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New York Knicks Misfit parts, brittle bodies make Knicks vulnerable
Updated: Wednesday October 10, 2001 6:48 PM
By Marty Burns, CNNSI.com Last year the Knicks were a mish-mash of talent that didn't fit well together. So what did management do in the offseason? It traded swingman Glen Rice to Houston, but added Shandon Anderson and Clarence Weatherspoon, two solid players who play the same positions as Latrell Sprewell and Kurt Thomas, respectively. Maybe acquiring Chris Webber was a long shot, but the Knicks needed some kind of Plan B to address their gaping hole in the middle. Marcus Camby puts up big numbers at center, but he has no low-post game and he's injury prone. With Larry Johnson and Luc Longley retired, the Knicks will have to pray more than ever that the Camby Man stays in one piece. Meanwhile, the lack of a low-post presence puts an onus on the point guards to create penetration, something they don't do effectively. Mark Jackson is just too old, and Charlie Ward's deteriorating knee has robbed him of his explosion. New York hopes Howard Eisley, acquired in a trade with the Mavericks, can emerge as a reliable threat at both ends.
New York wins by playing stifling defense and hoping Sprewell and sweet-shooting Allan Houston score enough baskets. Their hard-nosed mentality, prodded by head coach Jeff Van Gundy, should keep them among the playoff hopefuls again. But with all those misfit parts and Camby's brittle body, they are vulnerable to not making the postseason for the first time in 15 years. Standout Stat: 86.1 Average points allowed by the Knicks per game last season, the lowest in the league.
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