However to accomplish what only eight other teams have done previously, come  back from a  3-1 series hole, the Knicks are going to need head coach Mike Woodson at his best, which means shrinking his rotation.

May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson during the game against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 85-75. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

There are several things that Woodson must do to maximize the Knicks chances to win Game 6 and force a deciding Game 7 at The Garden  and  the first deals with superstar Carmelo Anthony.

The first thing that Woodson must realize is that he has to pull out all stops to come away with a win. There is no tomorrow and if that means playing his best player minutes, then so be it.

Anthony needs to be on the floor as much as possible and if I’m Woodson I have a very hard time taking Anthony out of this game unless the Knicks build a comfortable lead.

The second thing that Woodson must do is play Anthony and Chris Copeland together often.

Copeland is the one Knick that is shooting the ball well and right now is really the only one capable of stretching the floor. If Anthony and Copeland are on the floor with a couple of guards who can penetrate, it opens up so many more options offensively.

Another must for Woodson is to go to the pick-and-roll with Raymond Felton far more often. If Felton is running the P&R with Tyson Chandler or Kenyon Martin, Indiana must respect his mid-range game, which means either Felton is making shots or creating plays for his big men. Either way, Felton is the guy who can put the most pressure on the Pacers’ defense.

But while that’s a lot of things that Woodson should do, there are also a lot of things he shouldn’t do.

The first being not giving J.R. Smith major minutes.

If it seems early on that Smith is about to shoot the Knicks out of the game, it’s almost impossible for Woodson to play him 30+ minutes.  It will be a tough decision, but if it looks as if Smith is going to have another tough night then Woody has to pull the plug.

Next there’s Jason Kidd.

Kidd shouldn’t be on the floor much in Game 6 as he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat right now.  If you are Woodson, you love the intangibles that Kidd brings to the table, but he hasn’t hit a shot in over 202 minutes and it’s getting hard to run him out there right now. This just isn’t the right time to let the future Hall of Famer work out of his shooting slumps.

Finally Woodson needs to use less of Amar’e Stoudemire.

He only gave STAT six minutes of run in Game 5 and it’s hard to make the case that he should get more right now,

Sure the Knicks could use Stoudemire’s low-post scoring, but Stoudemire still hasn’t had enough time to adjust defensively. Copeland, at this point, can offer a bigger impact on that end because he can hold his own inside and out. Copeland proved he can hold his own defensively down low in Game 5. He had two steals in the contest and was aggressive against David West. That’s something that Stoudemire simply can’t do.

With the Knicks season on the line, the pressure is going to be on everyone to perform at a high level, especially Woodson. If he makes the right adjustments and some tough decisions, the Knicks will have a much greater chance of coming home for Game 7.

Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith are struggling. Jason Kidd couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat and the rest of the Knicks simply aren’t getting the job done when it comes to scoring the ball.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland (14) shoots over Indiana Pacers power forward David West (21) during the first half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

That alone begs the question of why isn’t Knicks head coach Mike Woodson using Chris Copeland more in the postseason?

By no means is Copeland a savior, but the one thing he can do is fill it up and instead of watching Smith chuck up 20 bricks per night, it would be nice to see Woodson put some guys on the floor that may have been able to impact the series in a positive way.

I will admit that Copeland is horrendous defensively, but the Knicks are trailing 3-1 because they can’t make shots.

The numbers would suggest that he could have an impact.

In the postseason, the Knicks offensive rating is +15.5 points while Copeland is on the court. In addition, New York’s assist percentage is +8.5 percent (via Basketball Reference).

Then there is the fact that the Knicks have shot only 32 percent from the three-point line throughout the playoffs.

Copeland could help there as well as he has been one of the team’s most consistent shooters from deep, making 5-of-13 shots from downtown and has the third-highest three-point percentage (38.5) of anyone who is averaging more than one attempt per game.

He also has had success against the Pacers as Copeland averaged 10.8 points and shot 53 percent against them in the regular season.

For the most part I like the job that Woodson has done with this team this year, but he’s making a mistake by not playing Copeland. He’s only played in seven of the Knicks 10 playoff games and has averaged only 7.9 minutes per game.

It’s a shame to watch the Knicks go down with bullets still left in their gun.

It’s too late now, but Woodson clearly made a mistake by not turning to Copeland earlier.

A few made shots here and there and this could have been a different series.

As usual, there will be approximately 60 stars from the college ranks, D-League and international game competing against one another and themselves over the course of two days.

While the NBA’s combine may not have the luster of the NFL’s, it’s still an important affair that showcases everyone from consensus top five picks to fringe second-rounders.

With that being said, here is my latest 2013 NBA Mock Draft-Pre-Combine edition.

February 12, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Nerlens Noel (3) shoots a free throw against the Florida Gators during the second half at the Stephen C. O

1. Orlando Magic
Player Name: Nerlens Noel
Position, School: PF, Kentucky

The Magic have a ton of holes to fill and they are in a fortunate situation where they can take the best player on the board. If his knee passes all of the test, that guy is Noel. He is an excellent shot-blocker who should develop a better than average offensive game. Knee injury or not, Noel has the makings of a dominant NBA big man. He has more upside than anyone in the draft and will look very nice paired with Nikola Vucevic.

2. Charlotte Bobcats
Player Name: Ben McLemore
Position, School: SG, Kansas

The Bobcats have a couple nice young pieces in place with Kemba Walker and Michael-Kidd Gilchrist. Now it’s time to address the need for a productive shooting guard.  With great athleticism and an elite scoring ability, he could be a go-to player early in his career. While he was a bit inconsistent last season, McLemore still has plenty of room to grow and his natural skill translates well to the next level.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Player Name: Otto Porter
Position, School: SF, Georgetown

The Cavs have their backcourt for the future set with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters and also have some nice frontcourt players in Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller and Anderson Varejao. What Cleveland needs is a productive 3 and Porter could be the perfect fit. He can do it all at both ends of the court and is a future NBA star.

4. Phoenix Suns
Player Name: Victor Oladipo
Position, School: SG, Indiana

Oladipo is the best on-ball defender in this class, which will greatly improve what was a horrible Suns’ defense. He is an explosive athlete and if his offensive game continues to improve, Phoenix could have themselves a future star.

5. New Orleans Hornets
Player Name: Shabazz Muhammad
Position, School: SF, UCLA

The Hornets could look at Michigan’s Trey Burke here, but the need for someone that can put the ball in the basket is too great. Greivis Vasquez proved that he can be a solid point guard and by adding Muhammad, they get themselves a guy that can create his own shot and finish as a shooter or near the basket. He also is a guy who can help take some of the scoring pressure off of Eric Gordon.

6. Sacramento Kings
Player Name: Anthony Bennett
Position, School: PF, UNLV

Bennett is one of the most versatile players in the draft. He has the strength to play inside at power forward and the handle and shooting ability to play small forward if needed. He is currently injured, but the Kings need help at both positions and his upside is too great to pass on.

7. Detroit Pistons 
Player Name: Trey Burke

Apr 5, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Trey Burke (3) reacts during practice for the 2013 NCAA Mens Final Four at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Position, School: PG, Michigan

The Pistons can use a true point guard that will allow them to move Brandin Knight off the ball. Burke is a point guard how can pass as well as he scores and has a very bright NBA future ahead of him.

8. Washington Wizards
Player Name: Alex Len
Position, School: C, Maryland

The Wizards have their backcourt for the future in John Wall and Bradley Beal, so here is an opportunity to add a big man that can complement those guys. Len didn’t put up the greatest numbers in college, but he had to deal with poor guard play. His athleticism and ability to finish near the basket should work out great in Washington.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves 
Player Name: C.J. McCollum
Position, School: PG/SG, Lehigh

This is probably a reach, but I like McCollum a lot and think he’s a great fit in Minnesota. I don’t view McCollum as a point guard in the NBA but think he could be very good off the ball. The Timberwolves are still searching for an answer at shooting guard and have shot only 30 percent from behind the arc on the season.  McCollum is a guy who can really knock down the long-range shot, connecting on 51 percent on his three-point attempts.  He will be this year’s Damian Lillard.

10. Portland Trail Blazers
Player Name: Cody Zeller
Position, School: C, Indiana

The Blazers have a great starting five but no depth at all. Zeller gives the Blazers some addition height and a guy that runs the floor very well. He can finish around the basket and has a nice mid-range game. He’s the best player left on the board here and could turn out to be a steal for the Blazers.

K-Mart has missed the past couple of practices with the flu, but according to Newsday’s Al Iannazzone, Martin is expected to play in a must-win game Tuesday night.

Kenyon Martin says he’s playing. He’s glad they had the days off. He said he would have played if they hadn’t.

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) May 14, 2013

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) drives to the net past Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks win 105-79. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

In addition to Martin, Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith is being called a game-time decision by Knicks head coach Mike Woodson as the team has listed him as questionable.

Woodson said Smith is still “sick’’ and he and Martin are being quarantined from the team so it won’t spread. However it seems all but certain that Smith will play, but given his recent struggles, that isn’t necessarily a good thing, but the Knicks can’t win this series without him.

However Smith must be feeling better as the New York Post’s Marc Berman reported that Smith was spotted Sunday at about 10:30 p.m. at Steak N Shake in downtown Indianapolis.

Hopefully the steak burger will help Smith find his shot as he is just 19-of-69 from the floor since returning from his one-game suspension in the Boston series.

In addition to Smith and Martin recovering from the flu, guard Iman Shumpert has been held out of practice with a sore knee, which is very bad timing for the Knicks, although all signs point to Shump being able to play Tuesday night, even though he is also listed as questionable.

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Already down 2-1 in their second round series to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks face a must win situation Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, a place where they haven’t won this season in three tries.

May 11, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers Lance Stephenson (10) shoots the ball against New York Knicks forward J.R. Smith (8) and center Tyson Chandler (6) in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Tom Russo-USA TODAY Sports

If the Knicks return to The Garden in a 3-1 hole, their season is realistically all but over as only eight teams have even come back from down 3-1 to win a seven-game series.

Given the way they have played for most of the series, how can the Knicks avoid that from happening?

There are a lot of adjustments that Mike Woodson’s team needs to make.

Let’s take a look at where they can start.

1. Defend, Defend, Defend

The Pacers aren’t a team that typically scores a lot of points and they are only shooting 43 percent from the floor this series as a team. But they are having a field day scoring in the paint. The Knicks must make it a point to make it very tough to score inside and make the Pacers a perimeter shooting team, where they are only shooting 32 percent in the series.

2. Crash the Glass

The Pacers were the top rebounding team in the NBA this season and it showed big time in Game 3. Indiana had 13 more total boards (53-40) and eight more on the offensive end (18-10). For the series, the Pacers hold a plus-25 advantage on the glass.  That can’t happen anymore as the Knicks must make an effort to be more aggressive rebounding. That needs to start with Tyson Chandler as Roy Hibbert is owning him on the glass. Hibbert is averaging close to 11 rebounds per game in the series while Chandler has averaged only four. That’s as telling as a sign as any.

3. Move the ball

Chandler called the Knicks a selfish team offensively and it’s hard to argue much against that statement. You aren’t going to beat a good defensive team like the Pacers primarily with isolation. The ball has to move much more. That doesn’t mean the Knicks should go away from the isolation sets, but they have to make the Pacers work more defensively. That means more ball movement.

The ball doesn’t move and the likes of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith hold the ball in isolation sets until they are forced to chuck up difficult low-percentage shots.

Often it appears that the likes of Anthony and Smith are trying to win games on their own, which really begs only one question.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) warms up before game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Has this Knicks’ offense become too selfish?

If you ask Knicks’ All-Star center Tyson Chandler, that answer is yes.

Chandler told Newsday’s Al Iannazzone that Knicks are being too selfish and individuals are trying to win games alone, and this team doesn’t have players who can do that. Chandler didn’t mention anyone by name, but Anthony and Smith tend to be volume shooters way too much.

“I watched the tape myself and there’s open looks,” Chandler told Iannazzone. “We have to be willing passers. You have to sacrifice yourself sometimes for the betterment of the team, for the betterment of your teammates. So when you drive in the paint, you draw, you kick it. We need to do a better job of allowing the game to dictate who takes the shots and not the individuals.

“I’m not saying that anybody is doing it maliciously. I think it’s more so a situation, you want to take over the game or you want to make a big shot, where you have to just stick to the game plan. Good teams win basketball games. Unless you’re a great, great, great individual, and we’ve only had a few of those come through.”

The Knicks offense is a big reason why they trail their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers 2-1, but so is their defense and rebounding, which is an area that the finger can be pointed at Chandler.

But overall I have to agree with Chandler here.

The ball doesn’t move at all and the Knicks offense is very predictable. Against a very good defensive team like the Pacers, that’s not a good recipe for winning.

When you don’t move the ball, you don’t find open shooters, which was the Knicks strength all season long.

They set an NBA record by draining 891 three-pointers in the regular season. Overall, the Knicks averaged 10.9 made threes per game and took 28.9. In Game 3, they were only 3-for-11 from deep.

By moving the ball more, there will be more open looks.

Six different Knicks are averaging less shot attempts in the postseason than they did in the regular season, including Chandler, who is down to 3.9 attempts in the playoffs after averaging 6.1 in the regular season.

But while Anthony is now averaging 25.6 attempts, up from 22.2 in the regular season, I don’t necessarily believe the answer is for him to shoot less. The Knicks certainly can’t win this series with him taking only 16 attempts from the floor like he did in Game 3.

However the answer lies with what kind of shots Anthony and the Knicks are taking and that’s where Chandler’s statements have some merit.

It’s as simple as moving the ball and playing unselfish basketball.

If the Knicks don’t start doing it soon, their offseason will begin rather quickly.

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Chandler was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team on Monday, one year after not being named a first team defensive player despite winning the 2012 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

May 11, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) argues a referees call in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 82-71. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

According to the league’s official Twitter feed, the All-Defensive First Team is comprised of forwards LeBron James and Serge Ibaka, guards Tony Allen and Chris Paul and a tie for center between Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah.

For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award was left off the All-Defensive First Team as Memphis Grizzlies’ center Marc Gasol was left off the team.

Gasol joins Tim Duncan and Paul George at the forward spots and Avery Bradley and Mike Conley at the guard positions as members of the second team.

According to CBS Sports’ Royce Young, the voting broke down as follows:

FIRST TEAM

LeBron James, Miami — 25 first — 3 second — 52 points

Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City — 17 — 12 — 46

Tyson Chandler, New York — 9 — 6 — 24

Joakim Noah, Chicago — 8 — 8 — 24

Tony Allen, Memphis — 25 — 3 — 53

Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers — 15 — 7 — 37

SECOND TEAM

Tim Duncan, San Antonio — 3 — 14 — 20

Paul George, Indiana — 7 — 13 — 27

Marc Gasol, Memphis — 5 — 2 — 12

Avery Bradley, Boston — 10 — 5 — 25

Mike Conley, Memphis — 4 — 11 — 19

Chandler was the anchor of the Knicks defense and averaged 10.7 rebounds to go along with 1.1 blocks per game, as the Knicks allowed only 95.7 points per game, which ranked them seventh in the NBA.

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But when the words “must win” are thrown on the table, that’s when superstars answer the call.

May 11, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) watches from the sidelines with four fouls against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 82-71. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

To this point in his 10-year NBA career Carmelo Anthony has not been able to do that, but that’s something he has to change come Tuesday night.

If he doesn’t and the Knicks don’t come away with a win, their season won’t be officially over, but it will be all but finished nonetheless.

There are many aspects of the Knicks game that needs to improve for Game 4, but Anthony having a huge game is certainly one of them.

This is the moment he wanted when he choose to be a Knick. This is a moment that can help define his career. If he doesn’t come through, it will be hard for Anthony to shake the label of a guy who can’t win big games.

He certainly needs some help as ‘Melo can’t do it all by himself, but sometimes a superstar has to steal a game by himself.  This may be one of those games.

Anthony took just 16 shots in Game 3 but you can bet that number will increase on Tuesday. However he has to be careful of not over doing it and getting back to playing “Melo Ball.” Anthony has to find that perfect mix of carrying a team offensively but still playing team basketball. It’s a delicate line to toe, but ‘Melo has to do exactly that.

If he does, the Knicks have a good shot at coming back to New York with the series tied, 2-2.

Anthony has eclipsed the 30-point plateau only twice in his last seven playoff games; including only one-of-three games this series.

He has shot under 40 percent from the floor in two of those three games, something that can’t happen on Tuesday.

To have success, ‘Melo must find a way to score on the Pacers’ Paul George, something he hasn’t been able to do this series.

George held Anthony to 4-for-11 shooting in Game 3. Anthony has hit just 34 percent of his attempts when defended by George throughout the series.

One option could be less isolation when George is guarding Anthony. Turning to the pick-and-roll with ‘Melo in those situations could do a lot to free him up more.

Whatever the case, Anthony has to find a way to have a big game.

His back is against the wall and the pressure is on.

Those are the situations where superstars thrive and take hold of the moment.

To be in that class, Anthony has to make a big statement in Game 4.

If he doesn’t, the critics will come out of the woodworks and it will probably be well-deserved.

However Anthony still has some big games left ahead of him this postseason.

He can do a lot to silence the critics by having a huge game and bringing this series back to The Garden tied at two.

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That means the likes of Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, Chris Copeland, Steve Novak and Amar’e Stoudemire must all play big roles at the offensive end of the floor if the Knicks are to have any chance of tying up their second round series against the Indiana Pacers.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) gestures during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

But more importantly it means that Jason Kidd needs to step up and do what he was brought to the Big Apple to do- lead this team.

While this is certainly Carmelo Anthony’s team, Kidd needs to step up and be the leader right now. While Kidd’s leadership is something that has never been questioned throughout his career, he has always been the type of player that does what it takes to win.

In this case it means Kidd stepping up and knocking down some shots.

Kidd has not scored a point in seven straight playoff games. He failed to score in just two games that he played in his entire playoff career entering this postseason.

In addition, Kidd is the only player in NBA history to play at least 10 minutes in six straight playoff games and fail to score in any of them.

The 10-time All-Star and surefire Hall-of-Famer averaged 6.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals over 26.9 minutes per game this season, showing great prowess as a 3-point shooter and on-ball defender in head coach Mike Woodson‘s system. From long range, Kidd shot 35 percent.

However, outside of his streaky three-point game, Kidd’s offense was pretty much nonexistent all year. Rarely did he capitalize on opportunities to drive the lane for an open layup or even, on occasion, take a wide-open three.

It appears that in the twilight of his professional career, he has lost a bit of his confidence on the offensive side of the floor.

There’s no better time than Tuesday’s Game 4 to get that confidence back.

Kidd hasn’t knocked down a shot from the floor since Game 2 of the Celtics series, a span that covers close to 185 minutes of court time.

He’s missed his last 15 attempts from the floor and for the Knicks to advance; they are going to have to get something from Kidd offensively. If he doesn’t step up and deliver, not only will the Knicks see an end to their season, but Kidd’s Hall of Fame career could come to a quick end as well.

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However on paper, everything looked good for the Knicks having 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler matched up on Hibbert for the duration of the series.

May 11, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) argues a referees call in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 82-71. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately the Hibbert-Chandler matchup has turned into a mismatch. One that the Pacers have repeatedly exploited.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said earlier in the series that he needed Chandler to outplay Hibbert for the Knicks to be successful.

Similar to Game 1, that didn’t happen in Game 3.

Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Chandler finished with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks in 30 minutes. Even more disturbing was the fact that the Knicks were outscored by 14 with Chandler on the floor.

The Knicks are attempting to trap and double Hibbert, but the help is coming much too late. New York is often blessed by the fact that Chandler doesn’t need much help, which allows their defense to be more aggressive. That’s not the case here as he is getting abused.

With all of the Knicks struggles this series, except for their huge fourth quarter run in Game 2, a major reason they are down in the series is the fact that they are losing the battle of the big men in a big way.

Chandler has averaged only seven points and four rebounds this series, while only averaging 3.7 shoot attempts per game. Hibbert on the other hand has been dominant. The Georgetown product is averaging 14.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, to go along with three blocks per game.

To get back and potentially win this series, Chandler has to be much better, especially from a rebounding and defensive perspective.

He has to come to play and limit Hibbert’s effectiveness.

How long this series goes could rest on his shoulders.

Tuesday night in Indianapolis, Chandler has to come to play and make a statement doing so.

If he does, I like the Knicks chances.

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Coming off their worst performance in these playoffs, the Knicks not only need to figure out how to effectively attack the Pacers defense, but how to get physically well also.

May 11, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin (3) shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacer in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Tom Russo-USA TODAY Sports

J.R. Smith, who played 25 minutes in Game 3 on Saturday night despite a high fever, sat out of the Knicks’ morning practice on Sunday. But he’s not the only one as he was also joined by Kenyon Martin, who sat out sick as well.

“Kenyon’s kind of coming down with [illness], too,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Wade, “so we’ve got to be careful that this thing doesn’t spread, and other guys start dropping.”

The Knicks not only hope that Smith starts feeling better by Tuesday’s Game 4, but they hope he finds his shooting touch somewhere along the way.

With an offense that is struggling to score against Indiana, which had the NBA’s best defense during the regular season in terms of points allowed per possession, the Knicks need Smith’s scoring.

He won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award by averaging 18.1 points per game off the bench, but without Smith performing at a high level, the Knicks offense loses much of its explosiveness.

However Smith simply feeling better may not be enough to fix the Knicks woes.

He had another tough night on Saturday. Granted he was sick, but his nine points on 4-for-12 shooting just added to his overall struggles.

Since he came back from his one-game suspension, Smith has been nothing short of awful.

The Sixth Man of the Year has connected on only 19-of-69 (27.5 percent) shot attempts and only 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) three-point attempts.

During his last six games, Smith has combined to score only 61 points, but has taken a whopping 69 shots.

While the Knicks need Smith to get healthy, they also need Martin feeling 100 percent.

Even with Amar’e Stoudemire back playing a few minutes off the bench, the Knicks need all the size they can get against the much bigger and physical Pacers.

Roy Hibbert is having a field day against Tyson Chandler and if Martin can’t give Woodson some quality minutes at the defensive end of the floor, this series could end very quickly.

So while the Knicks have to deal with the physical style of the Pacers on the court, they are also getting beat up by the flu bug off the court.

If the flu bug wins, the Knicks attention could quickly turn towards the offseason.

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But according to his agent, the 35-year old point guard is open to returning to the New York Knicks for another season next year.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni (9) dribbles against the Indiana Pacers during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won the game 105-79. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Prigioni’s agent, George Bass, told Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com on Friday that the Argentine point guard “is interested in returning to the Knicks” for a second season.

“Pablo really enjoyed himself here, and he has interest in playing again next year,” Bass said. “He’s fallen in love with New York, there’s no doubt. The Knicks are just a first-class organization, so it’s been good all the way around.”

Before this season with the Knicks, Prigioni had spent 17 seasons playing professionally in Spain and Argentina.

But while he was a little used piece off of the bench for most of the season, once Prigioni was inserted into the starting lineup, the Knicks took off.

He doesn’t have eye popping numbers, as he has only averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 assists on the season, but Prigioni’s impact goes well beyond the box score. He’s a guy who always looks to get his teammates involved in the game and has shown the ability to be very tenacious defensively. Since he took over as the starter, the Knicks have gone 21-5 (including playoffs). That can’t be ignored.

Last summer, Prigioni signed a one-year veteran’s minimum deal for $473K. This offseason, the Knicks could make him a restricted free agent by giving him a qualifying offer before June 30. That offer for next season would be for $988K (the second-year veteran’s amount of $788K, plus a non-Bird exception of $200,000).

While another team could present Prigioni a higher contract, the Knicks could match any offer being that he will be a restricted free agent.

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He also helped guide the Knicks to an Atlantic Division title and a 54-win regular season, also things not accomplished by a Knicks head coach in a very long time.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson on the sidelines against the Indiana Pacers during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks win 105-79. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Woodson did all of that in his first full season on the Knicks bench, but does that mean that he has done enough to pass the test and convince Knicks fans that he is the guy to lead the Knicks to their ultimate goal, a goal that they haven’t reached in the last 40 years?

I’d say don’t be so fast to rush to that conclusion.

There’s very little doubt that the franchise is in a much better place with Woodson at the helm then with any of his predecessors, but there is one thing that’s missing from Woodson’s resume- playoff success.

In his eight seasons as an NBA head coach, Woodson has been able to win in the regular season.

He’s won over 50 games on two different occasions and has led teams to the playoffs in five straight seasons, including his stint last season as the interim coach of the Knicks.

But once he reaches the postseason, his teams struggle.

Including this season Woodson has compiled only a 17-25 career postseason record and has never made it out of the second round in his five postseason years.

Getting out of the first round is simply not good enough for this Knicks team.

Just like superstar players are judged by what they do in the postseason, coaches are judged by how they perform in the playoffs as well.

Woodson has a lot of tough decisions to make as the Knicks head to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Saturday.

How will he handle J.R. Smith’s struggles? How will he work Amar’e Stoudemire back into the rotation? How will the Knicks attack the Pacers size when they aren’t shooting well from the perimeter?

Good coaches handle those problems and many more when all the chips are on the table.

The great ones are able to make the necessary adjustments and rotation changes on the fly.

Is Woodson that type of coach?

Fortunately he’s got some more time to prove that he is.

If he doesn’t, there has to be some doubts that he’s the right man to lead the Knicks to the promise land.

The pressure isn’t just on Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the Knicks players; it’s on Woodson as well.

We will find out shortly if he is up to the challenge.

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But that all changed with one selfish elbow to the head of Boston Celtics’ guard Jason Terry.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) attempts a shot during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Smith has struggled in a big way since returning from his one-game suspension and as a result he could be forced to get used to spending some more time on the bench as Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson as said that he wouldn’t hesitate to cut Smith’s minutes beginning with Game 3 of the Knicks second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

“I’ll gauge J.R. as we go along and if I feel he’s not giving me anything, I could always turn to other guys on that bench,” Woodson said Wednesday in an interview on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show (via ESPN’s Ian Begley).”

“I feel good about the guys that come in off that bench just like I feel good about J.R. But if he’s struggling and I feel the need (that) I’ve got to pull him, then I will do that as the head coach and then other guys have got to come in and step up and play.”

However I doubt that Woodson goes that route however it is interesting that didn’t rule out benching Smith, which goes to show exactly how much he is struggling.

Smith is missing shots and not playing well at all from an offensive standpoint. But Smith does bring a little bit to the table defensively as long as he doesn’t carry his struggles with him to that end of the floor.

To illustrate exactly how bad things have been for the Sixth Man of the Year, consider the fact that Smith averaged 23.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 37.7 percent from behind the arc during the Knicks final 16 regular season. A large part of his success was due to the fact that he was getting to the foul line 6.6 times a night.

Smith is averaging only 14.4 points on 14.7 shot attempts, while only shooting 34 percent from the floor.

Since he came back from his one-game suspension, Smith has been nothing short of brutal.

The Sixth Man of the Year has connected on only 15-of-57 (26.3 percent) shot attempts and only 7-of-24 (29.1 percent) three-point attempts.

When he was going well, Smith averaged only 2.9 long-range attempts the last month of the season. He’s averaged 5.7 during the postseason and 6.0 since coming back from suspension.

During his last five games, Smith has combined to score only 52 points, but has taken a whopping 57 shots.

That alone should result in a lot less minutes for Smith, but he’s also a guy that Woodson likes a lot so I have a hard time seeing him getting much less than the 31.9 minutes per game he is averaging in the postseason.

If Woodson did choose to decrease Smith’s minutes, it’s unclear who would step into his role. He could use Jason Kidd as the first player off his bench or ask Chris Copeland to fill the void. Amar’e Stoudemire is also returning to the lineup Saturday in Game 3 and is expected to get anywhere between 10-15 minutes. Those minutes could come at Smith’s expense.

One thing is for sure though and if Woodson keeps riding Smith and he doesn’t turn things around quickly, Smith will shoot the Knicks right out of the playoffs.

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As expected, the Knicks have announced that power forward Amar’e Stoudemire will return to the lineup on Saturday as the series shifts to Indianapolis.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

However fans that are expecting Stoudemire to make a big impact on the series may have to think again as Stoudemire will be limited to between only 10-15 minutes in his return from knee surgery.

“It won’t be very many minutes,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. “I’m thinking somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, if that.”

Stoudemire hasn’t played since March 7 while recovering from a right knee debridement, but having him out there could be a boost, regardless of the minutes restriction.

He scrimmaged for the second time this week on Thursday. He looked quick and explosive with his low-post moves and was able to take strong contact down low and finish around the rim. That was a big improvement over his first scrimmage on Tuesday when he looked very rusty.

The Knicks have a challenge on their hands facing Indiana’s skilled front court which features Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough. Adding some more size in Stoudemire gives Woodson some more options as he could play two big men for extended periods of time if necessary.

Who knows exactly what STAT will bring to the table at this point, but before he was injured again, Stoudemire was playing very well. He averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds on 57.7 percent shooting in 29 games played on the season.

As the Knicks attempt to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, it’s good that Stoudemire will get the opportunity to take part in things as he has earned the opportunity.

Just hide the fire extinguishers.

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‘Melo is shooting only 39.3 percent in the postseason and has made 50 percent or more of his field-goal attempts just once in eight tries.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) reacts on the court against the Indiana Pacers during the first half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But while Anthony’s shot selection or lack of passing the rock can be viewed as the biggest reason the Knicks may not advance as far as expected this postseason, ‘Melo is the least of the Knicks problems right now.

His shooting woes may be more of a concern if it weren’t for the fact that J.R. Smith is struggling so bad.

The way Smith closed the regular season made Knicks fans think that he changed and gave them legitimate hope that he was a good compliment to ‘Melo. With Smith and Anthony rolling together, this Knicks team could be viewed as serious threats to an NBA championship.

But just when you think it is safe to trust him, Smith breaks that trust and reverts to his old self.

Smith averaged 23.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor overall and 37.7 percent from behind the arc during the Knicks final 16 regular season. A large part of his success was due to the fact that he was getting to the foul line 6.6 times a night.

But the old J.R. has emerged again in the playoffs.

Smith is averaging only 14.4 points on 14.7 shot attempts, while only shooting 34 percent from the floor.

Since he came back from his one-game suspension, Smith has been nothing short of brutal.

The Sixth Man of the Year has connected on only 15-of-57 (26.3 percent) shot attempts and only 7-of-24 (29.1 percent) three-point attempts.

When he was going well, Smith averaged only 2.9 long-range attempts the last month of the season. He’s averaged 5.7 during the postseason and 6.0 since coming back from suspension.

During his last five games, Smith has combined to score only 52 points, but has taken a whopping 57 shots.

That’s not the recipe for winning to say the least.

The Knicks have a long break between Game 2 and Game 3, which should be a good thing, but could turn out to be a bad thing.

Four days in between games gives the immature Smith too much time to do something stupid, as we have seen over the course of the past week.

Instead of partying the day before games, throwing cheap elbows or getting into Twitter spats with fans, Smith should use to time in between games to figure things out.

When Smith shoots over 42 percent from the floor, the Knicks are 32-10 on the season.

To say that Smith isn’t a big part of any chance the Knicks have to win a championship would be foolish. The Knicks need him to be a legitimate No. 2 scoring option and that’s something he hasn’t done this postseason.

Even when Anthony hasn’t been at his best, he’s been nowhere near as awful as Smith has been. Smith has turned into a liability and a distraction, one the Knicks can’t afford to have at this point of the postseason.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, Smith’s biggest supporter recently said: ”If he’s struggling and I feel the need (to) pull him, I’ll turn to someone else,”(via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com).

Well if Smith isn’t struggling now, I don’t want to find out what Woodson’s definition of struggling is.

But to that point, the Knicks need Smith on the floor, even though he has become a burden right now.

They can’t win a title or even contend for one without him performing at a high level.

But if the Knicks fail to do so, all fingers will be pointed Anthony’s way as he will end up having to shoulder the blame for yet another postseason failure.

However this time, most of those fingers should be pointed Smith’s way.

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After leading the Denver Nuggets to a franchise best 57 win regular season, George Karl was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Karl worked wonders with a lineup that lacked an All-Star, was hit hard by injuries to several starters and twisted its way through a brutal early-season schedule in which 22 of the team’s first 32 games were on the road. In leading the Nuggets to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Karl was named Coach of the Year for the first time in his 25-year coaching career.

It was well deserved.

Despite not having a dominant scorer- Ty Lawson led the Nuggets by averaging only 16.7 points per game- the Nuggets finished an amazing 38-3 at home on the season and finished with the fourth best record in the NBA.

Karl received 62 first-place votes, followed by the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra with 24 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

The Knicks Mike Woodson finished third and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, who won the award last season, was fourth.

Karl had 404 votes overall, which blew away Spoelstra’s 190.

He is 1,131-756 in his 25 seasons as head coach and his 21 straight non-losing seasons ties Phil Jackson for the longest streak in league history.

Overall he was the right choice. It would have been nice to see Woodson win the award, but this was Karl’s to lose. If anyone had a legitimate gripe it would have been Spoelstra, who led the Heat to the best record in the league and saw them win an amazing 27 games in a row.

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But that’s simply not the case for New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) gestures during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The future Hall of Famer has become the poster boy for how to contribute to a team’s success without scoring.

Kidd hasn’t made a shot from the floor in over 155 minutes of playing time during these playoffs. He hasn’t scored in over six games, with his last field goal coming in the first quarter of Game 2 of the Knicks first-round series against the Boston Celtics.

In addition, Kidd has missed 14 consecutive attempts and has made only 3-of-21 field goal attempts during the Knicks eight postseason games to date.

That would be enough to frustrate a normal player and completely throw him off his game. But not Kidd. He’s not your normal player.

Despite his lack of scoring, Kidd has been valuable off the Knicks bench.

He hasn’t allowed his offensive struggles to affect him on the defensive end of the floor, where the Knicks need his smarts the most. Then there is the fact that despite averaging only 1.6 points per game this postseason, Kidd is contributing in other ways by averaging close to three assists and five rebounds per game, all while acting like a true professional.

When other Knicks like J.R. Smith are struggling with their shot, they should look at Kidd and use him as an example of how to play winning basketball without scoring the ball.

The funny thing about Kidd’s current struggles is the fact that you know he has a few big shots left in him.

When the time comes and the Knicks need him the most, don’t be surprised if he contributes offensively as well with everything else he has done.

Miller was in the Garden Tuesday night for Game 2 of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers series, calling the game for TNT and Lee took the time to have some fun at Miller’s expense.

Shump has that explosiveness back as he demonstrated with this vicious dunk in the Knicks Game 2 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Even more has been made about J.R. Smith’s struggles and immature behavior off of the floor.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) looks for a shot against New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

But as equally disturbing as how Anthony and Smith have struggled, the struggles of New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler is having an impact on the Knicks, who have lost three of their last four playoff games.

If that is to change and the Knicks are to even up their second round series against the Indiana Pacers, Chandler must step up and be dominant in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Chandler was severely outplayed by Pacers’ center Roy Hibbert in Game 1. Hibbert finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, five blocks and four assists, while Chandler only had four points, three rebounds and two blocks.

That prompted Knicks head coach Mike Woodson to say, “I’ve got to get Tyson [Chandler] playing better than Hibbert.”

When you think about it, Chandler’s performance is a real key to the series.

Throughout the postseason, Chandler is averaging only five points per game, failing to score in double figures in any of the Knicks seven playoff games. He has also only averaged 7.8 rebounds and has average only 3.7 shot attempts per game.

That’s down from the 10.4 points and 10.7 rebounds he averaged during the regular season. He shot 63.8 percent from the floor while averaging over six shot attempts per game.

It’s as simple as getting Chandler more touches.

However it’s hard to keep him involved when the Knicks continue to go away from the pick-and-roll, something that Chandler and Raymond Felton have great success with. But in the second half of Game 1, the Knicks offense was dominated by Anthony and Smith in isolation plays.

That plays right into the Pacers hands.

Indiana is a very good defensive team and if the ball isn’t moving, Hibbert doesn’t have to move much. That means he is always in position to contest shots and clean up the glass.

If Hibbert continues to dominate Chandler, this will be a quick series.

Even though it is early, Game 2 is almost a must-win situation for the Knicks.

That won’t happen unless Chandler steps up at both ends of the floor.

Defensively he has to be as physical with Hibbert as the Pacers are with the Knicks, but he can’t get into early foul trouble. He simply can’t allow Hibbert to put up a line like he did in Game 1.

Offensively, the Knicks have to get away from the constant isolation and move the basketball.

Chandler has to be involved in the gameplan and has to put up double-double type numbers for the remainder of this series.

If the Knicks have plans to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, Chandler has to play a major role in things.

He can start with a big game Tuesday night.

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But logical thinking gets thrown out the window when we talk about New York Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) controls the ball during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The Sixth Man of the Year is having quite the week dating back to the selfish elbow that he threw at Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry, which earned him a one-game suspension.

While Smith closed the season strong and captured the Sixth Man of the Year award, many people around the game thought that Smith had finally changed, shaking the labels of a selfish player and a locker room cancer that have followed him throughout his career.

But in the events that have transpired since he was suspended have shown that Smith hasn’t changed one bit, as the more things change the more they stay the same.

First there was Smith showing no remorse for being suspended, even though he let his teammates down.

Upon his return, Smith started Game 5 0-for-10 from the floor, forgetting what made him and his team successful down the stretch- taking the ball to the basket. Instead we saw the Smith that kills rallies and shoots team out of games by jacking up one contested jumper after another.

Could his struggles be because he wasn’t totally focused on the job at hand?

According to a report from Charged.fm, Smith was out partying before Game 5 of the Celtics series.

The article includes photos and video of Smith, bottle in hand, partying away.

Its fine that Smith loves the New York nightlife, but doing so the night before a big game shows immaturity and the lack of commitment to his craft.

Then there were similar reports that Smith was out partying again on Saturday night enjoying the Floyd Mayweather fight, with the Knicks opening up the Pacers series the next afternoon.

Smith has denied the report, but why even put yourself in that situation?

Then his latest actions took the cake.

Smith has often showed his immaturity by getting into Twitter beefs with fans, but took things to another level by creating his bandwagon transfer form to insult Knicks fans even more.

Smith’s behavior has hit an all-time low.

You would think that a guy that is shooting 28.5 percent from the floor during his last three games would have more important things to worry about instead of fan reaction.

You would think that a guy that is possibly playing for an eight figure contract as a free agent would take things a little more serious.

But some people never grow up.

For a player that has never won anything in his career, Smith acts like a guy who has it all figured out.

The Knicks, who have won exactly one playoff series in 13 years, do not need the distractions that Smith provides.

Championship teams do not have players who act as immature as Smith does both on and off the court.

When is the last time Smith was called for a foul and didn’t cry to the official? When was the last time Smith missed a shot and didn’t cry for a foul?

Smith is a guy with enormous talent who truly can be great, but there is one thing that has always held him back- himself.

One day he will grow up and realize the mistakes he continues to make.

Unfortunately for Smith, by the time he grows up and begins acting like a professional, it will likely be far too late.

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As expected, forward Amar’e Stoudemire scrimmaged with his teammates on Monday and is targeting a return to the lineup for Game 3 on Saturday in Indiana.

March 6, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported the following:

“The only way I wouldn’t be [available for Game 3] is if I don’t recover well from today and if I don’t recover well from the following practice [Wednesday],” Stoudemire said. “If there is any setback from that, then that ‘ll be difficult to deal with. But hopefully everything goes well.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said: “‘If he doesn’t have any setbacks he’ll probably suit up Saturday.”

If Game 1 was any indication, the Knicks definitely could use Stoudemire’s size as Woodson has to play more than one big against the Pacers. Going small isn’t going to work as the Pacers are clearly the bigger and more physical team. Carmelo Anthony can’t keep having to guard David West or this is going to be a  very quick series.

While Stoudemire returning is great news for Knicks fans, how much he helps is another story altogether.

When he returned for the first time this season, Stoudemire was very rusty and it took some time for him to get his timing back.

The Knicks don’t have that much time to wait for him.

There’s also the fact that the Knicks need to  be tougher defensively, which is an area that STAT doesn’t help at all. But having him available could allow Woodson to shift Anthony to the 3 and play Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin together, which on paper could be their best chance to win this series.

As far as the scrimmage, Stoudemire didn’t look so good, which leads me to believe he won’t be of much use this series.

The New York Post’s  Marc Berman reported that Stoudemire looked very rusty and has a ways to go after getting outplayed by third-string center Earl Barron.

“It feels good to finally be on the court (in) competition,’’ Stoudemire told Berman. “I had a tough day today but it felt really good. I had no pain running, cutting slashing – I felt explosive. The one thing is getting my wind back up and go from there.”

Stoudemire hasn’t played since March 7 after undergoing his second knee debridement surgery of the season.

He scrimmaged alongside Marcus Camby and James White facing the trio of Barron, Chris Copeland and Quentin Richardson. When it ended, he reportedly laid on the court and looked exhausted.

Stoudemire will rest Tuesday and hopes to scrimmage Wednesday and Friday. The Knicks had the good fortune of having three days off between Games 2 and 3, which should hopefully give his knee enough extra time to get ready for what promises to be a  very physical series the rest of the way.

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A big reason why the Knicks now trail 1-0 in their second round series was the performance of Pacers’ center Roy Hibbert.

May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) looks for a shot against New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

And if Hibbert continues to be dominant in this series, it will be a quick one as the Knicks will be hitting the golf course a lot quicker then they may have originally planned.

The Pacers hold a distinct size advantage over New York and can dominate the paint in almost every game.

The difference for Frank Vogel’s team is that he can play two legitimate bigs in Hibbert and David West, while Mike Woodson will never use two bigs at the same time as he continues to go with a small lineup. Maybe when Amar’e Stoudemire returns that could change, but by that time, the series could be in jeopardy of being over.

The problem is that the Knicks have no legitimate answer for Hibbert.

Hibbert scored 14 points in thoroughly outplaying counterpart Tyson Chandler, while West had his way with Carmelo Anthony guarding him and scored 20 points. The duo combined to make 14-of-24 shots on the afternoon while West and company frustrated Anthony as he struggled from the floor once again. ‘Melo scored 27 points, but did so on only 10-of-28 shooting.

However while Hibbert and West had a nice afternoon offensively, that’s not where they will impact this series the most.

What he does at the defensive end could be enough to carry the Pacers to a quick series victory.

The Knicks were held to 42.9 percent shooting inside five feet with Hibbert on court in Game 1 (league average: 59.4 percent). The Pacers have outscored opponents by 50 points inside five feet with Hibbert on court this postseason and have been outscored by 22 with Hibbert on the bench.

Basically that means the Knicks must do a better job of getting the Georgetown product in foul trouble and keep him off the floor.

When he’s out there he makes life miserable for the Knicks.

Hibbert’s defensive presence alone is intimidating and he can handle anyone in a Knicks’ uniform straight up, which allows the rest of the Pacers defenders to be more aggressive and physical knowing Hibbert is behind them.

The Knicks shot a measly 13-for-30 at the rim, which isn’t going to get it done this series.

If they don’t find a way how to neutralize Hibbert at the defensive end of the floor, this will be a quick series.

They need a better plan and need it quick as Tuesday night has now become a must-win situation at The Garden.

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With a trip to the Eastern Conference finals on the line, I would expect this to be a very physical and intense series that can go either way.

Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) smiles on the court during the second quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

These two teams know each other, as do their fan bases, who both want to see their respective teams run through the other on their path to a potential NBA championship.

With that being said, here’s a look at everything you need to know about this second round series.

How they finished: No. 2 Knicks (58-30, combined regular season and playoffs) vs. No. 3 Pacers (53-34)

Season Series: Tied 2-2 (home team won each game)

Nov 18, Knicks won 76-88

Jan 10, Pacers won 81-76

Feb 20, Pacers won 125-91

Apr 14, Knicks won 80-90

Last Playoff Meeting: 2000 Eastern Conference Finals; Indiana won the series 4-2.

Playoff Schedule:

• Game 1 in New York: Sunday, May 5
• Game 2 in New York, Tuesday, May 7
• Game 3 in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 11
• Game 4 in Indianapolis (TBA)
• Game 5 in New York (TBA)
• Game 6 in Indianapolis (TBA)
• Game 7 in New York (TBA)

How they got here: Knicks defeated Celtics 4-2; Pacers defeated Hawks 4-2

Fresh off of their first playoff series win in 13 years, the Knicks could add another weapon off of their bench as injured forward Amar’e Stoudemire is likely to make his return to the lineup against the Indiana Pacers.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Stoudemire has been ruled out for the first two games of the series, but with a long layoff between Game 2 and 3, that could benefit STAT as the Knicks are targeting a Game 3 return for him.

The plan is for him to scrimmage on Thursday and if his knee responds well to that, he will scrimmage on Friday as well.

If there are no setbacks, Stoudemire will likely make his return for Game 3 on Saturday.

“If he feels fine after Friday, then I think we will play him Saturday,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Stoudemire’s return could benefit the Knicks against the Pacers, who have a distinct size advantage over the Knicks.

Right now it is unknown exactly how Stoudemire will be used, but Woodson also noted that his return wouldn’t effect the minutes given to Kenyon Martin, as K-Mart has become the first big man off the bench and a key contributor to Woodson’s rotation.

In all likelihood, Stoudemire coming back will affect the minutes given to Steve Novak the most.

There are also chemistry concerns as the Knicks played their best basketball of the season once Stoudemire left the lineup, finishing the regular season 17-6 and winning their first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

But despite the concerns, you have to think the Knicks would be better with STAT a part of the regular rotation.

He was playing pretty well before he was injured. In 29 games, Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and made 57 percent of his field goals. If they can get that type of production off the bench from him, the Knicks will be pretty dangerous.

In addition, having the extra big body could allow Woodson to play two bigs at once against the Pacers. That’s something he hasn’t had the luxury of being able to do.

Stoudemire has been sidelined since March 7 with a right knee injury and underwent a procedure to clean out debris in the knee on March 11. The original timetable was four to six weeks, which has long passed.

But even though it took a lot longer to get STAT back into the mix, his potential return will be a welcome sight to Knicks fans.

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There won’t be much time to prepare for Indiana as Game 1 of the series begins on Sunday.

Feb 20, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 125-91. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The two teams are familiar with each other so getting off to a good start will be huge for the Knicks as they have home-court advantage over the No. 2 seeded Pacers.

The Pacers closed out the Atlanta Hawks in six games to set up a meeting of two franchises that know each other all too well, with some postseason history between them.

Both teams last playoff meeting was in 2000 Eastern Conference Finals where Indiana won the series 4-2.

In the regular season, Pacers and Knicks split their four meetings with both teams holding strong at home.

Nov 18, Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks – Knicks won 76-88

Jan 10, New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers – Pacers won 81-76

Feb 20, New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers – Pacers won 125-91

Apr 14, Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks – Knicks won 80-90

Here’s a look at when and where you can see this second round series, although the dates have only been announced for the first three games of the series at this point.

Game 1: May 5, Sun. 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

Game 2: May 7, 7:00 p.m. (TNT) – Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

Game 3: May 11, 8:00 p.m. (ABC) – New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Game 4: (Date, Time, TV- TBA) – New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Game 5: (TBA) – Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

Game 6: (TBA) – New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Game 7: (TBA) – Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

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Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks did something Friday night that fans in the Big Apple have been waiting 13 years to see. Despite watching a 26-point fourth quarter lead dwindle to four points, Anthony stepped up like superstars should by nailing a pullup jumper and then sinking a huge 3-pointer that all but ended the Celtics comeback attempt.

May 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

But as big as this series win was for the Knicks franchise, it was as equally important for Anthony as an individual.

Make no mistake about it, had the Knicks watched a 26-point fourth quarter lead evaporate and lost Game 6, this series was over.

Even though Game 7 was at Madison Square Garden, the Knick could have brought back the likes of Patrick Ewing, Willis Reed, Bernard King and other great Knicks through history and it wouldn’t have mattered. The Knicks were dangerously close to becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead.

But Anthony didn’t allow that to happen.

Before he drained his big fourth quarter three, ‘Melo was becoming ever so close to joining a list of New York post season failures.

He made missed his last 19 attempts from behind the arc at the time and thoughts of John Starks’ 2-of-18 Game 7 performance started creeping in. Anthony was close to joining the likes of the New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez in terms of postseason failures.

A-Rod never shook that label until he won a ring in 2009 and that’s a label that ‘Melo carries with him right now.

Everyone knows by now how much Anthony’s playoff failures have been documented and with good reason.

Had he not stepped up when he was needed the most, Anthony would have forever been known as a great scorer who didn’t know how to win.

Ultimately that still could be the case, but at least for one day ‘Melo did his best to prove everyone wrong.

When the season began, there was a long checklist of things Anthony needed to do this season to prove that he is the franchise player the Knicks need.

You can cross winning a playoff series off the list.

That monkey is now off his back.

But Anthony can’t be satisfied with that.

There’s a lot of work left to do and plenty of more accomplishments left to cross off the list.

He’s shown that he can close a series out. Now Anthony must show that he can win a championship to get the biggest monkey off his back.

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Sources say that James will be named the league’s MVP on Sunday, making him only the fifth four-time MVP in NBA history.

Apr 28, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) holds his wrist during game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Miami won 88-77. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the second consecutive year that James will take home the honor and he joins an exclusive list of four-time MVP’s that include:  Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain.

To say that James has earned it would be a huge understatement.

LeBron averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and one block in 76 games during the regular season, his 10th in the league. He shot career-best percentages from the field (.565) and 3-point range (.406) and ranked in the top 10 in scoring, assists, steals and field-goal percentage among those who played in at least 70 games this season.

It won’t be known until Sunday how the voting broke down, but it’s likely that James won the award in a landslide.

Even though many Knicks fans wanted to see Carmelo Anthony capture the award, the choice of James was the correct one as he had another season for the ages.

Anthony, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul were all contenders, but this was LeBron’s award all along.

In a span of 12 months, James has won the 2012 MVP, 2012 Finals MVP, and now another season MVP, his fourth in a five-year span.

James, 28, will be the youngest in NBA history to win his fourth MVP, although Abdul-Jabbar won five by the age of 30. Abdul-Jabbar leads all players with six MVP’s, while Russell is the only other to win the award four times in five years.

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It takes a certain balance on a roster of talent, leadership and quality role players all playing as one.

Certainly great ones lead and others follow, but one thing great teams don’t have is rampant immaturity.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) celebrates after scoring a three-pointer against the Boston Celtics during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

That’s what the New York Knicks have at the moment.

It’s very hard, if not impossible to win a championship that way.

Instead of showing a sense of urgency to take care of business the past two games, the Knicks have been consumed with other aspects surrounding themselves.

All season there has been the constant whining and complaining about officiating.

But everything seemed good for three games until the immaturity of this team took over.

It all started with J.R. Smith’s selfish elbow in Game 3 that earned him a one-game suspension.

Smart team basketball says you don’t do that when you are up 18 points with seven minutes left in a playoff game.

Then there were Smith’s comments.

The Sixth Man of the Year showed little remorse for letting his team down and when asked about Jason Terry’s Game 4 performance, responded with:

“Who?” Smith said. “I don’t even know who that is.”

But Smith kept up the childish act when asked another question by responding: “Who?” he said again. “Who is that?”

The immaturity didn’t stop there though.

Prior to Game 5, Kenyon Martin went around telling all of his teammates to wear black in preparation for Boston’s “funeral.”  Martin told Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News his plans.

“We’re ending it Wednesday,” Martin said. “Wear black,” he said. “Funeral colors.’”

Naturally Smith and some other Knicks did exactly that.

However after losing Game 5, Martin didn’t even have the maturity to address his funeral plans.

Championship teams don’t act like this.

You would think that when you bring in all of the veterans that the Knicks did during the offseason that maturity wouldn’t be a problem, but it is a big one with this team.

Championship teams let their play do their talking for them.

That’s something LeBron James and the Miami Heat learned last season.

Smith didn’t let his play do the talking for him in Game 5, as he played as if he were attending his own funeral. He completely got away from everything that was working for him and turned back into the “old J.R.” who starting jacking up contested shots at will.

When you are up 3-0 in a playoff series, it makes little sense to trash talk and taunt the opposing team as it just gives them more incentive to play harder.

Sometimes when you get a group of players that have been labeled selfish in the past, it’s tough to get them to act as one.

That’s the case here.

The actions of Smith and Martin the past three games have been nothing short of embarrassing to not only themselves but the organization.

The good news is that there is still time to win a game and move onto the second round where they hopefully will clean up their act and start acting like a championship team.

One thing is clear and that’s championship teams don’t act the way these Knicks act.

Mike Woodson, Jason Kidd and the rest of the Knicks veterans need to put a stop to this before the series and their season gets away from them.

Starting with Game 6 Friday night in Boston, it’s time for the Knicks to stop talking the talk and time for them to start walking the walk.

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Knicks’ sharpshooter Steve Novak played only three minutes because of back spasms in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss and it looks as if Novak will be unavailable for Friday’s Game 6 in Boston.

ESPN’s Ian Begley is reporting that Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson has confirmed that Novak is doubtful for Friday.

Mike Woodson said Steve Novak (back spasms) is doubtful for Game 6. #Knicks

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 2, 2013

Apr 15, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) shoots the ball during the first half against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

Novak hasn’t offered up much production during the postseason, averaging only 3.0 points per game, in only 8.2 minutes per game.

Why Novak or Chris Copeland hasn’t been on the floor a bit more is a bit of a mystery.

While neither are capable of defending anyone, having another shooter on the floor is huge for the Knicks’ offense as it will open up driving lanes for Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and the rest of the team.

Similar to last year’s playoffs, Novak hasn’t helped the Knicks much after having a productive regular season.

He’s made only three shots from behind the arc and the Knicks need much more from him if he’s going to get any minutes at all.

But for now, the Knicks will have to go for at least one more game without a potential weapon off the bench.

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Everyone knows by now about ‘Melo’s postseason failures, as Anthony has amassed only a 20-39 career playoff record. His three wins this season no longer make him the NBA player with the career-worst winning percentage, but his .338 postseason winning percentage is the second-worst of all-time among players with at least 20 playoff games under their belt.

May 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives on Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) during the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Only Mookie Blaylock (.333) won less playoff games.

Superstars get judged by what they do when it counts and Anthony hasn’t lived up to his billing.

For me though a better judge is how a player performs when the series is on the line.

Superstars take their games to another level when the opportunity arises to close out a series, or even extend one.

That’s something Knicks fans haven’t seen from ‘Melo this season.

With two opportunities to send the Boston Celtics packing, Anthony hasn’t taken his game to another level.

In fact just the opposite is true.

When it has mattered the most, ‘Melo tends to struggle the most.

Early in the series, Anthony was taking what the Celtics gave him offensively. He got good shots and was playing efficient offensive basketball, making 36-of-78 (46.2 percent) of his field goal attempts.

The entire Knicks offense performs better when ‘Melo is efficient and not forcing things. The ball moves more and not only does Anthony get better looks, but so do his teammates.

But things change for Anthony when the series is on the line.

Anthony begins trying to do too much and “Melo Ball” is back in full effect.

The results show that as Anthony has made only 18-of-59 (30.5 percent) field goal attempts with two opportunities to close out the Celtics.

But it isn’t just two games this season; it’s been a problem throughout his career.

Due to his struggles in the postseason, ‘Melo has appeared in only 16 games (out of 59) that resulted in either an opportunity to close out a series or potentially extend one.

These are the games where true superstars must raise their level of play. But in those 16 games, Anthony has averaged only 27.1 points per game while shooting only 35.4 percent (134-of-378) from the floor.

His scoring is up slightly as Anthony’s career scoring average in postseason play is 25.4 points per game. But that’s also a number to take with a grain of salt as ‘Melo averaged only 15.0 and 19.2 points per game his first two playoff seasons. But the important number to look at is the fact that Anthony is a career 42 percent shooter in the postseason, which makes his numbers in deciding games considerably lower.

But there are other factors that play into his struggles as well.

Anthony’s career postseason numbers show that he doesn’t rebound or dish out assists in potential deciding games. Anthony has posted career 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists numbers in postseason play, but in those 16 deciding games, those numbers dip to under five rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

He’s a guy who doesn’t impact the game defensively either, so his all-around performance in such games is very concerning.

So is the fact that he has won only four of the 16 games.

Five of those 16 games have come with Anthony’s team having the chance to close out a series and he has only been victorious twice (both in 2009 with Denver). That also means that he has had 11 opportunities to extend a series and give his team another chance at winning a series. He’s won only two of those attempts.

There’s no doubting that ‘Melo is a true superstar and one of the league’s best pure players.

But for some unknown reason, he doesn’t perform at his best when a series is on the line.

That’s a telling sign. It’s a large sample size so it’s no fluke.

The games best leaders deliver when it is on the line. That’s something Anthony hasn’t done.

All of this begs the question of if Anthony is capable of closing a series out, much less the three of them it would take to get to the NBA Finals.

The numbers suggest he isn’t.

However Friday is a new day and Anthony will get at least one more attempt to prove the doubters wrong.

Let’s hope he is at his best in Game 6.

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Once up 3-0 and playing on cruise control, the Knicks series lead has been cut to 3-2 after a 92-86 loss at The Garden in a game the Knicks once led by 11.

This has now turned into a series and the pressure is on the Knicks.

May 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives on Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) during the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For the second consecutive game, the Knicks were dominantly an isolation team and their offense suffered for it. The ball didn’t move at all and the Knicks shot only 39.5 percent from the floor and 22.7 percent from behind the arc. One telling sign that the ball has to start moving is that the Knicks had only 13 assists as a team on the night.

With that being said here’s how each Knicks player graded out following the tough Game 5 loss.

Individual Grades

Pablo Prigioni (3 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 1 assist, 1 steal)

Prigioni knocked down a three but barely played in this one, only logging 13 minutes on the night. It is worth noting that the Knicks were their best when he was on the floor. His plus-nine rating was the best of any Knick. Grade: C+

Raymond Felton (21 points, 10-of-19 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists)

Felton was the Knicks best offensive player on the night. He had success early getting to the basket and got whatever he wanted in the second half. Unfortunately, given the way the game was going; the ball wasn’t in his hands enough down the stretch.  There was also success in the pick-and-roll with Tyson Chandler, but the Knicks didn’t go to that nearly enough.  Grade: A-

Iman Shumpert (12 points, 4-of-7 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals)

Shump struggled early and got a quick hook but made some shots in the second half. He wasn’t horrible but didn’t do much to impact the game in a positive way. Grade: C

Carmelo Anthony (22 points, 8-of-24 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists)

Anthony came out hot early and it looked like this series was going to be over, but then everything changed. There was too much isolation on Anthony’s part as everything was a contested jumper on the night. Great players find a way to lead their teams to victories in close-out opportunities. For the second consecutive game Anthony failed to do so. Game 5 was just another poor shooting night and ‘Melo did very little to impact the game in other areas. Grade: C-

Tyson Chandler (8 points, 3-of-5 shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals)

Chandler was active on both ends of the floor, which was a good sign. He grabbed 11 rebounds in his 34 minutes of playing time and had some success in the pick-and-roll with Felton. This is something the Knicks should have gone to more as Chandler could have used more than five offensive touches. Grade: B

Kenyon Martin (2 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

Martin was too busy running his mouth and planning funerals to have much of an impact on this game. He only played 13 minutes and was a foul machine, picking up five and a minus-13 rating in his brief time. Grade: D

Jason Kidd (0 points 0-of-4 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 block)

For a change, Kidd did very little to impact the game. He played 21 minutes, missed all of his shots and didn’t dish out an assist. The Knicks need the little things from Kidd. They didn’t get them in Game 5. Grade: D

J.R. Smith (14 points, 3-of-14 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)

Smith was too busy planning his golf trip instead of worrying about his offensive game. He started 0-for-10 and the old J.R. was back as Smith didn’t spend much time trying to attack the basket and spend most of the night jacking up contested jumpers. He said on Tuesday that the series would have been over had he played in Game 4. Unfortunately for Smith, the Knicks would have had a better chance Wednesday night without him. Grade: D-

Marcus Camby- Played only one minute, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound.

Steve Novak- Played only three minutes, leaving the game after suffering back spasms. He scored two points.

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The ever humble Smith made it known on Tuesday that the series would be over had he not been suspended for Game 4 for throwing an elbow at the head of Celtics’ guard Jason Terry.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) passes the ball against the Boston Celtics during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

“Oh yeah, it’d been over,’’ Smith told the New York Post’s Marc Berman, in his first comments since being handed the suspension. “I would’ve been playing golf today.’’

The more appropriate response should have been: “I apologize for letting my teammates and Knicks fans down, but I will make up for it in Game 5.”

Smith did let everyone down by throwing a foolish elbow with seven minutes remaining in a game that the Knicks led by 18.

He owes it to his teammates and fans everywhere to bring his best in Game 5, but hopefully the Sixth Man of the Year doesn’t take that too much to heart.

Smith is going to want to bring his best and do something big Wednesday night, but Knicks fans’ everywhere know what they are in store for if he has that mentality.

It’s going to be Mike Woodson’s job to reel his gunner in.

With pressure on Smith to perform, you don’t want to see him revert to the old J.R. who plays out of control and jacks up bad shots like they are going out of style.

If the Knicks get the new J.R., the one that has made a living by taking the ball to the basket and getting to the charity-stripe, then the Knicks will be just fine.

He has to play under control, not only Wednesday night, but the rest of the postseason.

The Celtics are going to try and bait Smith into doing something stupid every time he is on the floor.

He can’t take the bait and must stay within himself.

Smith has the ability to win big games for the Knicks, but he also has the ability to shoot the team right out of games. In this case, if that happens, he will be shooting the Celtics right back into the series.

He is going to get a free pass from Knicks fans for his actions in Game 3.

Smith has the opportunity to make up for it on Wednesday night.

If he doesn’t feel too much pressure to do too much, I expect him to do exactly that.

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The future Hall of Famer was the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship, the NBA announced on Monday. Kidd becomes the first-ever back-to-back honoree, having won the award last season with the Mavericks.

Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd (5) brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. New York Knicks won 90-76. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

He also becomes only the second player in league history to win the award more than once,  joining Grant Hill, who has won the award three different times.

The trophy is named after Dumars, who was the very first  recipient and reflects the ideals of sportsmanship — ethical behavior, fair play and integrity — which is a focus of the league’s NBA Cares program.

“I’m trying to show [my teammates] that you can win the Joe Dumars award too,” Kidd told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “You don’t just have to win the scoring title or the sixth man. It’s a great honor any time you are recognized with a great player like Joe Dumars. I’ve won it twice, so hopefully I’m doing the right thing.”

By winning the award, the NBA will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Kidd to his foundation, which is dedicated to improving education among the youth.

Kidd received 91 first-place votes from league players and 2,474 total points Tuesday to claim the award. Golden State guard Stephen Curry, who won the award in 2011, finished second. Luol Deng of Chicago, the 2007 winner, was third.

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If they defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday the Knicks won’t only advance to the next round, but could have some company doing so.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

After much speculation, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said that if forward Amar’e Stoudemire is healthy, he will play in the second round.

Al Iannazzone of Newsday wrote the following:

“Amar’e Stoudemire, who had knee surgery March 11, said he could be ready in the second round. If he is, Mike Woodson said he “absolutely” will play. Woodson said he’s not worried about a disruption of the chemistry the Knicks have built in winning 19 of 21. “Not at all,” he said. “You guys worry about that. I don’t. I really don’t. He’s a big piece to our puzzle.”

Stoudemire’s original timetable of four to six weeks has long passed, but if he sticks close to an eight week recovery timetable, he would be back closer to the end of a second round series than the beginning.

But the Knicks could certainly use the frontcourt depth, so whenever he is ready, Woodson won’t hesitate to use him.

The Knicks have been forced to go to smaller lineups due to the constraints of the roster. There may come a time, especially against the Indiana Pacers (if they are the Knicks second round opponent) that going bigger may make more sense.

Right now, only Kenyon Martin has been a legitimate big man option for New York off the bench.

Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds, while playing 23.5 minutes per game in 29 appearances for the Knicks this season.

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Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward J.R. Smith (8) is guarded by Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year will exercise his option to opt out of his current contract for next season with the Knicks, and once he does, he’ll be looking for a long-term deal, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

Smith has made his intentions clear that he would like to finish the rest of his career with the Knicks, but it may not be possible.

New York can’t do any better than a four-year deal worth about $25 million, since they only have his Early Bird rights.

Smith will be able to command a hefty raise on his $2.8 million salary this season.

After putting together the best season of his career, averaging 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while capturing the Sixth Man of the Year award, Smith will likely command a salary that comes close to $10 million per season. There will be teams with enough cap space that will certainly throw big money his way in the offseason. Once that happens, we will see how much of a commitment he has to the Knicks.

Smith has emerged as the Knicks legitimate second scoring option and has formed a bond with head coach Mike Woodson, but it would hard to fault him for trying to cash in after this season.

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out and I guess we will find out soon enough whether the Knicks’ best offer will be enough.

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Judging by the end of the regular season, common sense would have told you that Chris Copeland would be that guy.

Apr. 17, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland (14) waits to shoot a free throw against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 9892. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Apparently Knicks head coach Mike Woodson had other ideas.

In what turned out to be a head-scratching coaching decision, Copeland did not play a single minute in Game 4, even with Smith not available to Woodson.

You would have thought that the team benefited from Copeland’s offense, but the rookie didn’t get off the bench for four quarters or overtime.

This occurred while the Knicks shot only 34.4 percent (31-of-90) from the floor and made only 7-of-30 (23.3 percent) of their attempts from behind the arc.

Copeland told reporters afterward that he was healthy enough to play, as he has been dealing with a minor shoulder problem.

Jason Kidd was Woodson’s first guard off the bench and Quentin Richardson for 2:46 even got time in the second quarter. That alone would lead you to believe that Woodson had a problem playing Copeland in Game 4.

Copeland is struggling this series, going scoreless in 24 minutes of playing time.

But the Knicks could have used his scoring ability in Game 4.

If they had it, this series very well could be over.

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Give Raymond Felton credit for answering the call.

Apr 28, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) drives to the hoop against the Boston Celtics during game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

With Smith, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and Knicks No. 2 scoring option, out of the lineup serving a one-game suspension, the Knicks needed someone to step up and help replace Smith’s 16.1 point per game he has averaged so far in the postseason.

Felton did his best to step up and become the Knicks No. 2 option, scoring 27 points on 10-for-21 shooting.

Despite the loss, Felton was pretty good on the afternoon, as he continued to get deep into the paint against the Celtics’ defense. The Knicks needed someone to step up and make shots, and Felton delivered.

When the Knicks made their big third quarter comeback, Felton was at his best. He not only made a lot of big shots, but he was also active defensively and on the glass. Felton was aggressive the entire game and it nearly paid off with a Knicks sweep.

He’s had a good playoffs so far, averaging 17.8 points and 5.3 assists through four games.

If you are looking for who the Knicks X-factor is for a lengthy playoff run, it very well could be Felton.

He’s off to a very good start. If he can continue his high level of play, the Knicks will continue to be a very tough team to beat.

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However if they are going to break out the brooms and sweep the Boston Celtics, they are going to have to do it without J.R. Smith, who was suspended for Game 4 after his elbow to the head of Celtics’ guard Jason Terry got him ejected in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward J.R. Smith (8) is guarded by Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

This isn’t anything new for the Knicks. Mike Woodson has been finding ways to win without his stars all season.

They’ve won without Carmelo Anthony. They’ve won without Amar’e Stoudemire. They also have won without the likes of Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, Kenyon Martin and pretty much everyone else on the roster.

But not Smith. He’s been the one constant all season, having not missed a game due to injury all season. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year appeared in the first 80 games of the season before sitting out the final two regular season tilts as Woodson elected to rest his stars for the postseason.

Quite simply the Knicks aren’t used to playing without Smith in the lineup.

With that being said, can the Knicks wrap up this series without him?

Certainly.

The good news is that they are up 3-0, so it isn’t necessarily a must-win, but being that the Knicks haven’t won a series in 13 years, every postseason game seems like a must-win.

To do so, the defense has to still be there.

The Knicks have limited the Celtics to only 75 points and 37.5 percent shooting through three games.

If they turn in that type of effort defensively in Game 4, it won’t really matter who is on the floor for the Knicks.

Offensively though, someone will have to step up and replace Smith’s scoring.

He’s averaging 16.4 points per game in the playoffs and that has to be replaced.

My first guess is that Chris Copeland would get more minutes.

The defense takes a hit with Copeland on the floor, but he’s capable of getting hot scoring the ball. However Copeland isn’t off to a great start in these playoffs. Copeland started Game 1 for the Knicks but has not scored in 24 minutes on the floor in the series.

You know Carmelo Anthony is going to get his, but I actually expect it to be a team effort to replace Smith.

When Anthony gets a rest, I expect the ball to move a lot more than it would when Smith is on the floor. That means guys like Copeland, Steve Novak, Jason Kidd and others may get more opportunities to knock down shots.

From that standpoint it’s just a matter of guys stepping up to the occasion.

It will be difficult for the Knicks to win Game 4 without the Sixth Man of the Year in uniform, but it won’t be impossible.

If the Knicks stick to their gameplan, they will win their first playoff series in 13 years.

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Now they will have to try and win without Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who will have to miss Game 4 of the Knicks first-round series against the Boston Celtics after being handed a one-game suspension.

Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward J.R. Smith (8) commits a flagrant foul on Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) during the fourth quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. New York Knicks won 90-76. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA announced the suspension after Smith threw an elbow that struck the chin of Boston’s Jason Terry in Game 3.

Smith was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ win against Boston on Friday after hitting Terry in the face with an elbow. Referees ruled it a flagrant foul 2. The league reviews all flagrant fouls in the regular season and postseason and has the option to reclassify the foul, impose a fine or suspend a player.

The timing of the elbow was awful as it came with only seven minutes left in a game that the Knicks led by 18 at the time.

The Knicks currently own a 3-0 series lead over the Celtics, which has some believing that Game 4 isn’t necessarily a must-win. However, New York hasn’t won a postseason series since 2000, so almost every postseason game is a must-win.

With all of the injuries the Knicks had to deal with during the regular season, the one constant had been Smith, who played in 80 regular season games before being given the final two off to rest for the postseason. The Knicks haven’t had to play without Smith all season, so it will be different as their second leading scorer won’t be available to Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson.

Smith is averaging 16.3 points per game during the series, after averaging 18.1 during the regular season.

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As the Knicks prepare to close this first-round series out Sunday afternoon, we will look back at this series and remember the outstanding effort from the Knicks defense as that has been the difference maker.

Apr 26, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) dribbles the ball while being guarded against New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

But looking more closely has the difference been the Knicks D or just a bad Boston Celtics offense?

The numbers in this series show the Knicks dominance.

Boston has averaged only 75 points per game during the series, which is hard to do for an NBA team. They’ve made only 81-of-205 (39.5 percent) of their field goal attempts and have made only 16-of-58 (27.5 percent) of their attempts from behind the arc.

That’s the Knicks shutting a team down.

But give the Celtics some credit here for being bad. Sure the Knicks have been great at the defensive end of the floor, but the Celtics offense stinks right now. They’ve had open looks in this series. They’ve just failed to knock shots down.

Boston executed offensively in the first halves of the first two games in the series, but they have been pretty brutal from that point on. The Knicks defense has a lot to do with that, but not everything.

So is great defense or bad offense telling the story of this series?

It’s likely a combination of both.

But with that being said, you can’t take anything away from what the Knicks have done this series.

Sure Paul Pierce and Jeff Green have both averaged over 18 points per game, but they haven’t been big points and you can live with that. After Pierce and Green, no other Celtics player is making an impact.

Kevin Garnett is averaging only 10.7 points in the series and no other Celtics player is even chipping in eight points per game.

The loss of Rajon Rondo certainly hurts Boston’s cause, but overall the Celtics are a team that’s out of gas and doesn’t have enough weapons.

With that being said, the Knicks have done exactly what they should have done and that’s pounce on the Celtics and take control of the series.

I will let you make the call on whether or not it is good defense or bad offense, but either way I’m happy with the results.

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After spending much of the season as an unsigned free agent, Richardson is grateful for the opportunity that the Knicks have given him. He’s thrilled to once again don a Knicks jersey as they make their run through the playoffs.

Apr. 17, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Quentin Richardson (55) on the court against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Richardson isn’t new to the Knicks. His role may be different, as he was a starter during his first stint in the Big Apple from 2005-09. Now Richardson is buried at the end of the Knicks bench, but he’s excited for the opportunity nonetheless.

Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy wrote a fantastic column highlighting Richardson’s excitement. Here are some highlights of what he had to say:

“I was actually in L.A. at the time and I got wind of it around 6 a.m. in the morning,” Richardson told HOOPSWORLD in a phone interview. “My agent, Jeff Wechsler, gave me a call and he was like, ‘Well, I told you to stay in shape. Somebody wants to work you out.’ I asked, ‘Who?’ He said, ‘The Knicks.’ I was just like, ‘Wow!’ I had to wake up because I was half asleep. He started to tell me what was going on and then things progressed so quickly throughout the day. It was a quick timeline, like bam, bam, bam. I had a 4:30 p.m. flight from LAX to JFK, got in at 1:15 a.m. and got out here to my hotel in White Plains at 2:30 a.m. Then, I was up early the next morning around 7 a.m. to get a physical and then I was at the gym around 11 a.m. I was officially a Knick again. It was crazy. I have the best agent. Period.”

I give Richardson a lot of credit.

It has to be hard for an NBA veteran to stay in great condition and wait for a call, even when that phone never rings.

But I also like the fact that Richardson won’t be a distraction. Usually veterans of the league want to be on the floor contributing, but even his he doesn’t get one single minute of playing time, Q will be a positive influence in the Knicks locker room- a locker room that already has a ton of leadership.

He’s earned that reputation and he could be beneficial to the Knicks even if he doesn’t score a single point in the playoffs.

“I’ve played in this league for 13 years and I know the Celtics players, all of the main key guys,” Richardson said. “I know what they do and how they play. Even if I’m not out there, I feel that I have a lot of knowledge to offer up from the sidelines. If I’m on the sidelines, I’ll point out certain things and give tips. Anything I can do to help, I’m all in. I’m definitely thankful to God and to the Knicks organization – Jim Dolan and everyone here – for bringing me back here. I’m going to do everything I can for this team, whether I play or not, because I’m absolutely appreciative of this opportunity.”

“I’m not going to be someone who is going to be a distraction if I don’t play,” Richardson added. “I’m just here completely to be a part of the team and do whatever it takes to help the Knicks advance and get better. Whether that’s me being on the court battling for loose balls and taking charges or me just trying to help by saying the things that I see and being there for everybody’s needs, I’m all in for whatever. I’m completely humbled and appreciative of this opportunity. It’s just a blessing.”

Richardson is grateful just to be wearing an NBA uniform during the playoffs and he’s the type of player that will do anything he has to win a championship.

Whether it’s coming into the game in a pinch and knocking down a three or simply sitting on the bench and cheering on his teammates, Q will do whatever it takes.  When the Knicks are coming off the floor for a timeout, Richardson has usually been the first player off the bench to greet the guys coming off the floor. That type of energy he provides is contagious.

He’s excited for the opportunity and is grateful for the Knicks for giving him the opportunity.

In return the Knicks should be grateful for his professionalism and his wisdom.

Richardson is one of the games good people. It’s nice to see him being a part of what the Knicks currently have going on.

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They just came off a tough one-point loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder at The Garden and proceeded to lose four straight on a West Coast trip that dropped them to 38-26 on the season. But that’s precisely the moment where everything changed.

Apr 20, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) reacts after a dunk against the Boston Celtics during game one of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 85-78. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no coincidence that’s about the time that Kenyon Martin started getting minutes in Knicks head coach Mike Woodson’s rotation.

K-Mart got his first meaningful minutes of the season in the loss to OKC and was worked into the rotation for a few games after that, but once he got comfortable on the floor, the Knicks took off, finishing the season by winning 16 of their final 18.

For a guy who wasn’t on an NBA roster until the Knicks signed him to a 10-day contract on the day of the NBA Trade Deadline, you have to ask the question of where this Knicks team would be without him?

Martin brought exactly what the Knicks needed at the time- toughness. Until he sprained his ankle late in the season, there were times that K-Mart was the only healthy big man, but it didn’t matter.

His do whatever it takes approach was a big reason they finally were able to tighten up their work on the defensive end of the floor.

But his impact isn’t regulated to the regular season.

Martin is averaging 6.5 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes per game through two postseason games, logging major minutes off the bench as Tyson Chandler attempts to get his conditioning under control.

Martin helped the Knicks finish off the Celtics both times in the fourth quarter, playing pretty much the entire quarter while Chandler sat on the bench. Had I told you a couple months ago that the Knicks would be an outstanding defensive team with Chandler riding the bench, you wouldn’t have believed me. But that’s the type of impact Martin has had.

In Game 1, he stripped Jeff Green down low and then connected on an and-1 layup, which gave the Knicks a 71-70 lead that they would never relinquish. Then in Game 2, he had two big blocks down the stretch.

When he was signed, many just expected Martin to come in and play hard for a few minutes per night if he was lucky.

He’s done so much more than that.

He’s brought smartness and toughness to the Knicks team and somehow at age 35 has resembled a younger K-Mart from years past.

But while doing all of that, he’s done something even more important in the process- saved the Knicks season.

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Someone forgot to tell that to the New York Knicks’ Tyson Chandler.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) looks to pass the ball as Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) falls to the floor during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks have gotten themselves off to a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics and their defense has been outstanding through two games, which is a bit surprising considering the fact that they have gotten very little production for their All-Star center.

Chandler, who missed 16 of the Knicks final 20 regular season games with a bulging disc in his neck has struggled early on in this series.

Combined in those two games, Chandler has only three points, 10 rebounds and one blocked shot and has been benched in the fourth quarter of both games.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said that Chandler’s energy level isn’t there right now, which is something that probably should have been expected due to the long layoff. Chandler looked sluggish and rusty during Game 1 and played only 22 minutes in Game 2 although he looked a little bit better from an energy standpoint.

This isn’t to suggest that Chandler has been horrible through two games, but if the Knicks are to make a run through the Eastern Conference, they are going to need a lot more from him.

Chandler has said he feels good, now it is just a matter of getting his timing and his legs back.

The good news for the Knicks is that Kenyon Martin has come through in a big way while Chandler hasn’t been himself.

But if the Knicks have both Chandler and Martin playing well, they are a very dangerous team.

It’s something they are going to need the rest of the way.

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But as the series shifts to Boston, the Knicks should know what they are about to be in for.

Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) argue on the court and are issued technical fouls during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Boston won 102-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

They have to play Friday night, in Boston, in the Celtics’ first home game since the Boston Marathon bombings. The TD Garden will be an emotion filled building and it would be an understatement to say that it’s going to be a tough building to play in.

Do you remember how Madison Square Garden was filled with emotion after Hurricane Sandy? It was as if there was no way in the world the Knicks could lose their opener to the Miami Heat. This will be a similar environment, if not a more emotion filled one.

But the Knicks are ready for this.

The reason why dates all the way back to the offseason.

When Knicks’ general manager Glen Grunwald reshaped this roster by adding a slew of veterans, this Knicks team wasn’t just assembled to win in the postseason, it was built to win on the road in the postseason.

That’s what great teams do. They can go to hostile environments and win games when they count.

These veteran Knicks are battle tested. Many of them spent years winning big playoff games on the road in front of some of the loudest crowds imaginable. Whether it is at Boston, at Indiana, or even at Miami, these Knicks won’t be phased by going on the road.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is confident that his team will respond well to being away from The Garden, telling ESPN’s Jared Zwerling that this is one of the best road teams he has ever coached.

“This is the best team I’ve coached as a head coach from a road standpoint,” he said on Wednesday. “That just says a lot for the guys in the locker room. … It’s not easy winning on the road. You’ve got to do everything perfect to win on the road, and if we’re able to do that and keep it close and put ourselves in position, we’ll have a legitimate shot.”

As it pertains to this series, the numbers are on the Knicks side.

They won both games in Boston this season and in NBA history, teams that went up 2-0 in a playoff series had a .940 winning percentage (233-15). Since the league went to a seven-game first-round format in 2003, only eight times (out of 89) a team came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the series.

In addition, the Knicks are 9-2 all-time in best-of-seven series when leading 2-0. and it has  been 44 years since the Celtics came back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.

Having said that, it won’t be easy.

Nobody ever said contending for a title would be.

But these Knicks aren’t only ready to hit the road, they are ready to win on the road.

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Depending on whom you ask, the New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony and the Los Angeles Lakers Dwight Howard are competing for the honor of the player everyone loves to hate.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Howard’s hate from most NBA fans is different it’s self-inflicted as similar to LeBron he brought a lot of it on himself the past couple of seasons.

However people still like to take shots at ‘Melo.

The latest to pile on Anthony was The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, as he referred to the Knicks’ All-Star forward as an “overrated ball hog” and said that Anthony will never “be an NBA champion.”

That prompted Knicks head coach Mike Woodson to stick up for his superstar, telling The New York Daily News’ Frank Isola:

“Me personally I don’t really care what other people think about Carmelo Anthony,” Mike Woodson said on Wednesday. “Those people are not around Carmelo every day. I see Carmelo pretty much every day. I see his teammates every day. I know the work the young man has put in as a player. A lot of these people probably never played basketball in their life. They make these comments about Melo not being committed and they don’t think this and think that. I think Carmelo is damn committed and he’s been that way since I’ve taken over the team. That’s the only thing I can judge him by.”

Personally I think Howard is the more hated player, mostly due to his immaturity the last couple of seasons. That being said, Anthony is the NBA’s most scrutinized player.

He’s stepped right into LeBron’s shoes as the best player never to win a title, but unlike LeBron, ‘Melo has had next to no playoff success at this point in his career.

That alone has painted a big bullseye on his back for unwarranted criticism from people like Shaughnessy.

Where’s Shaughnessy’s hate coming from?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Anthony is the leading scorer in the series, having dropped 70 points in two games as the Knicks have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics.

However it likely has more to do with the fact that Anthony’s career playoff record is 19-37 and he’s advanced past the first round only one time.

He’s been viewed by some as a selfish player throughout his career and critics are quick to note that he’s a ball hog who has never done anything to help his team’s win. The way he forced his way out of  Denver in 2011 hasn’t done much to help his selfish reputation, but Knicks fans know better. They’ve seen a different Anthony this season. One that will play defense, pass out of double teams and trust his teammates more than he ever has in the past.

Shaughnessy will point to the fact that Anthony shoots the  ball a lot. Well that’s what top scorers in this league do. Always have and always will.

We haven’t seen too much “Melo Ball” this season as Anthony has done his best to shake that selfish and ball-hog label that he has had throughout his career. It’s too bad Shaughnessy didn’t pay attention to that during the season.

But the point is whether it’s warranted or not, critics like Shaughnessy are going to come out of the woodworks this time of year.

There’s only one way for ‘Melo to silence them and that’s to do exactly what LeBron did a season ago.

That’s simply to lead the Knicks to a championship.

Whether or not he’s capable of that remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure and that he is off to a  good start.

With two more wins over the Celtics, Anthony will have led  the Knicks out of the first round for the first time. When that happens it will be interesting to see what Shaughnessy has to say then.

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The league announced that Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is the winner of the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Apr 22, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) guards Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half of game one in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Clippers won 93-91. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Gasol deserves the award after anchoring perhaps the NBA’s best defensive unit.

According to an official release from NBA.com, Gasol tallied 212 total points, receiving 30 of 121 possible first-place votes. LeBron James came in second with 149 points (18 first-place votes) while Serge Ibaka (14 first-place votes) finished third with 122 points. Joakim Noah (107 points, 13 first-place votes) and Grizzlies teammate Tony Allen (102 points, nine first-place votes) rounded out the top five.

The Grizzlies led the NBA in scoring defense, allowing only 89.3 points per game, and it all started with Gasol.

His numbers aren’t eye popping; averaging 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. But he ranked fifth on the NBA’s defensive rating list for the 2012-13 season (via Basketball-Reference) and second on the NBA’s defensive win shares list (via Basketball-Reference).

For anchoring the league’s best defensive, it’s a well-deserved honor and potentially one of many possible Defensive Player of the Year awards, as Gasol is a difference maker in the paint.

He replaces the Knicks’ Tyson Chandler, who won the award last season.

Chandler finished 13th in the voting this season with 11 total points.

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When current Knicks head coach Mike Woodson replaced Mike D’Antoni last season, we all heard about how the Knicks would become a better defensive team.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (5) shoots over New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin (3) during the second quarter of game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

And to his credit, the results showed up almost instantly as the Knicks closed out the 2012 regular season on a strong note.

After signing a slew of veterans during the offseason, we heard one word from almost every Knicks player during training camp- “Defense.”

That also showed up right away this season and while the Knicks had a couple month stretch where their effort on the defensive end of the floor could have been questioned, all problems seemed to be fixed as the Knicks closed the regular season on a high note.

But as good as the Knicks regular season defense may have been last year or even this year, it’s nothing like we have seen in the first two games of the postseason as the Knicks defense has carried them to  2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics.

It hasn’t been 48 minutes of great defense for the Knicks, but what they have done in the second half of those games has been remarkable and is the sole reason they head to Boston up 2-0.

Here’s a look at how efficient the Knicks have been defensively so far this series.

Second Half Points Allowed: Game 1, 25. Game 2, 23

Field Goal Percentage Allowed: Game 1, 25.9% (7-for-27). Game 2, 19.4% (7-for-36)

That is the recipe for winning.

In the second half of the two games, the Knicks have combined to allow only 48 total points, while limiting the Celtics to a combined 14-for-63 (22.2 percent) from the floor,  while forcing a combined 16 second half turnovers.

It’s hard to keep up that pace, but the Knicks have the mentality to do it. It would be nice to see them execute defensively for an entire game, but give the credit for buckling down in the second half.

The question to be asked though is if the Knicks can continue to play this way defensively, how far can it carry them?

The one advantage the Knicks have over most teams is the size and toughness of Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin, who both played well Tuesday night. They won’t have that advantage in a second round series against the Indiana Pacers, but Martin and Chandler should still be able to make the paint a very tough area against the likes of Roy Hibbert and David West. I would even expect to see Marcus Camby some against the Pacers size and length.

That’s key No. 1 for the Knicks. If they control the paint and don’t allow easy baskets, the rest should fall into place.

The rest of the Knicks success defensively is predicated on their depth.

Carmelo Anthony is committed to playing defense and has held opposing power forwards to a 13.4 PER on the season. Iman Shumpert should be able to hang with the opposition’s best perimeter player. Raymond Felton was victimized by Paul Pierce a few times, but did a good job hanging with him overall. Felton can matchup against most team’s 2-guards. Finally Pablo Prigioni can successfully defend most point guards in the league.

But that’s only the beginning.

Jason Kidd is one of the smartest defensive players in the league and J.R Smith has the ability to turn steals into easy baskets. The opposition never has it easy as mostly everyone in the Knicks rotation is capable of making big plays at the defensive end of the floor.

When the Knicks commit to playing at both ends of the floor, they can be a very dangerous team.

But don’t make them the beast of the East just yet.

Assuming that they can finish off the Celtics, I like the way they matchup against the Pacers in a possible second round matchup.

But to beat the Miami Heat, the Knicks defense will have to come to play for 48 minutes every night. We haven’t seen that from them yet.  They can’t take possessions off; much less take entire quarters or halves off.

Do I like their chances more now than before the playoffs began?

A little bit.

But if the Knicks are going to find a way to knock off the Heat and reach the NBA Finals, it will be because of their defense.

They are off to a good start so far.

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Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Knicks’ forward Amar’e Stoudemire is about to start running full speed by the end of the week and if his surgically repaired knee responds well to that, STAT will continue his rehab and as long as  there are no setbacks, Stoudemire is hoping to return by the second round of the playoffs.

“If everything goes great [with rehabilitation], then I’m willing to play,” Stoudemire told ESPN’s Ian Begley. “Sooner than later, hopefully, if everything continues to improve.”

“Everything’s on schedule for the most part. I’ve got to continue to get stronger, got to get back on the court, start moving around at full speed,” Stoudemire said. “And if I can handle that, then we go up a notch, that’s great. Then I’m looking [forward to] hopefully playing soon. We’ll see.”

Stoudemire underwent surgery March 11 to clean up debris in his right knee. He last played on a game March 7 and at the time of his surgery the Knicks said he would miss four to six weeks. That time table has long passed, but the news on STAT is encouraging.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson held his stance on Stoudemire’s status with the team, saying that he would be a regular part of the Knicks rotation when he returns.

In his absence the Knicks have played their best basketball, finishing the regular season 17-6 and starting the postseason by winning their first two games.

But even though the Knicks have thrived without STAT in the lineup, he didn’t play bad when he was on the floor even though the wins weren’t there on a frequent basis. In 29 games, Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, making 57 percent of his field goals.

It will be good to see Stoudemire a part of the Knicks playoff charge if and when he returns, however Woodson will have to be careful not to mess with the chemistry of this team.

What the Knicks have done defensively in the postseason has been remarkable and that’s an area that STAT simply does not help in.

Even when he is healthy you would have to imagine that Kenyon Martin would still be the first big man off the bench. It’s unclear how the rotation will work out, but Martin’s minutes can’t be effected by a Stoudemire return. He makes too much of an impact defensively.

That means the likes of Chris Copeland and possibly Steve Novak could pretty much fall out of the rotation all together.

Of course that’s just speculation at this point. Stoudemire has to make it back healthy first.

Like him or hate him STAT has earned the right to be a part of this.

Hopefully he can fit in to what the Knicks are doing and not disrupt things.

I guess we will find out the answer to that sooner rather than later.

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