Knicks lineups slightly less uncertain after Tuesday's practice

Happy Knicksmas eve! I will try to post these links I've been accumulating by the end of the day. For now, some updates from the final full practice before KNICKS BASKETBALL THAT COUNTS:

Carmelo says looks like he will start at power forward. Means Bargnani to bench for Metta.

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) October 29, 2013

Woodson said needs one more night to sleep on it but indicated was leaning toward Melo at PF because of how well it worked.

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) October 29, 2013

Iman Shumpert practiced in full today. Mike Woodson said he will start at shooting guard tomorrow, as expected. #Knicks

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 29, 2013

Woody's said in the past that he wants to play a big lineup but he did not rule out the possibility of playing a 2-PG lineup today. #Knicks

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 29, 2013

That sounds to me like an opening night starting five of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Metta World Peace, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler with the slight possibility of Pablo Prigioni replacing Metta in that group (unless Woodson specified that Shump would start *at shooting guard*, not just overall).

Either way, I'm a fan. We didn't get to see all that much of it in preseason, but the idea of a Metta-Melo-Tyson frontcourt makes a whole lot of sense to me, and I hope that grouping gets the lion's share of minutes. The "three" and "four" stuff with Melo doesn't matter at all. What matters is that World Peace can hit open threes well enough to space the floor and defend well enough to ease Melo's burden on the other end. (And if it's a two-point guard lineup without Metta, well, we've seen that work just fine). The Knicks will find a place for Andrea Bargnani, but for the time being, the first unit doesn't appear to be it.

Everything mentioned above is subject to change. No matter what, there will be lineup-tinkering throughout the season. For now, though, I like where Woodson's head is at.

TOMORROW.