Carmelo Anthony

Offense: Carmelo Anthony’s reputation in the NBA has always been as a scorer. It’s his first instinct on the floor and it’s really his only elite skill. This year, he did it better than anyone in the league. Anthony’s first full, 82-game season with the New York Knicks produced the best offensive season in his career. He led the NBA in scoring at 28.7 points per game, the highest average of his career. Though his overall FG% was down from his career rate, for some reason his three-point field goal accuracy jumped to the highest percentage of his career at 38%. Similarly, he posted a 56% True Shooting Percentage, which was almost two whole points higher than his career average. ‘Melo took a step forward in eliminating jap-step-happy deep twos and focused more on shooting three-pointers, taking it to the basket, or posting up defenders. His offensive eruption this year (a 50-point game and seven 40-point games) surely had something to do with his move to the power forward. He stretched the floor and knocked down jumpers on big men unwilling to come out to the perimeter. When they did, Anthony blew past them off the dribble. Then, when teams tried to cross-match with him, he posted up most small forwards.

The progression we saw in Anthony was also reflected in his passing. Though he had moments of regression, he took out some of his ball-stopping isolation habits for the most part. And even when he did regress, it seemed – for the most part – that he chose his opportunities more carefully, like when he was cooking from the field or had obvious mismatches with the defense. His assist numbers were down across the board, but this is a case where the stats don’t reflect the eye test. Anthony was a far more willing passer, especially out of double-teams. When defenses sent help, Anthony happily kicked out to the perimeter (sometimes on lovely skip passes) and let the ball swing until a shooter was open.

Unfortunately, some of these good progressions fell apart in the playoffs. His three-point stroke disappeared, he settled for jumpers, and defenses often denied the Knicks’ swing-swing-shoot offense. Nonetheless, we just experienced Anthony’s best offensive season in the NBA, and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Grade: A

Defense: The lovely season Anthony blessed fans with also had to do with an increased focus on defense. Anthony wasn’t, nor will he ever be, a consistent, lock-down defender. However, more often than not, Anthony gave effort this year. He does much better battling power forwards who post-up or try to work off the dribble than guards or forwards who run off screens and curls. Anthony is quicker than almost any four in the league, and his strength is comparable, allowing him to bang in the post or stick with them should they try to isolate on Anthony. At times he was over-matched (see: West, David), but overall, Anthony gave a willing effort when he didn’t have to chase his man.

There were still let-downs, however. He’s prone to ball-watching, his effort on the glass wanes, and he doesn’t always hustle back on defense. When things on offense weren’t going ‘Melo’s way, we saw more defensive breakdowns. The Knicks were a tad better defensively with Anthony off the court than with him on, according to NBA.com/Stats, but he rarely appeared to hurt the team.

Grade: B-

Overall: The Knicks just had their best season in 13 years and their star player just had (likely) the best season of his career. There’s not a lot to complain about there. Anthony is still an imperfect player and his flaws are glaring compared to other elite stars (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, etc.). However, a position change, a roster and coach he approves of, and a talented supporting cast brought out the best in Anthony. If he’s willing to build on the positive changes he made this season, he could only stand to improve while he’s in the prime of his career. For the first time in his short Knicks career, Anthony resembled a top ten player for most of the season.

Overall Grade: A-

Melo said it would be ‘selfish’ to think about opting out after next season. Says he doesn’t want to ‘jump the gun.’

We can see where this is going. The Knicks’ resurgence this season was led by (arguably) Carmelo Anthony’s best season. He led the NBA in scoring for the first time in his year, defended with vigor, and trusted his teammates more, willingly passing out of double teams or making smart plays in the pick-and-roll. That the Indiana Pacers were able to bottle up Anthony so well in the playoffs and send the Knicks packing is likely to undermine the progress Anthony made as player this season.

Anthony is right in some aspects: the Knicks are still coming off a good season and could potentially grow even more next year. His contract status in the next year isn’t really relevant when the Knicks still have work to do.

However, Anthony being mum on the situation has potential to become a media circus. Should Anthony or the Knicks struggle during the 2013-14 season, questions about Anthony’s ability to opt out of his contract and become a free agent could overtake the entire New York media. This was Anthony’s first real taste of success with the Knicks, and it was moderate. A disappointing year would be seen as a continuation of his first lackluster year-and-a-half with the Knicks, with 2012-13 being the brief interruption.

It’s still so early and inappropriate to speculate, but comments like Anthony’s today has the potential to be the spark that ignites the flame. I think we’d all like to pass on “Melodrama 2.0.”

Prigioni moved his wife and two children, all three of whom had never left Spain, to the U.S. while he played for the Knicks. Rumors are, they may want to return to Europe. Of course, it is just speculation; it’s impossible to know what the Prigionis think about and discuss at home, and how they would manage Pablo’s wishes with his family’s.

Prigioni came to the Knicks on a one-year, veteran minimum contract of $473,000. According to Berman, GM Glen Grunwald wanted Prigioni for two years, but Pablo figured he could increase his salary by proving himself on a one-year deal and then earning more money the next time around. The Knicks could make Prigioni a qualifying offer of $900,000, but ultimately, to re-sign him, they’d need to dip into the mini-mid-level exception of $3 million.

First thought of as a back-up, insurance third-string point guard, Prigioni came to be an essential part of the Knicks’ lineup. His overall per-game stats weren’t anything particularly overwhelming – 3.5 points, 39.6% 3FG, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, .9 steals in 16 minutes per game. However, advanced stats showed Prigioni’s worth to the team. During the regular season, with Prigioni on the floor, the Knicks’ Offensive Rating was 108.8 and their Defensive Rating was 100.9, giving Pablo a Net Rating off 7.9. This would register as the highest of any member of the Knicks besides Kenyon Martin and Earl Barron, both of whom played in a small sample size of the season’s total games. The Knicks’ 13-game win streak in March and April coincided with Prigioni’s first starts. With the point guard starting in the back-court, the Knicks went 16-2 to finish the regular season.

In the playoffs, Prigioni was even better. His overall stats went up: 4.5 points, 43.3% 3FG, 1.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals in 21 minutes per game. Once again, however, his advanced stats told an even greater tale. In the playoffs, with Prigioni on the floor, the Knicks’ Offensive Rating was 109.4, with a Defensive Rating of 93.2. His overall Net Rating of 16.2 was the best on the team by a wide margin. With Prigioni on the bench, the Knicks actually had a negative Net Rating, meaning they were out-played when Pablo was off the court.

It was a strange season for Pablo. His playing time was inconsistent, and as a rookie to the NBA game, at times he seemed lost amongst a fasterpace environment with far more athletic players. Yet, when given time to run the offense (look at the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Pacers), Prigioni had some shining moments. He isn’t a flashy player, but a point guard with fundamental roots, who will gladly make a pass before take a shot. He wasn’t a lockdown defender, but a guy who could pester a ball-handler just enough to make a bad pass or give up the ball and get out of the way.

If Prigioni goes back to Spain, it’ll leave a deeper hole in the Knicks’ guard rotation than many would assume. With Kidd aging to the point of ineffectiveness, the Knicks would surely need to seek out another point guard to back-up Raymond Felton.

If Prigioni does indeed head back for Spain, if it was indeed his first and only season in the NBA: it was a pleasure, Pablo. I’m so glad I got to watch you play on the Knicks.

“I want to retire a Knick,” Smith said when asked about his future following the team’s season-ending loss to the Pacers on Saturday night. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love it. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I was sitting in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game just knowing I don’t want to be anywhere else except for in the orange and blue. So we’ll see.”

Smith is expected to opt out of his $2,9 million player option next season and become an unrestricted free agent. Smith had limited options last season and signed a fairly small offer with the Knicks. However, given Smith’s mostly productive season, he is due for a pay raise, especially as he hits the prime of his career.

The Knicks cannot pay Smith as much as other teams with cap space, but they do have a few advantages. They can offer him a decent contract, around the average league salary of about $5 million with small increases each season. If Smith is willing to sacrifice a big pay day for one more year, however, the Knicks will own his Bird Rights (they currently have his Early Bird Rights) and could sign him for whatever they/he pleases and for however long they want.

The Knicks obviously have the advantage of being the Knicks, too. Smith is from the New Jersey and loves the city. Likewise, he’s become very close to the organization, namely Carmelo Anthony, who he’s spent nearly his entire career playing with. And, of course, there’s Mike Woodson, whose trust and love of J.R. Smith surely outweighs any other coach Smith could play for in the NBA.

There’s almost no doubt that the Knicks will try to keep J.R. Smith around. However, there’s a legitimate argument about how much he’s worth. Yes, J.R. just had the best season of his career, averaging career-highs in points (18.1 per game) and rebounds (5.3). He had moments where he looked like a legitimate All-Star, like this past April where he averaged 33 minutes per game, 22 points on 48.3% FG and 40% 3FG, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Smith’s best moments were a big part of the Knicks’ regular season success.

Mar 29, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) dunks during the third quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

However, for the second straight year, Smith’s game and focus waned in the postseason. During the past two postseasons, his combined stats come out to 13.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Most alarming, however, is that he’s been attempting 15 shots per game and shooting a combined 32.3% FG and 22.6% 3FG. Smith’s contributions drop radically in the playoffs in nearly every category. And this year, Smith’s focus took a sour turn with an intentional elbow to Jason Terry’s face in Game 3 of the first round, earning Smith a suspension; talks of going golfing while in the midst of a series; and going clubbing at night.

Smith’s regular season contributions are great and needed. However, for a team that has higher aspirations than the second round, the Knicks need Smith to be better than those lowly numbers above.

Personally, I welcome Smith back. However, I would prefer it to be in one of the aforementioned $5-million per year contracts that the Knicks can offer this season. This would keep New York from overpaying Smith, and it would also likely be for a shorter time, thereby retaining cap space for 2015.

May 14, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) during game four of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight the New York Knicks look to keep their season alive by winning an elimination game in Indiana. It won’t be an easy task, though; in fourgames in Indiana this season, the Knicks have lost by an average of 15 points. However, there’s still reason to believe that the Knicks could force a Game 7.

The status of the Pacers’ starting point guard, George Hill, is still uncertain. He missed Game 5 with a concussion – an injury with strict policy in the NBA – and his absence certainly benefited the Knicks. In the series, Hill is averaging 17.3 points with 34% 3FG and 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Without Hill, the Pacers relied on DJ Augustin to run the point almost full time, but he is neither as efficient as a distributor or as menacing a defender as Hill. If Hill misses Game 6, it surely increases the Knicks’ odds of winning.

Likewise, the Knicks seemed to rediscover their identity a bit last game. “Big” lineup experiments by Mike Woodson were cast aside, and instead, the usual small ball lineups yielded greater results in floor-spreading and pick-and-rolls as Raymond Felton was able to squeeze his way to the basket for some close shots. Whereas the Knicks had previously been the team adjusting to the Pacers’ identity, in Game 5, the Knicks forced Indiana to adjust to their Knicks’ game.

There’s also still the fact that these Pacers are young and haven’t ever closed out a semi-finals series. Last season they had the Miami Heat down 2-1 before the Heat came roaring back to win the series. Though this group is more experienced, and the Knicks aren’t the Heat, there’s still pressure on the Pacers to actually close out another good team, especially facing the prospects of a Game 7 in New York.

However, the Knicks’ play hasn’t inspired too much confidence to win a Game 6 in Indiana. The Pacers’ home crowd is a loud, dedicated one, and this Knicks team is prone to bouts of frustration. When things don’t go their way, that aggravation mounts. The Pacers’ tight defense and rebounding advantage has proven to be thorns in the Knicks’ sides, and New York can’t let it overcome their focus.

Truth be told, this game could go either way. The Knicks definitely face the greater challenge: on the road, looking at elimination, playing against a (thus far) superior team. However, last game showed promising signs. Carmelo Anthony’s offense has gotten a little more efficient, and he was looking to attack the Pacers more. J.R. Smith seems to have re-found his stroke, Raymond Felton’s dribble penetration opened things up, and Chris Copeland added some sizable contributions off the bench.

The game begins at 8:00 ET. The Knicks have 48 minutes to keep their season alive.

It was odd, too, given Copeland’s strong finish to the season. Through March and April, Copeland averaged 12.3 points per game on 47.2% FG, 47.6% 3FG, and 3.3 rebounds per game in 21 minutes per game. He filled in admirably at the end of the season as various Knicks’ big men all caught the injury bug, placing the undersized Copeland at center.

In the first round series with the Boston Celtics, there wasn’t a huge need for Copeland; the Knicks’ offense was able to function fairly well. However, in the semi-finals, struggling to score against the staunch Indiana defense, the Knicks needed a floor-stretcher and a guy who could create his own shot, especially with so many of the Knicks’ most consistent scorers off-target. Last night, Copeland got his chance.

After Mike Woodson’s failed experiments at going “big” versus Indiana in Game 4, and the Knicks’ inability to break 85 points on the road, Copeland was told he’d be seeing real minutes in Game 5. Fans and analysts alike agreed with the move as Copeland could stretch the floor, potentially pull away Indiana’s bigs from the basket, and provide scoring to a parched offensive team.

Copeland responded with 13 points on 4-6 shooting, 3-4 from behind the arc, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in 19 minutes. Furthermore, he provided the Knicks with momentous plays at various points during the game. Upon checking in in the second half, he immediately knocked down a three-pointer on a spot-up attempt. Later in the third quarter, he chased down DJ Augustin to break up a two-on-one fastbreak, misfired on a three, but collected an offensive rebound on a second attempt and laid it in to put the Knicks up 11.

Though his playing time has been limited, Copeland has had a positive effect when he’s on the floor. in 74 minutes of playing time, with Copeland on the court, the Knicks have an Offensive Rating of 108.5 – best on the team – and a Defensive Rating of 90.4 which is three points better than the Knicks’ average DefRtg in the postseason. His 18.1 Net Rating could be inflated by playing at the end of games or in short spurts, but overall, the Knicks have been better with Copeland on the floor.

Given his positive effect on Game 5, it seems likely that Copeland has secured a spot in the rotation for the remainder of the playoffs – hopefully longer than one more game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next there’s Jason Kidd.

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

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

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

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

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

May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) dribbles the ball around Indiana Pacers point guard D.J. Augustin (14) during the second half in game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks win 85-75. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks live to see another day. Facing elimination on their home floor, the Knicks put together a buzzer-to-buzzer victory over the Indiana Pacers, squeezing out just enough offense and stingy enough defense to force a Game 6. The Pacers, playing without starting point guard, George Hill, struggled to find offense and combusted with a bevy of crucial turnovers and foul trouble to important players.

After losing their identity over some of the previous games – failed attempts at small-ball, a lack of launching from downtown – the Knicks more-or-less got back to their brand of basketball. It helped, of course, that players actually made shots. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 28 points, hitting from all spots within the arc; Raymond Felton found his stroke on wiggles to the lane and pull-up jumpers in the pick-and-roll; Chris Copeland and J.R. Smith both came through with significant offensive contributions. Late in the game, the fate still very much undecided, the Knicks went cold. However, they turned to their defense, forcing seven fourth quarter turnovers, three in the final two minutes.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances with player report cards.

Carmelo Anthony – 42 minutes, 28 points, 12-28 FG, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 TOs, +6

‘Melo began the game with a renewed accuracy. He kicked things off with a jumper at the elbow off a little curl, and then a pull-up three in transition – a welcomed sight. Earlier in the game, too, he exploited mismatches, posting up the smaller, smothering Paul George, and a few times getting mismatches with David West and Roy Hibbert. As the game went on, Anthony got a little more stationary and a bit colder. However, contrary to previous games, Anthony came up with some huge fourth quarter baskets, mostly on face-ups on the right elbow versus Sam Young and George. If the Knicks are going to win the series, they’re going to need the same level of scoring, plus an increased effort on the glass and defensive end – the latter two were a bit lacking in this one.

Final Grade: B

J.R. Smith – 36 minutes, 13 points, 4-11 FG, 1-4 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TOs, +8

It wasn’t a return to form, necessarily, but it was a step in the right direction. For the first time perhaps all series, Smith looked like himself on the floor. There the occasional bouts of over-dribbling, ball-stopping, poor shots, and defensive lapses, but paired with those deficiencies were some canned jumpers, good rebounds, timely forced turnovers, and clutch free throws. With Iman Shumpert in foul trouble and Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd contributing little, it was a good time for Smith to step up. And then there’s that whole ‘elimination’ thing, too, so yes, nice timing, J.R.

Final Grade: B-

Chris Copeland – 19 minutes, 13 points, 4-6 FG, 3-4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 TOs, +2

Mike Woodson reads Twitter? Calls for the dreadlocked rookie resounded during the team’s anemic offensive performance in Game 4, and he received mostly insubstantial playing time. But speak thy name and he shall get playing time… or something like that. Copeland got minutes to start the second quarter, and when the team turned to him in the second half, he responded. His impact on offense was felt almost immediately as he went to the line or canned three-pointers promptly off the bench. His best sequence came when he chased down DJ Augustin on a two-on-one fastbreak, helped force a Pacers turnover, came back on offense, missed a three. Then, when the Knicks rebounded that miss and shot another three, Copeland scooped up that rebound and put it back in for a layup to the roar of the Garden crowd and his teammates. I think he’ll play Game 6. Just a hunch.

Final Grade: A-

Raymond Felton – 37 minutes, 12 points, 6-14 FG, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 TOs, +7

Facing up against DJ Augustin instead of George Hill surely had an effect on Felton’s solid work in this one, but his accomplishments won’t be taken away. Felton’s offensive attack came in spurts, at times dashing his way to the rim off pick-and-rolls, others pulling up at the foul line extended for jumpers. His penetration makes such a significant difference in the Knicks’ ability to get better looks on offense, one can only hope that he keeps it up. Throw in his superior possession care-taking (zero turnovers) and all the stray passes and dribbles he got his flippers on, and this was a vintage Felton playoff performance.

Final Grade: A

Kenyon Martin- 20 minutes, 7 points, 2-2 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, +8

Martin’s minutes didn’t pile up too high, but he was forced to play an important role substituting for the oft foul-plagued Chandler. He did a stout job defending Indiana’s bigs, and while his rebounding was a bit shy, he protected the rim about as well as a 6’9″ center can. He finished a few looks around the rim and set some good screens, which was nice of him

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 26 minutes, 5 points, 2-10 FG, 1-4 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, +8

Shumpert saw more pine than usual due to some foul woes, some of which were tick-tacky, others a little more justified on the refs’ parts. Though he looked physically better than Game 4, his stroke was astray, and he committed a few emphasized errors, like going under a screen and leaving Paul George open for a three that connected, cutting the Knicks’ lead down to four midway through the fourth quarter. Whether his poor shooting is a result of an iffy knee is hard to tell, but there’s no more than a day’s rest for the remainder of the series, so he’s going to have to keep contributing on the boards and hopefully pick up his D.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 18 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, +3

Prigs, thankfully, saw more than three minutes of action in this one, but he still didn’t play a whole lot. Part of that was his ineffectiveness on the floor, and the other was his own foul troubles. The Pacers’ big lineups don’t suit him well on defense, and there was a whole lot less pick-and-roll action for him in Game 5. It’d be preferable for him to start second quarters with Stoudemire and Martin to try and initiate that pick-and-roll magic.

Final Grade: C+

Tyson Chander – 27 minutes, 2 points, 1-4 FG, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

It seems that Chandler is OK after a scary fourth quarter fall that had him rolling on the ground in agony. That’s good. Chandler was shaky on offense, failing to finish over the Roy Hibbert’s beanstalk arms. However, his defense neared 2011-12 levels, including some big ole swats at the rim. If not, he just tossed ‘em to the ground like he did to Lance Stephenson on a delusional posterization attempt. Lance, meet floor. Most importantly, Chandler played a big part in denying the Pacers so many offensive rebounds, and in the meantime, came up with some biggies of his own. Now get that back fixed.

Final Grade: B+

Amar’e Stoudemire – 7 minutes, 2 points, 0-0 FG, 2-2 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 TO, +4

Stoudemire’s action was limited to the first half and no one quite knows why. In those seven first half minutes, his offensive attempts turned into free throws and a turnover. As was the case in January, Stoudemire looks to be featured a little too much, and his attempts usually come at the expense of rhythm. Stoudemire is a much better player in rhythm. For now, it really doesn’t feel like he’s had much impact on the games; he’s just kind of out there.

Final Grade: C

Jason Kidd – 5 minutes, 0-1 FG, +2

It seems even Mike Woodson has his limits with Kidd. It’s sad to see, but Kidd’s impact on the game is so diminished that it’s not unreasonable to think he doesn’t deserve minutes on the floor. He hasn’t scored in his his last 160-something minutes, and for the second straight game, blew a fastbreak layup. It kind of saddens me to think that his confidence is so misplaced, but these are important games, and charity minutes can’t be dished out.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks have a day off and will play Game 6 in Indiana.

Here are three adjustments the Knicks should make if they wish to keep their season alive:

1.) Go Small, Stay Small - Last game, Mike Woodson panicked and decided to start a bigger, more traditional lineup of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Tyson Chandler – a lineup that hadn’t played before Game 4. The unit performed awfully, putting up an Offensive Rating of 62.1 with a Defensive Rating of 107.6, according to NBA.com/Stats. Not good numbers, to say the least. By making this move, Woodson crowded the paint with two big men with limited offensive skills, and forced ‘Melo onto the perimeter where he’s been misfiring for most of the playoffs (though he shot decently in Game 4).

The Knicks’ offensive recipe all season has called for small lineups to open up the spread pick-and-roll game. Two point guards in the back-court increases ball-handling and playmaking, and putting Carmelo Anthony at the four gives him a mismatch on offense with nearly all players. Woodson’s thinking was a bigger lineup would keep the Pacers off the boards and help the defense, but New York was still out-rebounded by 22 in Game 4. Frank Vogel praised his team after the game, saying their best quality is that they don’t adjust to other teams – other teams adjust to them. Woodson should keep a hell-bent small-ball mindset and try to force Indiana to match up with the Knicks, not the other way around.

2.) Gang Rebound – As mentioned, the Knicks have been crushed on the boards all series long. Through four games, the Pacers have collected 50 more rebounds than the Knicks. Since New York plays at such a slow pace, there’s no reason for guards or anyone else to be leaking out in transition when the Pacers shoot the ball. Yes, a little pace would help the Knicks, as would transition opportunities off of turnovers, but the Pacers, with hyper athletes like Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and George Hill, are better suited to play a fast-paced game. During the regular season, Indiana played at a slightly faster pace than the Knicks.

Instead, the Knicks need to be rebound as a five-man unit. They’ve been hurt by the Pacers’ size and Roy Hibbert’s ability to simply reach over players and grab a stray shot. However, the Knicks have also given up many possessions by fighting for boards when three Pacers hit the glass and one or two Knicks are left to try and grab the ball. Similarly, Indiana has gotten more possessions by collecting long rebounds on hard misfires. The guards should always be around to collect long misses. In Game 5, the Knicks should look to take away possessions for the Pacers by having all five players box-out their man, and collectively grab the rebound.

3.) Exploit Mismatches- This is a follow-up to #1- play small ball. As typical-broadcaster-cliche as it sounds, the Knicks need to take good shots. Contrary to belief, the Knicks haven’t run very many isolations the last few games, but it still doesn’t mean they’ve executed their offense very well. At times, the Knicks have gotten good shots and just flat-out missed them – Shumpert, Felton, and Smith have all seen decent looks on jumpers and simply couldn’t hit. However, other times the Knicks have gone away from the spread pick-and-roll and the rapid fire ball movement that opened up so many three-pointers during the regular season.

Part of this “take good shots” business comes from exploiting mismatches. Paul George and David West are cross-matching to contain Carmelo Anthony, so that Anthony defends West, but George defends Anthony. The Knicks should run some 3-4 or 4-5 pick-and-rolls to get the long-limbed George off Anthony’s case, and let ‘Melo get the ball on the move versus slower defenders in West and Hibbert. If the Knicks can’t get those mismatches, Shumpert (assuming he’s healthy) needs to take advantage of his mismatch with West. Anthony also has the size and strength to back up George, so he should look to post him up instead of face-up, where George has been so effective in denying Anthony. Going to the post and forcing help should open up other looks on the outside or inside, and Anthony needs to be a willing passer to hit open teammates instead of forcing shots over the brick wall that has been Roy Hibbert.

The Pacers’ defense works hard to deny three-point opportunities and baskets in the paint, and the Knicks have been too happy to accept mid-range jumpshots. Felton, Prigioni, Smith, and Anthony are all talented ball-handlers in pick-and-rolls, and if they attack the pick-and-roll and go to the basket, they force Indiana’s defense to adjust. With this mindset, eventually, rotations will fail and the Knicks can open up better looks for themselves that they just need to actually knock down.

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

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

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

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

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

The numbers would suggest that he could have an impact.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This is a team that was expected to make the Eastern Conference Finals and anything else should be considered a failure.

This is the Knicks first time trailing in the playoffs when they are on the road team. If the Knicks are great they will pull out his huge victory tonight. If they don’t  it will be a huge uphill battle from here. Here’s everything you need to know about this pivotal Game 4 .

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) shoots over New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won the game 105-79. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

When: Tuesday May 14th at 7:00 EST

Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

Watch: TNT

Betting Line: Pacers (-5.5)

Key Matchup: Tyson Chandler vs. Roy Hibbert

If the Pacers win Game 4 and Roy Hibbert has a big game, Tyson Chandler will be pointed at as the main reason the Knicks potentially lose this series. Hibbert has dominated both sides of the floor against Chandler and has made the rebounding category one sided. Knicks fans were worried about Paul George’s scoring, but it has been the domination of the glass that has controlled this series.

I am calling out Carmelo Anthony to get a double-double tonight with rebounds. Anthony has been inserted into the 4 spot and there’s no excuse why he cannot come up with at least 12 rebounds tonight. He is physical and when it comes down to it he is the team leader. If the Knicks need rebounding help, Carmelo needs to crash the boards. LeBron and Durant do it, so why can’t he?

With Iman Shumpert’s knee acting up again, everyone putting on a Knicks jersey has to step it up tonight. Shumpert has brought raw energy on both sides of the floor that honestly no other Knick has matched. Raymond Felton has to have a much better game and lead this offense the way we know how it can be ran.

Role players like Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon Martin have to maximize their minutes and not make mistakes when they are out there. Ultimately it is going to come down to the play of Carmelo and J.R. Smith. If they are cold again, the Knicks have no shot.

The Knicks will treat this like a Game 7 and we are looking at a classic Game 5 at MSG.

Prediction: Knicks 93, Pacers 87

So who else is a candidate? Steven A. Smith suggests that Larry Brown (who coached the Nets in the 80′s), Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and current associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Brian Shaw would get called. Jerry Sloan’s name has been mentioned, with his former sparring partner Deron Williams saying,“I’d love to play for Coach Sloan again” .

While some of those names might lead to success, (especially that of Doc Rivers), there is one name that has been for the most part, unspoken. And that would be former Knick legend, Patrick Ewing.

Patrick said he would love to coach the Nets as far back as 2009, when the team was still in New Jersey, and what better way to bother the rival Knicks than by taking one of their own, and all-time great and turning him against them?

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing looks on during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Ooooh, it’s a juicy scenario, and one that will grab headlines. Something that Nets owner, Mikhail Prokorov loves to do.

Prokorov loves to tweak the Knicks. We know this. We knew this ever since Prokhorov bought the team with his statement, “We will turn Knicks fans into Nets fans”. We knew this when the billboardappeared over Madison Square Garden in 2010.

Prokhorov wants his Nets to overshadow the long-time number one home team Knicks. And he will do anything to do it. He’s spent millions to sign a truckload of new players and build his team into a winner. He succeeded, to a point. They were winners in the regular season, but sputtered in the playoffs.

The danger with this scenario is that Patrick has no head coaching experience. And this hire could easily turn against them if the team flounders, but I think the Nets will at least give Ewing an interview. That alone will send shock waves through Madison Square Garden, and at least give the Nets back page mentions for at least a day.

For the record, I love the idea. Patrick has wanted to coach for many years, and yet no one has given him a shot. Now to have a shot with the Knicks’ closest rivals would be attention-grabbing and newsworthy. Short of nabbing Phil Jackson, can you come up with a more intriguing scenario?

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Hey Patrick Ewing fans, whether Patrick becomes the Nets coach or not, we’ve still got your Ewing Basketball T Shirts on sale here.

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

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

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) May 14, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Defend, Defend, Defend

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

2. Crash the Glass

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

3. Move the ball

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

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

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

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

Has this Knicks’ offense become too selfish?

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

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

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

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

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

But overall I have to agree with Chandler here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIRST TEAM

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

Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City — 17 — 12 — 46

Tyson Chandler, New York — 9 — 6 — 24

Joakim Noah, Chicago — 8 — 8 — 24

Tony Allen, Memphis — 25 — 3 — 53

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

SECOND TEAM

Tim Duncan, San Antonio — 3 — 14 — 20

Paul George, Indiana — 7 — 13 — 27

Marc Gasol, Memphis — 5 — 2 — 12

Avery Bradley, Boston — 10 — 5 — 25

Mike Conley, Memphis — 4 — 11 — 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How long this series goes could rest on his shoulders.

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

If he does, I like the Knicks chances.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But once he reaches the postseason, his teams struggle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Woodson that type of coach?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just hide the fire extinguishers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s 32 points, the Knicks found a significantly better offensive rhythm in this one, using more diverse sets and getting away from their heavy isolation tendencies. Indiana had their moments where they scored with ease and locked up the Knicks, but New York fought back with a huge 30-2 run from the end of the third quarter to midway through the fourth quarter. The Knicks forced turnovers all game long with intense traps on ball-handlers and later forced the Pacers into arrhythmic jumpers during the second half rally. York’s 33-13 fourth quarter put them in total control of the game, and they were able to rest their usual rotation players and ride out the double-digit victory.

The series goes to Indiana now, all tied up at 1-1. Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 35 minutes, 32 points, 13-26 FG, 2-5 3FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, +20

As Chris Herring pointed out on Twitter, ‘Melo was still mired in something of a shooting slump before a Frank Vogel timeout in the late third quartergave Anthony a chance to drink Mike’s Secret Stuff. Thereafter, Anthony went 6-8 from the field, taking it to the basket for a yam in David West’s face, knocking down mid-range jumpers, and finally, hitting two of those ever-evasive “three-pointers.” Overall, Anthony’s approach was more disciplined and vintage ‘Melo (meaning the ‘Melo of, like, three weeks ago). His defense was less physical, but smarter on David West, and for the most part, when shifted to the perimeter, Anthony made some solid rotations and well-timed traps. Still worried about the shoulder, which clearly caused him pain at some points, but three days rest between games oughta help it somewhat.

Final Grade: B+

Iman Shumpert – 29 minutes, 15 points, 7-11 FG, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, +5

Mmmmmm. Blowing the Pacers out in the fourth quarter only sweetens that delightful jam Shump treated us to. Everything about it – the distance he had to run to get there, how far he had to reach to cock it back, the force he threw it down with. Oh man. Shumpert continues to be the Knicks’ best option at two-guard/ small forward, and when he’s hitting open threes, scoring off the dribble, working in the pick-and-roll in limited amounts, and pestering opposing offenses, there are very few Knicks who deserve playing time over him. Shot selection can still be a problem, as is his tendency to get lost on backdoor cuts and screens, but right now, Shumpert has been essential to the things new York has done right.

Final Grade: A

Raymond Felton – 27 minutes, 14 points, 5-9 FG, 2-2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, -2

Felton continues to attack any open space he can find on offense. His assists are way down, likely because he’s assuming much less of a play-making role than a scoring role, but he’s doing the latter quite efficiently. No matter the range, really, Felton is hitting, especially around the basket, off curl plays to the free throw line extended, and from downtown. His defense on Indiana’s guards has been (mostly) sturdy, too. It’d be even more magnificent if he could make Indiana pay for sagging off pick-and-rolls by hitting that mid-range pull-up jumper, but we can’t have everything. He got a nice rest in the fourth quarter as Pablo Prigioni took total control of the reins.

Final Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni – 21 minutes, 10 points, 4-4 FG, 2-2 3FG, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +23

After a somewhat quiet start, Prigioni had his biggest moments during the Knicks’ 30-2 run in the second half. As mentioned, he took Felton’s place as the conductor of the Knicks’ offense, and while Carmelo Anthony will surely receive the most credit for bursting for 16 of those points, Prigioni made some terrific plays. Whether it was gathering rebounds, hitting ‘Melo for a three in transition, canning a three-pointer and a runner of his own, or dishing from the three-point line to Chandler on a gorgeous alley-oop, Pablo got the train rollin’. Let us not forget his own noteworthy harassment of Indiana’s guards during the run, too. It seems he’s gained Woodson’s trust – finally – and it couldn’t be more deserved.

Final Grade: A

Kenyon Martin – 18 minutes, 10 points, 5-6 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, +16

Strange how Martin’s efficiency has fluctuated from high at the onset of the Celtics series, to low in that same series, to high, once again in this Indiana series. Martin has mostly held his own defending Indiana’s big men, and what’s stranger, he’s been the best Knick at finishing over and around them. If he can consistently hit a midrange jumper or two, and finish a play in the paint, he’ll continue to be valuable on offense. Just one small complaint on the other end: block shots a little less hard and corral them to yourself, please?

Final Grade: B

Tyson Chandler – 31 minutes, 8 points, 4-5 FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, +21

Chandler came away even with Hibbert in this one. After being out-played in Game 1, Tyson looked more active on the boards (despite being out-rebounded, he put a body on Hibbert), deterred some drives, and severely limited Hibbert’s offense. Chandler still needs to flat-out win that matchup each night for the Knicks’ chances in the series to look really good, but nights like tonight are a good start. Also, Chandler did a nice job finishing dunks.

Final Grade: B-

J.R. Smith – 30 minutes, 8 points, 3-15 FG, 1-7 3FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 TOs, 1 block, +27

Kind of weird that Smith registered the highest +/- of any Knick, but hence why that stat can be misleading in a single game. For the game, the Knicks shot 49.4% FG, 33.3% 3FG, and had seven turnovers. Without Smith, those numbers would have been 55.4% FG and 39.3% 3FG, and their turnovers would’ve been nearly halved. Of course, that isn’t totally fair, but it goes to show that Smith has hurt the Knicks on offense. Credit, though, to J.R. for finding other ways to be effective. He played aggressive, feisty defense, rebounded well, and moved the ball better later in the game.

Final Grade: C-

Quentin Richardson – 5 minutes, 6 points, 2-3 3FG, 1 rebound

Q-Rich hopped off the bench late in the game and launched up some threes, two of which sank to cap the absurdity of the Knicks’ late run.

Final Grade: B-

James White – 5 minutes, 2 points, 1-2 FG, 2 rebounds

White also joined the bench bros who got to run around like kids in a classroom once the teacher leaves. He tipped in a missed shot.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 24 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 TOs, +20

Despite his complete inability to put the ball through that iron cylinder, Kidd had probably his best game of the playoffs in this one. He came at Indiana’s guards and big men with smart traps, frazzling them with his Venus flytrap hands, and forcing turnovers. He’s mightily non-threatening on offense, but still has the ability to whip around some assists. To cap the third quarter, he dove out-of-bounds to save the ball under the Knicks’ basket, and placed it right in Chandler’s hands for an easy dunk. That felt like a huge play at the time.

Final Grade: C+

Chris Copeland – 11 minutes, 0 points, 0-4 FG, 1 steal

Cope got a little too quick-triggered in launching some threes on pick-and-pop opportunities, but it’s forgivable; the Knicks need him to be aggressive if he’s getting minutes. If Amar’e Stoudemire does indeed return soon, then Copeland probably won’t see minutes beyond garbage time anymore. However, if he does still see court, I’m personally interested in seeing a possible ‘Melo-Copeland-Chandler frontcourt to put a bigger body on West, reduce Anthony’s physical beating, and still spread the floor.

Final Grade: C-

Steve Novak – 5 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG

Missed his only attempt in garbage time. Healthy or not, it’s hard to imagine Novak getting minutes in this series. Sorry, Steve.

The Knicks will take on the Pacers Saturday in Indiana.

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After getting dominated in Game 1 in a 102-95 loss, the Knicks need to win Game 2 if they have any chance of advancing. You don’t want to go into Indiana down 0-2.

Which Knicks team will show up, the one in early April or the one we have seen in the last 3 out of 4 games?

Here’s everything you need to know for Game 2:

When: Tuesday May 6th at 7:00

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City

Watch: TNT

Betting Line:  New York Knicks (-6)

Key Matchup: Tyson Chandler vs. Roy Hibbert

The Indiana Pacers’ offense revolves around Paul George but if the Knicks want to win, they have to contain Roy Hibbert. Hibbert dominated Chandler who had a very forgettable game with four points and three rebounds in 28 minutes of play.

The two seven-footers are both tough guys but Hibbert is clearly the more polished offensive player. Chandler has to get back in his Defensive Player of the Year form and lock down Hibbert. Chandler has to control the glass and stop the Pacers from getting second chance opportunities.

The entire Pacers starting five scored in double digits in Game 1 along with 16 points off the bench by D.J. Augustin. Raymond Felton has been the only consistent Knick these playoffs and shined in Game 1 with 18 points (8-for-12 from the field) and three assists. Simply put, Anthony and Smith have to drive more and take better shots. Going a combined 14-for-43 is unacceptable and isn’t a winning recipe.

The Knicks don’t match up well with the Pacers at all but I think the Game 1 loss was due to the Knicks scorers being cold. I think Mike Woodson makes the adjustments and the Knicks come out better especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Carmelo has to have a big, but efficient game in the Garden. If he doesn’t it might be the last game at home for the season. The Knicks have to win this game because going into Indiana (30-11 home record) down 0-2 is a very hard task to overcome. It will be a hard fought game and hopefully the shots fall early for New York.

Prediction: New York 96, Indiana 92

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s as simple as getting Chandler more touches.

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

That plays right into the Pacers hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He can start with a big game Tuesday night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then his latest actions took the cake.

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

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

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

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

But some people never grow up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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After a hot start which saw the Knicks play with tempo and a clear game plan in mind, the Pacers caught up and simply out-worked the Knicks and adjusted far better. New York began the game with a disciplined offensive approach – attack the basket in the pick-and-roll, when the defense collapses, kick it out to shooters. They rang up 27 points on Indiana in the first quarter, but the second quarter began the trouble. Indiana began to work inside-out on offense, punishing the Knicks inside, or draining from the outside when New York’s rotations were slow. On offense, the Knicks hurt themselves by going away from their effective attack in the pick-and-roll, but Indiana’s number-one defense plugged up remaining holes. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, the two most heavily leaned-upon Knicks, struggled once again, and in doing so, complicated the Knicks’ approach.

Things looked to be turning around early in the third quarter, but quick foul trouble on Anthony relegated him to the bench, and New York sputtered thereafter. The Pacers exposed whatever holes remained in New York’s defense, while the Knicks failed to reach even 20 points in consecutive quarters. Outraged over some poor refereeing and their own incompetence, the Knicks dug themselves into a double-digit hole. They fought back in the fourth quarter, gradually connecting on some jumpers, attacking the basket or at least drawing fouls, and defending with vigor. However, when they needed stops or the momentum-pushing baskets most, the Knicks couldn’t come up with.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 36 minutes, 27 points, 10-28 FG, 1-4 3FG 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 TOs, +2

As mentioned, Anthony picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter changed the game. The Knicks were struggling, but at the time, it was a single-digit lead. Although Anthony’s offense was hardly effective to that point, his presence alone changes a team’s defense. Without Anthony, the Knicks relied on a lot of pick-and-roll and too much J.R. Smith who connected from the field like dial-up internet during a hurricane. All game – with ‘Melo still in an inexplicably ill-timed shooting slump from downtown – Anthony’s biggest problem (quite literally) was Roy Hibbert’s rim defense. Occasionally, Anthony’s attacks to the rim were denied by straight-up, staunch, clean rim defense. Other times, like on a MASSIVE near-dunk on Hibbert, Anthony was met with slaps to face, wrists, or body-to-body contact. The Knicks’ loss was by no means on the officials, but if half of Anythony’s drives were called for fouls (and they were on about half of them), the game would’ve been much closer. Later, as Anthony resolved to just pulling up from outside, he splashed on some comeback-starting jumpers, but couldn’t finish the deal with the big baskets New York really needed.

Final Grade: C+

Raymond Felton – 38 minutes, 18 points, 8-12 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, -9

Felton continues to be the Knicks’ best option on offense, and his defense has become oddly stingy. Why the Knicks ever went away from Felton high pick-and-rolls in the first half is totally bewildering. For much of the game, when Felton was given a good pick, he wriggled his way into the defense, often finishing with a suddenly accurate floater, or dishing out to the perimeter or for drop-off passes. The Knicks just wouldn’t keep up with these plays for whatever reason. The Knicks won’t win this series if Felton is consistently the best scorer, although it is very appreciated, Ray.

Final Grade: B+

J.R. Smith – 34 minutes, 17 points, 4-15 FG, 2-6 3FG, 7-10 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, -3

J.R. Smith’s fall from grace has come in the form of bricked jumpers, decided isolations, and unfinished drives. Once again, when New York needed a scorer most, Smith let the call go to voicemail (for those keeping score, that’s two phone analogies I’ve made for J.R. in this post). Smith had one strong final quarter in which he defended with gusto, getting over screens and selling fouls with conviction. In said quarter, he also suddenly drained a few jumpers and got to the basket for layups or free throws. Smith has been seen out at night for two public events in two of the last three games. The correlations isn’t definite, but the results haven’t been favorable, either. It’s fair to wonder if Smith’s sense of urgency is where it should be.

Final Grade: C-

Kenyon Martin – 25 minutes, 12 points, 5-8 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, -6

Martin had his moments in this one, finishing some plays around the rim and deterring some drivers. He was often paired with Tyson Chandler in the frontcourt, however, and there was rarely ever any success. Martin actually defended admirably, but even when he and Chandler denied opportunities inside, the Knicks were beaten from the outside. And on offense, the pairing just clogs up space, especially when the Knicks are so dry from outside.

Final Grade: B-

Iman Shumpert – 32 minutes, 11 points, 4-11 FG, 1-4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 TOs, -13

Shumpert missed some clean looks from the perimeter that he’d been hitting with regularity thus far in the playoffs. The misses only compounded the Knicks’ offensive struggles. Somewhat similarly, Shumpert had his moments, but guarding Lance Stephenson and Paul George is not like defending Paul Pierce – the prior two can actually move. Again, the Knicks won’t win the series if Anthony and Smith aren’t at their best, but Shumpert needs to be positive X-factor on both ends of the floor if the Knicks want to advance.

Final Grade: C+

Chris Copeland – 8 minutes, 6 points, 2-3 FG, -6

Surprised? So was everyone else, probably. Copeland hardly saw minutes in the Celtics series, but he was suddenly thrown into the mix at the onset of this second round series. Copeland didn’t offer much, but he did hit two threes, which could be a useful skills for this current version of the Knicks. At best, Cope could serve as a surprise to the Pacers who may be unaware of his offensive skills.

Final Grade: C

Tyson Chandler – 28 minutes, 4 points, 2-2 FG, 3 rebounds, 6 PFs, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 TOs, -8

Chandler coupled a relatively weak performance with two back-breaking blunders in the final minutes of the game. Down eight with under three minutes remaining, the Knicks’ defense forced Indiana into a deep three as the shot-clock expired, as the Knicks went to corral the rebound just before the shot clock expired, Chandler was whistled for a blatant pushing foul on Roy Hibbert during a box-out. On the Pacers’ new 24, Chandler fouled Hibbert after forcing him into a fade-away, 14-footer along the baseline. Hibbert then sank both free throws as the Pacers had knocked about 30 seconds off the clock. Already Chandler had struggled defending and rebounding against the Pacers’ big men. On offense, Chandler’s invisible on his dives to the rim – a fault that’s both he and his teammates’ fault. Like many others, the Knicks need Chandler to be the best center on the court to win this series.

Final Grade: C-

Pablo Prigioni – 22 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, +2

What happened to our dear, sweet Pablo from Game 6? Prigioni hardly launched from deep depsite shooting fairly well for the playoffs, and he had clear trouble defending Indiana’s significantly speedier guards than Boston’s. He was, however, part of the Knicks’ uber effective pick-and-roll attack, but part of that is being willing to take open three-pointers when the defense sags off. He still needs time and can help the Knicks more than Jason Kidd, but he needs to regain his aggression.

Final Grade: C+

Jason Kidd – 17 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, +4

Ignore Kidd’s +/-; it’s not reflective of his play. Kidd has been ineffective in almost every game of the playoffs to the point where I wouldn’t be wholly upset if he stopped getting playing time. Of course that won’t happen (though credit Mike Woodson for cutting Kidd’s playing time down slightly). He can’t stay in front of guards on offense (he and Prigioni let DJ Augustin drop 16) and he’s a non-factor on offense.

Final Grade: C-

Marcus Camby – 12 seconds, -3

Camby played for 12 seconds at the end of the first half to avoid other big men picking up a foul, and the Knicks were out-scored by three points during that time.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks play Tuesday night in an essential must-win. The scary thought is that the Knicks are three losses away from ending their season. Gulp.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nov 18, Knicks won 76-88

Jan 10, Pacers won 81-76

Feb 20, Pacers won 125-91

Apr 14, Knicks won 80-90

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

Playoff Schedule:

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

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

After defeating the veteran squad of the Boston Celtics 4-2 in round one, the New York Knicks will take on a totally different animal in the young and hungry Indiana Pacers in round two.

May 3, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) takes the ball down the court against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Pacers won 81-73. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

The Pacers are led by one of the NBA’s up and coming stars, 2013 Most Improved Player Paul George, who was the leading scorer (19 PPG), assist man (5 APG), and rebounder (9 RPG) for the Pacers in their round one victory over the Atlanta Hawks..

The Knicks got out of round one, but it wasn’t easy.

After going up 3-0 they lost two straight but finished the Celtics off in Game 6. In the deciding game, the Knicks were up 26 but then the Celtics went on a 20-0 run faster than you can go on a bathroom break. I know it got me worried even though they won since now I know the Knicks are vulnerable to a big scoring run.

If Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, and Avery Bradley can ignite a run like that, how will the younger and more athletic Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, and George Hill do?

Coming into the postseason, Knicks fans expectations were to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers are one of the better teams in the league and the Knicks will have to earn it. Carmelo Anthony says he is 100 percent but it seems like his shoulder is a little banged up.

J.R. Smith has to start driving and not settling for jump shots. Tyson Chandler looks like he is back to 100 percent; being very active on both sides of the floor meanwhile Raymond Felton is playing his best ball of the season. Iman Shumpert was the Game 6 MVP and hopefully it translates to success in the second round.

Game 1 is huge and can likely determine how the series will go.

Can the Knicks defend their home court or can the Pacers steal Game 1 in Madison Square Garden? Here’s everything you need to know:

When: Sunday May 5th at 3:30 PM EST

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City

Watch: ABC

Betting Line: New York Knicks (-5.5)

When Knicks have the ball: NYK 87.7 PPG (13th in Playoffs), 89.3 PA (5th in playoffs)

When Pacers have the ball: IND 89.3 PPG (12th in Playoffs). Knicks 82.3 PA (1st in playoffs)

May 3, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) drives the ball against Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (5) in game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. The New York Knicks defeated the Celtics 88-80. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Key Matchup: Raymond Felton vs. George Hill

Felton had a field day against the Celtics, who lack a true point guard. He averaged 17 points and five assists in the first round and was the only consistent Knicks in the six games against the Celtics. George Hill is an above average point guard who will give Felton a totally different look he was used to in round one.

Felton will also be guarding him, which will be different than what he did against the Celtics, where he guarded Paul Pierce most of the time. Felton makes the offense very smooth and doesn’t stop the ball. Felton will have to continue his great play if the Knicks are going to advance.

The Pacers are one of the only teams that truly play like a team. You would say that George is their biggest name player but he isn’t no ‘Melo. However George has a great chance to make his name a household one if he can shine against the Knicks on the national stage.

The Pacers had four players in double digit scoring in the first round against the Hawks: George (18.7), West (16.3), Hill (15.2), and Hibbert (14.7).

Shumpert will be called upon to guard Paul George. Shumpert shined in Game 6 and showed his defensive presence along with his development as an offensive player. He will have to nag George and make the other Pacers beat the Knicks. Carmelo and Smith have to get back to attacking the rim and not be afraid of the Pacers bigs. Chandler and Hibbert should be a battle as Chandler is a great post defender and Hibbert is one of the better offensive centers in the league.

Game 1 will be a battle and after seeing the Knicks almost collapse in Game 6, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. I think the Knicks take a deep breath and will play better since I feel like a lot of pressure if off them. They had the pressure of being the first Knicks team in over a decade to win a playoff series along with the pressure of not choking to the Celtics. I think the Knicks go back to playing the basketball that Mike Woodson has coached them how to play.

Prediction: Knicks 94, Pacers 88

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But Anthony didn’t allow that to happen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can cross winning a playoff series off the list.

That monkey is now off his back.

But Anthony can’t be satisfied with that.

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

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

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Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith each came up with some important baskets down the stretch, but it was a team effort, one surely not possible without almost immeasurable contributions from the likes of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, and Pablo Prigioni. New York’s staunchy defense (they had only given up 49 points through 38 minutes of the game) collapsed at a terrible time, and the crisp offense that wore the Celtics thin through three quarters came to a halt. Boston raged back like only they can, cutting the lead to four, but as displayed throughout the season, this New York team is different. This New York team sewed it back up, plugged the holes, and rode out the victory for the final four minutes of the game.

Here’s a look at the individual performances:

Carmelo Anthony – 40 minutes, 21 points, 7-23 FG, 1-6 3FG, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOs, +5

In the heat of the Celtics’ furious comeback, with the Knicks desperate for a bucket, Anthony was going to have the ball, and he was going to shoot it, narratives and common sense be damned. ‘Melo misfired rather woefully for a good chunk of the game, and in crunch time it wasn’t very different. The trend was so painfully obvious, too. When ‘Melo worked off the ball, running on little curls to the elbows, launching on clean catch-and-shoots, cutting to the basket, he was scoring successfully. Isolating to the waning moments of the shot clock against a great isolation defense… not so great. However, shooters will shoot, and shoot this Knickerbocker did. After missing some lay-ins and committing some egregious turnovers to fuel the Boston fire, Anthony drew some heady fouls for free throws, hit a typical pull-up jumper from midrange, and later sank a huge three-pointer (off a drive-and-kick, mind you) that put the Knicks up nine in the fourth quarter. Good, but goodness gracious, why must it be so difficult?!

Final Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert – 38 minutes, 17 points, 6-9 FG, 3-3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, +14

Shumpert’s growth in the playoffs has been an absolute joy to watch, and it’s even earned the praises of Doc Rivers. All game long, Shumpert was sniper-like from beyond the arc, at one point nailing a trey in Jason Terry’s grill and then doing the Terry JET back down the floor. He was aggressive on the dribble-drive, too, which made Boston’s defense collapse and allowed other shooters more room. Furthermore, Shump’s sudden re-invigoration on defense provoked perhaps the most critical play to the Knicks’ saving their series: picking a pass and going end to end for a layup that put New York back up by six.

Final Grade: A+

Pablo Prigioni – 23 minutes, 14 points, 5-9 FG, 4-6 3FG, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 TOs, +11

Prigioni flat-out deserved minutes down the stretch when Jason Kidd nearly stumbled the game away with a bevy of mistakes. Prigioni opened the game launching from downtown and connecting at a considerable clip. His defense was a little less pesty than usual, but it was made up for with clever backdoor cuts and the sweetest set shot stroke on the club. We didn’t see Prigioni past the 9:43 mark in the fourth quarter, but a round of applause for his dynamite play until that point.

Final Grade: B+

J.R. Smith – 31 minutes, 13 points, 5-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 TOs, +2

Smith’s stretch as an indispensable member of the rotation has been temporarily discontinued. For most of the series, Smith’s entrance into the game (especially as the cost of Shump or Prigioni’s playing time) and subsequent poor play was met with a lot of angry SMHs and frustrated hand-tossing. It took three-and-a-half more quarters for Smith took get untracked, and after initially laying down the welcome mat for the Celtics’ comeback with some obliviously lazy passes-turned-turnovers, Smith came up with the big bucket. Following Anthony’s three-pointer to push the lead to nine, Smith came up with a driving and-one to put New York up 12, and effectively seal the game. Still, get your act together next round, J.R.

Final Grade: C-

Raymond Felton – 40 minutes, 11 points, 5-14 FG, 1 rebound, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOs, +13

Felton’s worst game of the series came at a bad time, but honestly, the numbers look worse than the performance did. Felton continued his aggressiveness, and if there was a biggest fault in his game (other than having a hand in the Knicks’ late-game meltdown), it was not shoving Anthony and Smith away from the ball and calling Chandler for more pick-and-rolls. His accuracy on jumpers waned as the Celtics mostly went under screens, but when he pressed into the lane, good things happened. Just please, more pick-and-rolls in the next round, Ray.

Final Grade: B+

Tyson Chandler – 33 minutes, 9 points, 4-8 FG, 12 rebounds, 9 off. rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, +12

Chandler has gradually worked himself back into the paint-roaming monster he usually is. Unfortunately, Boston covered up most lob opportunities to get Chandler slammin’. This didn’t prevent Chandler from regaining his tap-out stroke on offensive rebounds, or just collecting them himself and finishing on second-chance opportunities. Nothing came easy in the paint for Tyson, and even though it took him a few games to get his playoff legs, he out-played Kevin Garnett in almost all aspects. He has another sizable challenge waiting for him next round in Roy Hibbert (get it? Sizable!).

Final Grade: A-

Kenyon Martin – 17 minutes, 3 points, 1-2 FG, 0 rebounds, 2 blocks, -4

After dominating the early games of the series, Martin has become almost a total non-factor off the bench. Perhaps it was the matchup, perhaps it was Doc Rivers’s ability to exploit Martin’s weaknesses, but the Knicks were usually pounded on offense and non-threatening on defense when Martin took the floor. Zero rebounds in 17 minutes about sums up Martin’s listless effect on this game.

Final Grade: C-

Jason Kidd – 16 minutes, 0 points, 0-1 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 TOs, -9

Jason Kidd: What the hell, bro?! It seems that Kidd has yet to have a positive impact on any of these games, and this one may have been the worst. In a game the Knicks mostly led by double-digits, Kidd was a team-low -9. Furthermore, his awful fourth quarter stint played a large hand in the Celtics’ comeback. At this point, if Kidd’s best quality is rebounding, just play Prigioni or Shumpert instead, please.

Final Grade: D+

Marcus Camby – 2 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebounds, -4

Camby is getting minutes over Chris Copeland, which is weird. Who knows how Mike Woodson thinks these days. Oh well, if it means Camby is a healthy option at this point, that’s some nice reassurance.

Final Grade: C

The Knicks will move to the second round for the first time since 2000. Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers is Sunday. AHHHHH!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Have they already fallen off?

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

After having a commanding 3-0 lead, the New York Knicks have given the Boston Celtics life, losing two straight to them. Now the pressure seems to have turned a 180 and is all on the Knicks. The Celtics have nothing to lose at home. They were expected to lose this series coming into it, and when the fell down 0-3, it was pretty much all but over.

They in rallied Game 4 and won a close one, and then shocked the world by beating the Knicks at home in Game 5, a game which the Celtics had control of the whole game.

Game 6 will be in the comfort of TD Garden and once again Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and the entire Celtics roster have their backs up against the wall.

They did it at home then took care of business at MSG where the Knicks were supposed to “hold their funeral.”

Which Knicks team will show up?

The championship contender team that played in games 1-3 or the team that looks like they don’t want it?

Can the Knicks put an end to this series or will there be a Game 7 in the Garden?

Here’s what you need to know:

When: Friday May 3rd at 7:00 PM EST

Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts

Watch: ESPN

Betting Line: Knicks (-2.5)

Key Matchup: The Knicks vs. themselves

I know this seems cliché, but the Knicks are beating themselves. Hats off to the Celtics for fighting and winning these last two games, but the Knicks aren’t playing like they could be. J.R. Smith’s Game 5 speaks for itself and Carmelo Anthony hasn’t been scoring with ease like he has been.

If the Knicks play their game they should win.

It’s that simple.

The Celtics have all the confidence in the world right now and we saw it when they started talking trash and pushing and shoving a little after Game 5. They think they are in the Knicks heads and the only way we will find out is tonight. Vegas still has the Knicks the favorite because they are the more talented team and because Carmelo can go for 50 any night.

I think ‘Melo goes off this game and has a signature road playoff game moment. This might be the die-hard Knicks fan in me talking, but I think the series ends tonight.

Prediction: Knicks 90, Celtics 85

However, the attitudes have changed since Game 4. All because of what everyone saw during Game 5. The worst news is, Knicks fans should be terrified of what’s ahead.

Almost everyday, two of my buddies from home and I exchange sport-related texts in a message group on our phones. When the Knicks jumped out to an impressive 9-0 lead minutes into Game 5, the following was exchanged:

“Finish Them.”

“Tough 9-0 run to start the game lol.”

“Shouldn’t even be playing this game!”

“Over.”

You get where our collective heads were out. Of course, we all know what happened from there. As much as Knicks fans want to bemoan that the refs called a terrible game, the fact of the matter is the Knicks couldn’t hit anything from the field and got very lazy on defense when calls didn’t go their way. The refs didn’t cost the Knicks that game, their shooting did.

As everything started to develop throughout Game 5 and the clearer the result became, a disturbing black cloud started to form over my head. Maybe it’s the Mets fan inside of me that immediately turns to doom and gloom in situations like these, but it’s beginning to feel more and more apparent that there’s just no way for the Knicks to win this series anymore.

Let’s think about this a little longer.

It’s been a talking point this entire series, even when the Celtics were getting pummeled each and every third quarter they played in the first three games. Nobody on this Boston team is talking about next year or about what may happen to the core after these playoffs. They’re only focus is on the task at hand, regardless of circumstance. At the same time, how many times have we heard Carmelo Anthony sports the worst career playoff win-percentage of active players? Yeah, sure, we can try to brush that off as something that happened on Nuggets teams that weren’t equipped to compete in the star-studded West. That doesn’t make the statistic any less true, though.

It is without question the Knicks have lost any and all momentum they had gained through the series’ first three games. This is a wounded team – at least mentally – heading back to Boston with their tails between their legs. This is also a Boston team that will refuse to lose Game 6 on their home court. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and now Jason Terry are too proud to let a pompous, cocky team walk onto their floor and boss them around for 48 minutes. I’d say the chance the Knicks take Game 6 is probably around the 15% marker.

And if the Knicks do, indeed, drop Game 6, there’s almost no chance they win Game 7. Not against this Celtics team.

I think Steve Kerr had the line of the night during the Game 5 broadcast on TNT, talking about the time the Red Sox came back from down 3-0 to beat the Yankees in 2004.

“If you’re the Knicks, you have to win Game 5. Because the Celtics are going to have Schilling ready for Game 6, and Pedro ready for Game 7. Like Kevin Millar said, ‘don’t let us throw those guys.’”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then there were Smith’s comments.

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

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

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

The immaturity didn’t stop there though.

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

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

Naturally Smith and some other Knicks did exactly that.

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

Championship teams don’t act like this.

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

Championship teams let their play do their talking for them.

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

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

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

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

That’s the case here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 2, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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His basic stats are impressive enough on their own: 18.4 points on 48.8% FG, 4.6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2 turnovers per game in 41.3 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Felton is second on the Knicks in points per game, but he’s beating both Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith in field goal percentage, and by a wide margin as both players are below 40%.

May 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) puts up a layup against the Boston Celtics during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

However, beyond basic stats, Felton’s impact on the series has been notable. He’s third on the team in True Shooting Percentage (of players getting consistent minutes), behind only Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin, both of whom only score at the basket. His effect on the offense is reflected in his Offensive Rating (points per 100 possessions), which is 99.2, according to NBA.com’s stats site – almost three points better than the Knicks’ average OffRtg of 96.3. The only players with better OffRtgs than Felton are Iman Shumpert, Pablo Prigioni, and Chandler, none of whom handle the ball or score as much as Felton.

Felton has also helped lead the squad to a better defense. He ranks fourth on the team (again, of players getting regular minutes, so Quentin Richardson, Marcus Camby, James White, etc. aside) in Defensive Rating – points allowed per 100 possessions – behind only, again, Shumpert, Prigioni, and Chandler. With Felton on the court, the Knicks are allowing 90.7 points, compared to their series average of 91.7 points.

Going back to the offense, however, Felton has helped the Knicks enormously with his ability to get into the lane and score at the basket. The Celtics’ only shot-blocking threat is Kevin Garnett, and he has even lost a step on his ability to keep up with penetrating guards. Thus far, he hasn’t had any effect on Felton’s drives to the basket, as 58.7% of Felton’s field goals in the playoffs have come inside the paint.

One would imagine that Felton’s penetration would have opened up the Knicks’ dynamic three-point game, but so far the Knicks have struggled to get those looks they knocked down so regularly during the season. In the postseason, the Knicks are shooting just 31.7% from three-point range and are knocking down an average of 7 threes on 24 attempts per game. In contrast, they shot 37.9% from downtown in the regular season, with about 11 made threes on 29 attempts per game. Part of this has been the team-wide shooting slump from beyond the arc. Only Shumpert and Steve Novak are shooting above 40% 3FG, but they only combine for four total attempts per game. Elsewhere, Jason Kidd, Prigioni, Felton, Smith, and Anthony are shooting a combined 30.5% on a combined 21 attempts per game.

However, credit must be given to the Celtics’ defense. Their strategy has appeared to concede drives (and the occasional Chandler alley-oop) to Felton, while denying the Knicks’ drive-kick-and-swing offensive philosophy. Take this Felton-Chandler alley-oop from Game 5, for example:

Notice that while Chandler and Felton run the pick-and-roll, Garnett and Avery Bradley try to double and trap Felton, thus leaving Chandler open. However, the Celtics don’t send any perimeter help to try and contain Chandler’s roll to the basket and subsequent throwdown. Brandon Bass, Paul Pierce, and Jeff Green all stay glued to Anthony, Smith, and Shumpert, respectively. Make no mistakes that the Celtics would like to find a way to deny the Knicks’ pick-and-roll, but they appear willing to give up two points than allowing the Knicks to get open looks from downtown.

Even on this Felton drive, the Celtics’ perimeter defenders don’t make any concentrated effort to deny Felton’s drive. Though they left some space for the Knicks’ shooters behind the line, the Celtics still cut off an easy angles for Felton to make a drive-and-kick pass out to his teammates.

Considering this staunch, responsible defensive strategy by the Celtics, Felton has taken advantage as well as anyone could expect. His dribble penetration has carried the Knicks’ offense for stretches and has denied the Celtics’ from completely shutting off all of the Knicks’ options. However, with some help from Mike Woodson and his teammates, the load on Felton’s shoulders should lighten. He’s been arguably the Knicks’ best player in the first round series, but if the Knicks want to go deep in the playoffs, he shouldn’t have to be playing that role.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In fact just the opposite is true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The numbers suggest he isn’t.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Individual Grades

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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