (and characteristically) stupid decision by ownership to not settle out of court, this team should win 43 to 45 games with a variety of styles that will make for an interesting playoff matchup.

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