Getting To Know the New York Knicks; Q&A with Scott Campsall
By Editorial Staff
Soaring Down South had the opportunity to exchange 3 Q&A’s with Fansided’s New York Knicks Blogger, Scott Campsall of Buckets Over Broadway. This was meant to preview tonight’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks game, but since the site was having server problem, it was unable to post.
Nonetheless, let’s get to know the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin.
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1. You knew I was going to ask this, but how crazy is this “Linsanity” right now? Is there too much hype going on around him, or is he really legit like some people are saying?
Scott Campsall/Buckets Over Broadway: Yes, of course—the obligatory “Linsanity question” is one that obviously has to be asked. The whole “Linsanity” thing is interesting to me because there are so many factors that contribute to it becoming such a big, almost worldwide sensation. For starters, his story is a true underdog story that I think people always like to root for. This is a kid that people have doubted at every level, yet he keeps proving people wrong. I also think there is some intrigue added by the fact that is Asian-American and obviously playing in New York—one of the biggest, if not the biggest market in the NBA—has an effect on the depth and the scope of the media coverage. Ultimately, the fact that the Knicks were playing so poorly before he began playing heavy minutes for them and thus the crazy turnaround that has been a result of their play is another reason why this story is so big.
To answer the last part of your question, yes; Jeremy Lin is here to stay in the NBA. It isn’t a gimmick, it isn’t about marketing or anything like that—this kid can flat out play basketball. He has weaknesses just like anybody else, and his propensity to turn the ball over is probably his biggest, but his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses. Now, Lin may not be a star in this league, or even a starter for that matter, for the indefinite future—it is much too early to tell—but he won’t be back in the D-League anytime soon.
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2. Many people have questioned if Carmelo Anthony can play with Jeremy Lin. Are you concerned about it too?
Scott Campsall/Buckets Over Broadway: That is probably the Knicks biggest concern at this point. The reason the Knicks were so successful during their run with Lin as a starter has been because of his ability to handle the ball almost exclusively, and dribble until he has been able to either score or find the open man. With Melo back in the lineup, things get a little more complicated. It is no secret that Carmelo thrives on offense when he has the ball in his hands, and having him defer—which he has been doing the past couple of games—takes away from his effectiveness. This is something that we will just have to wait and see as to how it is going to play out—at this point I honestly have no idea what Mike D’Antoni is going to do, but it will be interesting to watch.
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3. I’ve heard some people say the Knicks are the 3rd best team in the East now, and I’ve also heard some people say they’re still the 7th best team in the East. Where do you have Jeremy Lin’s team (haha) ranked?
Scott Campsall/Buckets Over Broadway: 3rd? really? That is a bit ambitious. While they have improved their team over the course of the season, and some of the early season concerns about depth and a lack of point guard play have been addressed, this is still a team comprised of mostly new players and it is going to take a while for Mike D’Antoni to get rotations set and for this team to build some chemistry. I would say, barring unforeseen circumstances with the teams above—like perhaps a Dwight Howard trade—the ceiling for the Knicks in terms of a finish in the standings is probably 6th. But, in the off chance that this team is able to put it all together, they could be a very scary team come playoff time.
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I know a lot of readers don’t care much for the New York Knicks, but if you want to read up on anything Knicks related, please check out Scott’s work at BucketsOverBroadway.com.
You can also follow Scott on Twitter @TheScottCamps.
If you want to see my portion of the Q&A (talking about the Hawks), just click here.