If New York Knicks fans were not already frustrated with the team, the recent news from head coach Mike Woodson is not going to thrill them anymore. Woodson addressed local media at the team's practice facility on Wednesday and said he has no clue who will be the starting five players when the season begins.
According to Woodson, only three players are locked in as starters. Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton are the only Knicks players guaranteed to be on the court at tip off on opening night. That leaves two spots up for grabs and a few players that will fight for position.
"We've got to find two other bodies that fit that starting lineup, and who that's going to be, at this point. I don't know," said Woodson. "We don't know; we've got to see. You've got to go in and earn a spot; that's how I look at it."
Competition is great, but to question the talent on the team is a bit worrisome. It was assumed that Iman Shumpert would be a lock to start next season after being in the starting five almost all of last season in the 3 position. Woodson complemented Shumpert on his overall growth as a shooter and all-around player, but he is looking for more.
"Iman has improved tremendously as a player," Woodson said. "He still has a long way to go being such a young player, but his jump shot has definitely improved from the time he stepped foot in this league. I've got to think that's going to continue to get better."
As long as Shumpert comes back just as strong as last season, he should find himself back in the lineup with no problem. That could leave one more spot up for grabs on the team. Likely options could be Pablo Prigioni. He saw starting time last season while the Knicks ran on a 13-game win streak. Metta World Peace was an offseason signing and could move to small forward as a starter. Andrea Bargnani could also be a starter depending on the position Anthony plays.
"As a coach, I'm looking forward to getting to [veteran] camp just to see where we are as a ball club and piecing it all together, because that's what it's going to take in terms of us making our run next season," he said.
Woodson will make the starting rotation an emphasis in training camp. He is looking to establish continuity from last season to hopefully build a championship roster for the season. He liked the starting lineup from last year and believes that if a team continues to change things up, it makes success tough.
