{"id":1202,"date":"2016-10-11T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2016-10-11T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=1202"},"modified":"2016-10-08T10:39:54","modified_gmt":"2016-10-08T14:39:54","slug":"keys-new-york-knicks-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/10\/11\/keys-new-york-knicks-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Key Factors to a Successful New York Knicks Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 2016-17 NBA<\/strong> season, headlines will be dominated by Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong> and the Golden State Warriors<\/strong> on a daily basis. However, having a super-team doesn\u2019t guarantee a championship; just look at the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong>. Everything can change and anything can happen in the NBA. A team can implode, the injury bug could strike, or a team simply might not play to its potential. In this Last Word On Pro Ba<\/strong>sketball<\/strong> series, we\u2019ll break down which two key factors will determine the fate of each team in the upcoming season.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Two Key Factors to a Successful New York Knicks\u00a0Season<\/strong><\/h1>\n

There is no getting around it: the Knicks collapsed last season, and not even firing\u00a0Derek Fisher<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0could keep them from finishing with a win-loss record of 32-50. Fans and pundits can and did point to many factors in New York’s struggles. There was fatigue, Carmelo Anthony<\/a><\/strong>‘s health, the revolving starting lineup, a weak bench, and aging players. Now that last\u00a0season is in the past, what will be the biggest factors for the success of the 2016-17 Knicks?<\/p>\n

The Knicks have changed. The coach is different, the players are different, and Kristaps Porzingis<\/a><\/strong> is still developing as\u00a0a\u00a0rising star. The only constant is Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is the only part of the team that\u00a0fans don’t have worry about.<\/p>\n

First Key: Build Chemistry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thing that the Knicks need to worry about right now is chemistry, which, according to science, is a real factor in basketball<\/a>. The Knicks have lacked chemistry for a while. But at least since last year, it seems that they’ve had\u00a0a definitive one-two punch in Anthony\u00a0and Porzingis.\u00a0They just\u00a0need that duo\u00a0to become a legitimate threat to the entire league this year.<\/p>\n

Being a second option\u00a0is a lot to ask of a sophomore. Anthony\u00a0is a\u00a0seasoned star; he has weathered storms with both the Knicks and the\u00a0Denver Nuggets<\/strong>. Porzingis needs to pick up only some of the slack. There is good reason to believe that he can do it.\u00a0The revamped\u00a0bench is the last piece to the chemistry puzzle. The new reserves\u00a0will need to mesh together in order to be successful.<\/p>\n

Chemistry with Limits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Former All-Star\u00a0Joakim Noah<\/a><\/strong> and former\u00a0MVP Derrick\u00a0Rose<\/strong>\u00a0need to use their influence and steady leadership to play to the needs of the game<\/a> and season. Veterans Courtney Lee<\/a><\/strong> and Brandon Jennings<\/a><\/strong> need to be the X-factors <\/a>and not look to re-invent themselves<\/a>. No player\u00a0needs to play above his\u00a0ceiling. Knicks fans might want to see an entire lineup of star performances, but that isn\u2019t how the team is built<\/a>. There is a clear number one guy and an emerging number two guy in Anthony and Porzingis, respectively.<\/p>\n

It might seem good for Rose to play like his former\u00a0MVP self all year, but that would actually hurt the Knicks. That’s partially because of the short-term deal that\u00a0New York has him for. The Knicks acquired\u00a0Rose with\u00a0a salary that could sky-rocket under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement<\/strong>, with the rising cap. If Rose becomes crucial to\u00a0New York’s future, the team would have to give up too much money to keep him. His emergence would also hurt the direction of development in which the Knicks are heading. Anthony\u00a0is the old guard and he is ready to pass it along and play nice with Porzingas. Rose would mess up that easy transition.<\/p>\n

Second Key: Keep the Train Moving at All Costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Knicks will worry about fatigue and effort. Even if they stay healthy enough to make it through the whole season, some of the older players will struggle to remain effective. Even team president Phil Jackson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0said that he thought <\/a>the team flagged a bit during last\u00a0season. If Jackson\u00a0wants to bring a change in culture, that would be a good place to start. Just ask Stephen Curry<\/a><\/strong> how important health is come\u00a0playoff time.<\/p>\n

Coaches have to monitor minutes and stay strict. They have to be savvy with the schedule and practices. Trainers have to be on the money with rehab. The\u00a0players are unlikely\u00a0to stay\u00a0healthy, and even the young Porzingis\u00a0may\u00a0have injury problems towards the end of the year. They need to peak at the right times; coaches will have a big hand in that. Take a page from the book of Gregg Popovich<\/strong>. Take the fines. Sit the players. Go deep in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

If the Knicks want to make a run at the playoffs and make it count, they need to be healthy. That health starts\u00a0in off-season training sessions and it continues through the regular season. Fans wouldn’t grocery shop for six months at a time so don’t ask the Knicks to go two\u00a0months without resting players. The risk is too high with for that, given their current personnel. This season, fans should celebrate rest days.<\/p>\n

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Main photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n