The New York Knicks entered the 2015 NBA offseason with high expectations thanks to playing in a big market with a ton of cap space, a top-five pick and Phil Jackson leading the management group as team president. However, it didn’t take long to realize the team was headed in a much different direction than some had anticipated.
The Knicks used the fourth-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft to select Kristaps Porzingis, a project, and then moved back in to the first round when they traded for the 19th overall pick to select point guard Jerian Grant. New York swung and missed on several key free agents but did manage to ink a handful of players that will play important roles heading in to next season. So for fantasy purposes, what is this lineup going to look like?
PG – Jerian Grant, Kyle O’Quinn, Jose Calderon, Alexey Shved, Langston Galloway
The selection of Grant, combined with a breakthrough performance from Galloway last season, and the trade for O’Quinn means the Knicks are more than set at the point guard position and could be forced to make a trade. Grant could be ready to start from opening night but even if he isn’t, the team will have three veteran point guards to choose from. Galloway is the cheapest among them and the Knicks are reportedly high on Shved, so that could mean Calderon is moved at some point this summer. It’s likely that the team plays Grant, Galloway and Shved to see which is most likely to develop. That makes this position had to handicap for fantasy players.
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SG – Arron Afflalo, Rickey Ledo
Afflalo is the type of veteran player that can help Anthony with some secondary scoring while sliding in nicely as the team’s starting shooting guard. New York does have the option of moving Shved to the two as well, so look for Shved to be the first man off the bench. The Knicks could still use some more scoring in terms of depth but Afflalo should be a fairly solid source of points and threes with minimal competition for minutes.
SF – Carmelo Anthony, Cleananthony Early
Melo’s healthy return will be the key to any hopes New York has at getting back to the playoffs next year as he will be relied on as their primary scorer on the wing. Anthony isn’t a kid anymore and coming off a major injury at 31 years old, there will be concerns about whether his body can hold up for an entire year. It’s too early to know for sure what the Knicks have in Early but he didn’t show much in his rookie season. Unless Anthony is out, he’s the only small forward on the team you want to own.
PF – Derrick Williams, Kristaps Porzingis, Jason Smith, Lou Amundson
New York missed out on Greg Monroe at the power forward spot and overpaid for Williams, but he could be a good fit for the next two seasons as he slots in as a strong forward that can run the floor and provide a strong work ethic in the paint. Remember, he was a lottery pick, so maybe the Knicks can develop him. As for Porzingis, he has the potential to be an absolute stud and if everything goes according to plan, it will be the rookie fourth overall pick stealing the starting job while Williams, Smith and Amundson provide depth.
C – Robin Lopez, Andrea Bargnani, Cole Aldrich
The Knicks couldn’t convince DeAndre Jordan or Kevin Love to come to the Big Apple either but they did land a decent alternative in Lopez, who will look even better in the Eastern Conference where he won’t have to deal with the same cast of All-Star big men every single night. Lopez is not going to dominate but he will work hard and give New York big minutes as the type of responsible big man that can hold his own at both ends of the floor. He has a clear path to minutes here, so he’s worth owning.
Summary
There is no doubt the Knicks missed out on a number of big-name free agents including Jordan, Love, Monroe, Wesley Matthews, LaMarcus Aldridge and even Brook Lopez, but Jackson did a decent job of filling in the holes in their roster with some decent starters in Lopez and Afflalo. Neither one of those players will be asked to carry the team but they are excellent secondary options that will understand their role as part of the supporting cast around Anthony.
Porzingis has the potential to be the steal of the draft if he eventually emerges as a superstar and both he and Grant represent upgrades at their position right now. In terms of fantasy, RoLo and Afflalo could be value picks given how many minutes they’ll be getting. The point guard position seems like a logjam while Anthony will obviously be drafted high. Lastly, keep an eye on Porzingis and Williams as they will be mostly avoided but there is room for one of them to shine at the power forward position.
