Eddy Curry

Curry is in the final year of his contract and playing for his NBA career – a not-insignificant thing, considering his well-documented financial troubles. You might think that would make him motivated to return to his 2006-07 form, when he averaged just under 20 per game and was one of the league’s better low-post scorers – but don’t hold your breath since he's already expected to miss the preseason with a hamstring injury. When healthy, he may be given a chance to contribute -- but the only way he’s likely to help this team is as an expiring contract in a trade.

An out-of-shape Curry played a total of 12 minutes last season. He's reportedly in much better condition for this year's training camp, but even at peak form, he seems a bad fit for Mike D'Antoni's offense. He could crack the rotation to start the season, if only because the Knicks are so desperate to move his contract. When healthy and motivated, he's one of the better low-post scorers in the league, but he contributes little else, is an atrocious rebounder and hasn't been healthy or motivated all that often.

Curry is one of the biggest reasons people questioned the selection of D'Antoni as coach, but the up-tempo system shouldn't be as much of a concern as the presence of Zach Randolph. Curry and Randolph struggled to share the floor last season, and the center's numbers took a major hit as a result, from career-highs of 19.5 points, 7.0 boards and 35.2 minutes in 2006-07 to 13.2, 4.7 and 25.9 in 2007-08. One or the other has to go, and it appears the Knicks are planning to keep Curry and move Randolph. Look for a bounce-back year from the big fella; don't forget he's still just 26 years old.

Curry broke out on offense last season, averaging almost 20 ppg at a high (57.6) field goal percentage as the focal point of the Knick offense. Unfortunately, he wasn’t good for much else. His 7.0 rpg were a career-high, but that number is still well below par for a starting center, especially one playing 35 minutes per game. He also struggled from the line (61.5% on 8.1 attempts per game) and averaged more than twice as many turnovers (3.6) as steals, blocks, treys, and assists combined (1.7). This makes him a decent offensive role player at center but a liability pretty much everywhere else. To make matters worse, the Knicks brought in Zach Randolph this offseason, who does everything that Curry can do – and better. This suggests that Curry’s offensive numbers could take a hit this season. Considering that’s his only strength, it’s probably best to let another owner, blinded by the recognizable name and high scoring average take Curry in your draft.

Curry’s got all the offensive skills you need in a good fantasy center, but is a classic underachiever, capable of lapses in concentration and committing lots of turnovers (Asst/TO ratio, .3/2.5). We’ll likely see coach Isiah Thomas, who traded for Curry, keep him on the floor longer than Larry Brown did, but this is still a dysfunctional team with no shortage of guys looking to shoot. If Curry gets his shots, he’s worth a spot on your fantasy team. He really should get more rebounds, but you’re grabbing him because he can score. Right now there’s no telling how this group will perform together, and we don’t trust the Knicks – at this time – to make Curry a night-in/night-out performer.

Eddy Curry: Curry might be the new definition of high-risk, high-reward. The risk is well-documented at this point – but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Curry is a legit 6’11”, 285 pound monster, and his 23rd birthday isn’t until December. If last season’s heart troubles don’t resurface, Curry could be the next Jermaine O’Neal. Over the years, he has frustrated the Bulls with poor conditioning and a lack of rebounding, but Curry can certainly score. He averaged a career-high 16.1 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field in 2004-05.

Curry finally started to fulfill his potential in his third NBA season, averaging 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 49.6 percent shooting. He’s not a premier rebounder, so his value is tied to scoring. With Jamal Crawford out of town, there will be available shots, so Curry could see an increase in looks this season. What had Bulls officials down on the guy was his lack of conditioning, and they had even talked to Memphis about a deal. But Curry has reportedly shed a lot of weight this summer, and he will enter training camp as the Bulls' starting center.

Curry is a gifted offensive player, who should take the next step in 2003-04 if coach Bill Cartwright gives him consistent minutes. He led the league in field goal shooting, hitting 58.5 percent of his shots. From February through the end of the season, Curry averaged 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He could be scoring option No. 2 after Jalen Rose this season.