The New York Knicks have been working hard all offseason to get stronger after being defeated by the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs and after bringing back J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni, the team is ready to take the next step.
Head coach Mike Woodson knows the team will have a new player on offense with Raptors former number one overall pick Andrea Bargnani and with that, the coach has confirmed that star Amar'e Stoudemire will have a minutes limit after dealing with injuries last season. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Woodson will limit the minutes for Stoudemire next season, keeping things around 20 minutes per game to start the season as he continues to recover from surgery last year.
The Knicks had to play basically without Stoudemire last season and now with Bargnani in the fold as well as potential targets in Elton Brand and Lamar Odom, the bench should be much stronger than it was last season. Carmelo Anthony led the league in scoring last year and was the main focus for defenses, but with Smith coming back and Bargnani joining, teams will no longer be able to zero in on just him, leaving open shots around the court if he can distribute the ball more.
The Knicks needed to improve more to help battle with the Heat, Pacers, Bulls and Nets in the East and they should be in position once again to win the division. Bargnani said that he is excited to start over with the Knicks after not living up to the potential of a first round pick and last season he averaged 12.7 points on 40 percent shooting. Bargnani said that he feels healthy after missing over 45 games with elbow injuries and he will be able to start fresh in New York after high expectations in Toronto.
The Knicks dealt draft picks as well as Marcus Camby, Steve Novak and Quentin Richardson in the deal and those picks are a 2016 first-round pick and second-rounders in 2014 and 2017, as steep price, but one the Knicks were willing to pay. Bargnani said that he is back to full strength and the Knicks feel he can be an effective scorer alongside Anthony as the team tries to make a championship run.
Smith and Prigioni both return after last season and the team also signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and undrafted free agent C.J. Leslie following the NBA draft. The team still has five open roster spots and those could be used for Odom, Brand as well as other players. Smith is signed to a four-year deal worth $24.7 million while Prigioni signed a three-year deal.