ESPN NBA

ANALYST	PREDICTION
J.A. Adande ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 10  Arrival of Zach Randolph makes them bigger, not that much better. They added a selfish player to a team that was third-worst in assists last season.
Greg Anthony ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 13  How do Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry play together? It'll take time for them to learn what to do when the other is the focal point. Still, a team with talent.
Jon Barry ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 11  Hello, Zach. Hello, same results. Many of the same issues this season in New York -- a lot of talent, but not cohesiveness. Up-and-down team, capable of beating a top team on a given night.
Chris Broussard ESPN Mag	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 13  The Knicks have plenty of talent, street cred and swagger, but just as much (if not more) baggage. Chemistry and character are huge concerns, but there are other question marks as well. Like, uhh, who's gonna D-up?
Ric Bucher ESPN Mag	ATLANTIC: 5 | EAST: 11  Only in the Big Apple is the addition of Zach Randolph viewed as a step toward title contention. People, do you know how much trouble he found in sleepy ol' Portland? Can you imagine what the playground of Manhattan will do for him? I can.
Chad Ford ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 12  Zach Randolph is good, but he plays the same position as the Knicks' most coveted player (David Lee) and the same position as New York's other shot-happy low-post player (Eddy Curry). Isiah Thomas knows talent, but the talent doesn't fit. I see 30-35 wins.
Jemele Hill ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 10  Same old, same old: Suspect chemistry and leadership. Now you have to factor in the impact of their tumultuous offseason. With Zach Randolph it's hard not to entertain the Knicks sneaking into the playoffs, but it's still an iffy call.
John Hollinger ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 10  Z-Bo deal adds talent, but it's tough to see how the Randolph-Curry combo will stop anybody from scoring at the other end … and this was already a pretty bad defensive team. Expect more embarrassment.
Chris Sheridan ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 9  Having a hard time believing Eddy Curry can play an entire season with a torn labrum, and was skeptical anyway whether he could coexist with another dominant low-post scorer, Zach Randolph. They'll be better offensively, but defense will remain their weak suit.
Marc Stein ESPN.com	ATLANTIC: 4 | EAST: 11  I'm trying to look at this optimistically, because it's depressing for the mood at a hoops temple like MSG to be so sad, but the best thing you can say about this circus is that the Knicks' season cannot be worse than the offseason (plus October) was.
	TOTAL             ATLANTIC: 4.1 | Standings             EAST: 11.1 | Standings

Team Strength: Low-Post Scoring

New York was an extreme low-post team last season, so one can only imagine how extreme the Knicks will play now that Zach Randolph is around. Both he and Eddy Curry are overwhelming forces on the blocks who crush smaller defenders and require constant double-teams to keep them in check.

Some wonder how they'll mesh offensively since only one of them can play the block at any given time, but this pairing might actually work. Randolph has a feathery touch from 20 feet and can play high while Curry is down low. Theoretically he could also enter the ball to Curry from up high, but Randolph is a notoriously unwilling passer -- another weakness that's replicated up and down the roster.

Behind Randolph and Curry are several other post options. Quentin Richardson kills smaller wing players on the blocks, and though he hasn't been asked to do it much in New York it's an option that can be exploited when matchups allow. Randolph Morris is another potential post threat; many scouts thought he had first-round talent and developed nicely in his final year at Kentucky. And while Lee hasn't showcased much game on the blocks as of yet, one can envision him being very effective when he catches on the move.

• John Hollinger's complete Knicks forecast

STARTERS	ANALYSIS
Stephon Marbury Point Guard 6-2 | 205	Stuck his $15 shoes in mouth all summer; should stick some J's instead.
Jamal Crawford Shooting Guard 6-5 | 190	They want to pound it inside, yet he led them in FGA (15.0 per game).
Quentin Richardson Small Forward 6-6 | 230	Skills aren't an issue, but when was last time health (back) wasn't?
Zach Randolph Power Forward 6-9 | 251	Sweet pickup, unless he bites into Apple nightlife.
Eddy Curry Center 6-11 | 285	Even pals doubt he has focus to reach potential.

ESPN The Magazine's NBA Preview hits newsstands October 24.

Nate Robinson Player efficiency rating projection: 16.59 vs. NBA avg.: +1.59 Knicks profiles

Scouting report: Robinson is only 5-9 but is a spectacular leaper who ranked 14th among point guards in rebound rate and, in one particularly impressive display, rejected a shot by 7-6 Yao Ming. His hyperactivity carries over to the defensive end, as he ranked fourth among point guards in fouls per minute -- most of them coming 40 feet from the basket.

And while his quickness is an asset on defense, he seems to have an innate ability to run into the screener on pick-and-roll plays. When he didn't run smack into it, Robinson usually went under the screen and conceded the jumper -- another no-no.

Robinson's height is obviously a major disadvantage because it requires him to defend point guards, but because of his scoring instincts he's better off at shooting guard offensively. The Knicks worked around this by pairing him with Jamal Crawford and letting Crawford run the point, but it greatly limits his usefulness if there's only one other guard he can play with.

Thus, at some point he needs to get a clue how to play the point or his role will never expand beyond its current 20-25 minutes a game. This is in part a maturity issue -- Robinson is only 23 and his childish antics have become well known. Most obvious among them was his reaction in the fight with the Nuggets -- his shot at J.R. Smith greatly helped things get out of hand, and he richly deserved his 10-game suspension.

2007-08 outlook: Robinson won't be taking Stephon Marbury's gig, so look for him to spend another 20-25 minutes as a combo guard off the bench. He'll finish some games when he's running hot, but for the most part the Knicks will let him fire away with the second unit and then yank him out when the grownups return. in.

He'll really help in the "microwave" role, but he has no chance of moving up unless he tones down his act and shows more awareness of the team concept. One senses that day still might be a year or two away.