30 Days 30 Grades : Day 20 Atlantic Division New York Knicks off-season grade

I admit last year for the New York Knicks it was a roller coaster ride.  Welcome to day 20 of the 30 day blog series "30 Days 30 Grades".   Today I am going to talk about Eastern Conference NBA team the New York Knicks and their off-season. Here are the four things I"m going to do, 1) Give my New York Knicks off-season grade,  2)  Give a list of Knicks players added to the roster whether it be through the draft, trade, claimed off of waivers, signed in free agency, 3) Give a list of New York Knicks players subtracted from the roster, and finally, 4)  Give the reason or reasons why I give the Knicks the off-season grade that I did



New York Knicks off-season grade:  B-




New York Knicks Players Added: Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Cleanthony Early, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Jason Smith

New York Knicks Players Subtracted:  Wayne Ellington, Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Jeremy Tyler, Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown

Why did I give the New York Knicks a report card grade of B Minus?  I believe that with the last couple of years Tyson Chandler hasn't been the same player that he once was. I am convinced that this the Knicks are trying to clear some cap space for the summer of 2015.  I like the fact that they convinced Carmelo Anthony to come back.  If Melo would have left it would be extremely difficult for Knicks fans.  I like that they got Calderon and got rid of Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks. Calderon is more of a pass-first point guard than Felton.  Jose Calderon struggled more last year with the Mavs. He averaged 11.4 points per game, 4.7 assists per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, 45% field goal shooting, 44% from three, 82% from free throw line.   I actually believe that the Knicks could make the playoffs next season.   I like the pickup of Samuel Dalembert.  While he is not as great as Tyson Chandler on defense, he is okay.  Jason Smith is another solid pickup. Smith scored 9.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 46% field goal shooting, and 78 % from free throw line.   I can't wait to watch rookie Cleanthony Early.  I hope he will get to play some small forward or power forward. I didn't get to see a lot of him in college, but what I saw from Cleanthony I enjoyed. Cleanthony Early helped Wichita State go an undefeated 34-0 before entering the NCAA Tournament.  Early was drafted 34th in the 2014 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.   The Knicks also added Shane Larkin. Larkin struggled in his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks by shooting 38% from the field, 31% from three, and 64% from free throw line.   I hope he will get a chance to shine in New York.  While I don't believe the Knicks will be a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, I feel the Knicks will be interesting to watch this year, and next year will be even more exciting. Do you agree with my grade of B-?  What grade would you give the Knicks for their off-season? Send me your comments. Thank you for reading Pro Basketball Hoops Land. The blog where you can read articles, express your NBA thoughts, and purchase pro basketball merchandise like players jerseys, mugs, rugs&mats, NBA video games like NBA Live and NBA 2K series.