When he landed in the Big Apple, many believed this would be a renaissance for the enigmatic Randolph. Playing in an up-tempo system (much like the one he played for under Don Nelson) seemed to be the ideal fit for him. D'Antoni vowed to give him more playing time and allow him to develop into what many believed was a potential star.

He had D'Antoni dreaming of what it would be like to have him paired with Amar'e Stoudemire allowing the two of them to develop together and form a formidable frontcourt for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately as enchanted as D'Antoni was with Randolph's potential, the clock struck midnight on a Cinderella story that never even began. D'Antoni would soon get fed up with Randolph's immaturity and would not afford him the opportunity to make mistakes and grow from them.

Several things contributed to Randolph being dismissed to Mike D'Antoni's mysterious dog house. The immaturity that accompanied Randolph's bona fide potential should have been fairly obvious to both Nelson and D'Antoni. Currently he is in his third season in the NBA, and is only 21 years old! 

Someone of Randolph's age and potential deserves the chance to develop and grow into the star that many believed he could be. Even though New York seemed to be the perfect situation for him to cultivate his game and realize his potential, it could not have been more wrong for him.

Various things contributed to Randolph being doomed from the start, in a place where he should have had every chance to succeed.

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That factor, plus an injury that prevented Randolph from starting the season healthy, could certainly be why his new coach with the Knicks, Mike D’Antoni, is cautiously (yet very patiently) taking things slow with him.

Randolph, once considered the centerpiece of the trade that also brought Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike to New York, has been relegated to the end of the bench for most of this season.

The Knicks coaching staff believes that patience will ultimately be a virtue in the case of Randolph. Instead of throwing him into the fire and forcing him to learn the offense on the fly during games, he is being given time in practice to acclimate himself.

This course of action would be acceptable, of course, if the Knicks had Ronny Turiaf fully available. Currently, Turiaf is nursing an injury that had limited his playing time and eventually forced him to sit out the team’s last two games entirely. Though he is only listed as day-to-day, he also missed five games (all during the Knicks’ six-game losing streak) earlier last month.

As much as the Knicks are often praised for their depth, their frontline is rather weak, especially without Turiaf on the defensive end. The versatility Randolph could provide may be a deciding factor in their team's success.

Randolph had become known for his versatility with the Warriors, often able to play three, sometimes four positions. D’Antoni could absolutely find an effective role for Randolph in his rotation.

The problem is that at 21 years old, Randolph is still a raw prospect who now has to learn D’Antoni’s offense, which is arguably faster than Nelson’s style of play in Golden State. He still hasn’t honed all of his skills yet.

Furthermore, Randolph looked more and more confused and hesitant on the court towards the end of the preseason. If an injury had not prevented him from playing initially, D’Antoni may have stopped him from doing so anyway.

With Turiaf out, the Knicks have depended on Amar’e Stoudemire at center, subbing in Timofey Mozgov as his backup. Mozgov has been a major disappointment to say the least. Originally the team’s starting center this season before losing his job to Turiaf, Mozgov has failed to familiarize himself with American basketball just yet.

In addition, Mozgov is also proving to be a fish out of water in D’Antoni’s offense. He is constantly turning the ball over and freezing the offense, lagging behind as he is simply not quick enough to keep up with the system’s fluidity. It’s one thing to be slightly confused, as Randolph has been, but Mozgov has looked completely flabbergasted on offense.

Although his man-to-man defense has been praised, he has become a fouling machine so far this season,  recording four fouls through eight-plus minutes of play in an appearance against the Nets Tuesday night.

Mozgov really isn’t a major problem, as the Knicks knew he would be a project when they signed him. Things take time. As the NBA game proves to be too quick for him though, perhaps it is he who would benefit from taking time to develop his game in practice.

Enter Anthony Randolph.

While he may only be 225 pounds, Randolph’s 6’'1" frame and impressive shot-blocking ability may be enough to help him hold his own with other big men around the league. After all, he did play solid role-player minutes in his past two seasons with the Warriors. The fact that he is so slim could ultimately help Randolph beat opponents to the basket on both ends of the floor.

He even gave the Knicks a taste of what he can do during his best game of the season, an early November matchup with the Bucks where he scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in addition to two steals and two blocks in 28 minutes (the only game in which he has played more than 12 minutes this season).

With two NBA seasons under his belt, Randolph is more seasoned than Mozgov. He only has to acclimate himself to his coach’s system, not the league as a whole.

That’s not to say Randolph should play anywhere close to starter’s minutes, but at the same time the Knicks can benefit, certainly in a pinch, from the tangibles Randolph has to offer.

Not having him on the floor is currently hurting them, as Mozgov has quickly become a liability. The Knicks can be all about the proper development of their prospects, but when it comes to helping his team the most, the time needs to be now for Anthony Randolph.

Photo Source: newyork.cbslocal.com

For Keith's Knicks coverage and much more, visit Knicks Journal.

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I believe we learned a lot of key things about this Knicks team while on this latest Western road trip, and hopefully they can carry it on into the next set of games.

Their schedule becomes very favorable between now and Dec. 10 (two games against a beatable Charlotte team, at Detroit, vs. New Jersey, two games against a gutted Raptors team and against the young Wizards).

After this upcoming stretch of games, their schedule gets real tough right before Christmas. So let's see if we can build on the things we've learned...

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Instead, Coach D’Antoni went with a young prospect, naming Timofey Mozgov the team’s starting center to start the season. While Mozgov has proven to be highly ineffective thus far, Turiaf made his impact coming off the bench, self proclaiming himself as the “quarterback” of the Knicks’ defense.

The ironic thing is, Turiaf is right. After lacking a defensive intensity for so many seasons, Turiaf enlists a different mentality for the Knicks. Besides simply being a big man who throws his body around (and that he does), Turiaf shot-blocking ability and rebounding constantly gives the team a boost.

During Knicks’ recent six game losing streak, much of which Turiaf sat out of with an injury, the team certainly felt the void.

Coach D’Antoni has since conveyed that he was unaware of the type of role Turiaf would have played entering the season, the fact of the matter is, Turiaf’s specialty is the type of impact he makes.  He won’t score 20 points, nor is he a stat sheet stuffer. He will, however, be seen diving for a loose ball, lunging over an opponent to block a shot, or even pumping his fists and patting his teammates on the block after a score.

After being inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season, Turiaf played 30 minutes, recording 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, during the Knicks’ 113-106 victory over the Kings. The long losing streak was finally broken. Defense wins ballgames, and that’s what Turiaf is all about.

Turiaf is sure to be in the starting lineup again Friday night as the Knicks visit his former team, the Golden State Warriors. The same cannot be said, however, for Turiaf's former Warriors teammates Anthony Randolph and Kelenna Azubuike. Randolph is at risk of receiving a "DNP-Coach's Decision" after falling out of the rotation, and Azubuike is out nursing an injury.

On a team that is similar to the Knicks in regards to how much offensive firepower they have, Turiaf is sure to lead the way in stopping such offensive prowess.

For Keith's Knicks coverage and much more, visit Knicks Journal.

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The move from the Golden State to the Big Apple appeared to offer the ideal situation for Randolph, ridding himself of Nelly’s doghouse and joining a team without a clear-cut starting Center.  Even the poor preseason did not deter fantasy owners on draft day as AR was selected between the seventh and eighth round of standard twelve team leagues.

Unfortunately, the former LSU Tiger had sprained his ankle before the season opener and did not make his 2010-11 debut until November 4^th.  One did not expect Anthony Randolph to start blocking multiple shots and tearing down double digit rebounds in his first game as a Knick after coming back from an injury.  But after 8 games, there has been little room for optimism.

This season, Anthony Randolph has averaged 2.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 0.4 steals.  Some may argue that he isn’t getting the opportunity to produce as he is playing less than 12 minutes per game.  But when you shoot 24% and average 1 turnover per 12 minutes, you aren’t exactly advocating for more floor time.

When Ronny Turiaf left the November 9^th game with an injured left knee, Randolph became the only eligible Center on the Knicks’ bench.  He would just have to battle Russian rookie Timofey Mozgov for the starting spot.  Mozgov was averaging a mediocre 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds and clearly not the athletic player needed for the fast-paced Knicks offense.  Instead, head coach Mike D’Antoni opted to employ a small lineup with Amare Stoudemire at Center and Wilson Chandler at Power Forward.  Mozgov usually starts, but ends up playing less than 14 minutes per contest.

To be fair, Randolph has generated one fantasy-relevant night—8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals in 28 minutes. Following this performance, the former first round draft pick played less than 12 minutes in each of the next three games.  Ronny Turiaf returned to the lineup on November 16^th and in his first game back, Turiaf came off the bench and doubled up Randolph in terms of minutes played.  Finally, Randolph reached on all-time low on November 17th when he was benched the entire game.

To Anthony Randolph Fantasy Owners:

It is never a proud moment when a fantasy owner has to drop a player that he or she drafted in the seventh round, but it is sometimes necessary.  Despite the lack of depth at Center and injuries to start the year (Turiaf), Randolph’s court time has been extremely limited.  It is clear that Knicks coach D’Antoni has not been impressed with Randolph’s work ethic or production. There is still a chance that things turn around, but it is up to Randolph to work harder in practice and make the most of his opportunities when given the chance.

Because of his fantasy potential, he is not a clear drop. If your team can stay afloat, hold on to Randolph for a few more weeks to see if he comes around.  If your team is already riddled with injuries and you are getting pummeled each week, you should drop him before he sinks your ship and crushes any hope of getting to the fantasy playoffs.

This article can also be found at WinMyFantasyLeague.com

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Sure, his skill sets aren't quite there yet, but then again he hasn't really played that many minutes even though he is the starting center. And by the way, now that Rony Turiaf will be out the next few games with a sprained knee, we could really start to see Mozgov come into his own.

Ah, "The Dunking Dutchman"...who doesn't remember that 1994-1995 Indiana Pacers team that won 52 games and got first in the Central Division? The starting five of Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller, Dale and Antonio Davis, and Smits just out-rebounded and out-shot everyone (don't forget key bench players: Coach Byron Scott and referee Haywoode Workman).

But while everyone remembers Miller and Jackson, they always seem to forget about the big man down low, Rik Smits. He averaged 18 and 8 on the season and then 20 and 7 in the playoffs, and was an integral part of the Pacers run that year. Smits solidified that team with his rebounding, tenacity, and let's face it...he was just ENORMOUS.

Now "Mo Money Mo Mozgov" has talent...just needs to refine it. He's young, he's big, and he hasn't made too many mistakes to really anger Knicks fans, his teammates, or his coach. I'd say his one area of improvement needs to be the foul trouble he gets into...just too many fouls in too little minutes, as we saw in the Summer League.

No better time then now to rectify this situation, especially with Turiaf out and no real center to back him up. The Knicks will "shake things up" with Stoudemire at center and either Chandler or Randolph at power forward, but we all saw what happened to Amar'e against Andrew Bogut the other night. Ugh.

If he can keep his feet on the ground and avoid getting into foul trouble early, I believe he can really show us Knicks fans he can be a big part of this team for years to come. I'm not saying he's gonna be Rik Smits in his All-Star years, but look for the young big man to get more minutes and start learning the game more and more every day.

And look at it this way, if the Knicks make a run to the playoffs, like we are all hoping for...this kid is gonna have to step up and play.

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In his last four outings, Wilson put up 11.5 points on 40.9 percent shooting, grabbed 4.3 rebounds and recorded 1.4 steals plus blocks.

Let's just say he has been part Jekyll, part Hyde in the early going of the NBA season.

Even with his recent struggles, Wilson is still averaging career highs in points, rebounds, steals, threes and blocks. This may just be a small sample size, but he has surpassed expectations to start the season, and he's in the discussion to take home the NBA Sixth Man Award.

Wilson's versatility on the defensive end has been remarkable early on. His ability to effectively defend anyone from the two to the four make him invaluable as a defensive stopper. He's long and athletic, while his strong defensive abilities have been evident with impressive season averages—he's second on the team in rebounding and blocks, and fourth in steals.

"Will the Thrill" is the Knicks' best perimeter defender, with his long wingspan and keen instincts makes him one of the premier shot-blockers at the wing position in the NBA. Chandler's ability to turn shots away have been a tremendous boost to the Knicks' defense.

Opposing teams had little trouble converting on layups and dunks last season. However, this year, the Knicks have been one of the best at limiting successful shot attempts near the rim.

The Knicks' league-leading 8.0 blocks per game has been a major factor in elevating the their defensive efficiency from 27th overall last season to eighth this year. Chandler's steady source of blocks have accounted for nearly a quarter of the team's numbers.

Of course, even with all the rave reviews Wilson has received thus far, he still has several facets of his game that he needs to improve upon.

As a slasher, Chandler's ability to draw fouls is sub-par. For a player with a slightly above-average jumper, he needs to be able to get to the line more frequently if he wants improve on his effectiveness on the offensive end.

What's even worse is all the jumpers he takes from long-range. Chandler has never been efficient from behind the arc—he shoots a career percentage of 30.6 from deep—yet he attempts to channel his inner-Gallinari, on average, 4.7 times a game. This has hurt his shooting percentage immensely as he's dipped to 43.3 percent from the field this season.

Josh Smith is a prime example for Wilson to model his game off of in terms of altering his offense. In the four seasons prior to last year, Josh attempted, on average, 112 three-pointers a season,and only shot an abysmal 27.5 percent.

In that same span, Josh has been gradually lowering his shots from behind the arc and bottomed out at only seven total attempts last season. In turn, Josh recorded the highest field goal percentage of his career, and he put together arguably the most efficient and well-rounded season in his seven years in the league.

With Anthony Randolph being slowly integrated into the rotation, Toney Douglas emerging off the bench as instant offense, and Bill Walker and Landry Fields vying for minutes, it wouldn't be surprising to see Chandler's inconsistency continue. His minutes have dropped from 33 in October, to just under 22 for the month of November.

If Wilson can curb his trigger finger from deep and take higher percentage shots closer to the rim, he should find some stability in the rotation. This should also put him back on top of the race for Sixth Man of the Year.

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Coach Mike D’Antoni has the dubious distinction of racking up 103 losses in two years in New York. Apparently, his strategy of trying to score more than his opponents while not playing defense hasn’t worked. The addition of Stoudemire does not exactly address the defensive issue either, since he is not known for rebounding or for his emphasis on defense. It will be interesting to see if D’Antoni focuses more attention on defense this year, since it could be his last if he can’t produce a winning record.

The bad news for New York is that the Knicks will be without center Eddy Curry for the start of the season. Curry will be out four to six weeks with a right hamstring strain, but at least forward Kelenna Azubuike is about to return from his knee surgery last November and he is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

The New York Knicks schedule starts with two road games. New York travels to Toronto on Oct. 27, then they will get an early division test at Boston on Oct. 29before returning for their home opener against Portland. LeBron James comes to MSG on Dec. 17 and Jan. 27, while David Lee returns with the Golden State Warriors only nine days into the season on Nov. 19.

New York Knicks Preview: Offseason Moves
The Knicks signed Stoudemire to a five-year, $100 million deal and Lee to a six-year, $80 million deal. They then traded Lee to the Warriors for Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Azubuike. Walsh also grabbed Roger Mason and signed Timofey Mozgov to three-year, $9.7 million deal. The Knicks acquired Jerome Jordan (44th pick) from the Milwaukee Bucks for cash considerations. Point guard Sergio Rodriguez signed a three-year deal with Real Madrid. It took awhile, but Patrick Ewing Jr. signed with the Knicks after playing four games on the Knicks Summer League team. 
 
New York Knicks Predictions: Outlook
Thanks to a deep group of talented young players the horizon is bright. Knicks games will feature a lot of points scored to be sure, but the honeymoon is over for D’Antoni if he doesn’t start producing a winning product. The new look Knicks feature 11 new players, so there will be the inevitable chemistry issue. On paper, the Knicks appear to have the best team they've had in 10 years, so making the playoffs isn’t out of the question, especially if the Knicks end up with Carmelo Anthony sometime this winter.

New York Knicks Futures Odds
The Knicks’ odds to win the Atlantic Division are +2500 while the NBA odds to win the league championship are an optimistic +4000. The Oddsmakers set the Knicks ‘over/under’ at 35.5 total wins; a seven game, or 24 percent increase in total wins over last season. The Knicks won 29 games in 2009-10 and finished third in the Atlantic Division.

New York Knicks NBA Picks
There could be fireworks at Madison Square Garden this year, as the Knicks perfect their version of the run-n-gun (once again). However, the Knicks will have to play better against Atlantic Division foes and on the road if they hope to improve on last season’s record. The addition of Stoudemire and an increased focus on defense should help a bet on the New York Knicks to go ‘over’ the listed total of 35.5 wins.

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Anthony was quoted at the press conference following Denver’s win over Utah on opening night saying, "It ain't got nothing to do with the new GM, Josh, the players. For me, I feel it's a time for change.”

With the Carmelo Anthony trade rumor mill turning once again, the Knicks' hopes on attaining his services remain high as New York is supposedly his preferred destination.

Whether or not Denver would be willing to trade with the Knicks is a different story.

The two names off the Knicks roster consistently linked in a deal for Denver's star player are Anthony Randolph and Danilo Gallinari.

If Carmelo can leverage a trade to New York and Donnie Walsh is somehow able to convince Denver to take a package centered on Randolph or Gallinari, which of the two is considered a better trade asset?

Better yet—if it came down to it— which prospect would they be most willing to give up in a package?

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Right now, the supposed lineup is set to be Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Amar'e Stoudemire and Timofey Mozgov.

However, you can expect to see more tinkering with the starting unit as the season goes along, as D'Antoni went with an absurd amount of starting lineups last season.

When Kelenna Azubuike returns healthy and ready to contribute, it should drastically effect the rotation. But until then, the Knicks will certainly see constant shifting and movement happening for at least the first quarter of the season.

While everyone is sure to have their own take on the most effective lineups, here are 10 that Mike D'Antoni needs to take under consideration.

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