One Year Later, An Even Stronger Roster

With a little over a week to go before the Knicks head to Charleston, S.C., for their 2007 training camp, there's already no question that the roster looks a quite different than the team that opened training camp just one year ago.

The Knicks shipped out Channing Frye and Steve Francis, and brought in Zach Randolph, a big man with a rare combination of power and agility. Add in 2007 draft picks Wilson Chandler and Demetris Nichols, Randolph's former Portland teammates, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau, and late-season signee Randolph Morris, and it's clear that the Knicks are deeper at every position than at this time in 2006.
Randolph's addition for 2007-08 gives the Knicks an entirely new look offensively.

Last year, the starting five of Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Frye and Eddy Curry averaged a combined 76.0 points, 25.8 rebounds and 13.7 assists. In Randolph, the Knicks added a 6-foot-9, 260-pound force who averaged 23.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the 2006-07 season. Substitute Randoph for Frye, and the Knicks projected starters' combined averages jump to 90.1 points, 30.4 rebounds and 15.0 assists.

Another big man making his Knicks training camp debut is Morris, who appeared on the Knicks roster towards the end of last year. The Kentucky star became the only player to play in the NCAA tournament and a NBA game in the same week when he signed with the Knicks in March.

A likely first round draft choice had he been eligible for the 2007 draft, Morris will look to capitalize on a strong NBA Summer League when he averaged a double-double through five games.

Following Morris are Chandler and Nichols, two rookies who aim to make an impression in their first full team action against NBA stars. The two draft choices were also impressive starters on the Summer League squad that ran the table and look to follow in the footsteps of Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins as first-year players who made an immediate impact during their rookie years.

Finally, Jones and Dickau will be participating in their first Knicks training camp when it all gets under way on Oct. 1. They will aim to not only secure a roster spot, but work their way into the rotation as well.

Next week, NYKnicks.com will provide a look at how each of the Knicks' Atlantic Division rivals remade itself during the off-season. The series begins on Sept. 24.

source : NBA.com