Pleasant Surprises from NY Knicks' Early-Season Games

While Carmelo Anthony struggles with his offense, the New York Knicks are gaining consistency elsewhere. 

Anthony is shooting 37.9 percent from the field this season, but he's found some help from his peers as the Knicks try their hardest to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.

Head coach Derek Fisher has displayed creativity with his lineups thus far, catering to the hot hand rather than relying on reputation. Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire have impacted the team positively, and Jason Smith and Quincy Acy have delivered as blue-collar glue guys. 

Let's take a look at what Knicks fans have to smile about at the moment.

Fisher hasn't been afraid to bench players who are struggling or do not match up well against the opposition.

He scaled back Tim Hardaway Jr.'s minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers (Oct. 30), Charlotte Hornets (Nov. 2) and Washington Wizards (Nov. 4) because of Hardaway's poor defense and mediocre shot selection.

Against the Cavaliers, Fisher also limited Samuel Dalembert's time on the court due to matchup issues and Dalembert's sore calf. In the past, New York's coaches have left players out there regardless of performance due to reputation; that is no longer the case with Fisher. 

The rookie head coach has also managed Carmelo Anthony's minutes more efficiently. Anthony is averaging 34.8 minutes per game this season, down from the career-high 38.7 minutes he averaged in 2013-14. 

Fisher adjusted Anthony's substitution patterns in order to keep the star fresher, as noted by Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal:

Hoping to leave enough in Anthony’s tank for the closing moments, Fisher is following Phil Jackson’s old pattern of pulling his best scorer with about two minutes left in the first and third quarters. Aside from staggering the lineups some to give them more scoring continuity, giving Anthony the early break allows him an extra three or four minutes of rest per half aside from the break that he’ll get when the quarter ends.

All told, it could buy him up to 10 minutes or so of real-time rest when contrasted with last season’s sub pattern under ex-coach Mike Woodson, who generally played Anthony straight through the first and third periods. That strategy often backfired when the Knicks fell behind early to start the fourth, because Woodson would feel the need to bring Anthony back in after a minute or two of rest to help stop the bleeding.

Fisher has managed his lineups efficiently and hasn't worried too much about any of his players' egos. He's focusing on playing the best five guys he can field against any particular opponent rather than the most popular players on his roster. 

The soon-to-be restricted free agent appears to have taken the next step through this initial slate of games. 

Unlike last season, when Iman Shumpert had a string of scoreless contests, he's scored at least five points in each outing thus far. Shumpert is averaging 12.8 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game. 

The shooting guard is knocking down 44.1 percent of his shots from the field and has a .600 three-point shooting percentage. 

In order for the Knicks to become a .500 team and make the playoffs, Shump will need to maintain this consistency and continue developing as a player.

In less than 30 minutes per game, Amar'e Stoudemire has consistently impacted the New York Knicks positively. 

He's shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 12.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG and has posted a PER of 21.26. Stoudemire's only playing 24.5 MPG due to his injury history, but he's making each second he's on the court count. 

STAT struggled during the preseason, but he's found a groove thus far in Fisher's offense. If he can maintain this consistency as Anthony returns to form, the Knicks should see the tide turn and pile up some wins. 

Stoudemire's defense isn't perfect, but he hasn't been too much of a liability thus far. He's averaging one steal per game and his opponent's field-goal percentage at the rim is 47.4 percent, via NBA.com. For comparison purposes, Tyson Chandler's holding opponents at the rim to a 47.6 percent clip. 

If Amar'e can stay healthy and continue with the consistency he's displayed, New York will be a playoff team.

Every contender needs a high-energy glue guy who isn't afraid to throw his body around and do the dirty work. Quincy Acy is precisely that guy. 

The forward has played tough defense and hasn't allowed any easy shots. Acy is only averaging 20.0 MPG, but he's cleaning the glass well, grabbing 6.8 RPG. 

He's been a little turnover prone, compiling nine in five games, but if he could be stronger with the ball, he should continue helping the Knicks. 

Acy isn't a shooter, but he's been efficient enough, shooting 44 percent from the field. If he could maintain his high level of enthusiasm on the court, and cut back on those turnovers, his PER should rise from 9.30. 

Jason Smith has been New York's best shooter. In only 19.5 MPG, he's knocking down 59.5 percent of his shots from the field. 

Smith has a tremendous mid-range game that fits Fisher's triangle offense perfectly. He's scoring 9.7 PPG and posting a PER of 17.53. 

The big man is impacting the franchise in ways many thought Andrea Bargnani would and at a fraction of the cost. Smith is making just under $3.3 million this season, via ShamSports.com, and he's been one of New York's most consistent players thus far. 

Smith spreads the floor for the Knicks and brings a decent amount of energy that has been missing since Steve Novak's departure. Smith may not have Novak's three-point range, but he's almost automatic from 20 feet or less.