3. Which J.R. Smith will show up this season? J.R. Smith took the Knicks on a rollercoaster ride during his contract season, which has continued through the summer. After agreeing to come off the bench despite publicly stating his desire to start at the outset of training camp, Smith won the Sixth Man Award by averaging career highs in points (18.1 ppg) and rebounds (5.3).
(RELATED: SEE CHRIS SHERIDAN’S 2013 OFFICIAL NBA AWARDS BALLOT)
However, Smith’s dream season came to a crashing halt when he elbowed Terry during Game 3 of New York’s first-round series with Boston. He drew a suspension for Game 4 and never rediscovered his rhythm. In the following eight playoff games, Smith shot 29 percent (34-for-117) from the field. During the meltdown, Smith was rumored to be partying hard with Rihanna and became a major distraction.
After accepting full blame for his poor performance to end the season, Smith became an even bigger distraction upon re-signing with the Knicks. Just four days after signing a three-year, $18 million contract, Smith had left knee surgery sidelining him for up to four months. He remains questionable for the start of the upcoming season.
Based on his track record, Smith will ultimately leave management befuddled. He always does. This becomes all the more worrisome for a team that desperately needs Smith to remain a consistent second scoring option to Anthony.
Woodson has gotten more out of Smith than any other coach, but he must manage Smith’s dedication off the court for New York to contend. If anyone can help Smith mature, it is Woodson, whom Smith refers to as a father figure.
4. What can the newcomers bring to the table? Bargnani had a target on his back from the day he was taken first overall in the 2006 draft by Toronto and unfairly compared to Dirk Nowitzki, the best European in NBA history.
After arriving in a trade for a 2016 first-round draft pick and second-round selections in 2014 and 2017, along with Steve Novak, Marcus Camby and Quentin Richardson, pressure remains on Bargnani to perform.
(RELATED: SHERIDAN KILLS KNICKS FOR BARGNANI TRADE)
The 7-foot Bargnani is considered soft due to his diminutive rebounding and block totals and propensity to play on the arc rather than the low block. However, New York hopes Bargnani can consistently space the floor and draw 
centers and power forwards away from the rim. Management believes a fresh start will bring out the best in Bargnani. At worst, all he has to do is be a better version of Novak.
New York also hopes a homecoming will help World Peace turn back the clock to his Ron Artest playing days.
MWP is no longer named Artest, nor is he one of the league’s best lockdown defenders. But he can still guard prolific wing players for brief stretches. At 6-7 and 260 pounds, World Peace is the only player that can rival James’ physical stature.
Expect MWP to add another colorful personality to an already entertaining locker room, along with defensive intensity and a championship pedigree.
Udrih also brings a championship pedigree after winning titles with San Antonio in 2005 and 2007.
Udrih was a bargain, signing for one year at the veteran’s minimum. He should flourish in Woodson’s two-point sets. Udrih is playmaking point guard who can create his own shot or find an open teammate off penetration.
Each player will figure heavily in the rotation and help determine how far New York can advance.
5. What is Amar’e Stoudemire’s role? When Stoudemire first signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Knicks, he became the face of the franchise. Now he is an afterthought, a shell of his former self.
Stoudemire has been limited to 76 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. As a result, he is no longer a freakish athlete that rattles backboards. Let’s not forget: He did not even take his warmups off in the second half of the Knicks’ final playoff game against Indiana.
Trial and error has shown Stoudemire can’t co-exist effectively with Anthony in the frontcourt. At this stage of his career, he should focus on being a potent scoring big off the bench. Despite his injuries, he can still provide instant offense for brief stretches.
Michael Scotto is debuting as a Sheridan Hoops NBA columnist, covering the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. You can follow him on Twitter.
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Cell: All the Celtic fans can hold our heads high. They played with heart and grit. And Shelden Williams didn’t play. lolTo the ones arfiad to speak: Yall crazy!! Win, lose or draw speak your mind.
This is the most interesting Knicks roster we’ve had in a while. We were versatile at the beginning of last year until injuries began to limit our options. Now were even more versatile with the ability to floor an additional physical small-ball lineup with Prig, Shump, MWP, Melo, and Tyson. We also have someone who can stretch the floor from the 5 position in Bargnani, we saw the potential what that can do for us for a stretch when Rasheed was playing. Bargnani is not a good rebounder or defender like Wallace was but I predict that he would be more consistent offensively. Amare’s health will be a big variable, as he was our best post presence when he was healthy. We also did a great job maintaining our playmaking ability by replacing Kidd with Udrih. Kidd’s decline in production really hurt us down the stretch. Injuries happen all the time, but at least we don’t have a roster full of guys that will break down because of age. This season will probably be the most coaching Woodson will have ever done in his career, and so much of our success will depend on how the team and rotation is managed.
The Knicks Are Like The Old Lakers A Pure Mess..The Difference is The Knicks Have A SuperStar Cast Of Thugs That Cant Be Controlled.. Its Called Growing Up Guys..Felton Would Rather Fight w/Coach ThenOtherTeams..JR Smith Showed Everyone Why He Is Not Valuable Last Post Season+ Little Bit Insane Ron Artest Anybody.. Theirs A Reason Why Bargnani Was Traded Its Called Ujiuri Aka Dmorey=Genuis…Tyson Is The Only Champion On Team But Nobody Listens2Him..Was This Team Better When Amare Was Running It w/Less Talent..Can Melo Do Anything Else But Score=Kobe Any1..Management Is Awful Thats The Knicks Problem