ESPN forecast: Draft pick standings (lotto edition)

[Blkbrd671]

3 of the 5 projected starts for the Knicks were NOT on the 17 win team from last year. The other 2 projected starters (Anthony and Calderon) both missed half the season and both were playing injured from day 1.

Well, they were also very bad with Melo & the others; about a 20 win team. Robin Lopez is good and Melo might be better, but probably not going to tack on an extra 20 wins. The other additions aren't impactful.

Maybe not an extra 20 wins, but the other additions are still big upgrades to what they had last season. Their other additions that will likely see time are Porzingis, Grant, Williams, O'Quinn, and Seraphin. Likely nothing special (this season), but much better than last year's top 10 leaders in total minutes outside of Melo (5th) and Calderon (7th) - Larkin, Smith, Hardaway, Galloway, Acy, Thomas, Aldrich, Amare (listed in order).

Shane Larkin led the team in minutes played last year! Jason Smith was second, Hardaway third, and Galloway fourth. Let that sink in. There is almost no way their new minor additions don't contribute more than those four. Galloway was a decent find as an undrafted guy, but his flashes of potential will be much less than Grant and Porzingis. And Seraphin/O'Quinn is a big upgrade from Smith, especially since Smith was the starter for much of last season. Their new guys could play badly and likely be more impactful than last year's role players, so that in and of itself is impactful.

For the knicks got talent, but i also think ppl are overrating Zing at this point his career. He's way to thin to be a defensive factor which i think opposing coaches wil expose. I really don't know what to make of the Knicks, i jsut feel that if they are top 8 i'd be very suprised. Are they still moving forward with the Triangle?

[celticfan42487]

3 of the 5 projected starts for the Knicks were NOT on the 17 win team from last year. The other 2 projected starters (Anthony and Calderon) both missed half the season and both were playing injured from day 1.

4 out of the 5 projected rotation bench players also were NOT on the 17 win team from last year. Langston Galloway, the best player on the Knicks for the 2nd half of the season last year is projected to be the 8th or 9th man in the rotation.

So while we can debate how much the new players can help this team win, basing how many games they can win using last years team as the starting point is just idiotic.

I know the general hope is that the Knicks do bad, but those that actually think it through would not be basing that off of what they did last season as essentially this is a near brand new team. The "look at what they did last year, they can't win much more" arguments would only make sense if the bulk of the team that stunk it up last year were returning this year. They aren't. The only guys that are returning from last year are Anthony, Calderon, Galloway, Amundson, Thomas and Early. Amundson, Thomas and Early are likely going to be making up the end of the roster...and these were the guys that were starting for them through stretches.

To be fair, and I know you've personally been on this board to read it.

For about the past 10 years Knicks fans have been pumping their chest saying how their team has improved and they'll be near .500.

And for the majority of the times, the "general hope" has just been other fans being realistic that the Knicks suck.

You can say it's a brand new team, others can say the additions aren't that impactful and they question the health of the Knicks only star being over 30 coming off of a major injury to his legs in Melo.

Going to a 30 win team would be a HUGE improvement for the Knicks. That's a +13 win total, which is generally among the best for most improved teams in any given NBA season and they would have to do that without adding a single all-star talent to their team.