Are you buying the New York Knicks as a legitimate 2012 NBA title contender? With the 2011-2012 season opening Sunday when the Knicks face the Boston Celtics oddsmakers have made the Knicks a 6-5 choice to win the Atlantic Division. The Celtics are a 5-4 choice.
↵The expected number of victories for the Knicks during the compressed 66-game NBA schedule is 41.5. Only Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Miami are expected to win more games.
↵SI has the Knicks at least in the title conversation in its pre-season power rankings, placing New York No. 9. SI ranks Miami and Oklahoma City first and second. Here is part of SI's logic in regards to the Knicks:
↵↵↵Tyson Chandler was the perfect free-agent acquisition, a mobile, defense-first big man for a team that was wretched at stopping opponents after obtaining Carmelo Anthony last season. Anthony, Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire are a championship-worthy frontcourt, but the Knicks are woefully thin after that.
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