1) Share the ball

This season when the Knicks have kept the ball moving around the perimeter, they have been almost unstoppable. This was never more evident than in the fourth quarter of Game two, when the Knicks went on a 30-2 run to win the game. The team has been guilty of losing their identity and regressing to a team that holds the ball or passes the ball to Carmelo Anthony to have him bail his teammates out.

‘Melo has been dealing with a shoulder injury and struggling to find his rhythm against the Pacers. Isolations haven’t been working, but the problem with the offense doesn’t end with ‘Melo simply shooting better. J.R. Smith has been terrible on the offensive side of the ball and on top of that is dealing with a virus. The 2013 sixth man of the year needs to find his shot or figure out a way to get to the free throw line because ‘Melo needs a sidekick.

Game 3 in Indianapolis: Pacers 82, Knicks 71 – Carmelo Anthony shoves David West. Tom Russo, USA TODAY Sports

The offense could also use a lift from the perimeter shooters on the team. Jason Kidd hasn’t made a shot since the vietnam war, Steve Novak is barely playing, and the team  is uncharacteristically barely taking shots from beyond the arc. In order to get back into a rhythm the ball needs to swing around the perimeter and shooters need to take open shots without hesitating.

2) Defend the paint

Roy Hibbert has outplayed Tyson Chandler on both ends of the court, but his impact has been in the low-post where he has dominated with his mini hook shot and post moves. Hibbert is averaging 14.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.0 bpg, and is shooting 53% from the floor. He has resembled an old school center with the Pacers going to him early and often, and the Knicks have no response.

Hibbert hasn’t been the only one getting points in the paint though, David West has also had a very good series. At times he has bullied Carmelo Anthony down low, and defending West takes a lot out of Anthony on the offensive side of the ball.

While most of the defensive responsibilities rests with Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler, other players need to help out too. Quicker double teams and crisper traps can help limit Hibbert/West’s comfortability down low. The Knicks need to force the Pacers to become a jump shooting team and not allow them to get easy shots in the paint.

3) Raymond Felton must return to Round one form

Doc Rivers, as did others, said that in the Boston Celtics series, Raymond Felton was the key to the Knicks success. He attacked the paint and ran the offense to a tee, but that was partially due to the Celtics lack of a point guard. Felton is only averaging 2.7 assists against the Pacers, and George Hill/DJ Augustin have contained Felton’s penetration.

If Felton can return to the player who was marching into the paint at will and orchestrating a beautiful offense against the Celtics, then it can greatly increase the Knicks odds against the Pacers tonight. If ‘Melo, J.R., and Felton can all get it going tonight, then expect the Knicks to even up the series and bring the Pacers back to the Garden with the round tied 2-2.

After working over the summer with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, Stoudemire has improved his low-post game in order to fit in better with ‘Melo on the court. In the games he played this season, we rarely saw STAT taking his patented mid-range jumper or rolling to the basket. Instead, while coming off the bench, Stoudemire put himself in the position to score from the post, which allowed ‘Melo the room he needs to score from the elbows and isolate.

His improved post game, as well as his willingness to sacrifice playing time for the sake of the team, allowed him to have one of his most efficient seasons in his career. STAT averaged 14.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg, while shooting 58% from the field and 81% from the free throw line, in only 23.5 minutes. He played in just 29 games due to a knee debridement prior to the start of the season and another knee debridement 29 games into his return.

New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire (1) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 7, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Stoudemire may be able to bring a boost to the Knicks against the Pacers, especially if he can reproduce his success from earlier this season. The Pacers are a big, defensive minded team that rebound the ball well and grind out wins. Adding a low post player like STAT to our offense will help to add an additional layer to the game plan, as well as force the Pacers to think twice before doubling ‘Melo. Additionally, Stoudemire’s height will allow the team to match up better against the bigger front court the Pacers have and give the Knicks another guy who can rebound the ball.

One big question mark that remains is where STAT’s minutes will come from. Coach Mike Woodson has said that Kenyon Martin’s minutes will not be affected by Stoudemire’s return, so who will be the odd man out? My money is on Steve Novak (who has been struggling with his shot and back spasms) and Chris Copeland being forced out of playing time. If STAT truly performs, he may even get some minutes from ‘Melo, who is currently playing a team-high 41 minutes per game and could use a small rest here and there.

Mike Woodson told the media yesterday that he is ruling out STAT for games one and two of the second round, but that he is hopeful to have him play in game 3 after getting practice time. The Knicks need to win their two games at home, and if Stoudemire can come back healthy and playing at the level he was earlier this season, then they may be able to steal a crucial game in Indiana.

STAT has dealt with injuries his entire career. He has been told countless times by the media that he won’t be the same, that he can’t return and be effective, that he screws up the chemistry of the team, etc. Each time he works hard to come back and prove them wrong, and don’t expect this time to be any different. Amar’e Stoudemire is determined and ready to make his impact on the 2013 NBA Playoffs, and hopefully he can help the Knicks beat the Pacers and brace themselves for the sizzling Miami Heat, who they are bound to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks will play the Boston Celtics (a rematch of the 2011 Playoffs when the Celtics swept the Knicks). There’s no doubt that the team wants revenge for the sweep, and the hatred between these two teams dates back far into their history, but also as recently as the (in)famous “Honey Nut Cheerios incident” this season. It is bound to be an interesting series, but from a purely basketball standpoint, the Knicks have several advantages over the Celtics.

(Photo: Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports)

One of the biggest weaknesses of this Knicks team is rebounding; they rank 26th in the league. That’s why it is great news that the Celtics are ranked 29th. They lack depth up front, and while the Knicks are not the biggest team in the league either, they match up well against the Celtics due to their inferior size. This also helps out the Knicks offense, which is powered by the jump shot. When an opponent is a poor rebounding team, it can result in excellent second chance opportunities on the offensive end, especially when a team takes (and misses) a lot of jump shots.

That plays into the Knicks next biggest strength: offense. The Knicks are the 11th best scoring team in the league, averaging exactly 100 points per game. They are iso-heavy, and are 30th in the league in assists. With that said, the offense has been clicking with ‘Melo controlling the scoring and kicking the ball out to the excellent perimeter shooters when he is double teamed.

The Celtics only average 96.5 points per game, and their offense has struggled at times without Rajon Rondo (torn ACL). The Knicks defense ranks seventh in the league in points allowed, and they have proven that when locked in they can shut down an opposing team’s offense. The problem has come with perimeter players having unbelievable solo performances. Night after night, players like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Nate Robinson, Russell Westbrook, etc have gone off on the Knicks defense. Luckily, no Celtic matches the type of player that has demolished the Knicks. Paul Pierce’s slow and steady game style is exactly what the Knicks want to see.

The two teams are also on two completely different trends. The Celtics finished the season losing 11 of their last 16. The Knicks, on the other hand, have won 14 of their last 16, many with Tyson Chandler sidelined due to injury. In the Celtics defense, they have been resting guys, and Kevin Garnett has not been completely healthy over that period. Many basketball minds argue that the regular season and the postseason are two separate entities, with little carry over. That mostly seems to hold true, but there is no denying that a run like the Knicks have been on has given them a boost of confidence that is surely going to effect their level of play going forward.

The Knicks are the two-seed, but that is only one of the many reasons stated above that suggest they should beat the Celtics in the first round. That would be the first playoff series won in over a decade for the for New York basketball. That my friends, would be quite the accomplishment, but the Knicks have their eyes set on something shinier…something the city has waited 40 years to see again.

Smith has established himself as a favorite for the Sixth Man Of The Year Award. The other big name candidate is Jamal Crawford, who won the award in 2010. Smith is out-scoring, out-assisting, and out-rebounding Crawford. However, his shooting numbers are slightly lower than Crawford’s. Other candidates include Jarret Jack and Ryan Anderson, but their teams are not doing as well as the Knicks or Clippers. 

Needless to say, J.R. Smith’s career year, the Knicks success, and the potential SMOY Award will make him very appealing to other teams if he opts out of his contract, as he is expected to do. The next year of his contract pays him 2.5 million dollars, but the Knicks now have his Early Bird Rights, which allows them to give him a larger and longer contract if he opts out. It’s likely that multiple teams will come calling for Smith, and that they will be able to offer contracts much more lucrative than the Knicks can.

The question that basketball minds and fans alike are starting to ask if what will Smith decide to do?

He has plenty of reasons to stay in New York. He is from New Jersey, and has built a new home near his mother. He has an excellent relationship with Carmelo Anthony, who played with him in Denver. But most of all, he has found a coach in Mike Woodson who believes in him and roots for him. Smith has struggled with being coached in his career, but the father-son relationship between Woodson and Smith has had proven results in his game.

The Knicks can only offer him 5 million dollars a year, for up to four-years with steady increases. Smith may be able to score a bigger deal if he skipped town, and leaving the Knicks may offer him another bonus. Smith has stated multiple times he believes he is a starting shooting guard. Mike Woodson has stated multiple times he will not start Smith, and while Smith has accepted his role this season, he may be convinced to go elsewhere if he can be guaranteed the starting job.

Under Woodson, Smith has shown growth on and off the court, but his prior mistakes and reputation as an immature bad boy may stop the less desperate teams from going after him that hard. Smith’s reputation may scare some teams away, and that’s good news for the Knicks. His scoring, athleticism, and defense have helped the Knicks, and with their extremely limited cap room, Smith is a player they cannot afford to lose.

J.R. Smith has been one of the biggest highlights for the Knicks this season. He’s had two game winning buzzer beaters, as well as helped guide the team through injuries to most of their other key players at some point or another during the season. Smith earned the maximum offer the Knicks can give him, but will that be enough for him to stay? Only time will tell, but first he has to wait and see just how far this group of Knicks can go.

Here are the player grades for tonight’s win:

Raymond Felton (13 points, on 5-6 shooting, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers) Felton played a very efficient game from the field. He attacked the basket aggressively and shot 2-3 from beyond the 3-point arc. He directed the offense and kept it moving. The ball movement was some of the best of the season in the first half, and the team ultimately shot 41.9% from the 3-point line. Grade: B+

Pablo Prigioni (2 points, on 1-3 shooting, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 0 turnovers) Prigioni didn’t make much of a mark on this game besides his playmaking. He had to be taken out early on due to a hand injury, but he ultimately was able to play the rest of the game. Starting Prigioni allows Coach Woodson to insert pass-first and playmaking instincts into the starting lineup, which allows for hot starts like the one tonight against the Grizz. Grade: B-

Iman Shumpert (16 points, on 6-10 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 turnover) Shump shot 100% in the first half, and had his best offensive performance of the season. Shumpert looked comfortable on both ends of the floor, and can be credited with starting the hot shooting the Knicks had in the first half.  His defense has also continued to improve as his knee gets stronger. Grade: B+

Carmelo Anthony (22 points, on 8-20 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers) ‘Melo played a quiet game relative to a typical night. He shot below 50% from the field, but helped the team on the glass, as well as a distributor. He went 6-6 from the free-throw line, but missed both of his 3-point attempts. ‘Melo helped the team get off to a hot start, but faded, while allowing J.R. Smith to take over the offense. Grade: B

Kenyon Martin (4 points, on 2-3 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 turnover) Martin had a rare off-night as a Knick tonight. He was in foul trouble most of the game, and only played 26 minutes. He wasn’t much help on the board, but did finish a play from ‘Melo. Martin’s defensive presence may not be felt in the box-score,  but he visibly alters the ease of shots for opponents. Grade: C+

J.R. Smith (35 points, on 10-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 4 turnovers) J.R. continued his last ditch effort to make a case for the Sixth Man of the Year Award tonight. He scored easily in a variety of ways, but most importantly, he attacked the basket and got to the free throw line. He ended up 12-13 on the night from the charity stripe. Smith’s play lately has provided a boost to the team, and in order to secure the crucial 2nd seed in the east he must continue his excellent play. Grade: A

Jason Kidd (3 points, on 1-2 shooting, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 4 steals, and 1 turnover) Kidd has a typical 40-year-old night. He did a little bit of everything all while saving just enough for a late 3-pointer that helped to seal the win for the Knicks. His defense also helped out the team, and he had a game-high 4 steals, while also adding a block. Grade: B

Steve Novak (9 points, on 3-8 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers) Novak started the game hot, but became a non-factor in the 2nd half of the game. He went 3-8 from beyond the arc, and even had a killer dribble move that shocked the world (ok, it shocked me). Novak’s defense also seemed improved to me, but Woodson didn’t reinsert him much late in the game. Grade: B-

Chris Copeland (4 points, on 2-4 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers) Coach Woodson was forced to turn to Cope in the second half due to a lack of available big men, and Cope produced. He has shown time and time again that he can score. In his 6 minutes on the court he was able to produce points, a rebound, and an assist. Grade: C+

Marcus Camby (1 turnover) Camby played sparingly tonight, and when the Coach needed him most due to Kenyon Martin’s foul trouble, he quickly received two technical fouls and was ejected. Grade: F

James White – DNP Coach’s Decision

Kurt Thomas – DNP Foot Injury

Amar’e Stoudemire – DNP Knee Injury

Tyson Chandler – DNP Bulging Disc

That being said, the Knicks are not out of the pressure cooker by any means. They currently are sitting just above the Indiana Pacers for the 2nd seed in the East, which is a position they desperately want, as it allows them to avoid the Heat until the  Conference Finals. In order to claim that 2nd seed as their own, the Knicks will need everything Felton gave them early on in the season and possibly more.

Felton’s time(s) as a Knick have coincided with the best play of his career. His first stop here in 2010 almost earned him an All-Star nod with career high averages of 17.1 points and 9.0 assists. After his poor showing last season (he was overweight and over Portland), he returned to the Knicks and led the charge early on. The Knicks were getting it done partially due to their improved ball movement and three point shooting. Felton’s play in the backcourt alongside veteran Jason Kidd helped to bring that style of play to the forefront. 

The Knicks are currently ranked 29th in the league in assists, averaging only 19.3 a game. In tonight’s win against the Celtics, The Knicks had just 11! Felton (who had 3 assists tonight) needs to try to do a better job of keeping the ball moving and initiating ball movement on offense. It is going to be far too easy for opposing defenses in the playoffs to handle ‘Melo isolations every time the Knicks bring the ball up the court.

In the last 10 games, Felton is averaging an unacceptable 4.3 assists per game. Individual stats are not the end all be all, but getting those assists closer to his career average of 6.6 will help the Knicks keep defenses on their toes and help to return them to the elite level of play from the beginning of the season.

Felton must also score consistently and attack the basket in order to bring the team to the next level. He has a tendency to occasionally disappear in some games or turn into a long jump shooter while in other games attack the basket and get to the free throw line. The reason his aggresive execution helps the team is twofold. One, it allows for him to get easy points on the board using one of his best but under utilized skillsets, and two, it opens up the floor for the three-point shooters. The Knicks have lived and died by the three-point shot this season. At the beginning of the season, the shots were going in and some credit can be attributed to Felton opening up the floor with his drive-and-dish game.

Recently, the point guard’s scoring has been down. In the last 10 games, he is averaging 11.8 points. With Amar’e Stoudemire out with a knee injury, Felton is the 3rd scoring option on the team after Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. It is important that he score the ball and that he do so with efficiency.A three pronged attack consisting of Felton, Smith, and Anthony surrounded by three point shooters and anchored defensively by Tyson Chandler will be very hard to beat in the early rounds of the Playoffs. This requires, however, that Felton take on the responsibility and return to the level of play he has previously shown this year.

The team needs defense, playmaking, and scoring, but most of all they need effort and intensity. If Felton can deliver, then it bodes well for the Knicks heading into the Playoffs.

From the face of the franchise to the face of the bench. Stoudemire has battled through injuries for a sizable amount of his time in New York. He has had back problems, a self-inflicted hand laceration, and more recently his surgically repaired and uninsured knees have been bothering him. He had been playing terrific as of late, and seemed to be in top form.  He accepted his role on the bench after returning from injury, and impressed many with his poise and play.

He’s averaging 14.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG, and his shooting percentage is the 2nd highest of his career at 57.7%. These are impressive numbers when you consider he plays just under 24 minutes a game. When you look at his stats per 40 minutes, he is averaging 24 points and 9 rebounds, which would make people think twice about calling him past his prime and a non-elite player.

Amar’e's play has given a huge boost to the bench, and allowed for Coach Woodson to have a player to run his offense through when ‘Melo is resting. The bench has recently been playing a factor in wins due to the increased strength of its play. J.R Smith, Steve Novak, Pablo Prigioni, newly signed Kenyon Martin, and newly benched Jason Kidd have played extremely well while the team went 6-2 in the last eight games.

With Amar’e gone, the bench will need to continue their improved production, especially while ‘Melo is still out with his knee injury. That means that players like Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby need to step up their game and anchor down the front court. Last night against the Jazz, they did exactly what they were needed to do. K-Mart had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Camby did a little bit of everything recording an assist, steals, a block, and a rebound.

Steve Novak and J.R. Smith also had big games last night. Smith finished with a game-high 24 points, 6 rebound, and 3 assists. Novak, who has had an up and down season while struggling to get open looks, scored 20 points while hitting 5 3-pointers. Pablo Prigioni continued his excellent play as possibly one of the league’s best third-string point guards, as he had 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

If the Knicks want to maintain their second seed ranking in the East, then they are going to need continued production from the bench as they close out the season and wait for STAT to return. The offense had grown stagnant, and opposing defenses were easily figuring out that the Knicks’ offense was a one man show. If the bench and other role players can play well, then it puts increased pressure on the other teams and allows for the Knicks to have improved ball movement and execution.

Amar’e Stoudemire will be missed on this team. We lose our main low-post presence, and a vocal leader on the floor. Hopefully, the team can unite, and return to how they played earlier this season without him when they were one of the top teams in the league.

He rehabbed all summer, and for a good chunk of the season, but was finally ready to return to action January 17th against the Detroit Pistons. He played a decent game in 15 minutes, but his play has been up and down for the most part. He is averaging just 4.6 PPG, 1.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 0.9 SPG.

Many have begun to wonder: is this the guy we thought he was? I say yes, and that he will be even better in time. An ACL injury can be one of the most devastating in all of sports. Some people may never fully recover, others return to their previous level, and few can even continue to improve. Shumpert is only 22 years old. He is one of, if not, the most athletic players on the team. Most doctors and players who recover from this sort of injury say it truly takes a year to return to your old self. Shumpert tore his ACL at the end of April, so doesn’t he deserve until the playoffs to get his act together?

In recent games, he has been much more active defensively especially on the ball. He has returned to harping on the ball handler, and forcing him into mistakes that ultimately result in turnovers or a poor possession. His 6 steals against the Warriors on Wednesday night was a prime example of how much of a force he can be on that end of the court.

His defense may be returning, but his offense continues to pose a problem. Last season, he shot 40% from the field. Most of his misses were caused by poor shot selection, but also an inconsistent jump shot. This season, his field goal percentage has plummeted even lower to an abysmal 30%. Shumpert will need to improve his overall scoring (4.5 points will not cut it in this league for most starting shooting guards) and his percentage. On a high note, his 3-point percentage has increased to a respectable 34% after last season’s 30%.

The high-top wonder, as I fondly call him, is the youngest player on the team with one of the best contracts to go along with his skills. He was highly sought after around the trade deadline, and some people have speculated that the Knicks might have been able to create a package surrounding him for the Magic’s J.J. Reddick. I think it was a smart move by the front office to keep Shump. He will be a restricted free agent when this deal is up in a couple years, and the Knicks will need youthful talent that isn’t too pricey.

Overall, Iman Shumpert’s sophomore season should have a big asterisks next to it when he calls it a career. Not only is he only going to have played half a season, but he also had been recovering from a major injury. This is the time for Shump to get his body right, and to figure out what his role will be going into the playoffs. Last year, in round one of the playoffs, the Knicks wanted him to try to shut down Dwyane Wade or Lebron James. Later today, against the Heat, he may have the opportunity to show that he still can.

Earlier this season, ‘Melo was being praised for his fresh approach to the game by his teammates and coaches. People were saying the biggest difference about him is that he wants to win, and that he realizes leading by example on both defense and offense is key to the team’s success. All of this praise coincided with one of the hottest starts to a season the Knicks have ever had. 

‘Melo was being called an MVP candidate. He was briefly leading the league in scoring (he’s second now). Most importantly, he was playing sound defense with increased effort, as well as sharing the ball and making smart decisions on offense. He was given the credit for the Knicks stellar play, and for that exact reason, he needs to take the blame for the recent skid.

The Knicks have lost four in a row, and are in jeopardy of losing their spot at the top of the Atlantic Division, as well as their place as number two in the East. Their offensive execution has been flat out awful, and that has to partially reflect their best offensive weapon. Anthony has not been as hot lately as he was in the beginning of the season, but more than that is his decision making. He is not scoring in the same dominant way, and more and more often he looks like he is forcing his shots up, or that his effort is not where it needs to be.

On the defensive end he has also slackened slightly. He’s still playing some of the better defense of his career, and is trying to hard to shake the bad defender label, but the effort and hustle is not at all what we saw at the beginning of the season. He’s not getting on the floor and battling it out. We don’t want him injuring himself again, but if he could do something–anything–to remind us of the player who dived into the fans, then it will go a long way in proving that he is giving it his all.

He is the best player on the team, and he is playing like it. This isn’t about how his individual stats look, but instead about how his teammates are playing. They are watching. ‘Melo needs to get on players, make sure they are involved, and make it clear that nothing less than 100% effort will be accepted. He needs to show them that even the star player will play defense for the entire game. If he doesn’t force the offense and takes smart shots, then the team will follow.

Leading by example. It’s what all of the great basketball players have done and continue to do. There is no one who can doubt Kobe Bryant’s or Michael Jordan’s effort when they stepped out onto the court. They showed their teammates that every game counts, and that every game they are going to go out there and try to play the best basketball they can play. Carmelo Anthony doesn’t have to be Bryant or Jordan, but he needs to rally the troops, and prepare them, hopefully, for a long playoff run. It all can start tonight, when the Knicks play the 76ers. A big game from ‘Melo could lead to a momentum switch that will make this mismatch of senior citizens morph back into the team of veteran winners that we saw at the start of the season.

Here are the grades for the Knicks’ players’ performances:

Raymond Felton (12 points, on 5-13 shooting, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers) Felton was one of the only decent players for the Knicks tonight. He consistently got to the basket with ease, and hit easy floaters and layups. He was colder from long range, going 0-2. Felton’s defense wasn’t great, and that was made evident by the Pacer’s torching the Knicks from the perimeter. Grade: C+

Jason Kidd (o points, on 0-3 shooting, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 turnover) Jason Kidd arguably needed the all-star break more than anyone on this team. Too bad it did nothing to stop his slump as of late. Kidd played solid defense, but his offense is nowhere near as crisp as it was toward the beginning of the year. He has not been very active, and lost his redhot jumper he had earlier in the year. Grade: F

Iman Shumpert (4 points, on 1-7 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 turnover) Shumpert continues his struggles while recovering from his ACL injury. He shot terribly from the field, even missing open three-pointers (0-4). He has not made much of an impact since returning, and continued to be a non-factor in tonight’s brutal loss. Grade: D-

Carmelo Anthony (15 points, on 7-21 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers) Anthony played the role of offensive juggernaut who could not buy a bucket tonight. He forced his shot far too many times, resulting in a terrible field goal percentage. His defense was subpar from the start, and once down by double digits was seen playing lethargic at best. Anthony needs to play the leader role on a night like this, and the first thing to do is lead by example. Grade: D-

Tyson Chandler (19 points, on 4-9 shooting, 11 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 turnover) Chandler played as well as he could on a night where the entire team forgot to show up. He went a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line. His defense stayed consistent with his reputation, but it wasn’t enough to make up for his teammate’s woes. Chandler was the team’s leading scorer for the first time this season. Grade: B+

J.R. Smith (5 points, on 1-7 shooting, 1 rebound, and 3 turnovers) J.R. Smith played atrocious basketball, at least when he was playing basketball. Smith was ejected early in the third quarter after having some words with the ref. Smith could not get his shot going, and continues to be in a rut. He had a team high 3 turnovers in just 19 minutes. Grade: F

Amar’e Stoudemire (7 points, on 1-5 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers) Stoudemire continued the trend of poor play against the Pacers tonight. He wasn’t efficient from the field, and even more important was his evident poor defense. He was consistently beaten by David West, who scored 18 points tonight. On a positive note, STAT pulled down 7 rebounds. Grade: D-

Steve Novak (11 points, on 3-7 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers) Novak played a solid game off the bench for the Knicks. He helped on the boards, and even blocked on shot. He shot the ball well from beyond the three-point arc, as well. Maybe he was trying to make up for his no-show at the 3-point shootout? Grade: B-

Pablo Prigioni (5 points, on 1-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 turnovers) Prigioni played well tonight, albeit most of his assists came in garbage time. I continue to like how Prigioni runs the team, especially while Chris Copeland is on the court. He didn’t shoot much, but that really isn’t in his DNA as the epitome of a pass-first point guard. Grade: B-

James White (o points, on 0-1 shooting, and 0 turnovers) White played 2 minutes of garbage time, and managed to miss a three-pointer. He probably was thinking about his dunks, or lack there of, in the dunk contest this past weekend.

Chris Copeland (13 points, on 6-9 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 turnover) Copeland made the most of his 10 minutes in tonight’s game. He continues to prove that he can score in the NBA in a variety of ways. He shot very efficient from the field, although he missed both his three-point attempts. His defense and rebounding continue to blockade him from playing a larger role in the rotation. Grade: B

Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby both did not play as they are both continuing the recover for foot injuries.

The same team that started off nearly perfect defensively has slipped to having the 11th worst opponent field goal percentage with opponents averaging almost 46% against them. The offense hasn’t been splendid either, as the ball has stopped moving like it once did, and as a result three-pointers made seems to have gone down. Long story short, Mike Woodson has his hands full if he wants to make this team championship contenders.

It has to start with defense. This is not the same team that started the season defensively. People may want to blame it on Amar’e Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony, both of whom have reputations as subpar defenders, but they’re not the problem. The Knicks’ have been terrible defending the perimeter, and that ineptitude has begun to effect the pick-and-roll defense as well.

The guards in the backcourt are constantly asking for help on defense, which drags the big men away from the paint, and opens up the back door. If the help doesn’t come, the opposing team’s guard has been effective at shooting over our players. In the pick-and-roll there is far too much switching that creates favorable mismatches for the opponent. 

In the last 3 games, shooting guard Alan Anderson had 26 points for the Raptors, Jamal Crawford and Chris Paul had 27 and 25 respectively for the Clippers, and T-Wolve Luke Ridnour scored 20. While you may be able to look past Paul or Crawford, it is unacceptable for guards like Ridnour and Anderson to go off on a team like that.

Felton is returning from 5 weeks off with a fractured pinky, but is playing hard and will figure out his defense. Jason Kidd’s age gives him an excuse, but he is still leading the team in steals with 1.7 per game. Look for him to be fresh after the much needed All-Star break. Surprisingly, Iman Shumpert seems to be a big question mark. When Ronnie Brewer was occupying the Shump’s spot, the team was at its best and firing on all cylinders. Brewer lost his job after he lost his jumper, and Shumpert’s return from ACL surgery was met with optimism after his impressive showing last season. However, he has underperformed, and has looked slow on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, he will return after the break with something to prove after trade rumors reportedly bothered him.

Mike Woodson needs to address these defensive issues. He may have to consider playing Ronnie Brewer more minutes, but that would require Brewer being able to at least hit an open shot when needed. Woodson has said that he thinks what the team needs is practice and teaching time, so if that’s all it will take, then expect a new-and-improved team to hit the floor against the Pacers on the 20th.

What could also help is the return of big man depth. Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby are expected to be coming closer to returning after the break, and hopefully will help on the glass as well as clean up some of Amar’e's defensive mistakes. Keep in mind, however, that Wallace has been rumored to be returning before, and up till now that has always resulted in a bust.

Mike Woodson’s other main concern should be the offense. The Knicks rank 29th in assists, while simultaneously ranking 9th in points per game. An offense that runs through ‘Melo should score a lot of points, and will most likely not involve a lot of ball movement, but is that the recipe for success?

The offense has become very simple. First, Raymond Felton will dribble the ball up the court, see if he can make a play with the pick-and-roll, and if he can’t he may take a poor shot, or pass to ‘Melo. Then, ‘Melo may work in the post and ultimately end up scoring, or the opponent may double the ball out of his hands. Whoever he passes to is supposed to hit a three, and if that three misses, Tyson Chandler is expected to clean up. A good defense knows that you hardly ever can take ‘Melo out of a game, but you can make it so that all of the role players are neutralized, and that has been proven to lead to losses for the Knicks.

Mike Woodson needs to get others involved more in the second half. The team could run more screens for struggling J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. Their struggles are completely different, but both could benefit from the same solution. Novak is continuing his amazing shooting (45% for 2nd best in the league), but defenses won’t let him get open, and therefore take him out of the game. J.R. is simply on a cold streak, which results in him over dribbling the ball into a terrible shot attempt.

Coach Woody should run some more plays for some of the key role players in order to help them get into a groove. Everyone and their brother knows it’s ‘Melo’s offense when he’s hot or the game is on the line, but the team was winning earlier this season when players were open and the ball was moving.

Mike Woodson and this team have proven that they can compete with the best in the league (they boast a 2-0 record against the defending champs). All-Star break is the time for them to begin the return to their elite level, and shut up the haters. Carmelo Anthony needs to be reenergized. Amar’e Stoudemire needs to continue learning defense for the first time in his career. Tyson needs to do Tyson. As for Mike Woodson, he needs to find a nice beach to relax, take in the sites, and slowly figure out how he is going to transform this team into the champions that the posters of the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the locker room say we should be.

Wallace is averaging 7.2 PPG and 4.2 RPG in about 15 minutes off the bench. He provided interior defense support and extra rebounding. Sheed also is very expressive and is a legitimate leader on the court. Many players have sited his input and guidance as key to the team’s hot start to the season.

Many insiders around the league have doubted if Wallace will even return this season. The Knicks have been connected to players such as Kenyon Martin and Lou Amundson as potential replacements. There are rumors that Woodson’s connection with Sheed from their Piston days played a role in keeping him rather than looking elsewhere. If Sheed does return, then we shouldn’t expect him to make a concrete impact right away. However, by the time the playoffs come along, he may play a big role in a deep run. 

Here are three things the Knicks should expect from Sheed when he returns:

1) Help for rebounding woes:

The Knicks are the ranked 23rd in the league in rebounding, and average just under 41 per game. In today’s loss to the Clippers, they were out-rebounded 43 to 35. Rasheed, as a big body, helps grab rebounds and boxes out well. If you added in his 4 rebounds per game to the team average then they would be towards the top of the league. The Knicks may have to face the Pacers or Bulls in the playoffs, and they first and eighth respectively.

2) Additional post-presence: 

Before Amar’e Stoudemire returned from injury, Sheed was the only big man posting up players down low. He was effective, and even featured at time, when Carmelo was resting. While he will not be needed to provide many points, he can still work in the post, and create opportunities for other players with his above average court vision. Sheed’s high basketball IQ should allow him to be able to effect a few plays on the offensive side of the ball.

3) Anchoring the interior defense:

Defense may be what Rasheed Wallace is best known for, and coincidentally, it is what the Knicks need most. The early defensive juggernaut Knicks are now a distant memory. Between poor perimeter defense and being ranked 29th in shot blocking, the Knicks could use some help. Sheed is averaging almost one block per game this season. He also proved that he still can be effective guarding the low-post, which will come in handy when Tyson Chandler needs rest.

Stoudemire is averaging modest numbers: 12.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, and 1.4 TPG while shooting 55% from the field. The numbers stick out more when you realize he is playing just 22 minutes a game. Also, he has been sharing the court with Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony much more often recently, which is the exact scenario that has been accused of crippling his game. Conversely, he has thrived off the attention needed on ‘Melo, and uses his new post moves to perfection. 

After working over the summer with Hakeem Olajuwon, STAT is finally reaping the rewards of his offseason work. He has been effective with his back to the basket, and has blasted his defender one-on-one. In his last 10 games, he is shooting an impressive 60% from the field. Playing in the post also allows him to share the floor more with Tyson Chandler, who has become the team’s main roll-man.

Aside from his elevated field goal percentage, the Knicks have also benefitted from his free-throw shooting. The Knicks aren’t a team that gets to the line that often, but Stoudemire is averaging 5 attempts per game, while connecting on 79% of them. The free throws help the team get some easy points, and allows Mike Woodson to give the ball to STAT and feel confident that he will produce.

STAT’s game hasn’t been perfect though. He has struggled staying in front of his defensive assignment, and his rebounding numbers could be a little bit better. In recent games, he has been more active around the basket defensively–blocking at least one shot in each of his last 4 games. Still, he has a ways to go on that side of the ball in order to be trusted without Chandler to cover for him.

Stoudemire’s slow return to prominence may be the last piece of the puzzle that culminates in a trip to the NBA Finals. He gives the Knicks another go-to scorer, and a big body who is decent on the boards and can protect the rim. He also requires the attention of defenses, and most teams are forced between playing ‘Melo and him one-on-one, doubling one of them and leaving the other open, or doubling both and leaving the perimeter three-point shooters open all night long.

The Knicks are currently in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the Heat. If they can hold their position in the standing, or overtake the Heat, then they will not face them until the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Knicks could pull off an upset, then they would be on their way to the Finals for the first time since 1999. To do this would no doubt need the entire team healthy, and operating at 100% efficiency.

Stoudemire’s improved play should only get better as the season continues, and he should be considered not an afterthought to this team’s title aspirations, but instead as a major cog in the gears of the New York Knicks.

Here are the grades for the Knicks’ player’s performances:

Raymond Felton (12 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 turnovers on 5-9 shooting): Felton started off hot scoring all six of the team’s first points. He played with confidence after his only okay return in Philadelphia. Felton hit open three pointers (he went 2-4 from behind the arc), and drove to the basket in order to create for his opponents. His 10 assists were a huge boost, especially with Jason Kidd missing the second half of the game. Grade: B+

Jason Kidd (0 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal on 0-0 shooting): J-Kidd’s back has been bothering him lately, and it was evident tonight. He played only 5 minutes in the first half, and did not return for the second. Coach Woodson had been relying on Kidd heavily with Felton out, so it is not unreasonable for him to need a few days rest in order to heal. Still, with only 5 minutes he proved to be effective. Grade: C

Iman Shumpert (8 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2 steals, and 1 turnover on 3-5 shooting): Shump continued his return from ACL surgery in tonight’s game. He played only 19 minutes, but provided a defensive spark that resulted in Hawks’ turnovers. He was also effective with his shot, and moved the ball well. Grade: B-

Carmelo Anthony (42 points, 1 assist, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers on 15-28 shooting): ‘Melo showed everyone why is considered to be one of the most versatile scorers in the league tonight. He passed his career high in three pointers made by two, knocking down 9 from deep tonight. Anthony had been struggling slightly with his shot as of late, but tonight after a rocky start turned it on. He converted an and-1 on a critical play with the clock running down that ended up sealing the deal for the Knicks. Grade: A

Tyson Chandler (2 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 0 turnovers on 1-1 shooting): Chandler had an off night against the Hawks. He couldn’t secure rebounds, and didn’t look to get easy shots near the rim. He played solid defense, but Al Horford scored 16 points on 8-8 shooting from the field. Overall, an atypical performance for Chandler. Grade: C+

J.R. Smith (18 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 turnover on 7-15 shooting): J.R. played a more efficient game than we have seen from him recently. His three-point shot continues to be a problem, especially considering how many are wide open. He continued to make a name for himself as one of the best bad shot shooters in this league (I am looking at you Jamal Crawford). Smith played solid defense down the stretch, and his play forced Woodson to leave Shumpert on the bench in the final minutes. Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire (18 points, 1 assist, 8 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 turnovers on 6-9 shooting): STAT’s return to dominance is a work in progress, but he is doing a great job of proving his worth. He continues to be one of the only free throw threats on the team (he went 6-8 from the charity stripe), and his defense is slowly improving. STAT also had a powerful slam in the third quarter reminiscent of vintage Amar’e. He is thriving off the bench, and providing a unique punch to the second unit.

Grade: B+

Steve Novak (0 points, 1 rebound, and 0 turnovers on 0-1 shooting): Novak’s season can be easily described as underwhelming. Every team has him on their scouting report to cover tight, and his defense leaves much to be desired. This results in him playing only 13 minutes, and not scoring, which is unacceptable for a three-point specialist. Coach Woodson needs to figure out how to help him get open. Grade: D+

Pablo Prigioni (6 points, 4 assists, and 2 turnovers on 2-3 shooting): Prigioni is one of the best pickups the front office pulled off during the summer. He plays solid backup point guard minutes, and has shown he has a nice stroke on his jumper. 4 assists in 10 minutes is not too shabby if you ask me. If Kidd’s back continues to be a problem, then look for an increase in quality minutes from the Argentine. Grade: B

Kurt Thomas (0 points, 1 rebound, and 0 turnovers, on 0-0 shooting): Thomas played 4 minutes tonight, and wasn’t asked to do much. He has played productively when needed to this season, but tonight was nothing major. Grade: Incomplete

James White (0 points, o turnovers on 0-1 shooting): Flight-White played 4 minutes all night, and did not produce much on the floor. He was able to foul a Hawk player in his limited minutes, however. Grade: Incomplete

Ronnie Brewer: Brewer played less than a minute in tonight’s game. It seems the once prominent defensive swingman has been fully removed from the rotation by Mike Woodson.

Chris Copeland (DNP – Coaches’ Decision)

Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace both did not play as they are still recovering from foot injuries.

While Chris Copeland has been starting at the 3, the real difference maker could be the insertion of Iman Shumpert (returning from a torn ACL) as the starting shooting guard. Felton played mostly coupled with Jason Kidd in the backcourt, which resulted in great guard play, and some would say was the key to the hot start by the New York Knicks this season. But with Felton’s return does Kidd go to the bench? Is Shumpert moved to small forward? And most importantly, how would any move effect the quality of the team’s play?

Felton is having his best season since the last time he was in New York, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 2.3 TPG, on 40% shooting from the field. While his shooting numbers are a tad low, his production has maintained crucial to the Knicks success. Also, Felton is the team leader in assists, and pushes the ball up the court faster than the aging Jason Kidd. The offense has stalled early on in games, and Felton’s penetration may assist in getting easy shots for his teammates to help get them going.

So it’s clear that Felton will be the starting point guard, but who does that mean gets bumped from the starting lineup? My bet is on Jason Kidd. Kidd was not signed to play a starter’s minutes, and he is well aware of that. Mike Woodson has made it clear that it is not healthy for Kidd to be playing the 30+ minutes he has logged since Felton has been out, and a solution to this problem would be bringing him off the bench.

Another option would be moving Copeland to the bench, Shumpert to the 3, and Kidd to shooting guard. No matter what happens I envision Shump staying in the lineup. He has the talent to start, and his defensive drive is adored by Coach Woodson. This lineup would allow for Carmelo Anthony to stay at power forward, and allow the stellar backcourt of Kidd and Felton to continue their run. The downside could be the smaller lineup, and that it would not help reduce Jason Kidd’s minutes directly.

There is a third potential lineup, but I would call it the least likely of them all: Felton, Shumpert, ‘Melo, STAT, and Tyson Chandler could all share the floor at tip-off. On paper, this is the strongest lineup the team can put out on the floor, but there are several significant drawbacks. First, the jury is still out on the true effectiveness of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony sharing the floor. They have yet to prove that they can win consistently. Another issue is that Tyson Chandler plays the main roll-man on this team, and when STAT and he are on the same floor they can end up crowding the paint. Also, ‘Melo has shown that he is most dominant as a stretch 4. The sample size is large enough to prove that is where he consistently plays at an MVP level.

Felton’s return will not hurt the team, but it could complicate things. While they are desperate for his penetration and speed, the team’s depth may become a problem (what a nice problem to have, right?). However, the problems will most likely come at the end of games–not the beginning.

Jason Kidd has the playmaking skills needed for end of game decisions. Iman Shumpert has the shut down defensive abilities that can create the stops needed in the last few minutes. J.R. Smith, the Knicks’ resident sixth man, has that x factor that can make him so dangerous offensively when the team needs him most. Not to mention the value of Carmelo, STAT, and Tyson. So who plays at the end of games? That is for Mike Woodson to decide, and with so many options, it is certainly not a position I’m envious of.

Copeland is averaging 6.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg, while shooting 49% from the field, in only 12.2 minutes per game. Copeland is also giving a boost to the team’s already above average three-point shooting as he is shooting 39% from beyond the arc. While his numbers may not be that great, they improve when he starts games. In his four starts, he is averaging 17.5 ppg, 4 rpg, shooting 56% and 48% from the field and three point line respectively.

Copeland has shown that he is one of the more versatile offensive players on the team. Prigioni and he have shown a great pick-and-roll game, he can score with his back to the basket, and he shoots very well from the perimeter as well. Copeland showed off his polished offensive game against the Hornets on Sunday afternoon, where he scored 22 points in 30 minutes. Copeland shot 9-15 from the field, while shooting 50% from beyond the arc.

Another positive aspect of starting Copeland at the 3 is that it allows Carmelo Anthony to continue his MVP-like play at power forward. Carmelo has proven this season, yet again, that he excels at defending and scoring at the 4. ‘Melo is faster than most, if not all, power forwards, which allows him to get by them while driving, but is strong enough to bang with them on the other end of the court in the post. Copeland at small forward allows Mike Woodson to start ‘Melo at the 4 without sacrificing any scoring from the lineup.

However, Copeland does have some issues that could prevent him from being the long term answer at the 3. For a 6-8 forward, Copeland does not rebound well, which is even more serious when you consider how terrible the Knicks have been at rebounding all season long. He is only averaging 4 rebounds in start, and Woodson could probably get more out of a bigger lineup.

Another issue, as I previously mentioned, is Copeland’s defense. He has been beat to the basket multiple times, but more seriously has shown that he struggles with bigger players down low. This may be the reason Woodson has lessened Copeland’s time at power forward. While his man-to-man defense has left something to be desired, Copeland has shown he has decent hands for blocks and steals.

With all the injuries that the Knicks have at this point in the season (Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Raymond Felton are all injured), and the recent lack of scoring early on in games, it may be a smart move to start Chris Copeland. The injection of offense could help the team’s offensive flow as well as challenge defenses when they double Carmelo Anthony. Stoudemire (who’s defense is still shaky) expects to close out most games, so Copeland’s poor defense would not matter much in the scheme of things. Copeland has proven that he belongs in this league this year, and maybe he can prove he deserves to start on this team with his next chance being against the Pistons on Thursday.

Martin has career averages of 13.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg, and he shoots 48% from the field. He has played for the New Jersey Nets (with Jason Kidd), the Denver Nuggets (with ‘Melo, J.R. Smith, and Marcus Camby), and the Los Angeles Clippers. As his averages allude to, K-Mart is a talented defender and rebounder. Last season he averaged one block and one steal in 22 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks are not a good rebounding team (although they have been improving since Marcus Camby returned). They rank 27th in the league, and average exactly 40 rebounds a game. Martin would help the Knicks in that department, as well as adding increased rim protection. The Knicks are the second worst shot-blocking team in the league, averaging under 4 per game. 

While this all sounds great on paper, you have to remember that the deal is reportedly contingent on Rasheed Wallace’s health. Wallace added a punch to this team not only with his defense, but also with his moral support and coaching presence. Will Rasheed, who’s contract is now guaranteed, be released? Will the team release a different front court player? Kurt Thomas or Chris Copeland? One person has to leave in order to make room for Martin. James White? This team has great chemistry, and all the players have contributed in one way or another so far this season.

Another issue about Martin is if he is in good shape. He hasn’t played in months, and who knows if he has kept up conditioning at an NBA level. Martin’s role may also be a little bit unnecessary. He is 35, and plays the forward spot. In other words, he’s and old, big man. If that sounds like Kurt Thomas or Marcus Camby it’s because it is their description as well. If the Knicks were looking into signing a point guard, then that would make more sense as Jason Kidd is playing too many minutes, and the Knicks could use some help with their perimeter defense until Felton returns, although Shumpert may fix some of those problems.

Coach Woodson hasn’t played Camby nor Thomas a lot of minutes, but seemed to be perfectly fine leaving ‘Sheed out on the court for 20 on some nights. Camby is still an elite rebounder and good rim protector at this stage in his career. Kurt Thomas, the oldest player in the league, has played very well in his time this season. Do the Knicks really need to look elsewhere for help in the front court?

If the Knicks know something about Rasheed Wallace that we don’t, or better yet, if they know something we don’t know about Martin, then go ahead and sign him. He won’t hurt the team, but he’s not needed in particular either. It’s a low risk, high reward situation if he proves he can score around the basket, rebound, and defend.

Everyone knows the seemingly age old idea that Carmelo and Amar’e can’t play well together on the same floor. We have heard it all. They take up the same place on the floor. They both aren’t great defenders. They need the ball in their hands to be effective. And while it’s true that they have a record below .500 in the games they’ve played together, it’s also true that under Mike Woodson they are 10-3 together.

Woodson wants Stoudemire to be more of a low post presence, which is not the elbows where ‘Melo typically works. STAT worked with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer specifically to be able to fit into Woodson’s vision, and so far we’ve seen nice moves and footwork, but the ball just hasn’t been falling into the hoop. Another thing Mike Woodson is doing to help the team be successful with both stars is experimenting with Stoudemire in the second unit.

Tyson Chandler has become the main roll man (a position filled by Stoudemire for most of his career), and the easy opportunities contribute to his mind-boggling 70% field goal percentage. With Stoudemire coming off the bench, he should be able to get more rolls to the basket when Tyson is resting. STAT, along with J.R. Smith, can help make the Knicks’ have one of the most potent second units in the league.

Woodson may be able to do wonders with Stoudemire’s defense the same way he changed Carmelo Anthony’s mindset, and that would mean a big boost in minutes for STAT at the center position when Tyson is out. Otherwise, it will be hard for Woodson to leave STAT out on the floor for extended minutes without Marcus Camby, Tyson Chandler, or eventually Rasheed Wallace due to the need for some rim protection and solid low post defense.

Last season (a down year for Amar’e damaged by injuries and personal losses), he averaged 17.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 1.0 bpg, while shooting 48% from the field. While these stats don’t jump off the screen, and have taken quite a bit of critique from basketball minds and fans alike, they are still premier in this league. If Stoudemire, who may end up starting, can average about 16 points, 8 rebounds, and shoot a field goal percentage closer to his career average of 53%, then this season would be a major success for him. 

This team, as currently constructed, does not need STAT to score 20+ a game. That’s what Carmelo Anthony, who is second in the league in scoring, is for. The other scoring options will be Raymond Felton (15.8 ppg), J.R. Smith (16.7 ppg), and Stoudemire. Now, if Stoudemire, who has been a subpar rebounder for most of his career, can pick up his effort on the glass and pull down more boards, then that would seriously help the team. The Knicks currently rank 27th in the league in rebounding, averaging just below 40 rebounds.

Stoudemire has reason to have a better season than expected. A lot of talk around the league has been negative about him as of late, and he may want to play with a chip on his shoulder similar to the mindset Raymond Felton entered with. “The 100 million dollar man,” as he has been called not so fondly, can shut up a lot of mouths by sacrificing scoring, improving his defense and boards, and leading the team he restored to prominence deep into the playoffs.

The Knicks had the third best three point percentage early on in the season (second only to the Thunder and Heat), but have slipped to a still respectable 5th place, and they are currently shooting 39% from beyond the arc. While the Knicks are still posting better than average shooting numbers, it is clear from watching the team play that shots that were going in earlier this season are missing.

Ronnie Brewer’s three-point shooting percentage went from 41% in November to 15% in December. J.R. Smith’s three-point shooting percentage dropped from 48% in November  to 30% in December. Before his injury, Raymond Felton’s percentage behind the arc dropped from 40% in November to 30% in December. Steve Novak, while still posting an impressive 43% for the season, cannot get an open shot as teams know they must keep him well guarded. Novak has only scored in double digits five times this season, and has scored less than 5 points on seven occasions.

Carmelo Anthony has almost single handedly erased the lower numbers of his teammates by playing MVP level basketball even while coming in and out of the lineup due to small injuries here and there. He is still shooting a career high number from the three-point line (44%).

Mike Woodson said earlier in the season that prior to coming to the Knicks he was never a huge fan of three pointers, but because they had the players and the shots were going in he was going to keep giving the green light, but if they were to start missing then he would need to make an adjustment. In the loss to the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday, The Knicks shot just 27% from behind the three-point line.

Coach Woody could make the decision to limit offensive production through threes, which would probably result in the offense running even more through Carmelo Anthony, and the newly healthy Amar’e Stoudemire. The problem is that most of the three pointers that the team takes are wide open, but are simply not going in. Woody has also talked about helping his shooters be in better situations to succeed. That could mean running more plays like down screens to help Steve Novak get open looks.

It’s quite possible that these recent struggles are just another bump in the road that all great teams have, and that tonight’s game against the Spurs might be the start of a new hot streak for the Knicks from beyond the arc. But if what is really happening is that the Knicks shooting numbers are coming back down to earth, and they won’t be returning to that level any time soon, then it could end up killing their title chances. Cause of death? Death by three.

It’s clear that Coach Woodson has decided to play Brewer less in an effort to increase scoring and  to help spread the floor. This has resulted in some increases in playing time for Chris Copeland, but mostly an earlier entrance for J.R. Smith. Smith has been great in his last 10 games, averaging over 19 points per game in 33 minutes off the bench.

Iman Shumpert, who has been recovering from a torn ACL he had repaired during the playoffs last season, is getting ready to return in early February. It’s unclear if Shumpert will come off the bench or start. Most of the season Jason Kidd has been starting at the two-guard, but he was not brought in to play heavy minutes. However, now that Raymond Felton is sidelined 4-6 weeks with a fractured right pinky, J-Kidd will be starting at point guard. This moves Ronnie Brewer from the 3 to the 2, which is also Shumpert’s main position.

Woodson may choose to bench Brewer, and bring the equally defensively minded Shumpert into the starting line up. Last season, he averaged 9.5 ppg, 2.8 apg, and 3.2 rpg in 29 minutes. Shumpert was a streaky shooter throughout his first season, and finished with a field goal percentage of just 40%. The reason he made the All-Rookie First-Team was his close to elite level perimeter defense, and that is what the Knicks are hoping he brings when he returns to the lineup.

The Knicks have struggled this season containing the league’s best isolation perimeter players like James Harden and Kobe Bryant. Even a player like Suns’ forward Jared Dudley was able to have a career night from the perimeter. That is where Shumpert and Brewer are needed the most. Marcus Camby’s return has already helped rebounding and defending down low, and that is hoped to get better when Rasheed Wallace returns from his stress reaction in his foot.

If Shumpert didn’t lose much of his tenacity and athleticism from the injury, then his minutes may come from the depleted Ronnie Brewer. Brewer’s defense has remained consistent, but he can’t stay on the floor due to his recent inability to knock down even an open shot. If Brewer can’t get his act together in the next few weeks, then he may just play himself out of the starting line-up.

Let’s dive right into the top five potential winners:

5. Kobe Bryant – 29.3 ppg, 47 FG %, 5.3 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.6 spg, and 3.8 tpg. If Kobe was playing on a contending, or even a winning team, then his name would be much higher on this list. His personal stats are amazing for any player, not just one who has no cartilage left in his knees. His field goal percentage is a career high as is his 3-point percentage (38%). One statistic that does stick out negatively towards Kobe is that the Lakers have struggled severely when he scores over 30 points in a game this season. It’s hard to believe a player as dominant and successful as Kobe has won the MVP award only once before (in 2008). As the Lakers begin to figure things out (they have to, right?) look for Kobe to climb these rankings. 

4. Zach Randolph – 17.2 ppg, 50 FG%, 12.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 2.2 tpg. While his stats may not jump off the screen, Zach Randolph is the gritty leader of an amazing Grizzlies team. He has rebounded the ball extremely well this year, and has helped lead the Griz to second place in the tough western conference. He is shooting well from the field, and knows his place in the offense (he has only taken an uncharacteristic four 3-pointers this year). Randolph will probably not win the award caused by his relatively low marquee name compared to the other candidates, but he certainly has earned on a spot on these rankings.

3. Lebron James – 25.5 ppg, 54.2 FG %, 8.6 rpg, 6.8 assists, 1.4 spg, and 2.6 tpg. On paper, Lebron is playing just as good as last year if not better, so doesn’t that merit him winning the award again? No. While Lebron is averaging career highs in rebounding, field goal percentage, and turnover rate, his team is not performing at as high a level as they should be. An even more important reason why he shouldn’t win the award (and the same reason he shouldn’t have won it last season) is that the Heat are a winning team with or without Lebron James. His value, while tremendous everywhere else, is relatively lessened by playing on a team with other future Hall of Famers.

2. Carmelo Anthony – 27.9 ppg, 47.3 FG %, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, and 2.6 tpg. ‘Melo is having an unbelievable year, but what makes it even more special is how well the Knicks are playing with him as the leader. He is averaging a career high 3-point percentage (a staggering 46%), and his leadership on both sides of the floor has made an impact. It may not be clear in the statistics, but ‘Melo’s effort defensively is easily the best of his career, and that is occasionally punctuated with an amazing dive onto the floor or even into the fans. The Knicks are at the top of the Eastern Conference, and ‘Melo is the biggest reason for that. The big test this season–the only reason I don’t have him at #1–is what will happen to his play when Amar’e Stoudemire comes back. They have struggled playing together, and ‘Melo has excelled at the power forward position. If ‘Melo can keep up his production, and learn to be effective with STAT on the floor, then it won’t be a surprise if he wins his first MVP award this season.

1. Kevin Durant – 27.5 ppg, 51.5 FG%, 8.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.6 spg, and 3.4 tpg. Durant has continued his offensive dominance from previous years and is the NBA’s third leading scorer. He is averaging career highs in field goal percentage, rebounds, steals, blocks (1.3), and three-point percentage (43.9%). He is also by far the youngest player on this list, and his team is currently the best in the NBA. The Durantula has improved every year, and right now is playing at an extremely high level. If you take Durant off the Thunder, you might end up taking the Thunder out of the playoffs.

The Knicks are still at the top of the Eastern Conference, but now sit only a half game ahead of The Heat. Marco Bellinelli’s hot start, coupled with the stifling Bulls’ defense handed the Knicks their fifth loss of the year. The sad truth of last night’s game was that it is now clearer than ever that if the Knicks three pointers aren’t going in, then they will struggle to win games, especially without ‘Melo.

Game Stats:

Field Goal Percentage: 32.1% (27-84)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 43.6% (34-78)

Three Point Percentage: 34.8% (8-23)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 53.8% (7-13)

Free Throw Percentage: 82.1% (23-28)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 100% (18-18)

Rebounds: 47-40 (Knicks -7)

Points in the paint: 28-18 (Knicks -10)

Individual Grades:

Raymond Felton: (27 points, 9-30 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers) Felton is playing with a bruised left hand, and last night he made that clear. After starting the game off decently, Felton could not get a shot to fall in the second half. The Bulls were playing tight defense on the perimeter, and that opened up the lane for Felton to drive on the pick-and-roll, but his lay-ups weren’t falling. His rebounding and defense were a positive though. Grade: C+ 

 Jason Kidd: (6 points, 2-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers) Kidd played one of his less effective performances of the season, and finished with more turnovers than assists. Kidd continued his hot three-point shooting, going 2-4 from beyond the arc. He also added 4 rebounds. Grade: C+

Ronnie Brewer: (0 points, 0-5 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 steals) Brewer was a non-factor in the game against his former team. He played only 16 minutes on a night when the team was undermanned, which goes to show you how much Coach Woodson was looking for offensive players to contribute. Brewer played good defense, but last night we were looking for him to make some shots. Grade: C

Kurt Thomas: (6 points, 3-4 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) Thomas played his best game of the season. His defense was solid all night long, and even had an epic block in the second half. Thomas was hitting his midrange jumper, which allowed him to reach a season high 6 points. Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler: (14 points, 4-8 shooting, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers) Chandler continued his dominant play on both sides of the court. He grabbed 18 rebounds, 9 offensive. He was not as effective in the pick-and-roll due to the great defense played on the Bulls side, but he still was able to get his 3rd double-double in four games. Grade: A-

Rasheed Wallace: (6 points, 2-6 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers) Wallace has been playing well defensively all year, and that continued last night as he blocked one shot and had two steals. The issue comes on the offensive end, where his shooting has been erratic. He was solid from beyond the arc last night where we went 2-4. Grade: C+ 

Steve Novak: (7 points, 1-4 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) Novak struggled to get open looks last night as the Bulls swarmed at him every time he touched the ball.  He was 4-4 from the free throw line where he hasn’t missed one shot this year. He also continued his improved play on the defensive end getting one steal and securing 3 boards. Grade: C+

Pablo Prigioni: (0 points, 0-3 shooting, 2 assists, 1 turnover) Prigioni didn’t seem himself to me last night. He was out of control at some points, and maybe was thrown off by the excellent defense. He played only 10 minutes. Grade: D+

James White: (4 points, 2-3 shooting, 1 assist) White continued his decent play off the bench in recent games. Woodson has been going to him instead of Copeland (I don’t understand why), and he has produced. He plays solid defense, and has proved he can shoot when open. I doubt his minutes will stay at 12 when ‘Melo comes back. Grade: C+

J.R. Smith: (15 points, 4-14 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers) J.R. has been playing terribly ever since his red hot start at the beginning of the year. He continued his poor play with a terrible shooting night. He looked more out of control than usual, and couldn’t hold onto the ball, which resulted in a team-high 5 turnovers. Hopefully playing against his former team tonight will get some positive minutes out of him. Grade: C-

Chris Copeland: DNP – Coach’s Decision

Carmelo Anthony: DNP – Lacerated Finger

Marcus Camby: DNP – Plantar Fasciatis

The Knicks play the second night of a back-to-back tonight against the Denver Nuggets in New York.

The Knicks did not play well tonight, but good teams win even when they play badly. ‘Melo kept the team afloat by scoring 20 points on hot shooting (3-3 from beyond the arc), but after halftime Bobcats’ coach Mike Dunlap had his team double ‘Melo, and he went 0 for his next 8 shots. Raymond Felton had a solid game after bruising his hand against the Suns on Sunday. He finished with 17 points, 9 assists, and 0 turnovers. Chandler added another monster performance to his hot streak he is on, finishing with a season-high 17 rebounds and 18 points.

The Bobcats played hard all game long, and had a chance to win it up until their last possession resulted in a turnover. Kemba Walker had a double-double as he scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists. Gerald Henderson and Ben Gordon also performed well off the bench adding 35 points together. Coach Dunlap made great adjustments in the second half that turned the Knicks offense to ice, but the Knicks finished the game on an 8-0 run. 

J.R. Smith played terribly offensively all game. In 32 minutes, he went 6-16, scoring 13 points. Smith shot 1-9 from beyond the arc, and he certainly wasn’t shy about continuing to shoot them. Smith redeemed himself though. After helping to force a turnover, Felton passed to him on a 2 on 1 before Smith dribbled out and a timeout was called. After the timeout, J.R. took the ball himself to the left, and leaning back he drained the jumper as the buzzer went off.

The Knicks shot only 31.7% from the 3-point line, 42.4% from the field, they were out-rebounded, out-assisted, and their star player was in the locker room getting 5 stitches on his finger. But. Good teams don’t lose games that they must win, and when you are playing a team under .500 you must get the W, (Are you listening Miami?). The Knicks closed out the game nicely, and added a 1/2 game between them and the now second place reigning champions.

Tomorrow night the Knicks will face a big test in Miami. It will be the second time the Heat and Knicks face each other this season. The Knicks won the first game at home, but the Heat are undefeated on their home court, so this will be a completely different ball game. The Knicks have been rolling against lesser opponents as of late, and if they could beat the champs tomorrow it will send a message that they are serious contenders in the East.

This was the first time since 1972-73 that the team has won 11 games in November.

Let’s take a look at last night’s report card:

Game Stats: 

Field Goal Percentage- 53.1% (43-81)

Opponents Field Goal Percentage- 44.9% (35-78)

Three-point Percentage- 41.4% (12-29)

Opponents Three-point Percentage- 27.8 (5-of-18)

Free-throw Percentage- 66.7% (10-15)

Opponents Free-throw Percentage- 57.1% (12-21)

Rebounds- 42-32 (Knicks -10)

Points in the paint- 44-38 (Knicks -6)

Individual Grade:

Raymond Felton (11 points, 5-13 shooting, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers) Felton had a decent game, but luckily was not relied upon much last night as he only needed to play 27 minutes. He played solid defense, and the box score doesn’t tell the whole story as he kept the ball moving, but was not credited with the assist. Felton has had issues this year knowing when he needs to stop shooting on a cold night. Grade: C+

Ronnie Brewer: (12 ponts, 5-8 shooting, 3 assists, 1 rebound, o turnovers) Brewer played an efficient and overall great game. He started the game by forcing a turnover, and then recovering to be open for an easy lay-up assisted by ‘Melo. Brewer had one of his best shooting games of the season, making 2-4 from beyond the arc. He only played 20 minutes, but Brewer still played one of his best games of the season. Grade: A-

Carmelo Anthony: (20 points, 6-13 shooting, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers) ‘Melo started the game not as hot as we are used to, but showed off his new ‘Melo’-ness by creating for others. The first offensive possession was a ‘Melo pass to an open Ronnie Brewer under the rim. He had a nice overall game, especially for playing only 28 minutes. If I had to pick one area of his game he needed to work on, it would be free-throws, as ‘Melo missed 3 more last night. Grade: A-

Kurt Thomas: (o points, 0-1 shooting, 2 fouls) Thomas has not played much this season, even when he has started games like last night. Thomas played 8 minutes, and as a result has little to show for last night’s game. Grade: Incomplete

Tyson Chandler: (12 points, 5-8 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 assists) Chandler continued his hot shooting from the field, and his 10 rebounds led the team. Chandler has been a constant in game lately, and its been great to see after his relatively slow start. Chandler played 25 minutes. Grade: A- 

Rasheed Wallace: (7 points, 3-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover) Wallace recovered from his recent poor shooting, and continued to great defense. Wallace had one steal, and is one of the better “shot changers” in the league. He doesn’t let people get off the easy shot. Wallace shot 1-3 from behind the 3-point line. Grade: B-

Steve Novak: (9 points, 3-6 shooting, 5 rebounds) Novak continued his resurgence as one of the best three-point shooters in the league. He shot 50% from beyond the arc. Novak continued his improved defense this season, but was still taken advantage of close to the basket. Woodson has been playing Novak and ‘Melo together recently, and obviously it’s working for both players. Grade: A-

Chris Copeland: (6 points, 3-5 shooting, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers) Woodson turned to Copeland early in the game again this season. He has shown glimpses of what we saw in the pre-season, but seems to be lacking the confidence that he had. If he wants to remain in the rotation once some players return from injury, then he needs to improve his rebounding numbers. Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni: (8 points, 3-4 shooting, 5 assists, 1 rebound) Prigioni continues his great back-up point guard play with Jason Kidd out. His defense and sneakiness have been a staple of his performance so far, and he had another steal tonight. Prigioni shot 2-3 from the 3-point line, and also had an insane buzzer beater in the second quarter. One big highlight of his performance was that he had zero turnovers in 25 minutes. Grade: A-

J.R. Smith: (20 points, 9-14 shooting, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 turnover) Smith bounced back from his recent terrible performance with a great shooting game, and an even more impressive team-leading 6 assists. Smith shot 2-3 from the 3-point line. The only knock on Smith would be his rebounding, which hasn’t been up to the level he set earlier this season. Grade: A-

James White: (3 points, 1-4 shooting, 1 assist, 2 rebounds) White played his limited minutes in garbage time. He has not proven to me that he has anything special to bring the rotation, and  his minutes will likely disappear when Iman Shumpert returns from injury. Grade: C-

Marcus Camby: (DNP-Coaches Decision) 

Jason Kidd: (DNP-Back Spasms) 

Knicks: 

Guards: J.R. Smith, Pablo Prigioni, and James White.

J.R. started the season off extremely hot, but no one assumed a streaky shooter like him could keep that going. He is now averaging 13.8 points, 1.4 steals, and 5.4 rebounds, which are all higher than his career averages. Since coming to New York under Mike Woodson, Smith has played better defense, but still inconsistent. He is instant offense, but his play in the past few games has not been at the level we need and know he can play at.

Prigioni has played limited minutes this season, but showed last night in Milwaukee that he is a more than capable back up point guard. He finished with 11 points and seven assists, but four turnovers. He has been an excellent defender all season long, averaging one steal in only the 15 minutes he plays a game, but he can sometimes get caught gambling a bit too often. His work in the preseason was enough proof to me that, especially with J-Kidd out, he can play an important role on this team.

James White has played limited minutes, but has provided decent defense and shooting when given the chance.

Forwards: Kurt Thomas, Chris Copeland, Steve Novak, and Rasheed Wallace.

Kurt Thomas has not played many minutes, but somehow has started a few games already this season. I like what he brings to the team, and his rebounding a tough defense is addicting to the rest of the team. The biggest issue with Thomas, besides age (he is the oldest player in the league), is that he is essentially a non-factor in the offense. He has a great mid-range jumper, but he still maybe will take only one or two per game. I like Thomas, and what he brings, and personally think that Woodson should be playing him a little bit more. 

Chris Copeland was the last player to make the team after earning a spot with stellar pre-season and summer league play. He has not played in many games outside of garbage time. Copeland may play a larger role if the grind of the season starts to get to the older veteran big men on the team. He can score in the post, pick-and-roll, and shoot three pointers.

Steve Novak. Need I say more? I don’t care if this season hasn’t been as hot as other seasons. He is one of few players in the league that every time he puts a shot up everyone, including the other team, thinks its going in. He has been playing much improved defense this season, and is shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line.

Rasheed Wallace is one the biggest surprises of the season. After coming out of retirement, many people thought ‘Sheed would be playing few minutes until later in the season when he was in better shape. Well, Woodson has been playing him 16 minutes a game. He has played great defense, and more importantly he has played well in the low-post, and added a new dynamic to the offense.

Centers: Marcus Camby

Camby has been a big question mark this season. He he played extremely little at this point, and Woodson has said that this is because he has not had enough practice time with the team. I am a big fan of Camby, and think he can play a large role on this team. The biggest issue the Knicks have had this season thus far is a lack of rebounding. Camby has had one of the highest rebounding rates in the league for years. If Camby can crack the rotation I think the Knicks will be a far improved rebounding team.

Nets: 

Guards: Marshon Brooks, C.J. Watson, Keith Bogans, and Tyshawn Taylor.

Marshon Brooks has not played much this season after having a great rookie year. Brooks is a great scorer, but so-so defender.

C.J. Watson has provided decent support as the back-up point guard this season. He is not shooting very well, but is averaging almost one steal per game. Watson could increase his assists per game as they are only at 2.0.

Keith Bogans is another guard on this team that has trouble scoring. He is only averaging 3.7 ppg, but has played good defense so far this season.

Tyshawn Taylor has barely played any minutes this season.

Forwards: Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche, Jerry Stackhouse, Mirza Teletovic, Josh Childress, and Tornike Shengelia.

Reggie Evans is a rebounding monster. He rarely looks to score, but  is leading the team in rebounds off the bench averaging 8.6 per game. Evans is one of the best rebound offensive rebounders in the league as well, and is average 2.7 a game.

Andray Blatche is playing very well off the bench this season. He is averaging 9.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 45 percent from the field. Blatche was amnestied from the Wizards in the offseason, and was claimed by the Nets.

Stackhouse is turning back the clock this season. He is playing very well, and even scorched the Knicks going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Stackhouse is shooting 54 percent from the 3-point line this season, which is a career high. He is also averaging 6.9 ppg.

Mirza Teletovic signed a three-year mini-midlevel deal worth $9 million. Since then, he has been put on the regular DNP-Coach’s Decision list by Avery Johnson. It may have something to do with his field goal percentage, which is only at 33 percent. Teletovic is not shy offensively, and takes a lot of questionable shots.

Josh Childress and Tornike Shengelia have not played significant minutes this season.

Centers: The Net’s technically have no back-up center.

Final Verdict:

Although the Brooklyn (New Jersey) Nets are stacked up front, they lack depth in their back court. Their offense runs mostly though their starting lineup, and a serious injury to Deron Williams or Brook Lopez would dramatically effect this team. Marshon Brooks deserves more minutes, and if given the chance could play a great role off this bench.

The Knicks biggest flaw is their age, and it is the most clear when you look at their bench. At the same time, they have talented players who can score the ball and defend, and play important roles in Woodson’s strategy. Smith was playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate earlier this year, and if he can return to that level of play it could take the Knicks to the next level. On top of that, the team will only be deeper with the return of Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire.

The Knicks have the better bench between the two teams. They have players who can play solid offense with and without the ball in their hands, and they have great defensive players. The Nets have great height and skill down low, but overall suffer from a lack of players who can create for themselves.

The Knicks came out strong in the first half, as ‘Melo continued his hot scoring streak (he hit his first 6 shots). They headed into halftime up by double digits, and poised for an easy second half. The Pistons, however, came out strong and cut the lead to only 8 at one point before the Knicks regained control the rest of the way through.

The defense that had been missing the past couple games returned as the Knicks forced 19 turnovers, with 13 steals and 4 blocks. Players were diving on the floor and helping out teammates. There are still some issues though, and they were shown by the team getting out-rebounded yet again, and the Pistons shot 47% from the field.

The offense was without a doubt the high point of today’s game. Six players finished in double digits. Rasheed Wallace and J.R. Smith both finished with 15 points, and together shot 4-9 from beyond the arc. Raymond Felton had a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 assists. The team, overall, shot amazingly well from the 3-point line going 17-33.

Steve Novak stood out to me in the game today. Novak had been struggling as of late, but went 5-7 from the 3-point line. He scored 18 points, and played commanding defense finishing with 2 blocks and a steal. Hopefully this game will help him get hot in the games to come.

Tomorrow night the Knicks face the Nets for the first time this season in Brooklyn, and a win would start the mini rivalry off perfectly for Knick Fans. The Nets are currently 7-4, and are in second place behind the Knicks in the Atlantic Division. Tomorrow night’s game was originally postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.

Stoudemire got into even better shape than his typical athletic build this past summer, and during the process worked to continue losing some of the weight he put on the summer before last when strengthening his back. Possibly his most important improvement made this summer was working for 2 weeks with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. Olajuwon has worked with stars like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and Lebron James in order to improve their post game down low.

STAT’s potential new post moves add a new area to his game, and may allow him to extend a career that was built on athletic moves to the basket. An arsenal of post moves will also allow Woodson to play him deeper down in the paint than ‘Melo which will create better spacing when the two of them play together. If he can come back from injury with those new “jewels,” as he calls them, then he will play a very important and effective role in the offense.

The problem, of course, is that fans see that the team is winning without him. Analysts see that ‘Melo and his team of veteran buddies are getting it done in a big way. The Coaches are seeing how well the ball is moving without STAT needing to get his shots up. And with all of these observations come the scary thought that maybe STAT cannot work on this team. Many think that it’s true, but until now we haven’t had this much concrete proof.

Just imagine: The Knicks are 20-8 when Stoudemire comes back, and then a few weeks later we are 22-16. The media will call for Stoudemire’s head, the fans will boo him, but the worst thing that could happen will be if he loses confidence in himself to help this team. If Stoudemire becomes unmotivated and unhappy, then it will be hard to argue that a championship is within reach.

As good as ‘Melo has been these past 8 games, and in his career for that matter, the Knicks will not win without an additional strong scoring threat. J.R. Smith has proven that he can be efficient so far this season, but not to the level of efficiency that STAT has had in his career (his career average in FG % is 53%). The additional offensive threat will also help when ‘Melo sits with foul trouble or for a breather, because as good as Sheed and Smith have played, there is no arguing that an in-shape  and healthy Stoudemire is better for the offense.

The other big question mark with Stoudemire is his defense. Coach Woodson, along with most of the team, have emphasized that defense is key to this team. ‘Melo has been seen diving on the floor, blocking shots, and playing good hard on-ball defense. If ‘Melo can do it, can Amar’e? The answer is most likely no. The sad truth is that at this point in his career he is not learning many new tricks. What will be key is if he can put effort into both sides of the floor, and rebound well. The Knicks have only out-rebounded their opponents once this season, and adding a player who can grab 8 night in night out will be very important.

If Amar’e doesn’t fit with this team pretty instantly after his return, then it won’t be too far fetched to imagine him being traded even as soon as the trade deadline. The argument that the team won’t get enough due to his bad contract is not valid, because the team does not need equal talent in return as they are doing very well without his help. The other option is that Stoudemire will come back and play with the team effectively, surprising many, and lead the team deep into the playoffs. Knick fans, keep your fingers crossed that the steel kneed man can figure himself out.

There are obvious reasons why the Knicks wanted Sheed. He was one of the better help defenders and post players in his prime, and is a 34% 3-point shooter. He brought height and shooting to a team that was already very deep, but he was not able to play for the team until he worked on his conditioning. So far this season, he is averaging 5.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 9.5 minutes of play. 

While those stats are not stunning, they are impressive due to his age and recent return from retirement. However, those numbers do not justify the reaction he is getting from the fans. Sheed has become one of the most popular players on this Knick team, and even got shouts of “SHEED,” at the Orlando Magic game earlier tonight. So the question is what makes Rasheed Wallace so lovable?

Sheed’s ridiculousness on and off the court is one of the reasons fans love him. He is the all-time leader in technical fouls with 304, and watching him argue with a Ref is the highlight of most games he plays in. He plays hard, and it shows when he challenges the referees. “Ball don’t lie,” is a phrase that Sheed helped to gain popularity, and one he often uses after a player misses a free throw from a foul that he deemed clean. No one can help but smile when Sheed screams those words after a missed free throw.

Another source of the fascination with Sheed comes from his new, but at the same time old, bald spot. The off-centered hairless circle towards the back of his head is  bigger than last time he was on the court, and it has become a fun topic of interest from fans.

He is not concerned with the media, or their opinion of him. From the start of preseason to post-game interviews, Sheed doesn’t beat around the bush. When asked what he thought of the Knicks last season, his response was, “‘I was more interested in college. To me it seemed in college ball, guys are more hungry.” Earlier this month he spread these words of wisdom, “Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.” He also said that part of his motivation to come back to the game was to show the young guys how the low-post is really played. Who wouldn’t love such candor?

It doesn’t matter why you love Rasheed Wallace, but what matters is that you do. Sheed may very well play a big bench role on a team contending for a championship, but more importantly he will provide the chemistry and entertainment that all teams need. If one things for sure, Rasheed Wallace will bring happiness to fans all over the league for at least one more year, and maybe that’s better than a championship? That is, its better than a Heat Championship.

Carmelo Anthony has long been known around the league as one of the best and most versatile scorers in the game, but he is almost equally infamous for his lack of defensive intensity. ‘Melo has consistently performed better against the Lebron’s and Kobe’s, but has played down to his competition throughout his NBA career. In fact, his defense was considered such an issue that it was, and still is, one of the biggest criticisms of trading for him; to have Stoudemire and Anthony on the same team is murder to all defensive aspirations. Most people assumed that even under Mike Woodson, ‘Melo would still be one of the worst defenders on the team.

But, not this year, not this ‘Melo. Anthony has been fantastic in the early going so far, and is leading the team in blocks and rebounding. He’s averaging one steal per game too. As great as all that sounds, it is still just three games, and those numbers may adjust, but what won’t will be his effort. We have never seen Anthony diving over fans, being verbally engaged on defense, or executing well on both sides of the court.

Carmelo’s defense coincides with the new emphasis on defense from Head Coach Mike Woodson, and the overall make up of the team. With the additions of Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, Ronnie Brewer, Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Jason Kidd, and Kurt Thomas over the last two years, this has become a team filled with defensive pieces that have helped lead to the surprising (to some) start.

‘Melo has been leading the charge, and if this continues there’s no way of knowing how far he, and the team, can go. Anthony has been accused of not having a complete enough game to be considered in the same league of his draft classmates D-Wade and Lebron, but what if that’s all in the past? What if ‘Melo can remind everyone just how good he is at scoring, and at the same time make stops at the defensive end. Could it result in the team winning the division? A championship? Could he win the MVP?

The problem with those goals, is that it all banks on a BIG if. Carmelo has never been able to play great defense all season long, and this year he could fall back into his old habits after the freshness of the season wears off. That’s very possible, and the media who are calling the Knicks overrated and are believing that they will come back down to earth cite that as the biggest reason why. ‘Melo hasn’t been consistent, especially in his seasons with the Knicks.

The good news is that everyone is saying all the right things. Teammates are saying ‘Melo seems motivated, and is becoming a true leader of this team. The Coaches are  happy with his weight loss and effort so far in the season. And even ‘Melo himself has said that he wants to be a more complete player, and that defense and sharing the ball is where it will start.

If ‘Melo continues to buy in to the defensive game plan  then there is no telling how high the ceiling is for the team, but they came into the season with the goal of winning the division. Anthony playing the way he has been is one big step in the direction of taking over from the reigning Celtics. In my opinion, that, along with the top 4 seed that comes with it, would be a great sign of the success the team has coming its way.

The loaded bench consists mainly of J.R. Smith, Steve Novak, Pablo Prigioni, Kurt Thomas, and eventually Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace. The first thing that should pop out at you is the amount of 3-point shooting. The second unit went 8 of 13 from behind the arc, and helped to share the ball dishing out 10 of the teams 27 assists.

People talk a lot about ‘Melo, STAT, Tyson, and even Shumpert when it comes to what needs to happen in order for the Knicks to go far in the playoffs, but I think that the golden oldies on the bench are the ones who will take them there.

They all have specific roles in the offense and defense, and unlike last year, they limit the drop off when the starters take a breather.

Smith is the sixth man we love to hate. “He can shoot you into a game and he can shoot you out of one,” are the famous words attributed to Smith, but what Woodson gets out of him defensively, and his 3-point shooting will help this team much more than it hurts. He plays an even more important role when STAT is not in the lineup, because some nights he will need to be the second scoring option.

Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, and Rasheed Wallace are all enforcers who can hit the open jumper and defend with the best of them. It clear that these 3 guys are no longer in their prime, but Woodson isn’t asking them for much. None of them will ever play more than 20 minutes, and they won’t be relied on for much scoring. If they simply rebound and defend, then these players have done their part.

Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd (when he returns to the bench, that is) play possibly the biggest role on the bench, because they were brought in to fix the largest weakness of the team last year. Mike Bibby and Baron Davis (as much as I love B-diddy) are not starting on a team that thinks they are contenders, nor should they play significant minutes. Jason Kidd, even at his advanced age, is one of the most reliable and smart point guards in the league. Pablo Prigioni has been impressive in his rookie season, and played his way into minutes through his defense and pick-and-roll savvy.

This bench is much more than meets the eye, and if they can stay healthy then they are the biggest x-factor for this team. Teams like the Charlotte Bobcats are begging to have a starting line up that would include some of these players. The bench scored 43 points against the Miami Heat, and if they can do that against one of the league’s best defensives, then what could they do against teams like the Nets?

Then came the preseason game against Boston, in which he scored 21 points in 19 minutes. Copeland is averaging 15.4 ppg in the first 5 games of the preaseason, and is practically a lock to make the team. Copeland has shown that he can hit 3-pointers, and play well in pick-and-roll situations.

Now that STAT will be out for 2-3 weeks someone will have to pick up the slack at the 4. Marcus Camby has yet to be cleared to play, and the same goes for newly unretired Rasheed Wallace. Kurt Thomas will get some minutes, but so far has not played much more than 15 in any game. As far as starting in place of Stoudemire, Woodson has made it clear that for now it will be Kurt Thomas if the other team is big and ‘Melo if the opponent goes small.

Copeland could play a key role in the rotation early in the season. Assuming that Camby and Wallace are not ready by opening night, which is a realistic possibility, then Copeland would be one of the first big men off the bench. After Novak and ‘Melo, Copeland would be the only player who is able to play the 4/5 off the bench with all of the front court injuries.

Copeland could replace STAT as the primary low post force until his return as he has proven that he can be effective from that spot on the court. Copeland could come off the bench, and play primarily with Pablo Prigioni, who he has shown a great deal of chemistry with.

The real question with Copeland is what will happen after all of our frontcourt players return? Camby and Wallace are both better rebounders and defenders than Copeland. STAT would most likely return to the starting lineup, which would further improve the bench leaving less minutes for Copeland. It would be almost impossible for Woodson to find enough minutes for Camby, Kidd, Smith, Wallace, Prigioni, Novak, Brewer (when Shump returns), Thomas, AND Copeland.

The sad truth of it is that Copeland would have to pull off a “Lin-sanity” like performance in the opportunities he is given at the beginning of the season in order to earn a permanent role in the rotation. Most likely though, he won’t play himself out of the rotation, but other players will simply play themselves in (Shumpert, Smith, Camby) after they return.

Copeland could be a decent trade piece towards the deadline if the front office finds a the right player to get in return. He has impressed me thus far, but there is little he can do to make a big impact on this team barring injuries to other key players. There is one thing for sure, he is the only smart choice for the last roster spot on the Knicks.

For this season we already have some answers to our questions: What will Pablo Prigioni bring to the team? He showed that in Games one and two he is a pass-first savvy point guard. He can run an offense well, and is more than capable of being a third string point guard for this team. How will Carmelo look after the Olympics? He has looked in shape, and motivated on offense and defense. What will Coach Woodson’s fully formed offense look like? Very similar to a D’antoni offense in a lot of ways, which is a good thing if you watched how well Team USA utilized the offense this summer. Woodson plans on implementing some more low post plays when Amar’e returns to the line-up this Friday.

For every question we know the answer to, there is about five more that we don’t. Let’s look at five of the most significant questions heading into this season.

1) How will Raymond Felton perform this season, and will it be enough to avenge the loss of Jeremy Lin? 

All signs point to a good year for Felton. He came into camp in great shape, and has pushed the tempo so far in the preseason. Felton has also developed great chemistry with Tyson Chandler, and I foresee many alley-oops to come. The main knock on Felton is that he is coming off one of the worst seasons in his career. He is not a great shooter, which may become a weakness for this team. Felton also can sometimes make a questionable pass that results in a turnover, but overall has good vision.

The Felton we had a few years ago is not the one we want or will get. It is unreasonable to expect him to average 17 points per game on this team. 12 points and 8 assists would be considered a solid year in my eyes. People have to remember that with the veteran guards on this team it is going to be a committee of different players racking up assists.

2) What will be the veteran’s impact on this team, if they can even stay healthy? 

This is an easy one. If we can keep Kidd, Prigioni, Camby, Thomas, and Wallace healthy throughout this season, then I expect us to be one of the top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference. I think people are underrating theses guys, and are more concerned with our average age than our overall talent. I have said time and time again that these players are not Juwan Howard’s or Erick Dampier’s, they are players who have been contributing to winning teams for years with little drop off. Yes, Kidd is coming off a so-so season, but he is no longer starting. There are different expectations.

Carmelo Anthony is the backbone of this team, if he goes down, so does the ship, but these role players are exactly that. They all have key roles on this team, and have been brought in by a front office with a purpose: win now.

3) How will Mike Woodson do in his first full season as the Head Coach?

This will be interesting, because he is in a tough spot. He came in for a coach in the middle of the season, and led the team to an 18-6 record. That is a .750 win percentage, which is amazing. The question is more accurately then: can he reproduce his results from the end of last season?

The answer is not an easy one, but there is one thing on his side. This team has improved over the offseason, and not only have they improved overall they have also improved to fit his game plan. Defensive minded players were brought in. Hakeem Olajuwon introduced some low-post moves to STAT, ‘Melo, and Tyson. Major upgrades for Woodson. The only major issue with Woodson, in my opinion, is his past failures in the post-season. Last season, after coming into the playoffs with major momentum we received a major let down. In Atlanta, he never advanced past the second round even with a 50+ win team.

4) What will be this team’s identity? 

There are many ways this team can go. It is hard to base it on the preseason games, because the team will play differently when STAT returns to the lineup. Before pre-season many thought that the team was going to play slow, grind it out, half court offense. That has not been the team we have seen. There has been a lot of screen, picks and rolls, and ball movement. That is not how a typical Woodson team plays, but he may be changing his tune.

The team has a lot going for it. They have two scoring stars, but then have two defensive anchors all within the starting line-up. After that there is a bench that

definitely will play with a ton of emotion and heart. If I had to put a label on it, I would define the team’s identity as a multi-facetted team with a defensive focus, and that will be what wins us games in June.

1) You all knew it would be here: Will Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony be able to play effectively on the same court?

Can you say season storyline? This is the biggest question not only of this year, but of the past two and a half years. Can the two star players actually star together? The past does not boast the results a fan would want to hear. They have not only failed to impress together, but they have failed to both be healthy long enough to gain on-court chemistry. Last year, Amar’e and ‘Melo both missed significant amount of time. Couple that with only half of a real training camp, and you can understand why they have not performed well together.

It comes down to this: can Mike Woodson make it work? He has said that it’s his responsibility, and that he thinks he can get it done. This is their first real training camp together, and they both have come in with new game plans. ‘Melo has said he will score less, and trust his teammates more. Amar’e has improved his post game in order to allow for better spacing while the two players are both on the floor. Do I think they are an ideal pairing? I do not. But do I think they can play together successfully? It doesn’t matter what I think. Only proven results can answer this question.

It was the first pre-season game of the season, so you shouldn’t take too much from it, but The Knicks were red hot from beyond the 3-point line on Thursday. They shot 18-33, which is an outstanding 54.5%. The offense was definitely rusty at times, even allowing a the Wizards to score 22 points without us scoring a point, but the 3-point shooting was a highlight.

Not surprisingly, Steve Novak led the charge shooting 7-7 from beyond the arc. The 6-10 forward had an unbelievable night, and took one giant leap in proving that he is worth his new 4-year and 15 million dollar contract. Novak may play a huge role this season with all of the attention Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony should get in the post. He needs to be able to produce at the same rate as he did against Washington.

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In the playoffs last season against the Heat, Novak was neutralized as just another player on the court. As the leader in 3-point % last season, Novak must find ways to get open and knock down his shot, because that is his one and only role with the team.

After Novak, J.R. Smith is one of the better three-point shooters on the team, but Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Raymond Felton, and Carmelo Anthony are all above average 3-point shooters. Kidd is 3rd on the all-time 3-pointers made list, and is underrated as a spot up shooter for this team. Prigioni proved on Thursday night that he is able to knock down an open 3-pointer, going 4-8 from beyond the arc. Even Carmelo Anthony, who was superb from behind the international line in the Olympics this past summer, shot 3-3 from downtown.

A skilled 3-point scoring group adds a new dimension to any offense, and allows for better offensive execution when you have players who are often double-teamed (‘Melo and STAT?). If this team can surprise everyone as one of the better 3-point shooting teams and couple that with their new and improved (thanks to Olajuwon) post game, then it could allow them to have one of the most effective offenses in the league. Last season, a big problem was that the Knicks often topped the league in most 3-pointers attempted, but were near the bottom 10 in 3-point percentage.

In order for this team to get to that championship level they need to make all of their opportunities count. If that means hitting 3 pointers when the pass comes out of the double team, then thats what you must do. If it means playing lock down defense against the top scoring teams in the league, then thats what you must do. And if it means that you pass the ball to your best player when it counts, and let him carry the team, then thats what you must do.

Mike Woodson said on Thursday that the only, “two things this team has got to think about: team and win,” if the players understand their roles and buy into the system then the wins will come. I believe that the 3-point shooting on this team will play a significant role in the offense if they can perform effectively, but only time will tell if the hot shooting was a fluke, or hopefully a sign that this team has one less problem to worry about.

Since training camp began, Carmelo has been discussing being a better all-around player, scoring less, and trusting his teammates more.

As far as being a better all-around player, that would be much appreciated. Comparisons to Lebron James have not quieted down since the Olympics, and ‘Melo has consistently said that it just gives him motivation. He needs to work on seeing his teammates more, which is another thing he has mentioned he learned in the Olympics.

“If we can trust one another out there on the basketball court it will make things a lot easier,” Anthony told ESPN.

‘Melo knows that taking a contested double-teamed shot is not in the best interest of the team. That is part of what he means when he says he needs to trust his teammates. He needs to pass out of those situations to the open man on the perimeter in order for the team to be more successful. 

That’s all fine and great, but it still has nothing to do with Carmelo being our main scoring option who must lead the team offensively. Yes, he should be more efficient and make sure not to force the issue, but he certainly shouldn’t be turning off his best skill.

“I’m done trying to score 30, 35, 40 points for us to win a basketball game,” ‘Melo continued, “It’s what I do best. But in order for this team to be successful with the guys that we have we need a more well-rounded team.”

I don’t completely agree with him. If in order for him to score 30 points a game it means he is stopping the ball and taking bad shots, than yes he should absolutely not be doing that. But is that the only way to score 30 points? Look at Lebron–he averaged 27.1 points last season, but it was rarely forced. Now, Carmelo is not Lebron, but offensively he is far more versatile, so he should be able to accomplish scoring without ruining the team.

The main reason we don’t want ‘Melo to stop scoring is that we don’t have that many options besides him. The only other true scorers we have are STAT (who is coming off a bad season) and J.R. Smith (who is as inconsistent as it gets). Of course there are others on the team who can score, but no one with the skill set ‘Melo has.

It’s also situational. In some situations we don’t need ‘Melo to dominate, and other times we do. He is not saying that in the fourth quarter with a minute left he is going to pull a Lebron and pass to a role player. That will still be his time. What ‘Melo is talking about is the far too often times when the team is standing and watching him struggle to get the ball into the hoop when they should be involved as well.

The most important thing for Carmelo is to be more efficient. He has taken bad shots, and that is what really needs to end. He needs to take the best shot available, and if he cannot get a good look, then he should pass the ball. People will only be mad at you for scoring a lot if in order to do it you shoot 12-30, that is not going to to cut it this season.

You can’t take the scorer out of ‘Melo, and we don’t want to. He is the franchise player, and him having the best season he has ever had is our biggest chance to win it all this year. The offense will continue to run through him, and hopefully he will still be the player he has been for the last 10 years, if not better.

Let’s start with the remaining guaranteed roster spots. Already invited to training camp are Chris Copeland, Chris Smith, Oscar Bellfield, John Shurna, Henry Sims, and Mychel Thompson. Besides Chris Copeland or Chris Smith I don’t think it is likely that any of those names make the final roster, barring a stand out performance in training camp.

Copeland proved himself a capable player in the summer league, and even went as far as to out play James White (the athletic forward the Knicks signed early in the offseason). Chris Smith is the brother of J.R., and is a shooting point guard who went undrafted.

The team is rumored to be interested in back up power forwards, because that is our weakest spot in the depth chart behind Amar’e Stoudemire. Some names that have been linked to the Knicks include DJ White (signed overseas), Lou Amundson (signed with Minnesota), Andray Blatche (signed with Nets), Kenyon Martin, and even retired Rasheed Wallace.

I am rooting for Kenyon Martin, who is supposedly not in favor of signing for a veteran’s minimum contract. I don’t think Martin has any choice if he wants to sign with a contender, and have the possibility of playing with former teammates Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, and Carmelo Anthony. He is a capable rebounder and defender, but his scoring has decreased along with his age. Does he need to score? No, because hopefully STAT will do enough scoring for the entire position.

Rasheed Wallace is rumored to have worked out with the team last week, and the Knicks are reportedly interested. He retired 2 years ago from playing with the Celtics. Wallace was one of the best power forwards in the last 15 years, and won a championship with the Pistons (a team which Mike Woodson was on the coaching staff). He is a decent shooter, and was an excellent defender during his career, but is now 38, and I doubt is ready to contribute.

Honestly, the most realistic result is that we sign one of those no-name players we invited to camp, and they probably won’t get much playing time. That is what typically happens when you are down to the 14th or 15th spot on the roster.

On to the rotation. The starting line up is all but set: Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Raymond Felton are the likely starters. The sixth man will probably start with Jason Kidd, but ultimately be J.R. Smith when Iman Shumpert returns to the starting line up from injury. Ronnie Brewer, Marcus Camby, and Steve Novak round out the rest of the bench that will get major minutes. After that comes Kurt Thomas, James White, Pablo Prigoni, and the other two players who have yet to be guaranteed.

The Knicks are a very deep team this year, and have some sort of insurance on their starting lineup if someone was to go down with an injury. A lot of people are seeing Pablo Prigoni as one of the players who may help the team a lot with his veteran play making.

Most of the role players have defined parts to play on this team. Marcus Camby: The enforcer. Steve Novak: The shooter. J.R. Smith: The chucker. Jason Kidd: The floor general. Ronnie Brewer: The stopper. Those are very simplified terms to describe what they will be asked to do this season, but overall these players are lucky to have such defined roles.

The Knicks have a stellar starting line-up, a great bench, and so much potential it could blow the top off the Garden, but will it all come together? The time will come soon enough that we will all, including the players, know what the Knicks are capable of.

Camby is listed as the 127th best player in the NBA out of 500 ranked. He dropped down from No. 74 last season, and scored 5.05 which is better than some other big men like Udonis Haslem (5.02), Samuel Dalembert (4.94), and Lamar Odom (5.00).

I think its fair to say that Camby is right where he should be. The former Defensive Player of the Year is no longer a starter, or even expected to play more than 25 minutes on any given night. He averaged 4.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 1.5 bpg last season with the Rockets/Trailblazers. Camby is still an excellent rebounder, shot blocker, and overall defender at his age. His offensive skills will not be a focal point this season, but teams will get hurt if they forget about his midrange jumper. 

Camby is the perfect player to replace Tyson Chandler when he takes his rest. Camby played the same role as Chandler for most of his nearly 17 year career. That is, he was the defensive anchor that helped lock down the paint against opponent big men, even doing so for the Knicks back in the 90′s. Last season, after Tyson would leave the game, the team usually saw a drop in defensive effectiveness, but with Camby that is much less likely to happen. Also, it will be interesting to see if Coach Woodson chooses to play Chandler and Camby together, which would  create a defensive super team.

The biggest concern this season for Camby is his health. At 38 years-old, he is one the oldest players in the league (the oldest is Kurt Thomas, another Knick player), and injuries could become a concern over the 82 game season. The overall theme for the Knicks’ veterans is in order to succeed they must stay on the floor. If Camby can keep himself in the game he will provide a defensive attitude to the mostly offensive bench.

Marcus Camby could be the X Factor for this team. No one seems to be talking about him, and he could help turn us into the best rebounding and defensive team in the league. Camby has one of the most defined roles on this team, and that should allow him to help and lead the second the season starts.

The Bulls have been much better than the Knicks for the past several seasons, but how will they match up this year?

Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich/Derrick Rose (after return from injury) vs. Raymond Felton

If we are going to base this match up on the Bulls’ point guard situation after Rose returns from injury than this is a no brainer, but we can’t make it that easy. Derrick Rose had his ACL surgery in May of 2012, and that surgery takes about 8-12 months to heal from (The Bulls have noted that Rose will not return until 100% healed); that would mean that the earliest Rose will return is January. Assuming that the best case scenario works out he will have missed almost 3 whole months of the season.

If we take another look at this match up while excluding Rose then it is a much closer call. Kirk Hinrich is a solid point guard on most teams, but he is much older than Felton (31 opposed to 28) and has had less success as a starting point guard. Felton’s poor previous season aside, he has played well alongside Amar’e, and is committed to a bounce back this coming year.

Edge: Bulls. Even though Rose may miss a large amount of time this season, we are still talking about possibly the best point guard in the league. If he plays from January through April then the Bulls won’t have too much to worry about.

Shooting Guard: Rip Hamilton vs. J.R Smith/Iman Shumpert (after return from injury)

Hamilton, a three-time all-star, is a shell of his former self. He can still score effectively on occasion, but last season showed how poor his durability is. He played in 28 out of 66 games last season with the Bulls. He is 34 years old, and in the twilight of his career.

J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are the exact opposite of Hamilton. They are both young: 27 and 22 respectively. J.R. is known for being an offensive spark plug, but last year showed that he can attack the passing lanes extremely well. Iman Shumpert made a name for himself early on last season as a defensive juggernaut who could guard the perimeter like few others can do. Sadly, Shumpert tore his ACL in May as well, but his best case scenario is a December return.

Edge: Knicks. Although J.R. has been inconsistent, last year he showed his defensive skills were underrated, and he could have a very big year this year with the larger role.

Small Forward: Luol Deng vs. Carmelo Anthony

Luol Deng is a good player, especially defensively, but this is not a fair comparison.

Carmelo Anthony is one the most versatile scorers in the NBA, and after his unbelievable Olympic outing this summer we should expect nothing but the best ‘Melo there is. He seems committed and focused to win a championship, and I think that this season will be one of his most memorable.

Edge: Knicks.

Power Forward: Carlos Boozer vs. Amar’e Stoudemire

This is by far the toughest call out of all the positions. They both have major pros and cons. Carlos Boozer has never been as good of an athlete or player as STAT during his career. He has been a top 10 power forward for years, and he has a very impressive post game. Defensively he leaves a little to be desired, but so does Stoudemire.

Amar’e is the superior athlete and has a wider range of skills including a superior jumpshot, better ball handling, and he is a better shot blocker. However, STAT has been one of the most injury prone players of the decade. He is coming off a poor season, but has worked hard over the offseason with Hakeem Olajuwon to come back better than ever.

Edge: Knicks. With all of Amar’e's faults he is still the superior player between he and Boozer.

Center: Joakim Noah vs. Tyson Chandler

These are two defensive minded centers, but they have different approaches to how they play. Joakim Noah is a high energy, high toughness player who is going to make it tough for the opponents every chance he gets. Tyson Chandler, on the other hand, is more of a strategic defensive player who is going to effect every shot that is near the basket using purely his defensive awareness and skill level.

They are both excellent rebounders, although Noah is slightly better. Tyson has the advantage in shot blocking and in field goal percentage.

Edge: Tie. Both of these centers serve as the defensive anchors of their teams, and their stats are too similar to choose a front runner.

Bench: Nate Robinson, Marco Bellinelli, Taj Gibson, Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Marquis Teague vs. Ronnie Brewer, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, and Steve Novak.

*I chose to exclude Kirk Hinrich and J.R. Smith because they both will most likely start during some games during the season.

The Bulls bench consists of shooters in Bellinelli, Radmanovic, and Robinson. They have a defensive enforcer in Nazr Mohammed. A sixth man in Taj Gibson, and a decent prospect in Marquis Teague. They are not a particularly strong bench, but they have good depth at each position in case of injury.

The Knicks have better shooters in Novak and Kidd, better enforcers in Camby and Thomas, and a defensive stopper in Brewer. Overall, the Knicks have very few holes on their bench, excluding a back up power forward which they are rumored to be shopping for.

Edge: Knicks. They have far better talent sitting on their bench than the Bulls do.

Summary: The Knicks are poised to have the better season this year, in my opinion. It would be a different story if Rose was healthy going into the season, but The Bulls would be lucky to get the fifth seed this season. The Knicks are being projected by some to be in the top 4 in the conference, and I see that as a realistic possibility. This may be one of few seasons where Derrick Rose is on the Bulls that the Knicks have the chance to be the better team. They better take advantage of the opportunity.

Now, finally some players are coming out in favor of the team. Shaq said the other day that the Knicks were the team to beat in New York. Chris Bosh went as far as to imply that The Knicks could be one of the teams to try and stand in The Heat’s way.

“I just want to say — the freakin’ Knicks, man,” Bosh told ESPN, “I think they’re going to be a good team.”

The Knicks took a lot of heat (no pun intended) this summer when they let Jeremy Lin walk. People don’t blame Lin for some reason, even though he is the one to sign a bigger deal trying to milk the Knicks for all they had thinking they had no plan B. Then comes Raymond Felton and the need for Lin disappears. There is a chance that Lin is the next big thing in this league, but the odds are against him.

The team was criticized for adding age to the roster. Veterans are called veterans for a reason; they are not geriatrics. They are all in better shape than any of the sports writers or Charles Barkley are, and they are ready to contribute to a winning team.

“Nobody’s really talking about them, and I don’t like it,” Bosh added, “They’re flying under the radar right now.”

People think that the Knicks believe the key to them winning a championship is the talent they’ve added. I don’t think that’s the case. The Knicks are expecting the talent they already had to step up and be unstoppable. That talent has a name, and his name is Carmelo Anthony. Of course, STAT and Tyson Chandler are huge pieces of this team, but if ‘Melo doesn’t elevate his game than the moves the team made will result in nothing.

The Knicks have a good coach focused on playing lock down defense and holding his players accountable when they make mistakes. They have good stars who have worked hard this offseason to come back with new moves, new attitudes, and in better shape. They have a bench that could be the starting lineup on a Charlotte Bobcats team.

Clearly the only people worried about The Knicks are players who play for (or formerly played for) the best team in the league. Maybe everyone should wake up?

“I think the Knicks are gonna be a very good team.”

That is the question we have heard for two years already, and don’t be surprised if it’s the headline for the upcoming season as well. Chemistry has been the big question mark when it comes to predicting how far this Knicks team can go. A lot of knowledgeable sport’s minds believe that Carmelo is a ball-stopper and that Amar’e needs to play in a purely pick-and-roll style offense, and that they will never be able to get in sync on the basketball court. 

The pre-training camp that began last week will be the key to that chemistry building and for the team to blossom into a top contender. ‘Melo and STAT were two of many Knicks’ players at the practice facility beginning their season training earlier than usual.

There are a total of eight new players with guaranteed contracts that will be on the team this season. The point guards need to learn where the stars want the ball. The shooters need to regain their touch. The big men need to regain their timing. There is a lot to do in order to be prepared for a season, let alone a season where the expectations are anything but small.

The Heat did not win a championship in their first season, and many blamed it on the lack of a real game plan between D-Wade and Lebron. They would go up the court and just go back and forth on who would be the leader. This past season they came out with a new strategy and a revamped offensive tempo that led to a championship.

This will be the first full training camp for Carmelo and Amar’e to perfect their roles, and to turn into the dynamic 1-2 punch most expected to see shortly after the trade. The impact of those two players working together seamlessly is huge. It allows Coach Woodson to focus on defense, it allows the other players to get more comfortable in their own roles, and most importantly it will maximize Carmelo Anthony’s efficiency as the star player of this team.

The pre-training camp is the start of this process. It shows the maturity of the players matches the philosophy that the Front Office launched this off-season: win or bust. Growing pains are no longer an option. The players realize that they need to have everything worked out quickly, so when the season starts it is all about beating their top competitors.

The team’s offense sometime struggled last season from lack of movement and stagnation. The ball needs to be moved around the court or if it is in Carmelo’s hands then the players are the ones who should be moving. Standing around and watching one of the most dynamic scorers in basketball work his butt off in order to get a half-way decent shot is not working.

The official training camp begins on October 2nd, and by the end of it Mike Woodson should make sure everyone knows their role and place on this team. Steve Novak should know it is his responsibility two make his open shots, Tyson Chandler should know that he is protecting the rim, Amar’e should know that glass can cut your hand open, and ‘Melo should see more clearly than ever that if he wants to be a champion then it is time to elevate his game and put the team on his back.

Howard, who played his first seven seasons with the Mavericks, is a capable scorer and defender. He was an integral part of the 05-06 team that made it to the finals, scoring 15.6 ppg and shooting 43% from  beyond the three point line. His 3-point shooting has been inconsistent, with a career percentage of 33.3 percent.

The 6-7 forward would probably back up Carmelo Anthony, and add to the veteran depth the front office has put together. The biggest downsides of Howard are that he lost a lot of his athletic ability after tearing his ACL in 2010 as well as his only decent 3 point shooting. The position is also crowded–the team already has Chris Copeland and James White as potential back up forwards, as well as sharp shooter Steve Novak.

The Knicks have 15 roster spots filled, although Chris Smith (J.R.’s brother) is only guaranteed through training camp, and you can invite as many players to camp as you would like. There have also been rumors that the team would rather sign a potential back-up for Amar’e Stoudemire. The only power forwards on the roster besides STAT is Kurt Thomas if you don’t count him as a center.

Other potential options are Kenyon Martin, Sean Williams, and Andray Blatche. Martin is less likely, because he is looking for more money than the veterans minimum. Blatche is probably looking for a larger role, and is also known to have maturity issues that would not fit in with the Knick’s win now attitude. That leaves Sean Williams as the best option. He can defend and block shots which would fit in perfectly with Mike Woodson’s defensive schemes.

As for Josh Howard, he could serve an important role as well. The lack of offensive weapons that can create their own shot caused a problem last season when ‘Melo and STAT were not getting it done. Outside of J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton, the roster is made up of a lot of supporting players that need to be in put into ideal situations to score. Adding Josh Howard would bring an additional player who can score the ball himself, which may be needed if someone goes down with an injury.

However, I don’t envision Howard signing with the Knicks. The lack of a need for a scorer to back up our best player is the leading reason. STAT, unlike ‘Melo, has a history of injury, and the lack of depth behind his position is the only hole left in the roster.

While I don’t disagree with everything ESPN has projected, I do think they have been far too harsh with the Knicks. Here is a breakdown of ESPN’s forecast for the Knicks versus mine.

Eastern Conference Standings:

ESPN projects The Knicks to finish in 7th place. I project that they will finish in 4th.

The Knicks have a superstar offensive juggernaut in ‘Melo, supported by a new and improved STAT, and a defensive anchor in Tyson Chandler. They also have a young up and comer in Iman Shumpert. With the additions of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Ronnie Brewer, and Kurt Thomas, how can this team be projected to win just 45 games?

I acknowledge that the team will be older this year, but veterans win championships. We didn’t bring in Juwan Howard and Erick Dampier, we brought in players who have made an impact just last season, and who will play major minutes this coming one.

The top three teams in the East will probably be The Heat, The Pacers, and possibly the Celtics. If The Knicks stay healthy throughout the season (and if Iman Shumpert comes back as early as possible), then honestly I wouldn’t be shocked if we eclipsed Boston for the 3rd seed.

Worst Newcomer:

ESPN projects Raymond Felton to be #4 and Jason Kidd to be #7. I project neither of them to be on this list. 

Most people know that Raymond Felton was overweight and underprepared last season, including Felton himself. He has admitted to wanting to prove everyone wrong this year, and show that he is the same player who was averaging 18 points and 9 assists for the Knicks two years ago. He won’t have to score that many this time around, but if he can achieve the same assist rate then he certainly would not be considered a bad pick up by the Knicks.

Jason Kidd is no longer 28 years old, but he is also no longer being asked to start. Here is a future hall of famer, former All-Star, former NBA Champion, and he is projected to be one of the worst newcomers in the league? Kidd is not having a lot asked of him: he is in charge of getting the offense to work together, hit open 3-pointers, and to not drive while intoxicated. That is all is asked of him at age 39.

Team in Turmoil:

ESPN projects The Knicks as the team in the most turmoil next season. I do not project them to be on this list. 

Ok, so maybe it is a stretch to imagine a Knicks’ season without any turmoil, but number 1? We made the playoffs last season in a season when STAT, ‘Melo, and Jeremy Lin were all injured for significant amounts of time. How can this season end in turmoil?

We will only have one head coach this season, barring some unforeseen mishap, and hopefully our star players will not get injured. With a team that has a new unified identity and one goal I don’t see how this season turns out that poorly.

There is always something James Dolan can do to screw it all up, but I like to pretend we traded him away with Jared Jefferies.

I am not sure why the basketball geniuses at ESPN have such negative feelings toward the Knicks, but I find most of them based on our past and less based on our future. Things are looking up for Knicks’ fans in 2012.

Jason Kidd is one of the best point guards to play the game. He is Mr. Triple-Double. He is third on the all time 3 pointers made list. More important than any of his other accolades is that he led the 2011 Dallas Mavericks to a championship. And Mark Cuban refuses to retire his jersey, because he didn’t want to spend the end of his career on a team that looks to be headed towards rebuilding?

According to ESPN, Cuban said, “I’m sure I’ll get over it at some point, but as of now, I wouldn’t put J-Kidd’s number in the rafters,” he continues, “It hurt my feelings, period.” 

If anyone should know that this game is not a game, and that it is a bussiness, it should be Cuban. As an owner you make ruthless decisions regularly from deciding not to resign a player due to salary restraints to ordering the trade of a hometown hero.

We all heard the reports that Jason Kidd had made a verbal commitment to the Mavs before signing with The Knicks. It is not like he used The Mavs to earn a bigger paycheck as we are paying him the most we can afford. He simply changed his mind. Is that not the right of the player? It is not personal towards the owner, because these teams seem to be headed in different directions.

Jason Kidd signed a 3 year deal. The Knicks are all in for the next three seasons, (whether you believe we have the talent to win is another story).

The Mavericks, on the other hand, have an aging superstar who will almost definitely be retired, a beyond his prime shooting guard in Carter, and an assortment of other non significant players.

Unless they make some serious trades this may be the last season they are going to compete. In my opinion, the additions of Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, and Elton Brand won’t make them championship contenders for years to come.

Jason Kidd watched as his former team botched the recruitment of Deron Williams a year after they allowed Tyson Chandler to walk away. He chose to end his career surrounded by players who were brought in to win now. Kidd wants another championship, and the Mavs simply could not provide him with one.

Mark Cuban needs to get over it. He can go home to his Mansion, slide into a bathtub filled with his billions of dollars, and belt out the lyrics to “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

10. Hiring Larry Brown: In 2005 Brown was given a 5-year, 50 million dollar contract to help revitalize The Knicks. He ended up going 23-59 in his only season with the team, and was subsequently fired.

9. Trading Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson, and Nene: In 2002, The Knicks traded Camby, Jackson, and Nene in exchange for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams, and a second round pick (Maciej Lampe). Camby went on to earn a Defensive Player of the Year award and Nene ended up on the All-Rookie First Team. On the other hand, McDyess, Williams, and Lampe barely lasted for 2 seasons, and helped the Knicks to continue avoiding the playoffs.

8. Signing Allan Houston to a max contract: In 2001, The Knicks and Houston agreed to a contract that paid him over 20 million dollars a year. Houston would barely be able to play any games under that contract due to his serious knee problems over the next four years, and in 2005 he announced his retirement. You can’t blame Houston, but the Knicks giving a 30 year old such a huge contract was a risk that resulted in restricted cap space throughout the first half of the 2000′s.

7. Trading Patrick Ewing: In 2000, Patrick Ewing was nearing the end of his contract, and the Knicks could not reach terms for extending their aging center. Stories differ that Ewing requested his trade or that the Knicks pushed him out, but the result was trading away an 18 million dollar expiring contract for bad contracts that would continue to hamper them from signing free agents through the first half of the decade.

6. Signing Jerome James: Are you kidding me? Jerome James was signed to a 5 year, 30 million dollar contract by Isiah Thomas. James supposedly deserved this contract due to his better than average play in the playoffs the previous season. In his 4 seasons with the Knicks, he played in a whopping 90 games, and was traded away for Larry Hughes in 2009.

5. Drafting Jordan Hill: I know this sounds crazy, but I partly blame this rare poor decision by Donnie Walsh for Lebron James not coming to the Knicks. The Knicks chose Hill over Brandon Jennings, yes you read that correctly. Jennings would be the best point guard this team has had all decade, but instead we took half a season of Jordan Hill. Many said that Lebron did not want to have the pressure of leading the Knicks all by himself, but could you imagine a trio of Jennings, Stoudemire, and Lebron? Not to mention that Jennings would have still been on his rookie contract, and therefore we could have filled the roster with great talent! I dream on, but still no one can deny that Jordan Hill was a big bust.

4. Acquiring  for Eddy Curry: The Knicks gave up a couple draft picks, but in case you don’t know who they turned out to be let me enlighten you: LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah! As a fan you may be able to live with that, if Eddy Curry did not turn out to be a bloated player with a bloated contract. He did not rebound or defend, and ended up playing almost no games once Mike D’antoni took over in 2008, while still earning 13 million dollars a year.

3. Trading for Stephon Marbury: There is not that much to say, because everyone knows why this was a bad move for the Knicks. He was a selfish and temperamental star. His feud with Larry Brown contributed to Brown’s firing, while his feud with Mike D’antoni resulted in Marbury’s firing. After a few years in New York, Stephon Marbury’s career ended up much like his shoes–falling apart. 

2. The coming of Isiah Thomas: His terrible contracts, his atrocious draft picks, and his poor trading decisions got him to number 2 on this list. He is responsible for Steve Francis, Ronaldo Balkman, Jared Jefferies, Fred Jones, Jerome James, and many many more terrible players getting a chance to play for an NBA team. How would someone like this keep his job for so long? Well, you become best friends with your boss of course! James Dolan and Thomas are famously friends, and it has long been rumored that Thomas is still pulling strings behind closed doors. Which brings us to…

1. Viacom selling MSG properties to Cablevision and ITT Corporation: This was the move in 1994, that ultimately led to what may be the worst day in Knicks History, because 2 years after Cablevision bought out ITT in 1997, James Dolan was made the Chairman of Madison Square Garden. I want you to scroll up to the top of this article, and read # 10 – #2 again, because these were all under Dolan’s supervision. In a world where Viacom sells the Knicks to ANYONE ELSE, all of the above would erased. James Dolan continues to make mistakes even with the newfound success of the team. Two years ago he traded everyone and their brother to Denver for Carmelo Anthony, and this summer he paid player after player to come to the Knicks before deciding that signing Jeremy Lin would be too much money.

Amar’e Stoudemire will be joining the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Dwight Howard as players who have trained with Hakeem Olajuwon in his summer camp. The camp has been known to have a dramatic effect on a players post play, which is something that STAT has lacked in his game.

Mike Woodson spoke after the season about a few ways he wanted his players to improve during the offseason. He thought that Carmelo Anthony could slim down, which resulted in Anthony heading into the olympics 12 pounds lighter than he ended the season at. Woodson’s other request was that he wanted to use Amar’e more in the post next season, and he subsequently set up a training camp with Olajuwon. 

Stoudemire had a far less productive season last year than in 2010. His scoring dropped form 25.3 ppg to 17.5 ppg, his field goal percentage dropped from 50% to 48%, and his rebounding decreased as well. STAT had a few excuses including the death of his brother and the bulging disk in his back, but critics accused him of losing athleticism and the season marking the beginning of his decline.

The hope is that by learning from one of the best post players ever to play the game Amar’e will be able to implicate his new skills into the Knicks’ offense. Besides ‘Melo, the Knicks have no powerful post threat on the team, and that makes the offense much easier to defend. With the addition of STAT in the post it will create a new look on the court, and allow him to pass out of the double team to the open perimeter players.

The Olajuwon Camp has created two of the best post games in the league: Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Both players won championships after working with Olajuwon. Dwight Howard solidified his place as the most dominant big man in the league after his time at the camp.

Stoudemire is also working with Olajuwon in order to improve defensively, which is something that can help the already improved defensive Knicks. Defensive Player of The Year Tyson Chandler with a new and improved Amar’e Stoudemire would be hard to defend and score on, and if you include Marcus Camby on the bench then you are looking at a more than capable front line rotation.

The bottom line is that we can expect a much greater Amar’e next season, and a much greater Stoudemire is the key to a much greater Knicks team.

The team has added depth behind their point guard, shooting guard, power forward, and center, but there is not much behind Carmelo Anthony. Matt Barnes could be the perfect player to finish out the bench.

Barnes has yet to sign with a team this offseason, after finishing his second season with the Lakers. Barnes is a defensive minded forward who can shoot threes and rebound well. His career averages include 7.8 ppg, 4.5rpg, and 33 percent  3-point shooting. Barnes would come off the bench, and help the Knicks only average rebounding.

The Knicks already have a bench including James White, Ronnie Brewer, Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Kurt Thomas, Jason Kidd, and J.R. Smith. Adding Matt Barnes takes an already skilled bench and adds shooting and veteran skills.

Last year, injuries hurt the team and they could never stay healthy throughout the season. In the postseason this was even more evident as Mike Bibby became the starting point guard when Baron Davis went down.

It is unclear if Barnes has had meetings with any NBA teams, but the Knicks would only be able to sign him for a veteran minimum contract. Barnes may want to be paid more than that, similar to Mickael Pietrus, who’s agent has said that he will not accept a minimum contract.

There are some other potential forwards still available in free agency: Carlos Delfino, Josh Childress, and Kenyon Martin (who most likely will not accept a minimum contract).

The Knicks already have 13 roster spots filled, so it is unclear if they are even interested in adding more depth. However, if Barnes would take the minimum contract, then signing him would not be a bad move to end an already busy offseason.

Dolan has had limited success as the owner of both the Rangers and the Knicks. The Knicks have not won a playoff series since 2001, and have not won a playoff game since 2003 (until this season). Dolan oversaw the coming and going of several high profile name coaches including Larry Brown, Jeff Van Gundy, and Lenny Wilkens. There was one coach in particular that was bad news for the Knicks: Dolan’s good pal, Isiah Thomas.

Antonelli/News

Thomas had been a Hall of Fame Point Guard in his days with Detroit. After retiring from playing, Thomas had some success as the coach of the Indiana Pacers, but was ultimately fired due to lack of experience as a coach. In 2003, Thomas was hired as the President of Basketball Operations of the Knicks.

As the head of the front office, Isiah made poor decisions including trading away draft picks, signing players to ridiculous contracts (Jerome James anyone?), and having a team with the highest payroll and second lowest win total. It is also to be noted that Thomas brought controversy to the team when he was charged with a sexual misconduct lawsuit. Dolan of course extended Thomas’ contract even while the Knicks were playing mediocre.

Dolan made what may be the best decision of his career when he hired Donnie Walsh to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Walsh came in and cleared out the bad contracts Thomas had created, and fired Thomas replacing him with Mike D’Antoni. It is rumored that Dolan’s friendship with Thomas remained, and that Thomas was secretly running the show behind closed doors.

Walsh lost out on LeBron James, but still ended up with a winning team including young talent like Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Danilo Galinari, and Timofey Mozgov. At this time, the Carmelo Anthony rumors began, and that his preferred destination was New York. Walsh did not want to give up too much for ‘Melo knowing that he could sign him in the offseason, but Dolan demanded that the trade be executed, and he went above Walsh’s head in order to give away more talent.

Walsh did not like that he did not have autonomy over the team, and Dolan could not come to terms with a new contract, so Walsh was replaced with Glen Grunwald. Grunwald is credited with seeing Jeremy Lin’s potential after he was released from Houston. Lin blew up on to the scene with Linsanity in February. His contract would be up at the end of the season, and everyone and their brother assumed that Lin’s contract would be matched no matter what.

That was not the case. After Houston offered Lin a large back-ended offer for three years of service, Dolan was allowed three days to decide if he should match it. After a free agency that including paying big money for Camby, Kidd, and Felton, it seemed like the Knicks did not worry about luxury taxes and cap room. It seemed wrong, because Dolan decided not to match Lin’s deal–letting one of the most famous athletes on the planet walk away from one of the most famous teams.

Avoiding that contract may have been the smart thing to do, and I believe it may end of being a wise move by Dolan, but that doesn’t matter to Lin’s fanbase. Dolan can’t win, and people are mad at him for taking away their beloved star.

While Dolan may be one of the more wealthy owners willing to dig deep into his pockets in order to have his team win, he also may be one of the most involved in a business that he knows nothing about. Dolan deserves all of the hate he receives from the fans, but he can reverse his fortune by keeping himself out of the way. The Knicks need an owner who will shut up and win. I doubt that will happen.

The Knicks have decided to let Jeremy Lin sign his offer sheet with Houston, which was a 3-year deal for 25 million dollars. The biggest reason that the Knicks did not match it was due to their reluctance to take the “poison pill,” or the heavily back ended last year of the contract. The 3rd year, which was worth over 14 million dollars, would have cost the Knicks even more in luxury taxes.

At first, all signs pointed to the Knicks keeping Lin this offseason no matter what deal was offered to him. Things changed, however, when Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd signed on to the team for the next three years leaving even less space before reaching the luxury tax threshold. The real issue came about when the Rockets changed their deal from being a four-year, 28 million dollar deal into the one that was eventually signed by Lin.

Theories began to trickle out that The Knicks may not be keeping Lin when seemingly out of nowhere Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas were traded to the team in exchange for Jared Jefferies, Dan Gadzuric, and the draft rights to two of our players. Felton, who played arguably his best season with The Knicks in 2010, is coming off a down season where he was accused of being out of shape. Amar’e Stoudemire and Felton developed a great pick-and-roll chemistry very early on in the season.

Credit: Getty Images

It seems like the Knicks front office wanted to save money by signing Felton to a 3-year, 10 million dollar deal rather than the astronomical deal Lin will receive from the Rockets. Felton is not a bad player by any means, in fact he was playing at a near all-star level less than 2 years ago. He averaged 17.1 ppg, 9 apg, and 1.8 spg in 54 games with The Knicks. Felton has always played consistent defense never averaging less than one steal in his 8 NBA seasons.

Felton has proved himself capable of being a solid starting point guard in this league, who can shoot and defend well. My issue with the decision to choose him over Lin is not that I necessarily think he is not a good enough player to start on a championship contending team, but that Lin has too much upside to let slip away.

Jeremy Lin has a lot going for him. He is only 23-years-old, he is an instant marketing tool, his shooting and passing skills will only improve, and he has the ability to be a franchise player. The image I have kept in my mind since the dawn of Linsanity was always that when Carmelo and Amar’e are at the ends of their careers, Lin would be right in the middle of his prime continuing to lead the Knicks.

Jeremy Lin will always be faster and more athletic than Raymond Felton, but Felton has the experience and defense that is needed when trying to win championships. He also will save the team a lot of money without making the team too old (he’s only 28 years old), and he may be able to get STAT out of his post-’Melo funk.

I wanted Lin back, and I was enthused about having another player on the floor who can create his own shot, but its time to move on. Knicks’ fans must turn back the clock to when they were enamored with Felton. I don’t know about you, but I think its time to begin hoping that Linsanity was all a fluke, and that the Rockets may have just made one of the worst free agent signings in history.

During the season J.R Smith came into the picture, as well as the blossoming Iman Shumpert, and the rise of Linsanity and Novak-ain.

On paper this team was expected to do much more than they did most of the season. They underachieved under former Coach Mike D’antoni, and then injuries hit them hard with Carmelo, Amar’e, and Lin all missing time.

They had some holes in the roster, the main one being depth upfront, as well as a lack of 3-point shooting. Jared Jefferies was injured a lot during the season, and rookie center Josh Harrellson fractured his wrist just as he was hitting his stride.

Toney Douglas, who was expected to contribute from beyond the arc, fell out of rotation. Carmelo Anthony, Landry Fields, and J.R. Smith all had below average shooting percentages from deep as well.

What the team did have was a very efficient defense (top 10 in the league), and that included the help from rookie Iman Shumpert and DPOY Tyson Chandler. It also had a deep bench at times, specifically when Jeremy Lin, J.R. Smith, Baron Davis, Iman Shumpert, and Landry Fields were all healthy.

That was then, this is now.

This new team has filled the holes that last year’s team had, but brings along a few of its own.

There is no longer a lack of front court depth with the additions of Kurt Thomas (6’9) and Marcus Camby (6’11), both of whom are also known for their excellent defensive play. They are at the ends of their careers, but Camby especially still has something left in his tank.

They addressed their poor 3-point shooting by adding Jason Kidd (3rd all time 3 point shots made), Raymond Felton (33% from beyond the arc), and resigning Steve Novak and J.R. Smith.

The biggest flaw in this team is age and cap space. They added two 39-year-olds in Kidd and Thomas (who is the oldest player in the league), and a 38 year old in Camby. Kidd and Camby are also being paid very well, and have 3-year deals which will contribute to The Knicks plunge into the new luxury tax.

It is worth noting however, that Jason Kidd’s game is ageless, and that his skill set needed for this team is his best one: passing.

The only other issue with the team is Jeremy Lin, or lack thereof as the case may be. It is still unclear if Lin will be returning, or if he will be heading to the Rockets. After the trade for Felton, it will be puzzling if management continues to go after him.

I am very fond of Lin, and feel that his driving abilities as well as his size in the backcourt will be missed. Also, he is a player that can be the future of the franchise at only 23 years old.

The team has declined to match Landry Fields contract from the Raptors, and he will be with them for the next three seasons. Without Fields there is a lack of depth at the 2 position, at least until Shumpert returns from his ACL tear.

The team is a more complete version of the 2012 team, with more playoff tested veterans, and much more depth. It is abundantly clear that The Knicks are in “win now” mode, and that they want to compete for a championship for the next three seasons, and then reexamine where the team is headed.

I like the new additions to the roster, and see them as having the ability of being the 3rd best team in the East, but they have one major obstacle to face. They need to avoid the injuries that have heavily effected them the past two seasons, and with the addition of aged players that can be a very difficult thing to do.

The 2013 Knicks have a lot to prove in order to compete for a championship, but with the right mixture of luck and chemistry, they can do just that.

You hear people say that ‘Melo has “potential,” but what does that really mean? “Potential” is essentially an excuse for a great player who has underperformed throughout his career. I am sick of ‘Melo’s potential to win a championship, and his potential to be one of the best players in this league. I am ready for him to complete those challenges.

He has all the skills already in place to lead a team to the holy land: he is a dynamite scorer who can score from anywhere on the court, he can rebound, he can pass (when he feels like it), and he can play defense when he applies himself. The thing is that he does not do all of these things for an entire season consistently.

In the past 1 and a half seasons with the Knicks, Carmelo has been a less than stellar defender, who rarely could have multiple great offensive nights in a row. He has been shooting well from beyond the arc, and I am one of the few people who thinks he has also been a decent passer. His rebounding has been average. His golden moments occurred while playing in the post, and using his lethal combination of speed and strength to draw the foul. 

He is always being called on to be a better passer, but that is not his biggest problem as far as I can see. He needs to be able to score more consistently within a game, and be able to replicate this efficiency for an entire season. Shooting below 44% from the field is no longer an option for him. His defense is not as bad as labeled, but definitely can use improvement, specifically in defending around the perimeter.

Carmelo demanded a trade to the team of his dreams. His front office has surrounded him with offensive and defensive weapons to help him. However, it is up to him. Carmelo Anthony is the one who needs to make a difference in his game, he needs to see what Lebron did and try to replicate his season every way he can, and on top of all of that he needs to do what he does best: score.

He is already on the right track. Mike Woodson called on Carmelo to be in better shape next season, and according to ‘Melo he is already down 12 pounds from his end of season weight. He has also said that his offseason knee surgery from last season is beginning to pay off, and he is feeling quicker.

The pressure cooker that is New York City is on, and there is only one person who can turn it off and answer all of the questions about if the Knicks are championship contenders: Carmelo Anthony.

Camby formerly played for The Knicks from 1999 – 2002. The 6-11 Center won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2007, and has consistently been one of the best defensive centers in the league. Last season, he averaged 4.9 PPG, 1.4 BPG, and 9 RPG in only 22.9 minutes for the Portland Trailblazers and Houston Rockets. He also is coming off a contract where he was making a whopping 11.2 million dollars.

Camby would be a great addition to The Knicks as the backup center to reigning DPOY Tyson Chandler. There were many times last season that when Chandler was out of the game there was a huge drop off in defending the paint. Camby would fill that hole very well, and would help with our only average rebounding.

There is one huge problem in my eyes however: Camby wants more than the veteran’s minimum, and may not even be content with the 3 million dollar mini-mid level exception. I am not convinced that Camby is the best player to invest our exception in, especially due to his age. We need more help in the backcourt than upfront. Not to mention that centers have been getting overpaid throughout the league in the past few years, and Camby could probably get far more money resigning with The Rockets.

Marcus Camby lives in New York in the offseason, and loves the City. If Grunwald and Co. can convince him to sign for the veterans minimum than I am all for his return to The Knicks. Otherwise, I hope that he ends up with anyone who are not The Heat. My gut is he returns to the Rockets.