The Knicks can feel the fire under their feet. And no, it isn’t the Heat. It’s the very real possibility that if they don’t surround Carmelo Anthony with adequate talent, as soon as yesterday, he’s going to go ring chasing.
Management hasn’t exactly performed well under the pressure. Their backcourt is still wanting in many areas and their frontcourt could do with some added size. That’s where Cole Aldrich comes into play.
Looking visibly winded in last year’s playoffs, the Knicks signed a backup center to give Tyson Chandler a breather during the regular season. But after inking a partially guaranteed contract with Jeremy Tyler, the hybrid power forward-center broke his right foot. The ensuing surgery will put him out at least for the next six weeks. So, in all likelihood, Tyler won’t be ready for the beginning of the regular season.
With little room for error, management went after the 6-11 Aldrich, who can adequately buoy Chandler at the 5. Aldrich doesn’t have quite the youth the 22-year-old Tyler does, but he does know how to be a lengthy nuisance without fouling and brings with him some NBA Playoff experience. He’ll never quite reach this minutes plateau, but his per-36 avg. stats are 9.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, and 2.4 BLKPG. Save that one for the record books.
The word on the digital street is that Aldrich made it to Knicks camp on a make-good contract, which means he’ll still be gunning for a position on the team’s active roster. If he turns the right heads he can easily find himself stealing Tyler’s roster spot, and depending on the coaching staff’s outlook, also that of third-string SF C.J. Leslie.
Of course, New York could also plug in Stoudemire at the backup 5 and Martin at the backup 4 and call it a day.
