Kelenna Azubuike – Azubuike is still working his way back from a torn patella tendon, but he should be ready to return to game action in a week for 2. Could press Toney Douglas for playing time as the backup 2-guard.
Grade: Incomplete
Wilson Chandler – Chandler is a very good basketball player. Unfortunately, he’s not a very smart one. He is without question the most frustrating player on the team to watch consistently. He is an animal attacking the basket, but too often settles for long jumpers. The Knicks’ recent surge does coincide with his recent move to the starting lineup and uptick in playing time, so he’s doing something right. He’s arguably been the 3rd best player on the team after Stoudemire and Felton. If he starts settling less and attacking more, he’ll get even better. Would be a 6th Man of the Year candidate if he hadn’t been moved into the starting lineup.
Grade: B+
Eddy Curry – Curry is a waste of space, and that’s expected to continue. He’s taking up salary cap room until the end of the season or the trade deadline, depending on when Carmelo leaves Denver.
Grade: Incomplete
Toney Douglas – Douglas started off the season scorching hot and his since cooled down considerably. He too often struggles to run the offense when Raymond Felton is out of the game, and forces too many 3-point jumpers. At times he’s been a terrific scorer, attacking the hoop and hitting from deep, but not often enough. And he hasn’t even been that good on defense, which is supposed to be his calling card. Toney Douglas needs to get back to doing what Toney Douglas do.
Grade: C
Raymond Felton – Felton has done the opposite of Douglas; he started the year cold and displayed little to no chemistry with Amar’e Stoudemire, but has gone gangbusters in the last 12 games or so. He’s averaging 18 points and 8 assists a night and is playing like an All-Star in the East. His and Amar’es leadership is as big a reason for this turnaround as any other, and it had coincided with Felton playing the best ball of his NBA career. They look especially in sync on the pick-and-roll, which is the focal point off of which everything else runs in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Playing in the same up-tempo system he ran at North Carolina has freed Felton to push the pace and be more of a creator than he ever was for Larry Brown in Charlotte.
Grade: A-
Landry Fields – Is there such thing as an A+++++? Can I give one to Landry? I. Freaking. Love. This. Kid. He is absolutely everywhere. Elliot tried to tell me Fields was not an NBA player a few weeks ago. Joke’s on him. Fields leads all NBA guards in rebounding at 7.2 per game. He’s claimed Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, over some guy who went #1 overall named John Wall. He’s started every game this season and I’m pretty sure his worst game was last night’s 2-point, 10-rebound effort against Minnesota. I had no idea who he was when the Knicks drafted him, and now I don’t think I could stomach him leaving in a trade for Carmelo Anthony. Yep, I said it.
Grade: A+
Danilo Gallinari – Ohhh, Gallo. This was supposed to be the year he stepped up as the Knicks’ 3rd best player and potential complement to Carmelo should he decide to come to New York in the off-season. Instead, he’s regressed. Big time. Except for an 8 or 9 game stretch where he got to the free throw line as often as Amar’e, Gallo has been largely absent from the Knicks offense. It appears on some nights as if he’s disinterested, and when you see him assert himself in other games you wonder what goes on in this kid’s head. I’ve seen him go toe-to-toe with some of the best scorers in the league, and disappear against the likes of Sonny Weems in Toronto. Absolutely mind-boggling. I don’t think he’s a bust or anything, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to my expectations for him this season.
Grade: C
Roger Mason Jr. – If Mason sees the court again this season, I might throw something through my television. He’s 1-13 on the year and made no threes. For someone who’s supposed to be a shooter, that’s unacceptable.
Grade: F
Timofey Mozgov – The Moz can’t catch. He has nearly as many fouls as points for the season. But he’s 7-foot-1 and gives Amar’e some much-needed breathers, so I’ll tolerate all of it. Plus, I get to call him the Moz. Or Timo, which makes him sound like a Mexican, which makes me laugh when I look at the big Russian oaf. He has flashed some offensive potential if he can stay on the court, and e plays pretty decent defense when he’s not fouling too.
Grade: C+
Anthony Randolph – Without question the most disappointing player of the year so far. He looked lost half the time he was on the court at the beginning of the season, and looked like a 12 year old who gets to play in the adults game and tries way too hard for the other half. He forces too many shots he shouldn’t be shooting, takes plays off, and is generally basketball IQ-less. Yet, I have full confidence that at some point this season he’ll play meaningful minutes and go bonkers. Dunk all over people. Rain threes. Block shots. Whatever. He’s ridiculously talented and D’Antoni will figure him out. He needs to figure out what his role should be when he’s on the court and stick to it. It should be as a rebounder and defensive stopper, not a point-forward and jump shooter.
Grade: D
Andy Rautins – Rautins has only appeared in 2 games and taken 3 shots, but one of them went in, so good for him. He’s trying to transition to the point guard position in practice, and if he can master it, he could potentially see some playing time because Douglas is struggling. And he’s one-half of the upcoming “Andy and Landry Show” on Knicks Vision
Grade: Incomplete
Amar’e Stoudemire – I can’t say enough about how satisfied I am with Amar’es play so far. He struggled with turnovers and forcing the issue too much early on, but wow has he been dominant since then. He’s scored 30+ in 5 straight and was the first Knick since Patrick Ewing in 94-95 to be named Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice in a season. His presence and leadership have been more impressive to me than anything else. He owns New York, he owns the Garden, and now he owns the paint too. He’s playing better defense (and trying more) than ever before, which admittedly isn’t saying much, but still. He comes up with at least one ridiculous block a game and is an absolute monster to deal with on the other end. To those people who argued Chris Bosh was better, how you feeling about that now? How bout all you with the knee worries? Eye worries? STAT has performed in a way that he is forcing people to put him on their MVP ballots and the Knicks have worked their way into the discussion as a playoff team largely because of it.
Grade: A
Ronny Turiaf – Fear the beard! Turiaf, when healthy, has provided awesome defense with about 2 blocks per game, great passing from the high post, and a great energy level. But he brings the comedy whether he’s healthy or not. Watch him flip out on the bench in the Minnesota game. I love his facial expressions. He’s a joy to watch, and root for, and follow on Twitter. Needs to stay on the court though.
Grade: B
Bill Walker – Walker has been something of a disappointment this year. He slimmed down in the offseason and was supposed to be a major contributor, but instead has majored in terrible defense and missed jumpers. He’s now out of the rotation, with his minutes being usurped by the next guy on the list.
Grade: D+
Shawne Williams – His name makes me want to call him Shawn E. Williams like Roy E. Williams. Oh, and he can hit the 3, to the tune of an 83% clip in 5 games so far (he only played 7 and 2 minutes in 2 of them before his recent 3-game 3-point binge). Before he played in the New Orleans game, the thing he was best known for as a Knick was getting into a fight with Walker in practice. Now, he seems pretty solidified in the rotation as long as he can keep knocking down 3s and playing solid defense. He only shoots when he thinks he can make the shot, so he’s got a pretty good shot at sticking.
Grade: B
Mike D’Antoni – So much for the Fire D’Antoni bandwagon. Coach Burgundy (yes, Ron Burgundy, you know you see it too) has the Knicks playing like the hottest team in the Association thanks to some trademark offense and decent defense. He seems like he’s actually coaching on the defensive end too, which is always encouraging. He urged everyone to stay patient at the beginning of the season when the Knicks showed no offensive chemistry, and he was right. Pretty sure he was on the Coach of the Year contenders list over on ESPN.
Grade: B+ (for the slow start)
Donnie Walsh – Walsh is the one who put this whole thing together. Yes, we missed out on LeBron. But just about every other move Walsh made this summer has panned out pretty nicely. Amare? Check. Felton? Check. Landry Fields? Check. Rautins? We’ll See. David Lee trade? Pretty good too. Randolph has disappointed, but Turiaf has been awesome, and Azubuike will be back soon. Will he make a move for Carmelo in-season or wait it out?
Grade: A-
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