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Word came down earlier today that Carmelo Anthony will miss tonight’s matchup with the Miami Heat with a wrist injury that has

Amar'e Stoudemire will need to step up without Carmelo Anthony in the lineup.Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

been bothering him over the past two games.

With Melo out I would expect Bill Walker to join the starting lineup for the Knickerbockers. Walker’s range and scoring abilities should help bridge the gap as far as the starters are concerned, but it will weaken their already shallow bench.

The Knicks have lost seven of their last eight games, and getting back on track against the surging Miami Heat won’t be easy.  The Heat have won 5 of their last six and have looked great despite playing without their star guard Dwayne Wade.

If the Knicks have any hope whatsoever to win this ball game they are going to have to tighten up on D and play smart on offense.

The Miami Heat’s attack has been heavy on Chris Bosh in the past few games, so this is something the Knicks are going to need to focus on from a defensive perspective; this means that we are likely to see a heavy dose of Tyson Chandler guarding Chris Bosh—the effects of which are two-fold. By pitting their superior defensive front court player against Bosh, the Knicks are both neutralizing the Heat’s best front court player, as well as freeing up Amar’e Stoudemire to put the majority of his focus on the offense end of the floor as he will be left to guard the offensively challenged Joel Anthony.

On offense the key to the Knicks attack will once again be ball movement. Now that Anthony is out of the lineup, the Knicks will have one less player that requires their touches; this should make it much easier for the Knicks to share the wealth and spread the floor with their shooters. Look for a steady dose of pick and rolls with Stoudemire in an attempt to get him going in Anthony’s absence.  Should the Knicks be able to get some assistance from their role players, they be able to make things interesting tonight in Miami. Continue reading this post »

Jan 25, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Anderson Varejao (17) battles New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (center) and small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) for the ball in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

It feels like I have written these words about a thousand times this year, but the Knicks lost last night and man was it ugly.

The Knicks turned the ball over a whopping 22 times, 6 of which were in the deflating fourth quarter that ultimately ended the Knicks’ hopes of coming away with a victory in Cleveland.

Turnovers weren’t the only misadventure for the Knicks’ offense on this night; the Knicks shot a wretched 42% from the floor and an unbelievably putrid 15% from beyond the arc.  Needless to say, the decision making for the Knicks—something that has been an issue all season long—was an issue once again against a very beatable team in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The effort was there for Amar’e Stoudemire, who had  14 rebounds—including 6 of the offensive variety—and 19 points, however his inefficient shooting—just 9 of 19—was an issue, and symptomatic of the Knicks lack of execution on that side of the ball.

The Knicks other embattled star finished with 15 points on a sub par 5 of 14 shooting. Despite the poor shooting night Carmelo Anthony actually looked a bit better on the offensive end of the floor. Anthony was aggressive and took the ball to the basket more than he has in the last few games; he was also more willing to move the ball, as evidenced by his 6 assists.  Much of Anthony’s poor shooting over the last two games can be attributed to an apparent wrist injury that has been bothering Melo since he injured it against the Bobcats on Tuesday night.

Apart from their offensive inefficiency, the lack support the Knicks got from their bench proved to be a huge factor in the loss. The Knicks played four guys off of the bench and got a combined 16 points on 6 of 21 shooting. Their lack of depth is no secret, but if they are going to compete on a nightly basis they need to  at least get something out of their bench and last night they got nothing. Continue reading this post »

Ok, so it was only one game and it was against the Bobcats, but there is something to be said about the Knicks having such offensive

If Melo shoot less will the Knicks win more?

success with Carmelo Anthony only taking 7 shots.

It is no secret that the Knicks have been unable to get their team together since acquiring Melo last season; at this point, as I have argued before, it is pretty obvious that the nature of Anthony’s game—the fact that the Knicks don’t have a point guard compounds this fact—is such that the ball stops when it gets to him which completely negates what made the Knicks a good team last season prior to his arrival in NYC.

Last night against the Bobcats, Anthony deferred his game. Instead of taking a ton of shots and needlessly pounding the ball into the ground, he shared the ball and got others involved. When the Knicks share the ball—which, needless to say, isn’t often—they actually have a fairly balanced offensive attack.  Guys like Bill Walker, Landry field and Toney Douglas are competent offensive players that can stick open looks; Landry Fields in particular, is a player that thrives in an offense that moves the ball frequently.

More importantly, moving the ball and playing the screen and roll opens up Continue reading this post »

The New York Knicks have struggled so far this season. Their dynamic trio of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler has yet to live up to the lofty expectations.

Chandler has been great for the Knicks. He is averaging close to ten points and ten rebounds a game. That is just above his career average in both categories. Chandler has fit in nicely with the team. He has been a strong presence in the middle, on both ends of the floor.

Anthony has been doing what he does best: score. He is right at his career averages with 25.7 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.

Then there is Stoudemire. The third piece of the New York Big Three has not fit in so well this

Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are still learning to play together.

Chandler is clearly not the problem. He has been a major boost for the Knicks. His inside game complements all the players well. The problem lies with Anthony and Stoudemire. Their games can be mirror images at times. They sometimes take the same jump shots, from the same spots on the floor. When the ball goes to one of them, it often stays there. That stalls the offense and makes it predictable. Stoudemire and Anthony have not been effective together.

There are some definitive ways to fix the synergy between Stat and Melo.

Anthony and Stoudemire must learn to defer to one another. Each of them is a threat to score. They need to take advantage of that and find each other with the pass.

The Knicks must establish inside scoring with Chandler. That will stretch the floor and lead to open looks for both Stoudemire and Anthony.

Anthony and Stoudemire could work on the pick-and-roll. Stoudemire is very familiar with the play. Anthony can pass and shoot. All of the elements are there, so why not do it? It would at the very least teach them to trust each other on the floor.

But the most important thing Anthony and Stoudemire can do is stop worrying about individual statistics. The only statistic that matters is wins. It does not matter if they both score 30 points, one of them reaches 30 or neither of them does. The win is the most important thing. If Anthony and Stoudemire can buy into that, the wins will come and their scoring will too.

Edwin Torres was born in New York City. He has been a Knicks fan since the early 1980s. He has visited Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:
NBA Statistics – Yahoo! Sports

Good morning, New York! The Knicks are losing and of course, the trade rumors are beginning to swirl. First, Deron Williams for either Melo or Amare and now, Dwight Howard (aka D-12) for Amare and Tyson, which was posted by Stephen A. Smith. Smith also posted a podcast talking about this as well and I listened to it earlier this morning. He was very emotional talking about the Knicks’s struggles and the possibility getting D-12 to for Amare and Tyson and I could not agree anymore. As much as I feel the Knicks need more time to glue and need a point guard in order to make things work with this group, they should be playing better than they have been playing. Let’s face it, the trio of Amare, Tyson and Melo is not working out. Will a point guard make a difference? I think so, but how much? And if you have the opportunity to snatch up a big man such as D-12, the most dominant big man in the game, you do it in a heart beat. This is a no brainer…pairing up D-12 with Melo would be amazing.

As much I am a fan of Amare, he is not clicking with this team. He really looks depressed and looks as if he’s playing hurt. It’s sad because I really like Amare, but he is a mere shade of himself. He was the only superstar who took a chance coming to the Knicks, has helped make the team become winners again and helped bring Melo and Tyson to the team.

As for Tyson, I was ecstatic and surprised that we were able to get him. He is a true leader and really good defender. He was one of the key reasons the Mavericks won the championship. But, since it’s not working out, the Magic see this as an opportunity getting two solid starters for D12. Dolan, Grunwald if you’re listening….make the move. If you have a chance, listen to Stephen A. Smith’s podcast and let me know what are your reactions.

According to ESPN New York’s Stephen A. Smith , the Orlando Magic have talked to the New York Knickerbockers about a possible trade for center Dwight Howard. In the article, Stephen A. Smith states:

I will preface my statement by telling you that [the Magic] have categorically denied this, but my sources tell me that they have inquired about Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire going to Orlando for Dwight Howard

Now, if the Magic did indeed inquire about Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler for Dwight Howard, it would not work financially as it would put the Magic over the cap so it is certain SF Hedo Turkoglu would be coming to New York as well in the deal. However, if this trade were to evolve into a three-team or even a four-team deal, it would be uncertain where Turkoglu would go.

This is obviously a very interesting deal for both sides. Amar’e is a superstar without a doubt, but Dwight Howard is arguably the best or second best player in the league depending on who you ask. If the Knicks have an opportunity to acquire a player of that caliber, they cannot pass on it. While Amar’e put the Knicks back on the map last year and has done wonders for this organization and Tyson Chandler just signed recently, the National Basketball Association is and always will be a business. Players like Dwight Howard do not come around often so if the Knicks are given a chance to trade Amar’e and his injury concerns as well as Tyson Chandler, the Knicks must pull the trigger on that deal.

So if the Knicks were to acquire Dwight Howard, their big three would simply just become a big two right? Well, not exactly. Deron Williams could possibly be on the way if the Knicks acquire Dwight Howard. According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Knicks are on Deron’s list of preferred teams if the Nets cannot acquire the Orlando Center. Of course, in order for Deron Williams to come to the Garden, the Knicks would need to restructure Carmelo Anthony’s contract and try to get Dwight Howard to take less than the maximum. Would that be possible? Well, it might be difficult but certainly possible if Carmelo, Dwight, and Deron are willing to take a little less in order to form an absolutely terrific trio.

But alas, that is just a fantasy for now. As of today, January 23, the Knicks have a terrific trio in Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler. While the team may be struggling currently, it cannot be denied the Knicks are currently set for the future as they are now. Even if they don’t acquire Dwight Howard, the Knicks will definitely be okay and will, hopefully, be an Eastern Conference powerhouse for years to come.

Last night your New York Knicks dropped yet another game, this time at the hands of the surging Denver Nuggets. On the surface The game itself was exciting, in terms of the close play down the stretch and the fact that it went into two overtimes; however, if you are a Knicks fan, this game was far from exciting.

Last night’s contest was a tale of two teams that have gone in completely opposite directions since the Carmelo trade last season.

Anthony's poor play sank the Knicks last night against the Nuggets

The Knicks this season have developed a reputation of being a rather selfish team; the Nuggets on the other hand, have been the antithesis of the Knicks—displaying great team play and taking advantage of their abyss-like depth, an asset that the Knicks were largely responsible for providing the Nuggets with by making  the aforementioned Anthony deal.

During the game, these two teams played true to their respective forms. The Nuggets had 6 players score in double figures, including a massive performance out of Al Harrington who had 24 points, 15 of which came in the 4^th quarter.  Former Knick Danilo Gallinari severely outplayed Carmelo Anthony and dropped 36 points in the victory.

The Knicks played an impressive first half in which they shared the ball to the tune of 15 team assists and lead by 8 points at the break. Unfortunately for the Knicks the old cliché, old habits die hard, rang true for them in the second half.

The Knicks offense was incredibly stagnant, at times if even bordered on unwatchable. This was particularly true when Carmelo Anthony was on the floor.  Melo’s 10-30 shooting night was as bad as it sounds. His willingness to settle for long jumpers instead of attacking the basket, or moving the ball, is a huge reason, if not THE reason, that this team lost last night.

At points in the game the Knicks had success running the screen and roll, both from the top of the key and, to a larger degree, from Continue reading this post »

According to Seth Rosenthal over at Posting and Toasting, Josh Harrellson will be out an extended period of time after suffering a fractured wrist in last night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

This is obviously crushing news for the Knicks who can ill afford to lose another big body inside. Jorts is a guy who has brought pretty much everything the team needs so far, and without him someone else is going to have to step up and give the Knicks solid minutes off the bench.

In the meantime it looks like you will probably see more minutes from Novak, Jefferies, Balkman and possibly even Jordan in order to try and replace the minutes provided previously by Harrelson.

At this moment it is not known how long Harrelson will be out for.

The Knickerbockers lost their 6th straight game last night and  have officially gone 0-4 on their homestand vs the likes of the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets. Former Knicks Al Harrington, Timofey Mozgov, and Danilo Gallinari scored a combined 77 points and grabbed a combined 29 boards as the Knicks were defeated by the league’s second best offense 119-114 in 2OT.

Where do I begin with this one?

Well, I guess I can begin with this: Amar’e Stoudemire was completely nonexistent in the fourth quarter, in overtime, and in the second overtime. That’s not an exaggeration. Stoudemire had 0 field goal attempts once the third quarter was complete. Keep in mind, Amar’e Stoudemire is 6x All-Star. The fact Stoudemire didn’t have a single field goal attempt is startling and actually is a great example of Stoudemire’s season thus far.

Carmelo Anthony, who would probably admit he had a terrible first three quarters, kept the Knicks in the game during the fourth quarter and overtime as he scored 25 points, shot 33% from the field tonight, grabbed 10 boards, and dished out 5 assists. He almost singlehandedly kept the Knicks in it late in the game after he was booed by the crowd earlier. In all, it was an okay night for Carmelo despite his struggles early in the game.

Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields both performed well as they combined for 36 points, 14 assists, and 4 steals. Landry Fields performed very well during the Knicks’ past three games as he averaged 15 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Hopefully Fields can continue his solid play as the Knicks need their players to contribute as much as possible right now.

Bill Walker tonight was on fire as he made 5 of his 6 field goal attempts and scored 15 points. However, he only played 11 minutes tonight despite his great shooting. Why D’Antoni only played him for 11 minutes is beyond me but the Knicks sure could have used him at certain times tonight.

So where do the Knicks go from here? Well they embark on a four game road trip starting Tuesday where they play at Charlotte (Let the Boris Diaw nightmares begin again), Cleveland, Miami, and Houston. Before the season began I would have said the Knicks should go 3-1 or even 4-0 on this road trip but now? I would be content with the Knicks going 2-2 based on the way they’ve been playing lately. D’Antoni’s job status continues to be more in question with each loss and of course tonight’s loss didn’t help. This is going to be a very important week for the Knicks because if they keep struggling, D’Antoni might not be the Knicks’ coach one week from today.

The New York Knicks host the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden tonight.  It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the mega-deal that brought Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets to the Knicks.

At the time of the trade, both teams were satisfied.  The Knicks shipped four starters to the Nuggets,

Did the New York Knicks give up too much for Carmelo Anthony?

including Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton.  In return, the Nuggets sent Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and of course Carmelo Anthony to New York.

Former Knicks Gallinari and Mozgov now start for the Nuggets.  The Nuggets traded Felton for veteran point guard Andre Miller.  On the other hand, the Knicks have made little use of their pieces from Denver (aside from Anthony).  Billups was let go to make room for center Tyson Chandler.  Renaldo Balkman is on the bench in a reserve role.  Shelden Williams and Anthony Carter are no longer on the roster.

Since the trade, the Nuggets have thrived while the Knicks have struggled.  The Nuggets are playing well this season.  They hold an 11-5 record and are on a three-game winning streak.   The Knicks are heading in the opposite direction.  They are three games below .500.  The Knicks have lost five games in a row, including an embarrassing 100-86 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last night at the Garden.  It was their low point of the season.

And it can get worse for the Knicks.  The former Knicks, now playing for the Nuggets, could really demoralize them by winning tonight.  The Nuggets are flying high, while the Knicks seem to be at square one.  A loss by the Knicks would be further evidence that the Nuggets got the better end of the Anthony trade.  If you thought the Knicks gave up too much for Anthony, stand up and shout “I told you so!”

The Knicks’ main problem this season has been offense.  Last season, they were second in the league in scoring.  This season they are 17th.  Ironcially, it is the Nuggets who are second in the league in scoring this season.  The problem lies at one position:  point guard.  The Knicks do not have a solid point guard to orchestrate their offense.  Rookie Iman Shumpert has played well, but he is still a rookie.  The Knicks need Baron Davis on the court.  When healthy, Davis is an elite point guard.  The offense will improve with Davis on the floor.  It has to improve.  If not, it could be a horrible season for the Knicks.  It could be a horrible few years ahead too.

Edwin Torres was born in New York City.  He has been a Knicks fan since the early 1980s. He has visited Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

NBA Statistics – Yahoo! Sports