After active offseason, Knicks revamping their lineup

As the New York Knicks introduced their trio of free agent signings Friday they were beginning to make official which players would fill out the bench.

The starting lineup is complete and a bench led by Brandon Jennings, introduced Friday along with Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee, is secured. Derrick Rose is onboard. Lance Thomas signed a four-year deal. Mindaugas Kuzminskas, a Lithuanian forward, agreed to terms and so did Willy Hernangomez. Sasha Vujacic is back and the roster is up to 13 guaranteed contracts, a nearly complete squad.

But just because the roster building by Knicks president Phil Jackson is almost done doesn’t mean the work is done. The hardest task might still be to come. As one NBA coach said, "Jeff (Hornacek) is a good coach but he’s going to be teaching a system that isn’t his to a team of players who have never played together."

And that is why the early expectations built by the solid roster makeover might need to be tempered a bit.

The Knicks are clearly, despite their public protestations, going to employ some form of Jackson’s favored triangle offense. Kurt Rambis, who was charged with teaching the offense the last two years, was kept on staff and there has been little hesitance, even by Hornacek, to admit the team will use the system.

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There was a minicamp run by Rambis and Jackson after last season ended, and in prepping for summer league play there were more triangle basics being taught. And even if it didn’t look good, there is something to be said for a system at least some of the players are familiar with rather than starting from scratch again.

Asked how much he knew about the triangle, Jennings admitted, "Nothing really. I don’t really know too much about it, but I’m sure we’re going to learn it."

The Knicks return just two starters from last year’s team — Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. On the bench, Thomas and Vujacic are the only holdovers. Last year’s three point guards are all gone.

So even if the Knicks are better, it’s not just the injury questions they have to answer. Even if they are healthy, they might be a lot better in April than in November. And for a Knicks squad that hasn’t had anything to play for in April in a long time, that might not be a bad thing.