Am I wrong to be optimistic that the New York Knicks could make the playoffs this year or am I just a foolish fan of the franchise that has been the laughingstock of sports for the last several years?

The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Earlier this week, I made my way over to Skidmore College for the first day of practice at the week-long training camp the Knicks are holding here in Saratoga Springs. I must admit that I’m a lifelong fan of the Knickerbockers, but I really did like the way new coach Mike D’Antoni ran practice. He had them running and running and then running some more. Could the 2008-2009 team be the run-and-gun New York Knicks and does he have the talent to pull it off?

D’Antoni ran this offense in Phoenix and had a lot of success in the deeper Western Conference with it. It’s not an offense used by many Eastern Conference teams as the East has been much more known for defense and low scoring games ever since the days Pat Riley was the boss at Madison Square Garden.

Jamal Crawford is the scoring star for this Knicks’ team, but he’ll need help as the East is on the improve with the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons all expected to be near the top of the standings once again this season.

The biggest question surrounding this year’s camp is how long Stephon Marbury will be around.

The embattled star spoke highly of D’Antoni on Tuesday and many beat writers are saying he’s in the best shape of his life. I asked him about it and he basically responded with an infomercial for the various products he’s peddling. I hope with Isaiah Thomas gone, he can get his act together because the talent has always been there.

I’m rooting hard for Allan Houston to make the team though I’m still upset over the contract they gave him years ago that handcuffed the team season after season. At 37, it will be a tall challenge, but his teammates and coach are rooting for him and he’s been a great influence on the younger guys.

Most fans are looking forward to the summer of 2010 when the Knicks will have a lot of money freed up and LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are expected to go on the open free agent market. We can only dream. Until then, under the guidance of D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh, I expect improvement from the Knicks, but that’s not saying much considering how bad they’ve been. A playoff spot in the East is definitely possible and maybe we’ll be able to say we where there at Skidmore when things started to change for the better.