New York Knicks 1997-98 Roster and Statistics

Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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The New York Knicks 1997-98 were anchored by Patrick Ewing, who led the team in scoring, rebounding, and interior defense, while Allan Houston emerged as a dependable secondary scorer and perimeter threat. Larry Johnson added versatile frontcourt production, Charlie Ward handled primary playmaking duties, and Marcus Camby supplied rebounding and shot blocking off the bench. The statistics reflect a defensively oriented team built on interior strength, balanced scoring, and disciplined ball movement.

Roster

NO.	PLAYER NAME	POS	HT	WT	DATE OF BIRTH	COLLEGE
1	Chris Childs	PG	6-3	195	November 20, 1967	Boise State
2	Larry Johnson	SF	6-7	250	March 14, 1969	Odessa College, UNLV
3	John Starks	SG	6-5	180	August 10, 1965	Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma Junior College, Oklahoma State
4	Ben Davis	PF	6-9	240	December 26, 1972	Kansas, Arizona
7	Brooks Thompson	PG	6-4	193	July 19, 1970	Texas A&M, Oklahoma State
8	Pete Myers	SG	6-6	180	September 15, 1963	Little Rock
13	Anthony Bowie	SG	6-6	190	November 9, 1963	Oklahoma
14	Chris Dudley	C	6-11	235	February 22, 1965	Yale
20	Allan Houston	SG	6-6	200	April 20, 1971	Tennessee
21	Charlie Ward	PG	6-2	190	October 12, 1970	Florida State
32	Herb Williams	PF	6-11	260	February 16, 1958	Ohio State
33	Patrick Ewing	C	7-0	240	August 5, 1962	Georgetown
34	Charles Oakley	PF	6-9	225	December 18, 1963	Virginia Union University
35	Terry Cummings	PF	6-9	220	March 15, 1961	DePaul
42	Chris Mills	SF	6-6	215	January 25, 1970	Kentucky, Arizona
52	Buck Williams	PF	6-8	215	March 8, 1960	Maryland

Regular Season Per Game

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	82	82	34.7	18.4	3.3	2.6	0.8	0.3	2.4	15.6	7.0	.447	2.6	1.0	.385	4.1	3.5	.851
Larry Johnson	SF	28	70	70	34.5	15.5	5.7	2.1	0.6	0.2	1.8	12.6	6.1	.485	0.9	0.2	.238	4.0	3.1	.756
John Starks	SG	32	82	10	26.7	12.9	2.8	2.7	1.0	0.1	1.7	11.5	4.5	.393	4.9	1.6	.327	2.9	2.3	.787
Chris Mills	SF	28	80	29	27.3	9.7	5.1	1.7	0.6	0.4	1.3	8.4	3.7	.433	1.7	0.5	.292	2.4	1.9	.804
Charles Oakley	PF	34	79	79	34.6	9.0	9.2	2.5	1.6	0.3	1.6	8.8	3.9	.440	0.1	0.0	.000	1.4	1.2	.851
Charlie Ward	PG	27	82	82	28.3	7.8	3.3	5.7	1.8	0.5	2.1	6.3	2.9	.455	2.6	1.0	.377	1.4	1.1	.805
Patrick Ewing	C	35	26	26	32.6	20.8	10.2	1.1	0.6	2.2	3.0	15.5	7.8	.504	0.1	0.0	.000	7.2	5.2	.720
Chris Childs	PG	30	68	0	23.5	6.3	2.4	3.9	0.8	0.1	1.5	5.2	2.2	.421	1.3	0.4	.310	1.9	1.5	.825
Terry Cummings	PF	36	30	1	17.6	7.8	4.5	0.9	0.5	0.2	1.1	7.2	3.4	.477	0.0	0.0		1.3	0.9	.700
Buck Williams	PF	37	41	6	18.0	4.9	4.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.9	3.6	1.8	.503	0.0	0.0		1.7	1.3	.732
Chris Dudley	C	32	51	22	16.8	3.1	5.4	0.4	0.3	1.0	0.9	2.8	1.1	.406	0.0	0.0		1.8	0.8	.446
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	27	3	8.3	2.8	1.0	0.4	0.2	0.1	0.3	2.2	1.2	.542	0.1	0.1	.750	0.3	0.3	.889
Herb Williams	PF	39	27	0	6.6	1.4	1.1	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.2	1.6	0.7	.419	0.0	0.0		0.3	0.0	.125
Brooks Thompson	PG	27	17	0	7.1	1.9	0.6	1.4	0.4	0.1	0.6	1.7	0.8	.448	0.8	0.2	.286	0.3	0.2	.600
Pete Myers	SG	34	9	0	4.4	1.6	1.1	0.3	0.4	0.0	0.4	1.1	0.6	.500	0.0	0.0		0.7	0.4	.667
Ben Davis	PF	25	7	0	1.9	0.6	0.9	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	1.4	0.3	.200	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0
Team Totals			82	82	241.8	91.6	41.6	21.8	7.7	3.4	15.2	78.2	34.9	.447	13.9	4.7	.335	22.1	17.1	.772

Playoff Per Game

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	10	10	40.3	21.1	3.8	2.8	0.5	0.1	3.2	17.5	7.6	.434	2.3	0.9	.391	5.8	5.0	.862
John Starks	SG	32	10	2	31.4	16.4	4.0	2.3	1.6	0.1	1.1	12.5	5.9	.472	5.9	2.5	.424	2.4	2.1	.875
Larry Johnson	SF	28	8	8	38.8	17.9	6.6	1.6	1.3	0.4	3.1	13.4	6.5	.486	1.3	0.3	.200	6.3	4.6	.740
Charles Oakley	PF	34	10	10	34.2	8.1	8.5	1.4	1.1	0.2	1.3	7.1	2.9	.408	0.0	0.0		2.5	2.3	.920
Charlie Ward	PG	27	10	10	26.1	6.6	2.8	6.0	2.0	0.2	1.7	5.5	2.3	.418	2.1	0.9	.429	1.6	1.1	.688
Chris Childs	PG	30	10	0	25.4	6.3	2.5	3.3	0.6	0.0	2.3	5.8	2.4	.414	1.3	0.4	.308	1.5	1.1	.733
Patrick Ewing	C	35	4	4	33.0	14.0	8.0	1.3	0.8	1.3	2.5	14.0	5.0	.357	0.0	0.0		6.8	4.0	.593
Chris Mills	SF	28	9	2	18.7	4.9	3.0	0.6	0.9	0.2	0.7	3.9	1.7	.429	1.1	0.4	.400	1.3	1.1	.833
Terry Cummings	PF	36	8	1	15.0	4.0	4.4	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.9	4.3	1.9	.441	0.0	0.0		1.0	0.3	.250
Buck Williams	PF	37	3	0	15.0	4.7	5.3	0.3	0.0	0.3	1.0	3.0	1.3	.444	0.0	0.0		2.7	2.0	.750
Chris Dudley	C	32	6	3	8.8	1.3	3.0	0.0	0.3	0.2	0.3	1.5	0.5	.333	0.0	0.0		0.7	0.3	.500
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	7	0	3.3	0.6	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.6	0.3	.500	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0
Team Totals			10	10	242.5	88.6	39.7	18.8	8.6	2.0	16.1	73.8	32.2	.436	13.6	5.3	.390	24.7	18.9	.765

Regular Season Per 36 Mins

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	82	82	2848	19.1	3.5	2.7	0.8	0.3	2.5	16.1	7.2	.447	2.7	1.0	.385	4.2	3.6	.851
Larry Johnson	SF	28	70	70	2412	16.2	6.0	2.2	0.6	0.2	1.9	13.2	6.4	.485	0.9	0.2	.238	4.2	3.2	.756
John Starks	SG	32	82	10	2188	17.4	3.8	3.6	1.3	0.1	2.4	15.6	6.1	.393	6.5	2.1	.327	3.9	3.0	.787
Chris Mills	SF	28	80	29	2183	12.8	6.7	2.2	0.7	0.5	1.8	11.1	4.8	.433	2.3	0.7	.292	3.1	2.5	.804
Charles Oakley	PF	34	79	79	2734	9.4	9.5	2.6	1.6	0.3	1.7	9.2	4.0	.440	0.1	0.0	.000	1.5	1.3	.851
Charlie Ward	PG	27	82	82	2317	10.0	4.3	7.2	2.2	0.6	2.7	8.0	3.7	.455	3.3	1.3	.377	1.8	1.4	.805
Patrick Ewing	C	35	26	26	848	22.9	11.3	1.2	0.7	2.5	3.3	17.1	8.6	.504	0.1	0.0	.000	7.9	5.7	.720
Chris Childs	PG	30	68	0	1599	9.7	3.6	6.0	1.3	0.1	2.3	8.0	3.4	.421	2.0	0.6	.310	2.8	2.3	.825
Terry Cummings	PF	36	30	1	529	15.9	9.2	1.8	1.1	0.3	2.3	14.7	7.0	.477	0.0	0.0		2.7	1.9	.700
Buck Williams	PF	37	41	6	738	9.9	8.9	1.0	0.8	0.7	1.9	7.3	3.7	.503	0.0	0.0		3.5	2.5	.732
Chris Dudley	C	32	51	22	858	6.6	11.5	0.9	0.5	2.1	1.8	6.0	2.4	.406	0.0	0.0		3.9	1.7	.446
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	27	3	224	12.1	4.2	1.8	1.0	0.3	1.1	9.5	5.1	.542	0.6	0.5	.750	1.4	1.3	.889
Brooks Thompson	PG	27	17	0	121	9.8	3.0	7.1	1.8	0.3	3.3	8.6	3.9	.448	4.2	1.2	.286	1.5	0.9	.600
Herb Williams	PF	39	27	0	178	7.5	5.9	0.8	1.2	1.8	1.0	8.7	3.6	.419	0.0	0.0		1.6	0.2	.125
Pete Myers	SG	34	9	0	40	12.6	9.0	2.7	3.6	0.0	3.6	9.0	4.5	.500	0.0	0.0		5.4	3.6	.667
Ben Davis	PF	25	7	0	13	11.1	16.6	0.0	2.8	0.0	0.0	27.7	5.5	.200	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0

Playoff Per 36 Mins

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	10	10	403	18.8	3.4	2.5	0.4	0.1	2.9	15.6	6.8	.434	2.1	0.8	.391	5.2	4.5	.862
John Starks	SG	32	10	2	314	18.8	4.6	2.6	1.8	0.1	1.3	14.3	6.8	.472	6.8	2.9	.424	2.8	2.4	.875
Larry Johnson	SF	28	8	8	310	16.6	6.2	1.5	1.2	0.3	2.9	12.4	6.0	.486	1.2	0.2	.200	5.8	4.3	.740
Charlie Ward	PG	27	10	10	261	9.1	3.9	8.3	2.8	0.3	2.3	7.6	3.2	.418	2.9	1.2	.429	2.2	1.5	.688
Chris Childs	PG	30	10	0	254	8.9	3.5	4.7	0.9	0.0	3.3	6.4	3.4	.414	1.8	0.6	.308	2.1	1.6	.733
Charles Oakley	PF	34	10	10	342	8.5	8.9	1.5	1.2	0.2	1.4	7.5	3.1	.408	0.0	0.0		2.6	2.4	.920
Chris Mills	SF	28	9	2	168	9.4	5.8	1.1	1.7	0.4	1.3	7.5	3.2	.429	2.1	0.9	.400	2.6	2.1	.833
Terry Cummings	PF	36	8	1	120	9.6	10.5	1.5	1.2	0.6	2.1	10.2	4.5	.441	0.0	0.0		2.4	0.6	.250
Patrick Ewing	C	35	4	4	132	15.3	8.7	1.4	0.8	1.4	2.7	15.3	5.5	.357	0.0	0.0		7.4	4.4	.593
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	7	0	23	6.3	0.0	1.6	1.6	0.0	1.6	6.3	3.1	.500	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0
Buck Williams	PF	37	3	0	45	11.2	12.8	0.8	0.0	0.8	2.4	7.2	3.2	.444	0.0	0.0		6.4	4.8	.750
Chris Dudley	C	32	6	3	53	5.4	12.2	0.0	1.4	0.7	1.4	6.1	2.0	.333	0.0	0.0		2.7	1.4	.500

Regular Season Totals

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	82	82	2848	1509	274	212	63	24	200	1277	571	.447	213	82	.385	335	285	.851
Larry Johnson	SF	28	70	70	2412	1087	401	150	40	13	127	884	429	.485	63	15	.238	283	214	.756
John Starks	SG	32	82	10	2188	1059	230	219	78	5	143	947	372	.393	398	130	.327	235	185	.787
Chris Mills	SF	28	80	29	2183	776	408	133	45	30	107	675	292	.433	137	40	.292	189	152	.804
Charles Oakley	PF	34	79	79	2734	711	724	201	123	22	126	698	307	.440	6	0	.000	114	97	.851
Charlie Ward	PG	27	82	82	2317	642	274	466	144	37	175	516	235	.455	215	81	.377	113	91	.805
Patrick Ewing	C	35	26	26	848	540	265	28	16	58	77	403	203	.504	2	0	.000	186	134	.720
Chris Childs	PG	30	68	0	1599	429	162	268	56	6	103	354	149	.421	87	27	.310	126	104	.825
Terry Cummings	PF	36	30	1	529	234	135	26	16	5	34	216	103	.477	0	0		40	28	.700
Buck Williams	PF	37	41	6	738	202	183	21	17	15	38	149	75	.503	0	0		71	52	.732
Chris Dudley	C	32	51	22	858	157	275	21	13	51	44	143	58	.406	0	0		92	41	.446
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	27	3	224	75	26	11	6	2	7	59	32	.542	4	3	.750	9	8	.889
Herb Williams	PF	39	27	0	178	37	29	4	6	9	5	43	18	.419	0	0		8	1	.125
Brooks Thompson	PG	27	17	0	121	33	10	24	6	1	11	29	13	.448	14	4	.286	5	3	.600
Pete Myers	SG	34	9	0	40	14	10	3	4	0	4	10	5	.500	0	0		6	4	.667
Ben Davis	PF	25	7	0	13	4	6	0	1	0	0	10	2	.200	0	0		0	0
Team Totals			82	82	19830	7509	3412	1787	634	278	1201	6413	2864	.447	1139	382	.335	1812	1399	.772

Playoff Totals

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Allan Houston	SG	26	10	10	403	211	38	28	5	1	32	175	76	.434	23	9	.391	58	50	.862
John Starks	SG	32	10	2	314	164	40	23	16	1	11	125	59	.472	59	25	.424	24	21	.875
Larry Johnson	SF	28	8	8	310	143	53	13	10	3	25	107	52	.486	10	2	.200	50	37	.740
Charles Oakley	PF	34	10	10	342	81	85	14	11	2	13	71	29	.408	0	0		25	23	.920
Charlie Ward	PG	27	10	10	261	66	28	60	20	2	17	55	23	.418	21	9	.429	16	11	.688
Chris Childs	PG	30	10	0	254	63	25	33	6	0	23	58	24	.414	13	4	.308	15	11	.733
Patrick Ewing	C	35	4	4	132	56	32	5	3	5	10	56	20	.357	0	0		27	16	.593
Chris Mills	SF	28	9	2	168	44	27	5	8	2	6	35	15	.429	10	4	.400	12	10	.833
Terry Cummings	PF	36	8	1	120	32	35	5	4	2	7	34	15	.441	0	0		8	2	.250
Buck Williams	PF	37	3	0	45	14	16	1	0	1	3	9	4	.444	0	0		8	6	.750
Chris Dudley	C	32	6	3	53	8	18	0	2	1	2	9	3	.333	0	0		4	2	.500
Anthony Bowie	SG	34	7	0	23	4	0	1	1	0	1	4	2	.500	0	0		0	0
Team Totals			10	10	2425	886	397	188	86	20	150	738	322	.436	136	53	.390	247	189	.765

HeatingUp Impact Index: Regular Season Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name	Role Tier	MPG	Usage Tier	PPG	RPG	APG	STK (SPG + BPG)	Impact Index	Notes	Awards
Patrick Ewing	Franchise Interior Engine (1.1)	32.6	High	20.8	10.2	1.1	2.8	92.14	A dominant interior scorer and defensive centerpiece in limited action, Ewing remained the Knicks’ most imposing half-court option before the wrist injury ended his regular season. The Washington Post described him as one of New York’s most indispensable players, while his ability to play through the initial injury underscored how central he remained to the team’s identity. Washington Post coverage	None
Allan Houston	Primary Perimeter Scoring Engine (1.1)	34.7	High	18.4	3.3	2.6	1.1	67.06	Houston became the Knicks’ most reliable perimeter scoring outlet once Ewing went down, combining movement shooting with a compact pull-up game rather than simply waiting for catch-and-shoot opportunities. His 82-game workload and 34.7 minutes reflected how heavily Jeff Van Gundy leaned on his shot creation and spacing.	None
Larry Johnson	Power Wing Creator (1.05)	34.5	High	15.5	5.7	2.1	0.8	60.73	Johnson’s value went beyond scoring; his strength allowed New York to attack mismatches from the forward spots and punish smaller lineups. A February win over Miami illustrated the offensive responsibility he carried, as he erupted for 35 points and scored nine straight during a decisive fourth-quarter stretch. Los Angeles Times coverage	None
Charles Oakley	Defensive Frontcourt Anchor (1.05)	34.6	Medium	9.0	9.2	2.5	1.9	52.21	Oakley supplied the physical backbone of New York’s frontcourt, particularly on the glass and against opposing power forwards. His defensive reputation was reinforced by his ability to smother Miami’s Jamal Mashburn in the postseason, while his occasional face-up and mid-range scoring punished teams that concentrated too heavily on the Knicks’ primary scorers. Los Angeles Times coverage	NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1998)
John Starks	Sixth Man Shot Creator (1.05)	26.7	Medium	12.9	2.8	2.7	1.1	45.05	Starks embraced the scoring burst role after moving out of the starting lineup, bringing pressure off the dribble and a willingness to take difficult perimeter shots. His fourth-place finish in Sixth Man voting reflected how highly the league regarded that bench impact, while his postseason scoring remained a major part of New York’s attack. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage	Fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting (1998)
Charlie Ward	Defensive Point-of-Attack Floor General (1.05)	28.3	Medium	7.8	3.3	5.7	2.3	44.12	Ward controlled the starting point-guard job through defense, ball security and steady orchestration rather than high-volume scoring. His passing became particularly important when Ewing was unavailable, and his 14-assist, five-steal performance against Miami showed the kind of disruptive two-way game Van Gundy trusted from him. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage	Fourth in Three-Point Contest (1998)
Chris Mills	Two-Way Wing Connector (1.05)	27.3	Medium	9.7	5.1	1.7	1.0	40.43	Mills functioned as a versatile wing-forward who could fill gaps without demanding possessions, while his rebounding gave New York useful size when playing smaller lineups. He also provided transition finishing and occasional perimeter shooting; the Clippers game in April highlighted his ability to turn defensive stops into quick offense. Los Angeles Times coverage	None
Chris Childs	Backup Pick-and-Roll Organizer (1.0)	23.5	Medium	6.3	2.4	3.9	0.9	29.70	Childs was more than a reserve ball-handler, giving New York a second organizer who could attack gaps and create late-clock offense. His confidence was obvious during Ewing’s absence, when he publicly insisted the Knicks were still a championship team, and Van Gundy continued trusting him with important fourth-quarter decisions. Los Angeles Times coverage	None
Terry Cummings	Veteran Low-Post Scoring Reserve (1.0)	17.6	Low	7.8	4.5	0.9	0.7	27.80	Cummings supplied experienced interior offense in a reduced role, giving the Knicks a dependable option when the frontcourt rotation needed another scorer. His veteran presence mattered more than his modest minutes suggested, particularly on a roster built around physical half-court basketball and experienced forwards.	None
Buck Williams	Veteran Rebounding Stabilizer (1.0)	18.0	Low	4.9	4.5	0.5	0.8	21.40	Williams was essentially a specialist for toughness, rebounding and positional defense by this stage of his career. He could still step into a larger assignment when injuries struck; during the Miami playoff series he produced 12 points and 14 rebounds while helping New York exploit the Heat’s depleted interior. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage	None
Chris Dudley	Interior Defensive Reserve (1.0)	16.8	Low	3.1	5.4	0.4	1.3	20.40	Dudley provided conventional center work: screens, offensive rebounding, physical post defense and rim protection. His offensive limitations kept his usage narrow, but the Knicks could rely on him for difficult interior minutes when Ewing was unavailable, especially because the team’s preferred style demanded size and physicality.	None
Anthony Bowie	Defensive Backcourt Specialist (1.0)	8.3	Low	2.8	1.0	0.4	0.3	9.00	Bowie occupied a very narrow rotation role after joining New York during the season, with his value centered on perimeter defense and keeping possessions moving rather than creating offense. His efficient shooting in limited opportunities was useful, but the Knicks generally deployed him as depth behind an established veteran backcourt.	None
Brooks Thompson	Emergency Ball-Handling Reserve (1.0)	7.1	Low	1.9	0.6	1.4	0.5	8.80	Thompson’s role was primarily situational, providing another competent ball-handler when the Knicks needed to protect their regular guards from excessive minutes. With Ward and Childs established ahead of him, his opportunities were limited and his responsibility was largely to settle possessions rather than manufacture offense.	None
Pete Myers	Veteran Perimeter Depth Piece (1.0)	4.4	Low	1.6	1.1	0.3	0.4	6.80	Myers served as deep backcourt insurance on a veteran-heavy roster, bringing experience and positional discipline without a meaningful offensive workload. His minutes were highly situational, so his contribution was mainly about maintaining structure when New York needed another perimeter body.	None
Herb Williams	Frontcourt Locker-Room Veteran (1.0)	6.6	Low	1.4	1.1	0.1	0.5	6.20	Williams was at the far end of his playing career and occupied a specialist depth role, giving New York another experienced big when matchups or injuries required it. His minutes were sparse, but his familiarity with the Knicks’ physical style made him a useful emergency option in the frontcourt.	None
Ben Davis	End-of-Rotation Frontcourt Reserve (1.0)	1.9	Low	0.6	0.9	0.0	0.1	3.20	Davis saw only brief stretches of action and was essentially an emergency frontcourt option behind a crowded veteran rotation. His responsibilities were limited to basic rebounding and positional defense, with too little court time to establish a larger offensive function.	None
Team Totals	New York Knicks Team Total	241.8	—	91.6	41.6	21.8	11.1	535.03	The Knicks’ identity was built around half-court defense, physical frontcourt play and a perimeter scoring group that had to absorb much more offensive responsibility after Ewing’s injury. The season’s reporting repeatedly emphasized New York’s preference for grinding games into defensive battles rather than relying on pace or high-volume offense. Washington Post season coverage	43-39; Eastern Conference First Round victory (1998); Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance (1998)

HeatingUp Impact Index: Playoff Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name	Role Tier	MPG	Usage Tier	PPG	RPG	APG	STK (SPG + BPG)	Impact Index	Notes	Awards
Allan Houston	Primary Playoff Scoring Engine (1.1)	40.3	High (1.2)	21.1	3.8	2.8	0.6	74.71	Houston became New York’s main perimeter scoring outlet without Ewing, carrying a much heavier shot-creation burden against Miami. His ability to rise into pull-up jumpers and punish defensive attention gave the Knicks a dependable half-court release valve, and his 30-point closeout performance in Game 5 reinforced that role. Sporting News playoff retrospective	None
Larry Johnson	Power Forward Creator (1.05)	38.8	High (1.2)	17.9	6.6	1.6	1.7	70.06	Johnson operated as New York’s physical secondary creator, attacking mismatches from the forward spot while providing considerable rebounding and defensive activity. His series became inseparable from the Miami rivalry after the Game 4 confrontation with Alonzo Mourning, which resulted in a suspension that removed him from the decisive first-round game. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage	None
Patrick Ewing	Returning Franchise Centerpiece (1.1)	33.0	High (1.2)	14.0	8.0	1.3	2.1	67.06	Ewing’s role was unusual because the Knicks were effectively integrating their franchise center back into playoff basketball after months away. His comeback against Indiana was initially rusty, but by Game 3 he had become the emotional and tactical centerpiece again, with Washington Post coverage describing him as the biggest impact player in New York’s Game 3 victory. Washington Post playoff coverage	None
John Starks	Sixth-Man Shotmaking Catalyst (1.05)	31.4	High (1.2)	16.4	4.0	2.3	1.7	61.49	Starks provided the Knicks with their most aggressive bench-to-starter scoring punch, mixing pull-up threes, drives and transition attacks. He was used selectively as a starter but remained a high-energy offensive disruptor, and his 22-point performance in the Miami clincher showed how valuable his shotmaking was when New York needed another perimeter scorer. SB Nation Knicks retrospective	None
Charles Oakley	Interior Defensive Enforcer (1.05)	34.2	Medium (1.1)	8.1	8.5	1.4	1.3	44.58	Oakley was the Knicks’ physical stabilizer, responsible for absorbing difficult interior assignments, clearing space on the glass and making opponents work for every possession. Against Miami, his 48-minute Game 5 effort epitomized that role; contemporary reporting singled out Oakley and Buck Williams for keeping New York’s frontcourt functional while suspensions stripped the rotation. Washington Post Game 5 coverage	None
Charlie Ward	Defensive Point Guard Organizer (1.05)	26.1	Medium (1.1)	6.6	2.8	6.0	2.2	40.66	Ward controlled the game from the point through pressure defense and simple, timely distribution rather than volume scoring. His 14-assist, five-steal performance against Miami became a perfect snapshot of the role: disrupt the opposing guards, push the ball when available and keep New York’s half-court offense organized. Sporting News Charlie Ward coverage	None
Chris Childs	Reserve Pick-and-Roll Organizer (1.0)	25.4	Medium (1.1)	6.3	2.5	3.3	0.6	27.94	Childs gave Van Gundy another ball-handler who could settle possessions when Ward came out and provide enough penetration to keep defenses honest. His importance was magnified by Ewing’s absence in the first round, although Indiana exposed the limitations of New York’s second-unit creation by repeatedly generating advantages against the Knicks’ reserves. CBS Sports Knicks retrospective	None
Chris Mills	Two-Way Forward Connector (1.05)	18.7	Low (1.0)	4.9	3.0	0.6	1.1	20.16	Mills functioned as a flexible forward who could defend multiple positions, rebound from the wing and finish opportunities without monopolizing possessions. His playoff role became even more situational after he was suspended following the Miami brawl, leaving New York short on athletic forward depth during the decisive Game 5. Los Angeles Times Knicks-Clippers coverage	None
Buck Williams	Veteran Frontcourt Stabilizer (1.0)	15.0	Low (1.0)	4.7	5.3	0.3	0.3	21.20	Williams supplied veteran rebounding and physicality when New York’s frontcourt was stretched thin. His 12-point, 14-rebound performance in the Miami clincher was particularly important because the Knicks were without Johnson and Mills, allowing Williams to absorb a much larger share of the interior workload than his normal reserve role suggested. AS basketball retrospective	None
Terry Cummings	Veteran Interior Scoring Reserve (1.0)	15.0	Low (1.0)	4.0	4.4	0.6	0.8	19.60	Cummings was used as an experienced interior option rather than a featured scorer, bringing post knowledge and rebounding into a physically demanding playoff rotation. With New York leaning heavily on Oakley and its other forwards, his minutes were matchup-driven and generally focused on keeping the frontcourt functional. Yahoo Sports Knicks retrospective	None
Chris Dudley	Rim-Protection Reserve (1.0)	8.8	Low (1.0)	1.3	3.0	0.0	0.5	9.60	Dudley’s job was narrowly defined: defend the paint, screen, rebound and provide a physical body at center. That role mattered more after Ewing’s long absence, but his offensive limitations meant Van Gundy generally preferred the more versatile combinations around Oakley and the veteran forwards. Contemporary basketball reporting later continued to identify rebounding and shot-blocking as the defining elements of Dudley’s game. FIBA basketball profile	None
Anthony Bowie	Emergency Perimeter Defender (1.0)	3.3	Low (1.0)	0.6	0.0	0.1	0.1	1.60	Bowie’s playoff role was strictly situational, giving New York another experienced perimeter defender when Van Gundy needed a fresh body. With Ward, Starks, Houston and Childs absorbing the meaningful guard minutes, his opportunities were limited to short defensive or matchup-oriented appearances. New York Post Knicks retrospective	None
Team Totals	New York Knicks Playoff Total	242.5	—	88.6	39.7	18.8	10.6	478.66	New York’s playoff identity was built around physical half-court defense, perimeter shotmaking and surviving without Ewing for the entire first round. The seventh-seeded Knicks eliminated Miami in five games before Ewing returned against Indiana, where the series exposed how difficult it was to generate consistent offense against a deeper Pacers defense. Sporting News 1998 playoff retrospective	Eastern Conference First Round victory (1998)