SVP examines the Knicks' quest for 50 wins, with Jeff Van Gundy suggesting they have the potential to react that mark. SVP wants in on the Las Vegas longshot odds of the Knicks winning it all. (2:25)

Jeff Van Gundy thinks the New York Knicks have the talent to win 50 games this season -- but notes that several factors have to fall in their favor to reach that benchmark.

"It's not easy," Van Gundy, an ex-Knicks coach, said during an interview on The Stashed's "33rd & 7th" podcast with Anthony Donahue. "Listen, I think they're going to be 45 to 50 [wins], low 50s, in that range."

"I think there's a lot [of factors] that are sure things," Van Gundy continued. "I think [Joakim] Noah is going to be a sure thing as far as how he plays. [Kristaps] Porzingis is going to have a better second year than he had as a rookie. I think he'll be outstanding. [Carmelo] Anthony I think is going to be very, very good. Courtney Lee is going to be excellent as a glue type of guy in their starting lineup.

"I think a lot comes down to [Derrick] Rose's health and play and then the bench. It will be interesting to see how that works out. But I certainly believe their starting lineup has the potential to be a 50-game winner without question."

The Knicks won just 32 games last season -- and a combined 49 over the last two years -- so a 50-win season would be impressive, but not unprecedented. The largest win turnaround in NBA history is 42 games (2007-08 Boston Celtics). The 2015-16 Milwaukee Bucks won 26 games more than the previous season.

Van Gundy, an ESPN NBA analyst who coached the Knicks to one of their two most recent 50-win seasons (1999-2000), notes that Rose's health and strong play from the Knicks' bench are imperative for New York to reach 45 to 50 wins.

Las Vegas' expectations for the Knicks -- and the expectations of ESPN's experts -- fall way short of the 45-win mark.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has the Knicks' over/under at 38.5 wins. Nine Eastern Conference teams have higher win benchmarks at the sports book. ESPN NBA Insider Kevin Pelton's formula pegs the Knicks at 34.7 wins for 2016-17. For what it's worth, Porzingis and Brandon Jennings have both stated that the Knicks have playoff aspirations. Last season, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference (Detroit) finished with 44 wins.

The "big unknown" for the 2016-17 Knicks is Derrick Rose, says NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Van Gundy believes the Knicks can make the playoffs, but noted earlier in the interview that "the big unknown" for New York in 2016-17 is Rose. Because of a variety of injuries, the point guard only played in 40 percent of Chicago's regular-season games over the past five seasons. He also is a defendant in a civil suit involving an alleged sexual assault that is set to go to trial on Oct. 4.

Here is Van Gundy discussing the Knicks' offseason and the uncertainty surrounding Rose:

"Certainly the Knicks are a more interesting team today than they were at any point last year. That does not mean necessarily that they're a better team. I think they will be better. I think they are a playoff team. I think they'll play well this year. I like what they did with [new head coach] Jeff Hornacek. I like his demeanor. I like the fit for New York.

"Noah, it was an expensive price, but I like his tenacity and defensive communication skills, coupled with his passing ability. When you have a front court of Anthony, Noah and Porzingis, I think the fit will be there. Because Noah sacrifices offense to try to free people for shots with the pass and with screening, so I think he'll fit well.

"I like Courtney Lee. I think it's an underrated signing. I think he's a solid player, has the ability to fit in around other good players. Rose, to me, is the wild card. I have no idea what to expect of Rose, [from a] health standpoint, game standpoint, fit standpoint and then legal standpoint, how that impacts him. To me, they have a lot of known quantities. The big unknown is Rose."

Van Gundy also touched on several different Knicks topics during his interview on the 33rd & 7th podcast:

On the triangle offense: "I think it was probably given too much credit for those teams' success in the 1990s and 2000s and too much blame right now. Success is not about a style. Phil Jackson was a brilliant basketball coach not just because of the offense that he employed, but it was so many other things that went into it."

On Hornacek: "I think Jeff Hornacek is a very, very good basketball coach and an outstanding person. ... I think they got [the coaching hire] right. I'm going to be interested to see how they play. You see they're trying to combine some triangle with some faster-pace pick-and-roll action."

On Porzingis: "His versatility showed how good he can be and I just loved how he took accountability for his play [last season], good and bad, how he was as a teammate. I just love his whole approach, to getting better, to accepting of coaching. I think he's a great fit for New York, so it was a brilliant draft pick by Phil Jackson and his staff, they did a great job."

On Jackson getting credit for Porzingis: "When you get a draft pick right, you should be given full credit. And I think Phil Jackson, for whatever reason, people on the Porzingis one, they want to sort of mitigate or minimize the credit he should be given. And listen, it's hard to get these picks right. He and his staff, and Clarence Gaines, did a remarkable job on honing in on Porzingis and Porzingis was available and they drafted him and I thought the coaching of him was very good too.

"I thought they gave him some chances at versatility, didn't pigeonhole him into any one particular position type and I think Derek Fisher did a much better job there than he had been given credit for. Again, he brought some of the problems on himself by some choices that he'd like to do over again, but I thought he did a pretty good job there. And I think Porzingis is now set up after a great first year to be an absolute star."

On Jennings: "The Achilles injury is very difficult. You're not going to play well. Now, he's had a full year and almost a half of rehabilitation. I think he'll be good for the Knicks. I'll be interested to see how many minutes he plays. Does Jeff Hornacek do what he did in Phoenix a lot with his [pairing] two point guards together? So you have a couple of pick-and-roll guys who you can use together. Rose certainly has the size to play at the [shooting guard] some and so I'll be interested in that.

"Now Jennings' issues have been, does he take the right shots? He's not a highly efficient shooter. But he has a great love for the game, a great bounce to his step. Enjoys competition, seemingly has already bought into being a sixth man. But it's just really difficult to find big minutes for two point guards. So I'm going to be interested to see, as the season starts, how they distribute those 96 minutes for the backcourt."