1) Share the ball

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

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

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

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

2) Defend the paint

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

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

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

3) Raymond Felton must return to Round one form

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There’s not too much to knock the Knicks on in this one as they went on to beat the Celtics 87-71 to take a 2-0 series lead. There were different parts of the game that saw a new Knick step up and leave their mark on the game, either on the offensive or defensive end.

In the first half, good ball movement wasn’t really there but some timely shots kept them in the game. This game could go down as one of the Knicks’ best all season when you take into consideration their third quarter dominance and overall second-half defense, allowing the Celtics to put up only 23 total points in the half.

Carmelo Anthony

Great games have become the norm for Carmelo lately. Another game grinded out with 30+ points. He’s scoring from anywhere right now including the free throw line and doesn’t seem to be slowing down as he shoulders the load night after night. His rebounds and assists aren’t really up to par, but there’s little care about that, as there should be, as he continues to take over games with his scoring.

Grade: A+

Raymond Felton

Felton has really been coming on strong lately and he followed up his solid Game 1 effort with a very, very good Game 2 effort. Felton would probably be better off passing a little more (only two assists compared to his 15 shots), but it’s hard to take anything away from an 8-15 shooting night with 16 points and 7 rebounds, with no turnovers to boot.

Grade: A-

J.R. Smith

It was a streaky game for the freshly announced Sixth Man of the Year, but he gave the Knicks a couple of boosts that were enough to change the complexion of the game and also finished a very respectable 7-15.  After entering early on when Iman Shumpert picked up a couple of quick fouls, Smith quickly hit his first few shots and sealed the first quarter with a long buzzer-beater from downtown.

Grade: A-

Tyson Chandler

Tyson has fell off dramatically offensively, but the Knicks don’t really look for his scoring anyway. His defensive presence has to be taken into account much more than any of the counting stats he’s been putting up, which is not much as he only put in 3 points with 5 boards tonight, but did have a +21 +/- differential while keeping Jeff Green and Kevin Garnett in check. Chandler also seems to be limited, seeing only 22 minutes and not rebounding as much as he used to, but with the emergence of Kenyon Martin and his recent injury issues, limiting him isn’t a bad thing.

Grade: B

Kenyon Martin

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) is fouled by New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin (3) in front of guard Jason Kidd (5) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The intensity Martin has brought so far has been extremely valuable to the Knicks. They probably wouldn’t be the second seed without him and he is looking to be the aggressive body in the frontcourt that the Knicks desperately needed when Amar’e Stoudemire went down again.  His 11 rebounds with four blocks tonight was his stamp on the game and it seemed like there was a stretch in the 4th quarter where he defensively single-handedly made it impossible for the Celtics to make up any kind of ground.

Grade: A

Role Players

Kenyon Martin is technically included in the group of Knicks “role players” as well, but the same can be said for most of the team right now outside of the big couple of scorers. Pablo Prigioni (started), Iman Shumpert (started), and Jason Kidd all saw around 20 minutes, but none get enough run or time with the ball in their hands to do much as per usual.  The plus side is that most don’t make mistakes and Kidd and Prigioni are smart, very good ball distributors that can be trusted.

Grade: B-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the player grades for tonight’s win:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

James White – DNP Coach’s Decision

Kurt Thomas – DNP Foot Injury

Amar’e Stoudemire – DNP Knee Injury

Tyson Chandler – DNP Bulging Disc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) Help for rebounding woes:

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

2) Additional post-presence: 

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

3) Anchoring the interior defense:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) is fouled by New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Knicks won 112-92. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Who would have thought that injuries to a pair of 38-year-old role players would be a primary cause to slowing down the New York Knicks, who came out of the gate as one of the NBA’s elite? It’s undeniable that the injury to Raymond Felton has had a huge impact as well, but the interior toughness and depth that was vacated when Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby were sidelined has yet to be adequately filled in their absence.

Wallace, who didn’t play last season and was a part-time player the previous season, isn’t going to be able to log major minutes and solve everything, but his body inside and threat to shoot while spacing the floor (over one 3PTM per game this year) has been missed.  With the minutes he can hold up with, averaging about 14 over 20 games, he has been a productive rebounder with just over four per game in addition to 0.8 blocks, making a nice complement inside. The return of Amar’e Stoudemire is a big addition, but only nine games in, it remains to be seen how he performs fresh off an injury on a drastically different Knicks team than he remembers playing for last season.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) defends Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) shot during the second half at Amway Center. New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Camby’s second stint with the Knicks has been a far different one than his first one over 10 years ago, but he still has been a valuable asset, even while only seeing about 10 mpg.  As recently as last season Camby averaged nine boards and 1.4 blocks a game in just over 20 mpg for Portland and Houston. More importantly, Camby is the best shot blocker on the Knicks, averaging 0.8 this season in those limited minutes and 2.4 per game for his career.

Tyson Chandler has proven his defensive value and has last season’s Defensive Player of the Year award to show for it, but his shot blocking ability doesn’t coincide with his defensive reputation and is lacking (1.0 blocks per game in 30+ mpg this year). What was brought to the court by Camby, a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year himself, shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Knicks may be thinking about how they can overcome the Heat in a playoff series, winning just a lone playoff game against them least season, but this lack of interior presence will prove to be a problem against more than just the Heat. Teams like the Bulls with Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Taj Gibson inside will only get stronger with the return of Derrick Rose and the Knicks are already 0-3 vs. Chicago.

They don’t even need to look further than their own division for proof that they need to get tougher inside, allowing Kevin Garnett to put up 19 and 10 in their last meeting with the Celtics and getting embarrassed on the glass in Monday’s game vs. the Nets as they were outrebounded 52-37.

Between Chandler, Stoudemire, Wallace, and Camby, the Knicks had a good mix of options going for the 4 and 5 position in addition to Carmelo Anthony’s ability to play the 4. All of those players have different dimensions to their game and as a unit, have shown success this year. If they all prove to be healthy, the Knicks could have something that works but with age a factor for Wallace and Camby, that “if” becomes far less likely and it’s harder to rely on them to seamlessly bounce back from injury and slide back into the rotation.

The Knicks are still in the process of getting fully healthy at multiple positions, but as it stands right now, they will need more stability inside to ensure their credibility as a title threat this year and should explore all options for reinforcement before the trade deadline rolls around.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Stats:

Field Goal Percentage: 32.1% (27-84)

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

Three Point Percentage: 34.8% (8-23)

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

Free Throw Percentage: 82.1% (23-28)

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

Rebounds: 47-40 (Knicks -7)

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

Individual Grades:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Copeland: DNP – Coach’s Decision

Carmelo Anthony: DNP – Lacerated Finger

Marcus Camby: DNP – Plantar Fasciatis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Stats: 

Field Goal Percentage- 53.1% (43-81)

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

Three-point Percentage- 41.4% (12-29)

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

Free-throw Percentage- 66.7% (10-15)

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

Rebounds- 42-32 (Knicks -10)

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

Individual Grade:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marcus Camby: (DNP-Coaches Decision) 

Jason Kidd: (DNP-Back Spasms) 

Knicks: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Centers: Marcus Camby

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

Nets: 

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

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

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

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

Tyshawn Taylor has barely played any minutes this season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Verdict:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

After a busy offseason, I was in the minority when I often said the Knicks don’t have enough shooting and I still think that’s the case.

Preseason numbers don’t mean much, but trends do and the trend looks like that this Knicks team could struggle shooting the ball on most nights.

Taking a quick look at what we’ve seen so far, we saw the Knicks come out on fire in the preseason opener against the Wizards, knocking down 18-of-33 (.545) three-point attempts; led by Novak who knocked down all seven that he took. But in the two games that followed that light’s out performance, the Knicks went a combined 8-for-56 (.143) from long-range, with three of the makes coming from Novak.

That’s beyond bad, especially for a team that tends to go into isolation mode far too often and rends up relying on the three point shot far too much.

Overall this preseason, the Knicks are shooting only 29 percent (26-of-89) from beyond the arc and if you take Novak out of the equation, they are knocking down only 14 percent (10-of-70).

Sure, guys like J.R. Smith, Ronnie Brewer and Iman Shumpert have been out of the lineup, but Brewer and Shumpert aren’t great perimeter shooters and Smith, while he can heat it up at times, is a very inconsistent shooter.

Like it or not, shooting could be a problem for this team. That makes ball movement and unselfish play that much more important.

But eventually these guys are going to have to show the ability to knock down open shots. If they don’t, opposing teams will dare them to shoot from the perimeter and the Knicks biggest weakness could be further exposed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4) What will be this team’s identity? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 29, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Northwestern Wildcats player John Shurna shoots during the three point shot championship at Fogelman Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Given the Knicks lack of youth, it seemed at the time that the sharpshooter Shurna was a lock to head to the D-League.

But that might not be the case.

Shurna has impressed many during the first week of training camp and could force Mike Woodson into a very difficult decision.

Shurna went undrafted mostly because scouts viewed him as a liability defensively, but so far through camp he has shown the ability to compete defensively, often being assigned to Carmelo Anthony during 5-on-5 scrimmages and he hasn’t backed down, getting right up in his grill and even forcing a couple of turnovers which have led to transition scores.

In addition, Shurna has shown the athleticism to run the floor with the likes of Raymond Felton and has been able to finish on the wing by getting to the rim.

But while all of that has been a surprise, Shurna is known for his ability to shoot the rock and he does it very well, knocking down 44 percent of his attempts from behind the arc during his senior season.

So far Shurna has opened up plenty of eyes, but most notably those of Steve Novak, who gave a ringing endorsement of the youngster to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling.

“He’s done a great job at camp,” Novak said after practice on Friday. “He’s approached it the right way. He’s got a motor on him. He just moves, moves, moves, always trying to get open, always trying to wear the defense down and he shoots the ball so well. I’m obviously biased, but I feel like there’s a place for him somewhere. I hope this year with us. He’s going to be able to play for a long time.”

What makes Shurna an attractive option is his shooting ability. While the Knicks have experience and are deep on paper, the one area they are lacking is good perimeter shooting.

Other than Novak, who led the NBA a season ago by knocking down 47.2 percent of his attempts from behind the arc, the current Knicks roster doesn’t have a group of consistent long-range shooters and without a true post presence, this team will need to be able to consistently knock down open looks from the perimeter.

Looking at the current Knicks shooting percentages: Carmelo Anthony (.335 from behind the arc in 2012), J.R. Smith (.347), Ronnie Brewer (.275), Raymond Felton (.305), Jason Kidd (.375),and Iman Shumpert (.306), what they don’t have is many consistent threats from downtown.

The Knicks finished 21st in the NBA a season ago in three-point shooting and that was with the top shooter in the league. Adding another guy who can shoot the rock is a good thing.

Of course there’s also the issue of a veteran team and the lack of quality minutes for Shurna. That alone may make the decision to send him to the D-League to get more consistent minute an easier one.

But one thing is for sure and that’s the fact that Shurna is making his case for the final guaranteed contract (the other is presumed to go to Rasheed Wallace). If he keeps opening eyes, Shurna is going to make Woodson’s decision an awfully difficult one.

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The Knicks are currently shallow at shooting guard, with Iman Shumpert recovering from a torn ACL and Ronnie Brewer recovering from surgery on his meniscus. J.R. Smith will see a lot of time, but Smith has never been an effective player when he’s forced to play 35 or more minutes per game. James White, a former NBA player who’s returning from Italy to play for the Knicks on a one-year contract may be an option, but he’s still unproven.

Mike Woodson has suggested that Jason Kidd might play some two-guard for his size and shooting ability, which would leave Felton or Prigioni to play the point guard. With Felton already likely to log fairly heavy minutes, this may open the door for Prigioni to carve out a role with the Knicks. And given his style, it would certainly make sense to give him minutes.

Whether it’s Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak, or J.R. Smith, the Knicks are loaded with guys who like to score and finish a play. It could be dunking the ball, it could be shooting it – these players like to score. Prigioni is a classic point guard, a set-up man, according to the man himself:

“I’m not the type of player who wants to score all the time. I prefer that the team play good. I feel good when the team play good and teammates like to play with me because I get them the ball and I think about how they got to score.”

Prigioni was voted the best point guard in the Spanish ACB League, and also has experience running the Argentine national team where he’s played against NBA competition in the Olympics. While the NBA is a different game and Prigioni is still yet to play real NBA minutes, he still could play a valuable role for the Knicks this season.

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) and Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) on the court during the first half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

It could be a while longer before head coach Mike Woodson makes a decision on his starting lineup, especially with Ronnie Brewer not yet practicing after knee surgery.

With all of that going on, J.R. Smith made his opinion on the matter felt, telling ESPN’s Jared Zwerling:

“I would prefer to start. I would rather be a starter,” he said. “My goal was to come in here and be a starter, and play with those other four guys on the floor. It is frustrating after a while that people see me as a sixth man, sixth man, sixth man, when you believe you’re a starter. But at the same time, you have to understand this is a team game and you have to put individual goals aside.”

Smith has entered five of his seven NBA seasons knowing that he would be the first guy off the bench, but looks like he wants to shed the label of sixth man.

The Knicks don’t have much perimeter shooting, so from that stand point it would make sense for Smith to start. But he’s also a guy who dominates the ball and they already have a guy like that in the starting lineup in Carmelo Anthony.

Then there is the fact that Smith is a very inconsistent offensive player and his bad shot selection will often take the Knicks’ starters out of their rhythm.

But most importantly there is the fact that if Smith is named the starter, his scoring off the bench will need to be replaced. Bringing a scorer such as Smith off the bench is a luxury. He gives the team a spark and I for one like him in that role. The Knicks don’t necessarily need Smith’s scoring in their starting lineup, but they really need it off the bench.

Brewer was signed because he is a lockdown perimeter defender, something the Knicks need with Iman Shumpert out of the lineup. Smith isn’t nearly as capable of a defender. That and that alone is a big reason why Smith has more value coming off the bench.

I do like the fact that Smith wants a bigger role, but by starting him, Woodson probably weakens the team as a whole.

However Smith still has some time in training camp to continue to make his case. If he lets his play do the talking for him, then he just might be in the starting lineup opening night.

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But while Stern should be given credit for recognizing and attempting to deal with the problem, when he stepped in to do something about it, he did exactly what every NBA defender has done as of late – Stern flopped.

He not only flopped, he did it in a big way.

On the surface Stern will have you think that he’s doing something about the flopping problem that’s running rampant in the NBA, but his new rules, what New York Knicks’ fans should dub the LeBron James Rule, do very little to address the problem of flopping in the NBA.

The league announced on Wednesday a new anti-flopping policy that starts with a warning and steps up to some major money. During the regular season, the steps will be warning for the first violation, $5,000 fine for the second, $10,000 fine for third, $15,000 fine for the fourth and $30,000 fine for the fifth violation.

The NBA Players’ Association is not happy with the ruling, nor should they be. But while both sides argue about the potential of losing money, they should realize that Stern missed the boat altogether when it comes to taking flopping out of the game.

The current rules do nothing to prevent flopping during game action. With the average NBA salary at close to $2 million and more and more superstars making in the $15-$20 million range, does Stern really think a $10k or even a $30k fine is going to get the message across?

No, the LeBron James Rule is completely flawed.

Stern had the opportunity to step in and really do something to clean the game up and he’s the one who flopped.

The NHL has a rule for embellishing and the NBA could have done so as well.

There’s still nothing in the game to prevent guys from flopping. Do you really think that with the game on the line that players won’t still flop to get calls? They won’t be worried about fines one bit.

Instead, Stern could have taken the opportunity to really do something to take flopping out of the game.

How about awarding free throws to the other team? How about awarding a personal foul every time a defender flops? How about allowing the officiating crew to check the monitor to determine whether or not a defender flops and calling the foul accordingly?

Those are more proactive solutions to get rid of the flopping problem in the NBA. Hitting someone with a $10k fine may sound like a lot, but it’s not and Stern is still allowing flopping to impact the direct results of games, which is a problem.

Whether the players want to admit it or not, flopping is a problem in the  NBA, especially when you have stars such as James, Manu Ginobili, Anderson Varejao and others that spend more time impersonating actors than they do playing basketball.

No, the LeBron James Rule is a waste of time as it will accomplish nothing to clean up the NBA product.

At the end of the day, Stern had the chance to step up and do something, but instead of playing good defense and making a point, he flopped just like everyone else.

Being that Wally Szczerbiak is currently 35 years old and has been out of the NBA for a couple of years it wouldn’t have surprised me to see them bring Szczerbiak to camp for his once prolific long-range shooting.

But relax Knicks’ fans. You won’t see Szczerbiak don a Knicks’ jersey anytime soon, but instead the former NCAA Tournament hero has been added to the Knicks’ broadcast team.

Szczerbiak will be joining the ranks of MSG Network’s analysts replacing Kelly Tripucka as head analyst.

His playing career ended in 2009 and actually had a reported tryout with the Knicks that season that fell through. After that, Szczerbiak became a basketball analyst for CBS College Sports.

In other news surrounding the Knicks’ broadcast team, longtime radio analyst Jon Andariese is stepping down to spend more time with his family and focus on his advertising business, ending a career with the team that began in 1972.

Andariese will be replaced by Brendan Brown, who was a Knicks’ radio analyst for several games last season and who has been a contributor since 2008.

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Mar 10, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd (2) shoots a three against the New York Knicks at American Airlines Center. The Mavs beat the Knicks 127-109. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

While the answer to that question is quite debatable, the common opinion is that leading isn’t Anthony’s strong suit.

We know that Tyson Chandler was probably the closest thing that the Knicks had to a real locker room leader last season, but this year Chandler may have to share that role.

When the Knicks came to terms with Jason Kidd over the summer, it was initially for Kidd to mentor Jeremy Lin, but in reality, they could have signed the leader of their team.

At close to 40 years old, Kidd is far from being the Knicks best player, but he may turn out to be the leader of a team looking to win their first championship since 1973.

Kidd has always shown the ability to lead with the ball in his hands, but through three days of camp, he has stepped up to say all the right things that a leader should.

It started when Kidd was one of the primary influences behind the team getting together much earlier than usual for pre-training camp workouts.

“When we got together last month, he was one of the spearheads behind that, telling us what he thinks we have to do,”  Anthony said during media day. “When you have a guy like that with that type of knowledge and experience, it helps everything.”

While Anthony will lead the Knicks this season in most statistical categories, it could end up being Kidd who has the biggest impact on how this team comes together.

He’s never been a backup during his 18-year career, but seems excited about the role and what he can do for starter Raymond Felton.

“There’s no competition,’’ Kidd said to the New York Post’s Marc Berman. “That’s the way Coach is going. My job is to win ballgames and help my teammates to make that easy as possible. Ray can run the show just as well as anybody. For me, it’s to support Ray and when I go in, to keep the lead or get the lead. I’m in the best shape in the last five years. If I had to play a lot of minutes, I can do that.’’

Felton has already gone as far to label Kidd a “father-figure,” and a “role model,” to him.

However while Kidd will be working with Felton closely, his main objective is to turn Anthony into a winner and an MVP candidate, similar to what Kidd did with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas.

“That’s the plan,’’ Kidd said. “I hope so. They are very similar; very talented, demand a lot of attention. Hopefully I helped with Dirk and he’s one of the top players in the league and hopefully I can do the same with Melo.”

That’s what leaders do, the sacrifice for the good of the team.

While it’s encouraging to hear ‘Melo talk about sacrifice during camp so far, Kidd has been a guy to let his actions speak louder than his words, especially when it comes to leadership.

When we look back at this season, any success the Knicks have could be linked to Kidd’s presence alone. His impact won’t be measured by anything he does on the stat sheet. That’s what a leader is all about.

Despite his age, Kidd could turn out to be the perfect guy for this Knicks’ locker room.

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Feb 22, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Utah Jazz forward Josh Howard (8) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Jazz 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

Josh Howard has been linked off and on to the Knicks over the course of the past couple of months and according to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, the Knicks are still targeting the former All-Star.

Howard is 32 and on the downside of his career and if signed would be the seventh player over the age of 30 on the current Knicks’ roster.

According to a source of Zwerling’s, the Knicks are still interested in the 32-year-old swingman and have had recent conversations with his representatives.

While they do remain interested in Howard, the Knicks will likely wait a while in order to evaluate the talent they have currently in camp. If they do decide to try and sign Howard, they would have to cut someone with a non-guaranteed contract as the Knicks are currently at the maximum 20 players in camp.

Howard, who has career, averages of 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, spent the offseason recovering from surgery on his right knee, but is apparently ready to go. He’s coming off his two worst seasons in his career, averaging only 8.4 points per game in Washington in 2011 and only 8.7 in Utah last season.

If the Knicks get even more serious about Howard, they would likely want to bring him in as the backup to Carmelo Anthony at small forward. In his prime, Howard was a versatile player with a solid inside-outside game, but he’s still a better than average defender, which would fit in nicely on this current Knicks team.

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Mar 24, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Detroit Pistons forward/center Jason Maxiell (54) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

The game previously had been designated for international play, but the site wasn’t immediately disclosed.

The O2 arena in London will host its seventh NBA game — including four exhibitions — since 2007. That’s the same O2 Arena when Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler recently won gold medals and the same city in which Anthony hit an amazing 10 three-pointers in a game.

NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement.

“London was the epicenter of global sports this summer, and the Olympics were a tremendous showcase for basketball,” NBA commissioner David Stern said in a released statement. “Playing our third regular-season game in the city in three years and having historic franchises like the Knicks and Pistons serve as our ambassadors provide extraordinary opportunities to further the game’s growth and development in the UK and throughout Europe.”

The Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets last played a pair of regular-season games at the same venue in March 2011, but the NBA skipped London on its preseason tour this year.

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Head coach Mike Woodson wanted more experienced players and he sure got them, but while the Knicks look like they have depth on paper, what they’ve actually done is make a team like the San Antonio Spurs look young.

In the process the Knicks have become the oldest team in NBA history.

By adding the likes of Jason Kidd (age 39), Kurt Thomas (39), Marcus Camby (38), Argentinian “rookie” Pablo Prigioni (35) and Rasheed Wallace (38) the Knicks not only have four of the six oldest players in the league, but have an average age of 32 years and 240 days old—the oldest team in NBA history by far.

In addition, the Knicks had an average age of 27 years and 300 days old just a season ago, meaning they have added close to five years of age per player. No team in history has added close to that much age from one year to the next.

While the Knicks have experience on paper, there have to be plenty of concerns of whether or not this experiment of adding one veteran after another will work.

Just looking at their competitors in the Atlantic Division, the Celtics can bring athletes such as Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jason Terry and Jared Sullinger off the bench.  The Sixers can throw the ultra-athletic Thaddeus Young and Nick Young off the pine. The Nets and Raptors also have younger and more athletic benches that could give the Knicks problems.

It’s nice to add veterans with pedigrees, but at what cost?

This Knicks team will be short on athleticism and that could come back to bite them.

There’s also the concern of endurance and if their old legs will hold up through the course of an 82-game season plus a payoff run.

Right now, the Knicks overall age gives them far more questions than answers.

This is a franchise looking to make history after so many down seasons. It looks like they already have.

LaSalle Thompson has long been rumored to be a favorite to land one of the assistant jobs and that became reality on Tuesday. Thompson played in the NBA for 15 seasons and was a teammate of Woodson’s in Sacramento.

In addition, former Penn State head coach Jerry Dunn will join Woodson’s staff.

Dunn was 117-121 in eight years at Penn State, resigning in 2003. He most recently was the associate head coach at Michigan from 2007-’09.

Both Thompson and Dunn replace the highly regarded Kenny Atkinson, who quit to join the Atlanta Hawks staff.

They join the likes of Chris Ford as a coaching consultant and Dave Hopla, who was hired as a shooting coach.

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Miami shot the ball better than their opponents and was a huge reason why they won. Miami shot 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from three point range during the playoffs. In comparison, opponents shot 43 percent from the field and 30 percent from three against the Heat. It seemed like it was a different hero every night. Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Shane Battier all had their nights to shine. They of course have LeBron and Wade to rely on but with the additions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, their shooting advantage may have gotten only stronger.

Shooting can either carry a hot team or be the downfall of them. Take James Harden for example. Harden shot 49 percent from the field and an amazing 60 percent from three in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. Harden cooled down and couldn’t get it going shooting 37 percent from the field and a horrible 31 percent from three. Harden is one of the reasons why the Thunder fell flat to the Heat in the Finals.

So do the New York Knicks have enough consistent shooting in order for them to contend?

Oct. 1, 2012; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak speaks to the media at the MSG Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

A year ago, the Knicks ranked 21st in the NBA in three-point shooting, only knocking down 33.6 percent of their attempts and that was with the NBA’s leader in three-point shooting as Steve Novak knocked down 47.2 percent of his long-range attempts.

History shows it’s hard to repeat this success but Novak shouldn’t fall off the planet and will hit his shots. Many things can be said about J.R. Smith but one of them has to be is his love to shoot the ball. When Smith is hot, he is on fire. When he can’t buy a shot he will continuously shoot until he fixes it, which can kill a team in a close playoff series.

None of the guys the Knicks have on their roster from last season or any of the guys they brought in are considered good shooters other than Novak as no one wearing a Knicks’ jersey this season other than Novak can lay claim to knocking down 35 percent or better of the attempts from behind the arc. But while that’s true, the Knicks should be fine shooting the basketball.

Carmelo Anthony will be the Knicks’ best and most consistent shooter. No one is worried about Melo, as other players need to step up and consistently shoot all year and especially in the playoffs. Jason Kidd can hit an open shot with the best of them but Kidd isn’t in a position to create his own shot off the dribble anymore. Felton is a known for his point guard and driving skills. Shumpert has shown he can hit the three, so if he can get a consistent shot going, that is one less thing the Knicks have to worry about from Shump.

The Knicks don’t have any Ray Allen’s, Mike Miller’s, Kyle Korver’s, or deadly shooters on their team. This team will have to figure out scoring options if they want to contend in the East. Carmelo can’t do it all. These shooters have the potential but just have to become consistent. Carmelo will handle the clutch part.

Mar 6, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd (2) drives in the seocnd half against New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) at American Airlines Center. The Mavs beat the Knicks 95-85. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

While Felton was assumed to be the starter when he was acquired via a sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, Woodson did good to come out early and en any speculation that Jason Kidd would get the nod as the starter.

“I think he’s had opportunities over the years to run teams and he’s done a great job at it,” Woodson said (per ESPN’s Ian Begley). “At the end of the day, it’s still about the team. I don’t think anybody else on this team is going to care who starts, but Raymond will probably be our starter.”

Woodson is hoping that Felton can return to the form he showed in 2010-11 with the Knicks, when he averaged 17 points and nine assists before being dealt to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade.

While Felton has been named the Knicks starter, Kidd will still have a big role with the team and backing up Felton is just fine with the future Hall of Famer.

“Ray can run the show as well as anybody,” the 39-year-old Kidd said. “(My job is) to support Ray and help him with things I see and, when I go in, to get the lead or keep the lead. That’s as easy as it can be.”

While Felton is the starter, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be the closer, as Kidd could be used to finish games, something he said over the summer that was very important to him.

There’s also the option that Woodson could elect to play both Kidd and Felton at the same time. They would be a bit undersized, but it would give the Knicks a pair of playmaking guards who can handle the ball and would create matchup problems against a lot of teams.

Felton is a guy that enters the 2012-13 season with a lot to prove and he’s been given the early opportunity to do so.

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Head coach Mike Woodson has made it known how he feels about the situation, stating that young players don’t win championships and ultimately that’s the goal in the Big Apple.

Oct. 1, 2012; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony speaks to the media at the MSG Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

However, along with the roster turnover, Woodson has been sending a message to the new-look Knicks and judging b media day, that message has been received loud and clear by every player now donning the orange and blue.

Every single Knicks’ player that spoke at Monday’s media day made it perfectly clear what this team is about- defense, defense, and more defense.

When talking about Knicks’ basketball, the word defense was a funny punch line the past few years, but we got a small glimpse of how this team could play good defense during the final 24 games of 2012, once Woodson was named interim coach.

Now, that’s all that anyone wants to talk about.

The Knicks had a couple defensive studs last season inn Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert, but they went out and added veterans like Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace (his signing should be official in the next couple of days) and Raymond Felton. The reason being is that veterans know what it takes to win.

It may be an overused cliché, but defense wins championships and this Knicks team has bought into that mentality, especially Carmelo Anthony, whose effort at the defensive end of the floor has always come into question.

Anthony told Tony Williams of NJ.com that he is done scoring 30 points per game. Anthony admitted he “can score 30 points anytime I want” and added with a wry smile that he’s “done trying to score 30. Everybody knows I can do it. … So if I have to sacrifice (scoring) I’ll do it.”

In addition Anthony added that winning is the only thing that matters anymore.

“At the end of the day all that matters is winning. Everybody knows I can score. Now it’s about trusting teammates,” Anthony said. “It (Olympics) put everything in perspective. The principle of trusting guys.”

Of course actions speak much louder than words, but you have to like the way it seems that every single player is buying into playing 48 minutes of defense on a nightly basis.

The only way this Knicks team gets out of the first round of the playoffs, much less contend for a championship s if they really become a great defensive team.

All the pieces are in place to do so form the coach on down to the role players.

Woodson has sent the message, one that the Knicks have received loud and clear.

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Feb 12, 2011; Newark, NJ, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) brings the ball up court during the first half against the New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

To think this isn’t a make or break year as far as Felton’s career goes would be severely underestimating what is expected of Felton in his second go around in a Knicks uniform.

Felton is coming off an abysmal season in Portland in which he averaged only 11.4 points and 6.5 assists per game, while shooting only 40 percent from the floor and 30 percent from behind the arc.

It not only was a bad season for Felton statistically, but was one in which his conditioning and commitment was called into question.

Monday, Felton stepped up and admitted to being out of shape last season.

“I want to get it out there — I came into Portland out of shape,” Felton said. “Being in a lockout year, I just got really relaxed, got complacent, didn’t work as hard because I didn’t think we were to have a season. I’m going to go ahead and say that — I was out of shape when we first went there. I played myself into shape towards the second half of the season.”

That was a big question mark when the Knicks decided to bring Felton back and let fan-favorite Jeremy Lin to walk.

Early on, all signs look good in terms of Felton being in great shape.

The North Carolina product has been one of several Knicks’ players that showed up a couple of weeks early to get himself ready for training camp and according to multiple sources at the training facility, Felton is in solid shape and motivated for his second act in a Knicks uniform.

“He looks great,” one observer said (per ESPN’s Ian Begley). “He looks like 2010 Ray.”

If Felton plays anything like the 2010 version that averaged 17 points and nine assists for the Knicks in 54 games before being dealt to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade, then the Knicks have exactly what they need in a point guard.

During the course of the early part of the season, Felton will be forced to answer many questions about replacing Lin; however he shouldn’t have to answer many more about being in shape as it looks like he’s showing the commitment to winning in New York.

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