<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Believe it or not. the NBA season kicks off Tuesday. It felt like just yesterday that Pat Riley was dancing like a 13-year-old at the middle school dance with the Larry O'Brien trophy on Miami Beach. A lot has happened over the off-season, and a lot has stayed the same. Worried that you're not ready for another 82-game slate? Not prepared? Well, breathe easy. Over the next few days, we're going to roll out each division and a snapshot preview of every NBA squad. And what would be anything written about the NBA without a little help from FreeDarko? The scribes behind the best hoops blog on the 'net (www.freedarko.com) weigh in on who they think should be the face of each NBA franchise. Today, we take a look at the Eastern Conference. Teams are listed in the order of how they will finish in their division. 2. New York Knicks Lead Actor: Stephon Marbury Supporting Roles: Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis Director: Isiah Thomas Producer: Isiah Thomas Interesting Subplot to Follow: "IsiahGate '06". It's all on him this time around. No more Larry Brown to blame; no more Scott Layden to blame. It's Isiah's team ? with his players and his game plan. The truth is this ? chemistry aside, the Knicks do have talent on their roster. Maybe Thomas can get them to work together in a way that Larry Brown simply could not. And put this one down in the books ? I watched every Knicks Vegas Summer League and preseason game this year ? Renaldo Balkman's going to be a hell of a pro. He won't lead the league in scoring ? but he will have one of the highest +/- in the NBA. Of course, they don't keep that stat. Oh well. Entertainment Value (1 to 5): 2 Knicks YouTube Clip du jour: Two words: The Dunk Face of the Franchise: Isiah Thomas Who Free Darko thinks should be the Face of the Franchise: Woody Allen. There was a report that guards Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Nate Robinson, and Jamal Crawford might all see the court at the same time, which would make any Knicks fan mad neurotic.</div> http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6110270
