Areas of Strength:
Defense. It's strange to say that about the Knicks, but Tyson Chandler made a huge impact, taking this team from the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency to the top five. Iman Shumpert also made an impact, but he'll be out to start next season. And the Knicks' next best defenders, Landry Fields and Jared Jeffries, are both free agents.

Needs work:
Offensive chemistry. There's no getting around it. When Carmelo Anthony is dominating the offense, the Knicks just aren't getting the most out of Jeremy Lin or Amar'e Stoudemire. Mike Woodson's top priority in his first full season as head coach is to find a system that works for everybody and find a way to convince Anthony to move the ball.

Two stats that matter:
98.4 -- Allowing 98.4 points per 100 possessions, the Knicks were a top-five defensive team for the first time in 11 years.

-123 -- The Knicks have been outscored by 123 points in 1,880 minutes with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the floor together over the last two seasons (including postseason).

The way to go:
The Knicks are over the cap and would have to use their mid-level exception to re-sign Jeremy Lin. With such little roster flexibility, a first-round pick would be a great way to add a rotation player. But the Knicks' pick belongs to the Rockets, and under the new collective bargaining agreement, they don't have the ability to buy another.

2011-12 Team Stats (points per 100 possessions):
Offense: 101.4 (19th)
Defense: 98.4 (5th)

Players under contract:
F: Carmelo Anthony
C: Tyson Chandler
G: Toney Douglas
C: Dan Gadzuric
C: Josh Harrelson
C: Jerome Jordan
G: Iman Shumpert
F-C: Amar'e Stoudemire

Free agents:
G: Mike Bibby
G: Baron Davis
G: Landry Fields (restricted)
F: Jared Jeffries
G: Jeremy Lin (restricted)
F: Steve Novak
G: J.R. Smith (unrestricted, player option)

Recent Draft History:
2011: Iman Shumpert (17)
2010: Andre Rautins (38), Landry Fields (39)
2009: Jordan Hill (8)
2008: Danilo Galinari (6)
2007: Wilson Chandler (23)
2006: Renaldo Balkman (20), Mardy Collins (29)

-- John Schuhmann