Putting A Halt To My Optimism With A Boom And A Bust

The deprivation of Knicks basketball has officially begun to take a toll on me. The anticipation has become nearly impossible to control and theorizing plans for the future has become too much of a good thing. Looking forward there is a lot of question we want answers for and as usual I asked myself a question. Who's going to boom and who's going to bust? There are so many question marks on this team and this is the perfect question regarding the mysteries that lie within our new acquisitions. Which player will rise above expectations and become the boom? Who will play bad enough that we all weep when he's brought into the game and face palm ourselves when he gets his hands on the ball? As you can see in the picture above I have made my decision. 

This was no easy decision, I'd like all the Knicks to play up to their highest peak but that's unlikely. I don't want to shine any type of bad light on any player but we're all Knicks fans here and everything I say about these players already has been discussed. Don't call for my immediate ban if I happen to insult your favorite player on the Knicks roster, its only business.

The Ka-Boom!

Anthony Randolph is our diamond in the rough. His potential is no secret to the league but his ability to unlock it is unknown. The big question is can Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks get him to play a higher level? In Golden State, when on the court, Randolph has shown flashes of brilliance with his athleticism and ferocity. He's a young developing player that had his production halted by an ankle injury mid-season, causing him to miss the remainder of the year. Fully recovered and ready to play, Randolph seems to be back on track with a possible break out season looming with our New York Knicks. Running in D'Antoni's system can't possibly slow his development down and Randolph can blossom into the player he is expected to be. A player with his ability lives for this system and to expect anything less than awesomeness from him should be criminal. It's a new beginning for Randolph, he has a clean slate here and the past can be the past. I feel like he will overachieve here and I'm sure many will agree with that statement. He is our Boom!

The Ka-Bust!

Kelenna Azubuike is an athletic leapfrog with tons of spring in his step. Cool, suave, laid back, all of these things describe Kelenna but he's been tagged with the injury stamp which dampens my excitement for him. "Creaming" yourself after watching some of his highlights is completely justifiable but I try to keep away from watching his awe-aspiring abilities. Azubuike is still ailing from a knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. So far his return is looking pretty bleak and he's most likely due to miss training camp in a couple of weeks. It's unknown when he will return or if he'll be able to play to his abilities. I could only wish that Kelenna was back to normal and ready for the season but I won't get my hopes up. Not to mention he's an unrestricted free agent and can scram on us during next summer. I feel like its going to be a one and done year with the Knicks and Azubuike unfortunately. I'd love to keep him and I'd love for him to be the best he can be but he has to heal and be the player that hes supposed to be. I don't want to be right and I want to be proven wrong but this is just how I feel. He is our Bust!

Possible Ka-Booms!

Raymond Felton- Finally playing in a system that his abilities were made for, Felton has a chance to prove that he deserves to be in the conversation as one of the top 10 point guards in the NBA 

Wilson Chandler- Possibly starting at shooting guard Chandler could develop with better players on the court alongside him. He knows what he needed to work on and if he see's enough time on the court he could have a breakout year.

Danilo Gallinari- After digging deep inside himself and realizing he isn't just a shooter, Gallinari found ways to be effective with his back to the basket and while driving to the hoop. If Gallinari can slightly develop his athleticism and keep getting to the foul line he can become a big problem for defenses not just beyond the arc but inside it as well.

Possible Ka-Busts!

Timofey Mozgov- Although Mozzie impressed us all during his time with Russia in the FIBA World Championship he's found his way on the questionable bust list. I like Mozzie, I like him a lot, and his chances of booming are higher than his chances of busting... There is still a chance he is the second coming of Darko Milicic though so therefore he finds himself here and not above. Sorry Tim. 

Roger Mason Jr- Coming off of declining stats last season Roger Mason is a big question mark. Maybe he will be better here than he was last year in San Antonio, but there's also a possibly he's on the downfall part of his career. He could possibly continue his decline and disappoint us all.

Bill Walker- Walker may not be the flashiest guy or the most powerful guy around but he is talented. The problem with Walker is that with so many new faces on the roster his role on the team got smaller and smaller. Smart money says Walker won't be a Knick for much longer.

Now I know if I made a poll asking who is most likely to boom this year Randolph would have taken 98% of the votes and that's no fun. Instead...