This offseason may have brought a shift in power across the NBA, but few believe that power has gone to the Knicks. In the Eastern Conference, the defending champion Miami Heat should be even more dangerous with the addition of Ray Allen and a now-confident LeBron James. In the West, the Lakers have managed to add Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Those teams are easily your two favorites for the NBA Finals.
Coming off a disappointing 2011-2012 season in which they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks have bolstered their bench by signing veterans Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby. They also brought back J.R. Smith, who confidently said he is expecting “a championship” from the team this upcoming season.
“Nothing less,” Smith said according to the NY Post. “If we settle for anything less, we already start off losing.”
Kidd and Camby are big names, but it remains to be seen if they can make a difference at ages 39 and 38. Smith did acknowledge where the power lies in the NBA, but he was quick to say that New York will beat any of those teams.
“Lakers, Heat — whoever,” he said confidently.
For his own part, Smith could probably benefit the team by not becoming a distraction. Between talk about Jeremy Lin’s contract situation and the idiotic things he says on Twitter, J.R. tends to make headlines for what he does off the court far more frequently than what he does on it. Less talk and more three-pointers is what the Knicks need from the shooting guard.
Photo credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE
