Interestingly, on the injury return from Amar’e has looked good recently. He has looked athletic and offensively potent. If his health can hold, this could be very helpful going forward. Bargnani had played very well until a recent shooting slump. A return to November form will help. It will also be interesting to see how Woody handles the reintegration of Tyson Chandler, their most indispensable defensive piece into their rotation.
Felton may be injured or just getting old. When at this thinner self, he barely had the foot speed to excel. While weight would occasionally cost him that, it’s possible some aging is now the culprit. It’s harder to turn that one around. Prigioni plays well in limited minutes, but I’m not sold on Beno. I’d love to see pre-season star Murry get a real shot.
The more I see from Hardaway, the more I believe he could be a good player. That also means I’m getting on board with the possibility of trading Shumpert. Kenyon Martin has also been a valuable addition when healthy playing aggressive defense, but he is a head case who will go off at any time picking up flagrants and technicalities in costly ways.
The Knicks are fortunate that the East so bad. They are only 2.5 games out. If Chandler returns this week, and some stars align, this could still be not only a playoff team but a 4 seed. That is more of a commentary on the East than on the Knicks. The way this team is constructed, I’m starting to miss Isiah.