Yes, Madison Square Garden did a bad job handling Jeremy Lin's departure. But general manager Glen Grunwald addressed several of the Knicks' biggest needs, and could have a very good team on his hands.

2011-12 Recap:

Regular Season: 36-30 (.545)
Second in Atlantic Division, seventh seed in Eastern Conference Playoffs
Playoffs: Lost to Miami in the first round, 4-1

2012-13 Outlook:

• Key Additions: Raymond Felton (Trade), Marcus Camby (Trade), Jason Kidd (FA), Ronnie Brewer (FA), Pablo Prigioni (FA), James White (FA), Kurt Thomas (FA)

• Subtractions: Jeremy Lin (FA), Landry Fields (FA), Mike Bibby (FA), Josh Harrellson (Trade), Jerome Jordan (Trade), Jared Jeffries (FA)

The boneheaded decision to let Jeremy Lin walk - getting nothing in return - was the biggest story of the Knicks' offseason. But that controversy obscured the fact that New York addressed some major weaknesses, added quality depth, and may be a much-improved team this year.

Last year's Knicks actually played very well when healthy. But injuries - particularly at the point guard position - cost them far too many games. The addition of Tyson Chandler - a fantastic move that made New York one of the league's better defensive teams - meant cutting Chauncey Billups. General manager gambled that Toney Douglas would be able to man the position until Baron Davis recovered from a back injury, but Douglas was awful and Douglas never really healthy. The surprise emergence of Lin may have saved the Knicks' season, but he was done for the season in early March.

This year, the Knicks will tip off the season with Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Argentine import Pablo Prigioni at the point, which is a major upgrade from Douglas/Davis/Mike Bibby.

Marcus Camby - acquired from the Rockets - will help them maintain their defensive pressure when Chandler is out of the game, while Ronnie Brewer gives them another perimeter defender to fill the void left by Iman Shumpert (torn ACL, likely out until January).

But significant questions remain. Can J.R. Smith handle the shooting guard position until Shumpert is healthy? Or is he better suited to a bench role? Can all the greybeards on this team - Kidd, Camby, Prigioni, Kurt Thomas - stay healthy? Do they have enough perimeter shooters? Will Felton play like he did during his first stint in New York? Can they get by with Steve Novak as the primary backup to Stoudemire at power forward?

Of course, the biggest question is still, "Can Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire co-exist?" The jury is still out on that, but there are some positive signs. During the Olympics, Anthony showed just how devastating he can be as a spot-up shooter. Stoudemire has been working with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer to improve his post game.

Projected Depth Chart and Rotation:

PG: Raymond Felton
SG: J.R. Smith (Iman Shumpert)
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Amar'e Stoudemire
C: Tyson Chandler
Key Reserves: Jason Kidd, Ronnie Brewer, Steve Novak, Marcus Camby

Fantasy Notes:

You may be inclined to rate several key Knicks based on last season's performance. Don't. The 2011-12 season may not be a good indication of this team's capabilities. Anthony missed significant time due to injury. Stoudemire was hurt, and dealt with a personal tragedy - the death of his brother - during the season. There really wasn't any significant stretch of the season when both stars were healthy and playing with a credible point guard. The Knick offense got bogged down and isolation-heavy at times - both Anthony and Mike Woodson have drawn heavy criticism for that - but when Lin and Baron Davis were hurt, the Knicks didn't really have anyone else to initiate the offense. With real depth at the point guard spot this year, that shouldn't be as big a problem; I anticipate a big year from Anthony and a bounce-back campaign from Stoudemire.

Felton should bounce back as well. He was awful last season, sure... but he could be re-energized by a return to New York. Don't expect the near all-star numbers he posted during his first stint at MSG - those came while playing D'Antoni-ball - but anything less than a return to his pre-Portland averages would be a disappointment.

Theoretically, Kidd is Felton's backup, but don't be surprised if he gets a lot of run at shooting guard, especially while Iman Shumpert is out. Playing him at the two has a number of benefits; his passing ability should help Stoudemire and Anthony get easier shots, his three-point shooting will help space the floor, and it keeps him out of defensive matchups against quicker points.

Steve Novak is this team's best outside shooter and could be a nice source of threes in deeper fantasy leagues. Yes, Miami made Novak irrelevant during the playoffs - but most teams don't have the length and athleticism to defend him the way the Heat did.

Bottom Line:

It all comes back to STAT and Melo. If those two get going at anything approaching their career norms and the defense continues to improve, the Knicks should be right in the mix for a top-four playoff seed.