The only member of the New York Knicks guaranteed a starting spot is Carmelo Anthony. That is certainly not up for debate considering he is the face of the franchise. Outside of Anthony, the remaining four spots are up for grabs. As the team continues to try and adjust to the triangle offense, head coach Derek Fisher is busy trying to figure out the best starting lineup for 2014. Early reports show that a few Knicks' veterans might not be as penciled in as a starter as they may think.
According to Jackson, point guard Jose Calderon and Sam Dalembert are likely starting alongside Anthony. Calderon is taking over the point guard spot from Raymond Felton while Dalembert could be either the team's starting center or power forward. That means either Amar'e Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani will battle for the remaining power forward slot while three players compete for the two spot.
Judging by preseason play, Bargnani could be getting the nod over Stoudemire. Given the veteran's injury history, Jackson is trying to be careful with how much he plays the forward. He has hinted at giving Stoudemire more time off in order to keep him on the court for longer this season. Stoudemire stresses that he is healthy for this season and is ready to prove his critics wrong. That does not mean he is guaranteed a starting spot.
"I think toward the end of the year last year we got it to a 30-minute-a-night, 35-minute-a-night type deal," said Stoudemire, via ESPN.com. "So I'm sure after I sit down with the coaches we'll pick out something that's going to be beneficial to both of us. I think the way the season ended up last year was a positive step for myself and also for the team to be able to really capitalize on those minutes. That starting role was important as well. It played an intricate part in my success toward the second half of that year, so hopefully, we can build around that."
Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr have been coming off the bench with JR Smith getting the starting nod. That move is not a surprise. Jackson does not seem sold on the potential of Shumpert considering he attempted to trade him multiple times in the offseason. However, Shumpert has a better outside shot while being a solid defensive player. Smith has always excelled more off the bench.
