David Lee will get his chance to be the centerpiece of the Knicks.

You often wonder what goes through a coach’s mind just before he makes possibly the worst move of his career. Mike D’Antonio went from Coach of the Year in 2004-05, when he led the Phoenix Suns to a 253-136 mark after four short years at the helm, to his new team in the Big Apple which has not seen 28 wins in a year for four years.

 With D’Antonio, the Suns reached the Conference finals twice, while the New York Knicks (23-59) have taken up permanent residence in the basement in the Atlantic Division. D’Antonio inherits a Knicks team that more closely resembles a police lineup than a formidable NBA team. There is no hint of the franchise that was so successful in its’ heyday with the likes of Dave Debusher, Willis Reed, and Walt Frazier winning NBA titles in 1970 and again in 73.

Make no mistake, new team President Donnie Walsh wants to unload this team full of miscreants and their unheralded salaries, (they have to sneak in the backdoor to be paid) but has been unsuccessful. Walsh reportedly had a suitor for Zach Randolph, but the deal that would have sent 6’9 forward to the Memphis Grizzlies fell through at the last minute.

 Randolph was productive in his first year with the Knicks and could be a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound guy if his head were into it. A double-double machine, Randolph averaged 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season.

David Lee is finally going to get some starting minutes at the power forward position and could be the best part of this team. However, he really does not fit D’ Antonio’s system and may have to be moved at some point to facilitate a deal to rid the Knicks of one of their big men.

Lee averages 10.8 PPG and 8.9 RPG, and has the ability to win a rebounding title sometime down the road if he stays healthy and stays in the lineup. While he still needs some work on his jumper, Lee has the drive and the desire to improve.   Lee should average at least 15 and 12 for the season if he gets his 35-40 minutes a game and his jumper improves.  

Quentin Richardson flourished under D'Antonio with the Phoenix Suns in 2004-05. His talent has never been questioned, though his ability to stay on the court has always been his biggest problem. Richardson had his second best statistical season under D’ Antonio when he was with the Phoenix Suns back during the '04-'05 seasons. He had the highest 3-point percentage of his career that season at .358%. If he can stay healthy, look for Richardson to bounce back in D’Antonio’s fast paced offense.

D’Antonio needs a point guard to run his up-tempo attack, so the Knicks signed Chris Duhon to fill the role. They probably would have liked to do better, but when you’re $40 million over the cap, and have a roster full of players that nobody wants, you’re options are limited. However, Duhon is a pass-first floor general that could surprise. In back up minutes last season, Duhon averaged five assists per game.

The team leader in assists per game last season was their number two guard, Jamal Crawford, who averaged five assists per game. Clearly, this is an upgrade over last season's "starting" point guard in Stephon  Marbury, who averaged 4.7 assists per game. Duhon is a very good pass-first point guard, something the Knicks have not had in years. However, take it easy on the Steve Nash comparisons. Duhon does not have the talent to win consecutive MVP awards. (but of course I would love it if he proved me wrong) Then again, not many players have the talent to win consecutive MVP awards.

Last year's first round pick, 6’8” Wilson Chandler, has a tremendous upside that did not show last season because "coach" Thomas unfairly benched him. He can seemingly dunk on anyone, and has a nice baby jumper as well. With improvement in his defense he will become a solid NBA player that will hang around this league and should thrive in D’ Antonio’s fast-paced offense.

Talented Mardy Collins is a great asset on the defensive side of the ball.  The only problem with Collins is that he lacks confidence. He plays ball while looking over his shoulder and second-guessing his every move. In his defense, he has been playing under a clueless coach and has never been in the regular rotation, having only played in 98 games. 

 Jamal Crawford is the best pure shooter on this team and the best scorer, but he needs to improve his defense if he is to remain on the floor.  Coming into last season he definitely bulked up and hustled more on defense, but the season was a lost cause considering all the distractions, so most critics overlooked his improvements.

 "Nasty" Nate Robinson should flourish in this system and should be fun to watch, because he was born for this type of offense. Robinson finally has a coach that will not stab him in his back and unfairly bench him. Although he probably will never is a "pure" point guard since he is a munchkin, he can still be an effective player off the bench to instill energy in the Knicks the way a young John Starks used to.

With Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry still on the roster (and penciled into the starting lineup) it is not clear how D’Antonio will be able to effectively run his frenetic style of offense. Both players are slow-footed and neither is known to be a willing passer; two huge no-no’s in D’Antonio’s system. One player who should thrive is forward David Lee, who might be able to work his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

The Knicks do have some talent on this roster. The aforementioned Lee and Duhon are unselfish players that are a good fit for what D’Antonio is trying to do. Jamal Crawford is a terrific scorer, and if he buys into the system (by passing up questionable shots to create opportunities for his teammates), he could have a nice season. Nate Robinson and Quentin Richardson have the potential to thrive as well.

The wildcard is rookie shooting forward Danilo Gallinari. As the first pick of the D’Antonio era, it is crucial that he is not a bust. The Knicks best lineup might consist of Duhon and Crawford in the backcourt, Richardson and Gallinari in the frontcourt, and Lee at center. They would be undersized, but if everyone bought in, that might be a fun lineup to watch but will still be a team looking up as they apparently enjoy another season as Atlantic Division doormats.