The Heat is on for retooled Knicks
LeBron James #6 of the Heat defends Forward Carmelo Anthony#7 of the Knicks. (Getty) Credit: LeBron James #6 of the Heat defends Forward Carmelo Anthony#7 of the Knicks. (Getty)
Though the Knicks aren't the only NBA show in town anymore, they'll be the first to kick off their season when they host the Miami Heat on Friday night.
And when the Knicks welcome the reigning champions at Madison Square Garden, they'll be a more veteran squad than the one the Heat ousted in five games during the first round of the playoffs last season.
While Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler have a wealth of playoff experience, last year's supporting cast just wasn't experienced enough to hang with teams like Miami and the Boston Celtics. Here's a look at the key tweaks to this year's Knicks:
Changing of the point guard
Upon letting restricted free agent/fan sensation Jeremy Lin bolt for the Houston Rockets, the Knicks reacquired Raymond Felton, in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, to run the offense. They also added future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd to split time with Felton in the backcourt.
Veteran frontcourt
The Felton deal also brought Kurt Thomas back to Manhattan, where he played seven of his 16 seasons. Marcus Camby also returned to New York from Houston. Add in recently un-retired 15-year pro Rasheed Wallace and the Knicks have three new big men with a combined 349 postseason games.
TV info: Miami Heat play at 8 p.m. Friday night on ESPN
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
