Okay, Larry Brown is the coach of the Knicks. So now what? The Knicks’ roster still has all the same weaknesses it did 48 hours ago. They have big question marks in the paint, and they were the league’s 26th-best defense a year ago based on Defensive Efficiency (my rating of a team’s points allowed per 100 possessions). Larry is going to want to trade everyone on the roster for last year’s Pistons, but that’s not possible – especially since nearly every Knick has a bad contract.

So if Brown is going to succeed in his alleged dream job (sidenote: watch what you wish for, people), then the Knicks will have to improve from within. Going player by player, here is the laundry list of tasks Brown must accomplish if New York is going to make the playoffs:

Stephon Marbury: Buy in. There has been a lot of talk about the Knicks wanting to trade Marbury, but I don’t think they should. First, look at that contract. Which team is going to take on a nearly $70 million obligation over the next four seasons unless it can foist even worse contracts upon the Knicks? New York has been playing that game for the past decade and it’s high time they stopped.

Second, I’m not sure anybody noticed, but Steph played incredibly last year. Based on his PER (Player Efficiency Rating, my measure of a player’s per-minute statistical production), Marbury’s 21.9 mark ranked third among point guards and 19th overall; no other Knick cracked the top 80. Of course, we shouldn’t forget that while he’s the best player on the team, he had some difficulties with Brown at the Olympics. That means that one of the first items on Brown’s to-do list should be to convince Marbury to buy into his system. If the best player isn’t sold on it, then the rest of his program is a moot point. Considering this is Marbury’s best shot at redemption after years of losing, it shouldn’t be too hard a sell.

Jamal Crawford: Guard somebody. Crawford’s inattention at the defensive end already got him on the wrong side of one tough-as-nails type: Chicago head coach Scott Skiles, who didn’t put up a fight when Crawford left for the Knicks. Crawford is quick and long-armed, so he should be a good defender, but right now he’s terrible. If he doesn’t give more effort under Brown, he simply isn’t going to play.

Jamal Crawford: Shot selection. Not so fast, Jamal, we’re not done yet. Those contested, off-the-dribble, 22-footers with 19 seconds on the shot clock? Forget about ’em. Those 3-pointers you chucked early and often last year? Ditch those, too. Larry is going to get you going to the basket and sharing the ball, or he’s going to have you playing less than Darko did.

Quentin Richardson: Stay the course. Richardson used to care little about defense, but that changed last season. He took an insane number of charges with Phoenix and was one of the keys to their somewhat-effective defense. That willingness to be physical will quickly endear him to Brown, as will his ability to post up and shoot the 3.

Tim Thomas: Use your size. Did you know that Thomas is 6-foot-10? More important, do you think Thomas knows? The Knicks’ small forward would rather hang out at the 3-point line than use his height advantage to score in the post. Brown will get Thomas post-ups every game, whether Thomas likes it or not. He’ll also push Thomas to make better use of his length at the defensive end, where he has the skills to be very effective at challenging shots, but has never put it together.

Trevor Ariza: Get a jumper. When Brown looks at Ariza, he undoubtedly sees the second coming of Tayshaun Prince. Ariza is a long-armed defensive stopper in the making, and at 20 years old is one of the Knicks’ most promising players. The problem is that he can’t shoot. Larry could play Prince in Detroit because teams had to respect his jump shot and couldn’t leave him to double other players. Nobody respects Ariza’s jumper, which could cause headaches on offense.

Mike Sweetney: Get in shape. Sweetney should be the Knicks’ starting power forward, but a lot of that depends on his off-season conditioning program. Being a step slow really hurt Sweetney at the defensive end last season, and that tire around his waist was the primary reason. Considering Brown’s soft spot for experienced players and the Knicks’ many veteran power forwards, this could spell trouble for Sweetney. It would be unfortunate if he’s not in the lineup because he’s easily the Knicks’ best post player and deserves to play.

Jerome James: Act like it matters. Four games. That’s the over/under for how long James lasts as the Knicks’ starting center. The first time this guy loafs down the court on defense or tries to dribble behind his back in the open court, Brown will come in with the hook, start Malik Rose at center, and never look back. Unless, that is, James decides to dedicate himself this season for 82 games.

Malik Rose and Jerome Williams: Wait patiently. Both these guys are tough, veteran players, and they play defense. With Brown at the helm, they’re definitely going to get their chances as long as they don’t start griping two games into the season. Once James proves he’s a fraud, Rose will likely end up starting alongside Sweetney on the front line. That’s a shorter frontcourt than Brown would like, but Channing Frye probably isn’t ready and Rose plays much bigger than his height. As for the Junkyard Dog, his defense will score some Brown-ie points, and Williams figures to become the backup power forward provided he can beat out David Lee.

Nate Robinson, Lee, and Frye: Learn from the best.

Brown is going to be all over these guys, and they’ll be miserable for much of the season. Robinson will suffer especially, because he has the double whammy of being a point guard and a rookie. But they should come into this with an open mind. While Brown is going to throw a ton of information at them and leave them horribly confused at first, but in the end they’ll be better players for it.

Ultimately, the transformation that Brown will attempt to undertake in New York is the reason the Knicks are paying $10 million a year for his services – even though he may choose to leave in two years. In short, he’ll make these guys better. The Knicks’ roster is full of holes, but if anyone can get this mismatched team into the playoffs, it’s this guy.

Mr. Hollinger is the author of the “2005–06 Pro Basketball Forecast.”