Preseason Comparisons

Preseason has ended and finishing with a 3-5 record some can't help but to feel a little depressed. We've been rewarded with the opportunity to finally see our new face Knicks in action after a summer of speculation and optimism but all was not glamorous and promising. Sure we've glimpsed at Stoudemire's greatness and what separates him from Lee, we've witnessed Felton's growth within the system and connection with our players but we've also witnessed Gallinari and Randolph's continuing struggles. Let's look at the comparisons based on preseason play.

Amare Stoudemire - What can I say; this guy is an absolute monster and does whatever he wants while on the court. He gets to the line at will, he can create his own shot and his presence is felt at all times. He's taken the game into his hands multiple times, especially against the Celtics causing foul after foul after foul until Marquis Daniels was forced into the game. He's simply a machine, a terminator, a force to be reckoned with. He's proven that he was a better choice and better player than David Lee. I wish Lee the best with the Warriors but he would not have had this same effect nor would he lend this same amount of confidence and optimism to the team and fans that Stoudemire has. It's only preseason but he's been proving he's worth the huge price tag by being the player that he always has been. Preseason Comparison: Amare Stoudemire

Raymond Felton - We Knicks fans have been giving Felton a pretty hard time lately. His rotund figure was a turn off and the fact that he wasn't originally playing to our expectations in the beginning of the preseason didn't help his case. As the general on the floor playing in a new system, many made the case that he needed time to adjust to the team and the playing style before he could actually excel. These were what seem to be correct statements because lately Felton has been playing like the tough soldier we all expected him to be. Amazingly quick and agile Felton can attack the basket with 100x's the tenacity as Chris Duhon, he's also been making amazing passes, hooking up with Amare and other players effortlessly for highlight reel footage. We've watched him slowly improve with our band of players and if he keeps excelling the dreams of Chris Paul may die a slow death. It's only preseason but so far so good, seems like he's that gritty point guard we've been expecting him to be. Although his start was shaky his later play left a lasting impression. This may be a reach but... Preseason Comparison: Tony Parker

Timofey Mozgov - Mozgov has been up and down this preseason, the team's rebounding issue is still a problem even when he's on the court and he has a knack for quickly finding himself in foul trouble. Although he seems to struggle with those two points he's also shown that he can contribute and deserves to be the starting Center on this team. He has nice range for a big man and can hit outside shots, he's pretty good inside the paint when he slows down and takes his time and something I personally love is that his PNR game has been improving. We worried about his ability to keep his feet cemented while setting screens and it seems like he's learned the ropes. Against Milan and Minnesota he got called with a few moving screens, afterwards he's been dead on. It's only preseason but he hasn't been great, he's a starting rookie and it'll take time to grow and become a real starting Center. He's still quick, he's still agile and that jumper is still there. Preseason Comparison: Serge Ibaka

Danilo Gallinari - Gallinari has defined the meaning of hot and cold during the preseason. With the exception of consistent rebounding and one decent game he's been absolutely on or off. His scoring has been seesaw (24, 7, 11, 20, 1, 7) and the judges came hammering down on his skill set and what he will eventually become. I'm not going to call him the next Dirk Nowitzki or a career bench player but he hasn't shown much inside game during the preseason and he has been doing more chucking than anything else. It's only preseason but Gallinari has been inconsistent and now he's hurt. 6 games of play shouldn't reflect on him much but we're in deep shit if this inconsistency continues into the regular season. Preseason Comparison: Charlie Villanueva  

Wilson Chandler - Ill Will has been this team's silent assassin, the guy that does it all and just doesn't get the credit for it. Players like Chandler aren't necessarily rare but they are gems to find, most notably in the draft. The Terrence Williams', Thaddeus Young's and Wilson Chandler's all share the same playing style but Wilson impresses me more than those guys with no biasness intended. Finding his appropriate position has been a hassle with our new team but he doesn't complain and gives 100% no matter where we put him. Chandler has the skills to replace starting forwards on talented teams and he's shown it this preseason. Slashing inside the paint for high percentage shots and also showing his improved jumper makes him a deadly threat on the court. He's a player whose skills demands respect, respect that he doesn't receive which leads to him performing at a higher level under minimal attention. It's only preseason but Chandler has shown his improvement. He's the same player from last year but is showing that he's only getting better. Preseason Comparison: Wilson Chandler  

Ronny Turiaf - It is known that Ronny is a career backup center in this league, here with the Knicks he had a chance to show that he can start but ultimately never impressed in that role. After being upstaged by a Russian rookie he found himself on the bench yet again and rightfully so. While on the court his offensive game is near non-existent. He's mediocre at PNR and when the ball finds its way in his hands he seems lost and confused. Rattled and uncomfortable he searches for an easy pass which breaks down whatever play we were running. In Ronny's defense it seems he almost always receives the ball on the outside, either beyond the perimeter or too far out of his range but what the hell is he doing out there to begin with? If you're setting a screen on the perimeter get into the paint afterwards and be prepared for the ball. It's only preseason but his rebounding is meh, his shot blocking has been nice, his overall defense has been average and this comparison may be slightly on the generous side. Preseason Comparison: Jared Jeffries

Toney Douglas - Throughout the summer Douglas has been one of the most consistently impressive players on the team. Douglas left quite the lasting impression during the final stretch of the preseason racking up points and steals like an all-star. He's a defensive ball-hawk and can possibly become a shut down defender in coming years. It's only preseason but if you take in consideration of Douglas' defense, scoring ability and aggressive steals he's definitely a fearful force. If he has to come off the bench he could be one of the best sixth men in the league. Another possible reach but... Preseason Comparison: Jason Terry 

Anthony Randolph - Randolph opened up the preseason against Milan with an impressive outing but ever since then his low basketball IQ was put on stage out in the open. He showed Al Harrington black hole tendencies and made bad decisions frequently. He's been a bit on and off but lately he seemed to be correcting his mistakes. He's been slowing down, making frequent trips to the line and has been taking it easy on the long range shots. His rebounding hasn't been great but he makes effort and contributes and seems to be getting better as time moves on. It's only preseason but with the way Randolph has been playing I see no need to worry. He has been somewhat struggling but near preseason's end he's seemed to find himself more, decent rebounding, decent scoring and occasional blocks.  Preseason Comparison: Marvin Williams

Landry Fields - Hidden talent is hard to come by, 2nd round pick Landry Fields may turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the draft. He impressed us all in the Summer League and we fed off of it up until preseason. During the preseason he continued his impressively smart play and excited us all yet again and now we must await his debut where it matters in the regular season. Fields is a smart Standford grad that knows how to get what he wants. It's only preseason but he continues to show that he can do it all. He's an extremely balanced player with a high basketball IQ. Preseason Comparison : Jared Dudley

Other Player Comparisons...

Bill Walker: Mickael Pietrus

Roger Mason Jr.: Sasha Vujacic

Shawne Williams: Adam Morrison 

Andy Rautins: Lindsey Hunter

If preseason play was to carry into the regular season we would have a rotation that would look something like this

Ibaka/ Jeffries/ Stoudemire

Stoudemire/ Williams/Chandler

Villanueva/ Williams/ Chandler/ Morrison

Chandler/ Pietrus/ Terry/ Vujacic

Parker/ Terry/ Vujacic/ Hunter

Hmm, not so bad... Neither overly gifted or down right shitty.