The New York Knicks were the Eastern Conference's worst team last season with a record of 17-65, but there is still some excitement surrounding the team in the Big Apple following the release of the 2015-16 regular-season schedule on Wednesday.
Team president Phil Jackson made some improvements this offseason through the draft and free agency, which should allow the Knicks to be a bit more competitive. Here is a look at the schedule that lies ahead of them, courtesy of NBA.com.
While New York is likely to win more than 17 games during the upcoming campaign by virtue of drafting Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant as well as signing Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams, there understandably isn't a great deal of confidence in their ability to make a ton of noise.
It is unlikely they will qualify for the playoffs despite playing in the weak Eastern Conference, and they are 150-1 shots to win the championship, according to Odds Shark.
Even Jackson is seemingly unsure of how much the Knicks will improve in 2015-16 since the new pieces must jell together, per the team's official Twitter account:
Despite that, there is a certain amount of buzz in the air since New York has brought in some young players with the potential to eventually blossom into stars.
As the countdown to the 2015-16 regular season continues, here is a look at some of the Knicks' most highly anticipated matchups, along with a prediction for how they will ultimately fare.
Analyzing Top Matchups
New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets
Date: Friday, Dec. 4, 2015 at 7 p.m. ET
Although neither team has been as good as expected in recent years, the rivalry between the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets is still among the most intriguing in the NBA due to their close proximity and general dislike for one another.
While neither team is likely to enjoy a great season, more fuel was added to the fire when the Knicks signed Robin Lopez. His twin brother, Brook Lopez, is the Nets' marquee player.
Brook has long been viewed as the better NBA player, and his statistics have backed up that notion, but Robin will finally have an opportunity to take on an expanded role after making the leap from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Big Apple.
Robin and Brook have gone up against each other on several occasions already, but fact that they are now both playing for New York teams makes the dynamic even more interesting. That much is already clear based on the banter they have had through the media this offseason.
According to Bleacher Report's Fred Katz, Robin downplayed the prospect of getting to see Brook more often now that they'll be living in New York together:
Robin also had a funny response to Brook's suggestion that he would let him live under the stairs in his New York apartment, per Scott Cacciola of the New York Times:
While Carmelo Anthony is still the Knicks' cornerstone player, Robin's development and acclimation to the team will have a huge hand in whether New York is significantly better in 2015-16 than it was last season.
Brook doesn't want to let go of the title of best Lopez in the NBA, though, which means the twin brothers promise to bring their best to the table the first time they meet at Madison Square Garden.
New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Date: Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Not only are the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers two of the most storied franchises in NBA history, but there are also plenty of parallels between them, which will make for an interesting clash when L.A. makes the trip to New York.
Both franchises are in the midst of rebuilds that will rely upon up-and-coming players. The Knicks are banking on Porzingis and Grant, while the Lakers have No. 2 overall selection D'Angelo Russell as well as forward Julius Randle.
New York caught a tough break in the NBA draft lottery, and that cost them a chance at one of the truly elite prospects, including Russell. Knicks fans will get a chance to see his talent up close and personal, but it is likely that Grant will have a chip on his shoulder, so the matchup between them will make for must-see TV.
Aside from the youngsters, the Knicks and Lakers each have one franchise guy respectively in Melo and Kobe Bryant. Both players have lost some of their luster in recent years due largely to injuries, but they will be key figures in their respective teams' continued development.
Add in the fact that Jackson and Knicks head coach Derek Fisher are forever linked to the Lakers organization, and it is clear there is no shortage of storylines to keep tabs on.
New York versus L.A. is a natural rivalry, although Jackson's comments regarding the Lakers to Brian Lewis of the New York Post from earlier this year likely added a little more bad blood to the mix:
"It's been four years (since I was there), so I've kind of just divorced myself from them," Jackson said in January.
While Jackson and Fisher probably won't admit it publicly, they likely feel a little added pressure to beat the Lakers at home considering their history with the franchise.
Neither the Knicks nor the Lakers have great short-term prospects, but if their respective plans to return to legitimacy end up working out, then this could be the precursor to what eventually blossoms into a rivalry between two title contenders down the line.
Record Prediction
Every indication is that Jackson desperately wanted to make some splashy moves in order to make the Knicks better in a hurry, but he instead had to settle for secondary and tertiary options.
The draft lottery didn't go his way, which caused Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor to all slip away. New York also whiffed on big-name free agents such as LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe before settling for the likes of Lopez and Afflalo.
In an effort to remain upbeat about the situation, Jackson insisted he was attempting to build a cohesive unit, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:
Jackson also expressed positivity regarding what the Knicks were able to show free agents in terms of their commitment to excellence moving forward, per ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon:
"We need to win, be a competitive team," Jackson said. "I think we showed agents and players around the league a serious nature of what we're trying to accomplish. People who know basketball will recognize that, and we'll have people who want to come here."
The Knicks should be a better overall team and should win more games as Jackson suggested, but they still have a long way to go before they can even be considered legitimate playoff contenders.
While Anthony is a star when healthy, he needs another reliable offensive player to complement him, and New York was not able to land that guy in free agency or the draft.
The Knicks will have to rely heavily on a project in the form of Porzingis and another rookie in Grant. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see one or both of them playing starting minutes early in the season. Add in the uncertainty of how Lopez and Afflalo will translate to the triangle offense, and it is tough to get too optimistic.
New York will be better, but another finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference seems likely.
Projected record: 28-54
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Source: Mike Chiari http://ift.tt/1Ml2DFa
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