New York
Knicks
Atlantic
| 2011-12 Team Rating | |
| Offense | Defense |
| 98.1 | 97.4 |
| 23rd Overall | 8th Overall |
Stats through Feb. 16
W
15
L
15
PCT
.500
GB
5
CONF
10-8
DIV
4-2
HOME
8-7
ROAD
7-8
LinksVideo | Statistics | Tickets | Team
|
Category | Grade | ||
 Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been disappointing, shooting a combined 42 percent. But Tyson Chandler has proven to be the defensive anchor that the Knicks desperately needed.
|
C |
||
 Not only has Jeremy Lin led the Knicks back from an 8-15 hole, but Landry Fields has regained the confidence that he lost midway through last season.
|
C+ |
||
 One reason for the Knicks' surprising status as a top 10 defensive team is a weak schedule, but it's clear that Tyson Chandler has made an impact. Iman Shumpert can be a stopper on the perimeter as well.
|
B |
||
 For the most part, the New York bench has been anemic. But Jared Jeffries is a quality defender and Steve Novak has emerged to give them perimeter shooting. Baron Davis and J.R. Smith could help.
|
C |
||
 A couple of weeks ago, Mike D'Antoni looked like he'd be out of a job soon. Now, his offense looks functional again. And this is the best any D'Antoni team has ever defended.
|
C |
||
C+
Summary
Do we judge the Knicks by their disappointing 8-15 start, or by their Linsane winning streak?
Now that they have a point guard again, the potential is there for the Knicks to be a very good offensive team, even if Jeremy Lin doesn't average anything close to 24 points in the second half of the season.
There are still some concerns, though. First, Amar'e Stoudemire appears to be on the decline. Second, the Knicks are still depending on a healthy Baron Davis to revive their second unit. And third, defense will be a concern again when Lin, Anthony and Stoudemire are on the floor together.
If these grades were handed out a couple of weeks ago, they'd be much worse. But now, there's life back in the Garden, and the Knicks will be a fascinating watch from here on out.
-- John Schuhmann
Explanation of Marking System
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