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Once a Knick, always a Knick. That's how it is for Jeff Van Gundy at least.
Van Gundy, former head coach of the Knicks and now very successful NBA analyst for ESPN, responded to some critics of the Knicks yesterday by projecting the team to win more games than anyone else is.
Here's what Van Gundy said during a radio interview:
“It's not easy,” Van Gundy said during an interview on The Stashed's 33rd & 7th podcast with Anthony Donahue. “Listen, I think they're going to be 45 to 50 [wins], low 50s, in that range.”
“I think there's a lot [of factors] that are sure things. I think [Joakim] Noah is going to be a sure thing as far as how he plays. [Kristaps] Porzingis is going to have a better second year than he had as a rookie. I think he'll be outstanding. [Carmelo] Anthony I think is going to be very, very good. Courtney Lee is going to be excellent as a glue type of guy in their starting lineup.”
Van Gundy isn't wrong that the Knicks' starting lineup is vastly improved from a year ago. If Derrick Rose can learn to play within his athletically-declined self, that will go a long way in helping all of the other pieces work together.
For reference though, Las Vegas odds only have the Knicks' over/under at 38.5 right now. That's a long way from 50 and from a source that always wins.
Anything could happen. Carmelo has historically played better after summers with Team USA, so that may be another factor working for New York, as well as Porzingis entering his second season. That and the new additions make this team a lot better, but they should still be fighting pretty hard to make the playoffs.
