In a rather unlikely ruling, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak, Chauncey Billups and J.J. Hickson, giving all four players early Bird Rights to their respective teams after a hearing between the Player’s Association and the league.

For the Knicks, this decision was monumental. It allows the Knicks to sign Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak and Landry Fields to a maximum $5 million-per-year contract, all while perserving the team’s $3 million-per-year Mid Level Exception. If the league had ruled against the Bird Rights, the Knicks would not have been able to go over their salary cap to keep all three, leaving at least one player on the outside of their off-season plans looking in, and likely eliminating their Mid Level Exception all together.

Now, however, the Knicks have the ability to not only keep their young core together, they can add a veteran for above the league minimum ($1.4 million) and sure up the team’s depth.

While public perception views how the decision enables the team new flexibility with their efforts to re-sign Jeremy Lin, this ruling all but saves Steve Novak’s job in New York. If the team was put in a position where they had to choose between these three players, Novak was going to be the odd man out.

The Knicks picked Novak up off waivers before the start of the shortened 2011-12 season at a salary of $854k. He easily outperformed that contract, averaging career-highs in minutes (18.9) and points (8.8) playing exclusively off the New York bench. A career43.6% shooter from three-point land, Novak posted an NBA-best 47.2% last season, hitting several crucial baskets along the way.

The hard truth about Novak is that he is worth more than the vet minimum, but not as much as the $5 million ceiling he has. Instead, he was a player that could get near the Mid Level, a luxury the Knicks weren’t going to have before today due to the funds that would have to tie up in a Lin contract. Novak was likely going to walk as a free agent, right until the arbitrator released his surprise ruling.

Look, Steve Novak and his championship belt will not be the Knicks sixth man next season. Novak is a top eight rotational player with one elite skill (drilling 3s). He’s a very valuable piece, and a necessary piece for any team that dreams of making deep runs in the playoffs. He does give away a bit on defense, which is why it becomes hard to play him in certain crunch time situations. However, he is a player that thrived under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and definietly morphed into a fan favorite over time. The team will still have holes they need to fill when or if they bring back Novak, but having him as a viable option again makes their off-season plans a little bit more clear.

Now, the question becomes…what do the Knicks do with the Mid Level Exception?

That decision could determine the type of success the team has next year.

Drafted in the middle of the second round of the 2010 draft, Fields was one of the biggest surprises of the NBA; he started as the shooting guard for the Knicks from the very beginning of his first season. In his first three months of playing for the Knicks, he averaged over 10 points and seven rebounds a game and became a fan favorite for his scrappy and fast paced play.

Then came February 23, the first game after the huge trade with the Nuggets which sent three of their five starters to Denver for two of Denver’s starters. This trade included Raymond Felton, and thus ended the Knick run and gun style of play that helped Fields’ game.  In came Carmelo Anthony, and a stagnated, isolation type of offense, where the Knicks became one of the slowest offensive paced teams in the league. But it wasn’t only Carmelo that caused the game to slow down, it was also Chauncey Billups who slowed it up and made it hard for the Knicks to run in transition.

Fields is a type of player that feeds off other people in transition and this change made him become a spot up shooter, which he most definitely is not. For the rest of the first season, Fields numbers dropped to 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

This season, Fields often looked lost out there, standing in one spot waiting to get the ball instead of moving in the flow of the offense.  He occasionally showed some spark when he drove to the basket with determination but that too wasn’t in the flow.  His shot was flat and in general he did not add anything to the Knicks play offensively and defensively.  As a result, his minutes went down and starting position was taken away.  You could tell that things were not the same when Spike Lee was not wearing his Landry Fields jersey anymore.

Over the course of the past season Fields averaged 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds 46% FG, 56% from FT line and and awful 26% percent from the 3pt line.  Compared to his rookie season where he averaged 10 points, 6.5 rebounds, 50% FG, 77% FT, and just under 40% 3pt, you could without question say Fields had a down year.

So the question is can Landry Fields in an offense that involves Carmelo bounce back from a disappointing season?

I think without a doubt he can.  I know I’ve been a little harsh on Landry Fields but I love his type of game.  He does a little bit of everything – defends, rebounds and brings great hustle to the team.  The Knicks don’t need scoring but if he could hit his open shots (which he wasn’t able to do consistently this season) then he’ll be a great role player.  Even if he does come off the bench once Shumpert comes back and plays 20-25 minutes a game, the added energy Fields brings is all we need.

With someone like Jeremy Lin that does push the ball up the court, Fields can return to his rookie season form.  In the playoffs Baron Davis had some moments where he was pushing the ball and Fields ended up having a very solid playoffs. So if we have a true point guard for a whole season, and if Carmelo Anthony is willing to keep the ball moving on offense, and if he can improve on his jump shot, Fields will have a good season for the NY Knicks.

Billups had been warning teams with cap space not to claim him, giving him the opportunity to have his choice of possible destinations; the Clippers, it appears, did not get this memo.  It will be interesting to see how this situation shakes down for the former Knick point guard, but the Clippers are confident that he will play, and be productive for the team going forward.

The Clippers have has an active day, pursuing Chris Paul–another former Knick target– earlier this afternoon, however the trade fell apart after David Stern vetoed another possible deal for the All-Star point guard.

Well, its official: Tyson Chandler is a member of the New York Knicks. Ronny Turiaf and Any Rautins no longer are.

The Knicks acquired Tyson Chandler in a 3 team trade that sent Andy Rautins to the Mavericks as well as Ronny Turiaf and cash to Washington.  This move had been rumored for days, but was officially completed yesterday afternoon.

Landing the 7’1 Center is a big score for a team that has lacked the defensive presence necessary to compete for a championship. Chandler was the anchor of the Dallas Mavericks defense that was a key part of their championship run.Putting Chandler next to Stoudemire should shore of the interior defense, and hide some of Amar’e’s deficiencies on that end of the floor. (more…)

Since Free agency talk began about a week ago, there have been a few teams that have been talked about as having interest in Tyson Chandler, and the Knicks were not one of them. Not until today.

According to multiple outlets, the Knicks are now chasing Chandler, presumably under the premise that landing Chandler will give them a better chance at getting Chris Paul.  The Knicks could make some moves in order to free the space to land Chandler; this would probably mean either amnestying Chauncey Billups or including him in a sign and trade with the Mavs. (more…)

The Knicks stumbled a bit out of the gate to begin last season, however once that group of largely new players learned to play with each other, they started to gel together and win games. Then, when Donnie Walsh pulled the trigger on the Carmelo deal the Knicks pretty much hit the reset button and had to begin this process all over again. This was clearly represented in their win-loss record. (more…)

Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups return to Denver for the first time as Knicks. (more…)

A few days ago, Chauncey Billups conducted an interview with Hoopshype.com’s Chris Tomasson at his basketball camp out in Denver.  Among several interesting things Billups touched upon, the highlighting topic was his thoughts on the new NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. Chauncey likened the team to his 2004 Pistons, the last team to win a title with just one All-Star on its roster. The way both teams played as a cohesive, unselfish unit to defeat an opponent loaded with big names and big talent is similar, but the question this all brings up is whether the Knicks can somehow emulate that formula to turn it into a championship of their own. (more…)

Since the New York Knicks aren’t willing to offer us any team related news or notes, here’s a stab in the dark at creating some on my own. Off to the future we go. (more…)

Amar’e Stoudemire came to New York with a lot of pressure.  The keys to the Knicks franchise were handed to him with a five-year, $100 million contract.  With it came hope and big expectations. Not only did he embrace the challenge, he delivered.

Some were skeptical of the contract which the Knicks gave him, but for at least one season, Amar’e was worth the money. Stoudemire put the Knicks back on the map and made them relevant again.  The Garden was jam packed every night and gave Knick fans a similar feeling to the one they used to have in the early 90s.

The Knicks made the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and had their first winning record since 2000.  For the season, Stoudemire averaged over 25 points and eight rebounds, shot over 50% from the field, was a starter for the Eastern Conference All Stars, and made second team All NBA. (more…)

(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

He was meant to be a throw in. An unnecessary incentive to complete a blockbuster deal; the free toy a near starving child would receive when all he really wants is to sink his desperate little teeth into that ever so juicy happy meal. As those who have been following basketball regularly for the past 10 years can attest, Chauncey Billups is more like a side of fries—even in this final stage of his borderline Hall of Fame worthy career. (more…)

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

It looks like Chauncey Billups’ option will be exercised for next season, and the longtime underrated veteran will return for another season with the Knicks. This from the AP:

“Chauncey, Amare and Carmelo are a great nucleus, as we continue to look to improve our team going into the offseason,” team president Donnie Walsh said in a statement. “Chauncey is an extremely talented and experienced point guard – we are very happy to have him back.”

The Knicks acquired Billups along with Anthony from Denver in February. He averaged 17.5 points with the Knicks but battled a pair of injuries, missing six games with a bruised left quadriceps in March, then straining a tendon in his left knee during Game 1 of the playoffs and missing the final three games of New York’s loss to Boston. Walsh said those injuries weren’t long-term concerns.

Billups will be 35 in September and said this week he hoped to return to New York for his 15th NBA season. After playing most of his career at 215 pounds, Billups said Monday he planned to come in at 210 next season to better handle the pace of Mike D’Antoni’s system. He insists he has plenty of basketball left.

I like the move, a lot. It brings the Knicks two qualities they haven’t had these past few years: Consistency and experience. I especially like Billups’ willingness to trim his body down so he can accommodate D’Antoni’s (if he returns) faster paced offensive philosophy. The fewer question marks the Knicks have heading into next season the better.

When I arrived at 100 Legends Way (A.K.A the grimy back lot behind Boston’s North Station where the the satellite trucks make their home) on Sunday afternoon prior to Game 1, I was struck by how nondescript the arena’s exterior was. For all who haven’t been there, it is essentially a big, brown rectangular block that rests over Boston’s northernmost commuter rail station. In that way it is similar to Madison Square Garden, which hovers above Penn Station. That is about where the similarities end aesthetically speaking.

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Carmelo Was Awesome. Everyone Else, Not So Much (AP)

It’s either rock bottom or yet another hopeful loss. It’s backbreaker or shining light. Last night’s game ended in such a destructive way, with Carmelo Anthony taking on the league’s best defensive team by himself (and holding the edge) before deferring to teammates who lost the ball game—it’s the first time you’ll hear more men than women ask, “He went to Jared?!?!?.” Hit the jump for more. (more…)

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Bill Walker REALLY Wants To Make That Playoff Rotation (AP)

This picture is pretty cool, but you know what’s not cool? Chauncey Billups with bruises all over his legs and Amar’e Stoudemire spraining his ankle. Read on.

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Yeesh. Make the jump to to read Amar’e's further explanation of these comments.

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Courtesy of Ian Begley:

“I’m back healthy finally man,” Billups said on Monday. “I’m healthy and I’m feeling good. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with the offense and the sets and personnel. I’m getting to know some of these guys’ different tendencies…. It’s finally starting to come together.”

D'Antoni Needs To Settle Down When It Comes To Playing His Starters (AP)

Despite clinching a playoff spot on Sunday evening, Mike D’Antoni said he doesn’t feel the need to limit the minutes of his key guys as the regular season dwindles down. This also despite Amar’e and a few others complaining about weariness and fatigue throughout the month of March. (more…)

Chauncey Was Able To Score From Wherever He Wanted Tonight (AP)

It’s been seven years of excruciation. 492 games with hardly a meaningful, progressive, or positive moment to be found at any time. Tonight, after a commanding win against the Cleveland Cavaliers (finally) combined with the Washington Wizards picking up their third road win of the season in Charlotte, all of that is washed away; the 38-38 Knicks are guaranteed a playoff spot. The Knicks are 4-6 in their last 10 games, but are beginning to construct something productive together—tonight was their third win in a row.

Now for some thoughts on the victory.

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Carmelo Was Hypnotic In The Third Quarter (AP)

Taking a page from Will’s brilliant recap the other night, tonight’s will read like a live self-chat had with myself; bullet points galore. Heeeeeere Weeeee Goooooo!

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It'd Be Nice To Have Howard, But Let's Forget About Adding Another Superstar (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Hop that turnstile…

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The Wind Left Chauncey's Sails At Halftime (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Box Score

The losing streak drags on; the Knicks have fallen below .500. The story, once again, is the team’s inept play when the game’s up for grabs and both teams have a win in their sites—otherwise known as the fourth quarter.  Tonight, after forfeiting a four point lead at the half, the Knicks found themselves down only one point heading into the final period, and, you guessed it, the Knicks were outscored, out-hustled, and outplayed to the tune of a 32-21 deficit.  Hop the turnstile for a few points on the big three…

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Carmelo Fell And He Couldn't Get Up (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

* “We just got to a point there, I just thought we just panicked,” [D'Antoni] said.

* The losses are tough right now, but Zach Lowe says hold off your judgement on the Melo deal, for now.

* ”It was a bloodbath,” Rivers said. “And I thought it was beautiful.”

* Aww shucks. No Earl Barron after all.

* The blame game snowball is beginning to roll down the mountain.

* Will the Knicks have Chauncey next year? It’s absolutely crucial they sign him.

* Wise words from the Knicks’ best player in last night’s game.

* The Boston perspective, it makes things even tougher to swallow.

A Dejected Carmelo Looks On As New York Fails Down the Stretch (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Demoralizing. The word’s five syllables roll off the tongue sounding exactly like what they mean. As far as regular season losses go, this one is flat out demoralizing. Coming off two pretty bad losses to some pretty bad teams, the Knicks looked like a team that almost didn’t respect their opponents. Tonight, they knew what they were up against and they responded admirably early on, playing up to their competition and leading after the first three quarters, including a 51-37 halftime edge.  But after Carmelo Anthony—who fought through foul trouble all night and still managed a team high 22 points—cut the outer edge of his eye open on a collision with Rajon Rondo, the Knicks looked like lost puppies.  With five fouls on him for much of the fourth quarter, Anthony was reduced to defending Rondo on the perimeter instead of his man, Paul Pierce. This is an understandable strategic move, but putting Billups or Fields on Pierce in turn makes very, very little sense.  The Celtics captain went on to absolutely destroy New York in the final quarter, and with Amar’e Stoudemire continuously trying to attack the strength of Boston’s defense on the other end, the Knicks had no chance against one of the league’s best teams.

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Sorry for the slight delay on this recap, my effort today has been slightly on par with Carmelo Anthony’s. It’s incredibly difficult to come back from a 32-9 deficit—what the Knicks faced after one quarter—and make a basketball game competitive, so hats off to New York for doing just that. But that’s about the only positive to be taken from this Sunday matinee. The first quarter saw apocalyptic level shooting from just about every Knick player—they shot 4-25 in the first 12 minutes and didn’t seem interested in switching up the offensive game plan. The much maligned defense played like its described, specifically in the transition game. On one early Chauncey Billups miss, the Bucks quickly pushed the ball up the court and, with three Knicks back and ready on defense, found a wide open Carlos Delfino whose facial expression said “why isn’t anyone guarding me”. Coming off a game two days ago where he hit eight three-pointers, Delfino, of course, drained the shot. His first of six behind the arc for a career high 30 points.

Behind Chauncey Billups (21 points) and the usual suspect, Amar’e Stoudemire (25), the Knicks were able to cut their 23 point deficit to six by halftime. Most of it was due to an outstanding protection of the basketball. (The Knicks only had six turnovers in the game.) But none of that really mattered. The team shot 38.6% on the day. When your interior defense is a Kleenex, it’s very difficult to win any games shooting the ball like that.

* Carmelo Anthony had 23 points on 14 shots, five rebounds, and one assist. Not to pile on the poor guy, but the numbers have a difficult time describing how terrible a performance this was. Defensively Anthony was atrocious. His main assignment, Carlos Delfino, was the one flaunting the superstar swagger Anthony normally hones. Delfino was open all day long. It’s like Carmelo doesn’t know guarding players when they don’t have the ball counts as “playing defense”; I don’t understand it. Taking pride in your defense doesn’t mean your man goes off for a career high scoring performance when you’re guarding him. Hopefully he ratchets it up come playoff time.

* Landry Fields was a ghost today, but I have a difficult time putting blame on his shoulders. Nobody’s sacrificed more in the field of scoring points than the rookie, and it seems he’s having a difficult time finding shots within the flow of the game. He had 0 assists, and due to an inability to defend John Salmons (the Knicks reluctantly switched Turiaf onto the Bucks shooting guard on a few plays), only played 21 minutes. New York usually loses when Fields has games like this one.

* D’Antoni started Shelden Williams at center. He played the first six minutes, then watched the following 42 from the bench. What the hell is the point in doing this? Williams was his usual terrible self in his minutes on the floor, adding further evidence to the “Shelden Williams isn’t an NBA player” argument.

* BOX SCORE

* Toney Douglas is getting floor time for his defensive abilities, but it’s his offensive play receiving a majority of the scorn/praise. Today it’s mostly scorn. He had nine assists, but shot 3-13 from the field for seven points. Douglas has become the team’s true X-factor, and his up and down play has been symbolic of the team’s, so usually when he either shoots lights out, plays solid defense, or just makes solid decisions, the Knicks contend. Today his shots weren’t falling. Result: loss.

Thanks to the team’s inconsistent nature, Knick fans are currently split in two different camps. The first sees New York as an ultra talented ensemble, capable of light switching their abilities on and off as they please. (“Wait, we lost to Indiana? Umm…so what! We have Carmelo, they don’t.”) The other ideological group views the Knicks as an overrated bunch unable to mesh their individual skills together in time for a deep playoff run. (“Wait, we lost to Indiana? And they didn’t have Danny Granger? And Tyler Hansbrough went for how many? How dare they raise ticket prices! Screw this team; they’re terrible.”)

Both are slightly extreme and more impatient than they need to be, and both can agree that defensive intensity nears the top of the team’s shopping list. But each month this season New York has shown that they’re nothing more than a .500 club—16-17 since New Year’s Day. Almost all of the team’s statistics remain equal post Carmelo Anthony (but without Chauncey Billups)—for example points per game are up 1.2, points allowed are down 0.3, offensive rebounds are both 10.4 per game, and three-pointers made were 9.0 before the trade and 8.9 after.

Here’s further information on why the team’s offense gets stagnant and its defense remains porous, courtesy of Howard Beck’s latest in the Times:

“We revert back to ‘Just give me the ball, let me put my head down and go,’ ” D’Antoni said Monday, adding: “That’s what we have to guard against. Those are tendencies that we’ve shown that we’ve had. And hopefully we can get that out of their games completely. I think we will. I don’t see it as a problem.”

As the Knicks prepared for a Tuesday night rematch with the Pacers in Indiana, the focus was on well-worn principles of ball and player movement. The lack of each was evident as they reviewed tape of Sunday’s game — the one D’Antoni referred to as “a horror film.”

“We can’t win that way,” Stoudemire agreed. “We didn’t move the ball.”

The Knicks are just 6-5 since Anthony arrived. Every encouraging victory against a quality team (Miami, Atlanta and Memphis) has been offset by a stunning loss to a poor team (Indiana, Cleveland twice).

Anthony has been productive, averaging 25.5 points, and predictably erratic. He has converted 50 percent of his shots in just three games. He is shooting 47.2 percent in the Knicks’ victories and 41.4 percent in the losses. Also noteworthy is the difference in Anthony’s assist rate: 4.2 per game in wins and 2.4 per game in losses. On Sunday, he had zero assists.

“Right now, we’re playing against the Knicks,” D’Antoni said. “It’s us.”

Where does this put us? The Knicks are far and away the most Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde team in the league. When they win it makes sense. When they lose that too makes sense. At least we know one thing: Unless hell freezes over, they won’t have to play Denver.

The Knicks Lost To This

Whenever Tyler Hansbrough scores more points than both Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, chances are his team’s walking away with the win. Most didn’t see this coming, but some did. It was just one of those NBA games where every logical point tips the scale in one team’s favor, only to have the underdog blow them out. Onto the links:

* When you’re 0-7 from deep and can hardly run up the court, you better be making passes like this. Just kidding…but seriously. Chauncey didn’t play too well in his first game back from the thigh injury, but everyone’s entitled to an off night every now and then. It’s good to see him contribute in other ways.

* A couple of weeks ago, Mark Cuban said Denver got the better of New York in their blockbuster deal. Over the weekend, Carmelo Anthony says whoever acquired him got the better of everyone else.

* Which is a better road to go down? Chauncey, Chris Paul, Toney, other?

* The New York Times game recap.

* No need to check twice, Mr. Billups is just dominating the Linkin’ Center right now! Here’s a recent, very informative Q&A.

* With news breaking late last week that MSG was planning on raising its ticket prices for Rangers and Knicks games, the Daily News’ Filip Bondy takes issue. Especially if they’ll be losing to the Pacers on the reg.

* The season’s winding down now, and before we know it the playoffs will be on us. As talented as New York looks on paper, their inconsistent losses to subpar teams must have D’Antoni nervous.

* Nice piece on Ronny Turiaf and his personal connection to the Wes Leonard tragedy.

* Have we mentioned the Pacers’ best player didn’t dress last night?

* More Turiaf!! An interview with the Seattle Times on his Alma Mater’s tourney chances.

* Turning onto the dreaded 87 a couple nights ago, Landry Fields popped his front tire on a pothole. Poor guy. Andy Rautins was there too, but apparently neither of them knew how to change a tire.

* More analysis into whether or not Amar’e and Carmelo can coexist.

* Could the Knicks have grabbed Bob Cousy?

* SLAM 147 hit newsstands the other day. Guess who’s on the cover.

* Amar’e goes to the hood with Mr. Bloomberg.

* More on what we already know: Chauncey Billups is important.

* With his thigh still hurting, Billups likely won’t play tonight, but it shouldn’t matter. The Knicks are focused on the playoffs and avenging last week’s loss to Cleveland is a welcomed way to get there.

* After his 24 point outing against Chris Paul, Toney Douglas is under quite the microscope.

* “We’re always going to be a little bit of an iso, one-on-one kind of a team, which, to be honest with you, is pretty good,” D’Antoni said, a declaration that would have made jaws drop in Phoenix.

* What does everyone think about Carmelo’s breakup letter to Denver?

* Eight months after he was traded to Cleveland, Baron Davis will make his debut tonight against the Knicks. Is he elite?

* This picture is funny in an “I wish it were controversial” kind of way.

The Unstoppable Little Guy

Not sure last night could have gone worse. If you believe in this sort of thing, the Orlando Magic laid out a step by step blueprint on how to break down New York’s “defense” (high pick and rolls), but that’s only if they have the proper personnel. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the league is capped to the brim with explosive point guards able to blast off towards the rim at a moment’s notice. But hey, in a way, this is also to be expected. This team is a scattered unit of talented pieces whose main problem, apart from lack of size, is experience playing with one another. As last night showed, in a terrible loss to a Magic team that has all but erased itself from the championship contender picture, the Knicks aren’t a final product on the defensive end. It’s fun and rousing to have Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire on your team—and the fact that Landry Fields is still in a Knicks uniform is certainly something to give thanks for—but regardless of how this team performs from here on out, let’s save the real expectations for next season; when a bond is formed, height is acquired, and criticism is deserved.

* I don’t know how I’d live with myself if he didn’t, but thank goodness Stephen A. Smith agrees with me.

* Basketball Prospectus tries to answer the age old question of how Carmelo and Amar’e can coexist. (A part of this is for paying customers only. Super lame.)

* If Isiah Thomas isn’t masquerading around as New York’s Wizard of Oz, then what’s he actually doing with his life?

* Some interesting stats from last night’s game.

* Have the Knicks fallen far behind in the race for statistical analysis supremacy?

* The people who had an overly optimistic overreaction to the Knicks defensive performance in Miami have fallen back to Earth, just like New York’s defense!

* Ever heard of the Sheboygan Red Skins? No? Well, apparently, the Knicks are covered in their blood.

* Patrick Ewing plays a game called “Hopeful Reminiscing” and loses.

* SVG takes a little swipe at Mozgov.

* Amar’e dresses in really bright colors.

* From where they sit in Orlando, the view seems to be one with the underdog.

* It’s beginning to look grim as to whether Billups will play tonight. When he’s making plays like this it’s a shame to see him miss any time.

Tonight the Knicks started in a hole, climbed their way out, then fell back in. Forget Dwight Howard (30 points, 16 rebounds) and Jameer Nelson (26 points, 23 in the second half) as individual entities, the Knicks were defeated by an inability to defend the high pick and roll that those two pulled out of a bag in the fourth quarter. Apart from the 19,200 people in attendance who knew what was coming, it played like an unstoppable secret weapon. With the game teetering back and forth heading into the final quarter, New York had no answer for Nelson—scorer of 11 straight Magic points at one point—who kept taking screens from Howard and knifing his way towards the hoop. The Knicks defensive priority seemed to revolve around preventing Howard from rolling to the basket, opening up the lane on almost every trip down the court for Nelson.  Whether for a mid-range jumper or lay-up at the rim.

This sounds bad but after watching the first quarter, things in this one looked like they were headed for much, much worse pastures. We’re talking epic slaughter status. With Shawne Williams starting over Ronny Turiaf for the second game in a row, Dwight Howard had an absolute field day. His first quarter stat line of 17 points on just six shots (!) and seven free-throws was truly as dominant as it sounds. The Knicks threw Williams, Turiaf, and Shelden Williams at him. They doubled down with Landry Fields and Carmelo Anthony. Nothing worked. (When your supposed solution to a basketball related problem is Shelden Williams, it’s time to hit the drawing board.) With a couple backdoor alley-oops and marksmanship from the charity stripe, Orlando’s dominant center played the entire opening 12 minutes like a wrecking ball MVP candidate, but when he came out to rest, the Knicks saw their opening and struck back.

Trailing 32-21 heading into the second quarter, Amar’e Stoudemire went to work on a Howard-less painted area, scoring eight of his 30 total points in rapid fire before Howard could get back into the game. STAT thoroughly abused the likes of Earl Clark and Ryan Anderson with a barrage of quick ball fakes and an explosive first step that at times doesn’t seem worth the effort of defending. By halftime the Knicks mounted an 11 point advantage of their own.  Howard began to slow down and Chauncey Billups began to heat up. Big Shot had 16 very quiet points through the first 24 minutes, which led all Knicks.  The second quarter saw New York outscore the Magic 37-15, but after watching the way Howard had his way with New York’s frontline in the first set, if fool’s gold had a scent, the Knicks second quarter performance would’ve reeked of it.

As dominant as Dwight Howard was in the first quarter, the third was Carmelo’s time to operate. With a wide array of whirling dervish face to the basket spin moves, Anthony made Magic defenders (Jason Richardson, I’m looking at you) look like they were wearing the new Nike Hyper-Cement sneakers. But Anthony finished with 25 points on 24 shots, and only recorded two assists. As the game began to seep away down the stretch, Anthony began to force his dribble into the teeth of Orlando’s defense. To sum it up, this wasn’t his night. By this point Jameer Nelson had begun his take over, and after the Knicks failed to rotate on a couple Ryan Anderson three-pointers, the game was all but over.

Quick Hits:

* With four minutes left in the second quarter, Hedo Turkoglu was given his second technical…from the bench. His emotional reaction was embarrassment. His physical reaction made his face turn a light shade of purple. SVG had to take him by the arm and lift him off the chair like a teacher would do to an unruly student.  Turkoglu had 0 points.

* Combining to shoot 3-15 from the floor, Bill Walker, Anthony Carter, and Toney Douglas were dreadful. Their shots were either rushed, out of the offensive flow (a very tough thing to do in this system), or simply hideous. Douglas was the first guy off the bench of the three, and in 19 minutes of court time he registered a plus/minus of -16. Explanation should come tomorrow as to why Corey Brewer was let go from a team that might need him in this roll.

* The game featured 56 fouls, five technicals (one on Turiaf and one on Walker), and a league-wide, season high 97 free-throw attempts—the most since February 15, 2007. Not pretty.

* On the positive, Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire ran their own share of mid pick and rolls to perfection. On one such play, Billups slipped the ball between his own legs to a streaking Stoudemire who finished with a nifty finger roll at the rim. Definitely the highlight of the night for Knick fans.

* They say if you live by the three, you die by the three. In the middle two quarters, the Knicks were living by the mid-range jumper, but by the fourth quarter it slowly killed them.

* Landry Fields grabbed 11 rebounds, but only had six shot attempts. It seems that since the big trade, he’s really struggled to fit in on the offensive end.

* Chauncey Billups banged his knee trying to fight through an Orlando screen late in the game. Not sure what his status is, but he looked fine.

UPDATE: Chauncey’s thigh is bruised.

Remember how great it used to be? When the Knicks and Heat despised each other with a ferociousness so unyielding that punches were thrown more often than bounce passes? When enforcers tee’d off on superstars and everyone on both sides were ripping with muscles, ready to brawl (even if they didn’t know how to fight) with each passing whistle? It looks like we’re now witness to a resurrection 10 years later. However, this time around, basketball seems to be more of the focal point, which is good considering you have four All-Star starters on both teams—and Chris Bosh—turning the court into an overflowing volcano of supreme talent.  Last night’s game began as most expected it would: the Heat ran out to an early lead and were on pace to eclipse 149 points by halftime.  But then the Knicks fought back, Chauncey Billups (already) put a significant performance on his Knicks resume, and New York stole one on the road by keeping both teams under 100. Thoughts? Comments?

* The most important Knicks victory in 10 years? Once again, thank the defense.

* Embarrassed. And they should be.

* A very significant play. Not just because of its crunch time context, but watching Carmelo and Amar’e combine for a key defensive stop is huge in the big picture.

* “Sunday’s game was also the first that featured four of that season’s All-Star starters (James and Dwyane Wade, Anthony and Stoudemire) in a regular-season game since the Seattle SuperSonics (Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton) played the Chicago Bulls (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen) in March 1997, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.”

* How do they go from giving up 2487 points in Cleveland to 86 in Miami?

* Wade’s least favorite rapper was in attendance.

* Who’s Ray Felton, again?

* Old Knick legends discuss new Knick heroes.

* The win feels nice, but pressure is mounting on D’Antoni’s shoulders.

* The renewed rivalry feels extra funny, for some.

Who Would You Rather See Back In New York?

With the official word coming from several respectable news outlets that New York plans on bringing back 6′ 11″ Jared Jeffries, the search for a big man is somewhat quelled for the time being. But those who remember watching Jeffries play know he’s hardly someone who allows a fan base to sleep comfortably. Jeffries is a really tall forward; way too thin to bang with the league’s centers and way too fragile to stake any legitimate rebounding claim in the paint.  In other words, he’s no Mozgov. Going on his ninth season, Jeffries is a career 4.3 rebound a game guy. In the 18 games he suited up for Houston this season, he averaged 1.5 points, 0.2 blocks, and 1.9 rebounds per night.

Maybe we’re asking the wrong question here. Instead of “What big men are out there?”, should we be asking “Do the Knicks need a true center?”. Looking back at Mike D’Antoni’s days in Phoenix, specifically the three season period of 2004-2007, who was his center? In 2004, our new friend Amar’e was a 22-year-old who managed to squeeze 26 and nine from his hardly “center” caliber frame. The short list of fellow big guys in the years that followed looked like this: 6′ 9″ Kurt Thomas, 6′ 11″ Pat Burke, and 6′ 10″ Sean Marks. That’s pretty much it. Until the fun stopped with the acquirement of Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix ran up and down the floor, night in and night out, leading the league in points per game as well as pace (number of possessions per 48 minutes) each and every year.  There was no time for a seven foot behemoth to lug his body back and forth. Shots went up fast and possessions rarely lasted longer than 10 seconds.

This team is built in a more traditional way, especially with the additions of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups—a point guard who probably couldn’t run Mike D’Antoni’s system the way Nash once did—and the big question right now is whether the new players will adapt to the system or if the system will make the proper amends. For arguments sake let’s say  the former option wins. Putting Amar’e at the center spot, with Turiaf and Jeffries as his backups, the Knicks could try their best at a run and gun style. The reverberations would ripple throughout the team—with Toney Douglas increasing his minutes and Carmelo Anthony taking over at the four—mostly on the defensive side of the ball, but that’s a price those mid-2000 teams in Phoenix paid. (If it weren’t for the uber-patient San Antonio Spurs and their Goliath, Tim Duncan, Phoenix might have seen a championship ring or two.) In the end, at least for the rest of this season, it looks like the Knicks might not have the personnel to run either system as efficiently as they’d like. In which case, based on possible playoff opponents, they should go all out. (Let me be remiss in my refusal to take into account Amar’e Stoudemire’s knees. I know it’s a problem, but how much hurt could 30 games bring?)

The only Eastern Conference playoff team with any legitimate big man threat is Orlando. A team that just so happens to be fading right before our eyes. Boston is large but Kendrick Perkins-less, and figure to be better than New York regardless of any big man dilemma; Chicago has some length with Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, but those two are more worrisome on the defensive end; Atlanta has nobody; Miami has nobody; and every other playoff team with any size at all (Milwaukee, Indiana) likely won’t face the Knicks. So there you have it. If the Knicks want to grab a good chunk of real estate this year—mind you there shouldn’t be any pressure on them to do so—they should invoke their inner Phoenix Suns and shoot the ball like it’s 2005.

If you haven’t already given that clip three or four views, go ahead and watch it one more time. Was that Chauncey Billups? The same Chauncey Billups who hasn’t—deservedly so—been referred to as Mr. Big Shot in almost three years? The same Chauncey Billups who’s been in this league long enough to say he was drafted by Rick Pitino? Isn’t he washed up? Wasn’t he a throw in? A Raymond Felton downgrade?

Yes, the man is 34-years-old; creaky in the knees and long in the tooth. But underneath the blanket that was Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, Billups has quietly put together one of his most efficient seasons. Right now he’s shooting career bests from behind the three-point line and the charity stripe (43 and 92 percent, respectively), he’s slightly raised his field goal percentage to 43.6 percent from last year’s 41.8, and his points per 36 minutes is at 18.5, the third best its ever been. (For the record, his career high in this category is 20.6. It occurred last season when Chauncey was a 33-year-old All-Star.) Not that it’s news to anyone, but Billups is a seasoned playoff veteran who’s most noted for a 2004 NBA Finals MVP nod.  He averaged 35.4 minutes a night that year. This season? 32.3, including a 33 minute, 21 point, eight assist, six rebound debut with the Knicks.

The primary point of all those jumbled numbers, decimal points, and statistical figures is to analyze just how great Billups can be for this team. His eight trips to conference finals as a starting point guard is historically impressive, and it should be noted that Carmelo didn’t see any postseason success until Chauncey came to town. While everyone’s counting down the days until Chris Paul swings into Madison Square Garden to take over as the team’s floor general, Chauncey Billups is the type of player who can make a fan base believe nothing’s sweeter than living in the present.

ESPN’s Scoop Jackson breaks things down nicely:

For the short time that he may be with the Knicks, it will be Billups who makes the giving up of “too much” for Melo justifiable. Nothing against Raymond Felton (traded to Denver as part of the deal) or any other high-profile point guard whom Knicks owner James Dolan might want to bring in beginning in 2012, which is when $14 million of Billups’ salary can come off the books. But when you are trying to win — when you are trying to be a part of the latest NBA trend of stacking squads — there’s something to be said about a Hall of Fame-caliber vet who has Finals MVP experience (2004 with the Pistons) being at the helm of a squad that has no Finals experience.

Few point guards can stabilize the flow of a game like Billups—he’s like a walking time-out. After a 13 year career spanning across five different citiesy, Billups should be used to the dreaded trade—just 50 games into his rookie year, he was dealt by Boston, and Pitino, to Toronto. Getting traded is always harsh. Your confidence tanks as you wonder why your bosses don’t want you anymore.  Is there something else you could’ve done? After all the hard work you’ve put forth, they’re moving you? Billups knows all about it, and he’s never let it shake him.  Off the top of my head I can’t think of anybody in league history more talented or valuable to be traded or declined a contract extension more often than Billups.

This time it seems different, though. The five-time All-Star is nearing the end of a great career, and all signs point to him wishing he could’ve seen it end in Denver. When a player gets traded, all involved parties like to say the league’s a business, that they understood that going in and will carry no hard feelings or personal baggage in their back pocket.  But in this case, Denver’s management is doing a 180. Rare apologies were issued, and for just a moment, the cold world of professional sports was doused with a soft spray of sentimentality. But Chauncey isn’t going back to Denver—at least not not anytime before June—and that’s good news for the Knicks. They’ll need him.

When a team has two superstars who each require the basketball in their hands to govern, an experienced point guard who can’t be intimidated is a necessary component for success. Billups is the straw that stirs the drink, and should they win a playoff series he’ll be recognized as the most notable reason why.

I’ll let Howard Beck close this one out:

Professionally, Billups is embracing the challenge, however long it lasts. His contract has one year left, at $14.2 million, but it can be bought out for $3 million, a move that would open up salary-cap room. Or the Knicks could hold on to him until 2012, when they hope to pursue Chris Paul or Deron Williams. Billups is hoping for clarity soon. His heart may be in Denver, but his passion is now streaked in orange and blue, and there could be no better place to close out a storied career.

“You look at the excitement, you look at the youth, the athleticism, the guys that we have,” Billups said. “And what we can do this year and even next year going forward, man, why not?”

Ronny Turiaf Upon Realizing He's The Only Center In New York

By way of comparison, the Knicks humongous, blockbuster trade of just 48 hours ago is, like, totally ancient news. Before yesterday’s deadline struck at 3 p.m., a bajillion deals went down: the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics changed their identity, the Oklahoma City Thunder became a contender, the Nets landed their first franchise player in almost 40 years, Hasheem Thabeet was moved for an actual player, the Trail Blazers managed to grab a momentary Brandon Roy stop gap, and so on and so on. What didn’t happen, however, was the Knicks acquisition of a big guy. As their roster stands, New York has one true center: Ronny Turiaf. Which means nobody on the team is taller than 6′ 10″. Check back later today for an explanation on how they can fix this minor dilemma, but first let’s dive into today’s links.

* Could the Knicks have landed Deron Williams, too?

* The league’s second most uproarious rookie gives thanks to all those in the heavens above for allowing him an extended stay in New York.

* A minor preview of tonight’s game against Cleveland. (A more detailed post from us to come later.)

* A toast to Gallinari; the great wild card of the Carmelo deal.

* Tired of Chris Paul rumors? Of course you aren’t! But New Orleans probably is.

* Can one of the more overlooked newcomers fit in?

* Look for our detailed piece on Chauncey Billups later today. For now, read this. You won’t be disappointed having this guy on your team.

* The Chicago Tribune, and three other corners of the country, thinks the Knicks absolutely hosed Denver.

* So do the Denver Nuggets.

* Welcome back Jared Jeffries? This should be fun.

* The Knicks will likely cut ties with Renaldo Balkman. What. A. Shame.

Last night, in his long awaited and much anticipated debut with the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds—leading his team in both categories.  The performance wasn’t overwhelming but it was impressive, and with it comes the serious weight of expectations.  This is New York. A place where the response to a 27 and 10 tally against Milwaukee will soon snowball into a “so where’s the 30, 15, and 8 nightly line?” outcry.  But, for one night, the people seem content. And so here we give you our daily links. Spoiler Alert! A lot of people are really excited.

* Let’s start with the basics.

* This will send chills down your spine. Guaranteed.

* Can the Knicks reach Yankee status?

* Funny, but let’s hope this isn’t you.

* Bloomberg gets in on the action.

* Isiah Thomas involvement is obviously the most worrisome, incredibly damaging long-term scenario any team, person, or fan base could ever have. But is it true? And why does James Dolan squint so much?

*When I said a lot of people were really excited, this guy wasn’t one of them.

* Neither is Rick Reilly.

* Last night was great for New York, and better for the Knicks. But how does Carmelo fit into D’Antoni’s offensive system?

* Let’s not forget Mr. Big Shot. While he may be 34 and on the decline, Billups is a better shooter and decision maker than Raymond Felton. Whether or not his legs can hold up is another story.

Despite rumors, Knicks can still land Carmelo Anthony

Despite all the rumors eternally linking Denver and New Jersey, the New York Knicks (Anthony’s preferred team) can still pull off a trade for the star Small Forward, without giving up prized forward Wilson Chandler.

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Yesterday Team USA won gold at the World Championship, and if you don't think that's impressive or surprising, you couldn't be more wrong. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

The reaction from many friends when I’ve mentioned the US won the World Championship Sunday has ranged from “What is it?  I didn’t even know it was going on?” to “Big whoop.”  Even though less knowledgeable (or more blindly patriotic) people assumed of course we should win, that was far from fact heading into this thing.  Many didn’t even consider us the favorite.  So for the less-obsessed hoops fan out there, let’s go over the seven key points that made this victory so dang impressive and surprising:

1) We hadn’t won the World Championship in 16 years, and for the rest of the world the World Championship is a bigger deal than the Olympics.

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Carmelo recently got married in NYC. Ya figure, while he's here he might as well just stay and join the Knicks, no? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Yesterday Carmelo Anthony officially stated his uncertainty about remaining a Denver Nugget.  The team has offered him a $65 million extension, and as Melo said:

“at this point in time, I have to do what’s best for me and my family.  I’m just taking my time, figuring out if I want to take that extension or not.”

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It doesn't matter if you hate Chicago's Derrick Rose. As a Knicks' fan you should root for him to expose Cleveland's Mo Williams so that a certain King will get frustrated and wanna leave the Cavs. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

It’s Fan Appreciation 101 to root for your team to win, but as anyone who’s taken higher classes in Team Supportation knows, that’s just the tip o’ the iceberg.  Sometimes you gotta see the larger picture, which may require you to hope your team actually loses for say a better draft position.  The Indiana Pacers finished the season playing some of their best ball, but that annoyed many true-blooded Indy fans since it destroyed their lottery chances.  Other times, you may root for your team to lose so that the owner finally wises up and sees it has to fire that crappy coach or GM (or both — hello Isiah Thomas and Mike Dunleavy Sr.).

Frequently, as a member of the faithful, you may even have to root for outcomes in games featuring other teams.  Say you’re battling for the 8th seed in the playoffs, then you gotta watch the games involving the other teams in the battle so you can root against them.  Or maybe you’re assured of being in the playoffs, but you know you match up against one team better than another.  Now you gotta cheer for the right teams to win and the wrong ones to lose all so that everything falls perfectly for your one true team.

However, with the Knicks’ eliminated from the playoffs long-ago, what’s a Knick fan to root for?  Things that will help us out in free agency.  I spent the last month of the regular season caring less about the Knicks’ wins/loss total than about the outcome of the Raptors/Bulls’ battle for the final playoff spot.  I figured that if the Raptors don’t make the playoffs, then surely Chris Bosh’s chances of remaining in Toronto drop rapidly.  Does this mean he’s a sure-fire Knick, or even that he’s my top choice?  No, but I like to improve my odds as much as possible.  Had the Pacers finished with the fifth worst record instead of the tenth, they still might not have won the lottery, but it wouldn’t have hurt.

Thus, for a true Knick fan, here are the things for which we should be rooting in order to increase our chances during the free agency period:

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With a few of them likely to sit out this summer so they don’t injure themselves before they get a new contract (in other words the guys the Knicks would chase after: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, plus A’mare Stoudamire who made the pool too), it does provide some openings.  Not to mention that say a banged up Kobe might need to take the summer off to get his body healthy again.  Of course, included in those free agents-to-be are none other than David Lee, so he himself might have to bow out.  Oh, and another thing in Lee’s favor is that once again the Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni will be one of the assistant coaches on the USA team.  It’s always nice having someone on the inside to help plead your case.

Anyway, the remaining invitees include the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups, LA Lakers’ Lamar Odom, plus a who’s-who of all the young and upcoming players in the NBA according to ESPN: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (pretty much a lock to make the final roster since he almost made it last time and he’s only gotten better), Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose,

Minnesota‘s Al Jefferson and Kevin Love; Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo of Memphis; Philadelphia‘s Andre Iguodala; Boston‘s Kendrick Perkins; Indiana‘s Danny Granger; New York‘s David Lee; New Jersey center Brook Lopez; Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook; Portland‘s LaMarcus Aldridge; Charlotte‘s Gerald Wallace; and Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

The Americans will choose a group from the roster to take part in their minicamp in Las Vegas in July. They are expected to play an exhibition game in New York before heading to Turkey for the world championships, which they haven’t won since 1994.

Let me explain.

The Boston Celtics are likely to advance as Stern just will not have a Magic/Cavs ECF matchup because of the ratings, but Celtics/Cavs is going to be heated and physical. Watching the Celtics get through each round is painful because I’m having to watch one of the most unlikeable teams in NBA history (I went there) advance with players like Kevin Garnett making a fool of himself on the bench, Rondo decapitating wiggers, and Paul Pierce being Paul Pierce. Oh, and who could forget Glenn “Big Baby” Davis and his immature antics on a nightly basis, he certainly has filled in well for KG in that sense. So if the Celtics repeat, I’ll be sick to my stomach.

The Cavs winning a championship is the last thing we need to have happen because once LeBron gets that ring that drops his likelyhood to bolt to New York significantly. He wants rings and if he gets one in Cleveland then you can expect he’ll stay unless we can lure another superstar to NY to join him. So a Cavs/Celtics ECF is a huge loss in my mind.

The Magic aren’t even relevant anymore as there is no chance of them winning games 6 and 7. Stan Van Gundy is one of the most annoying coaches in the game and for his horrible play calling they deserve to be eliminated. You live and die by your jumpshot in Orlando, even though you have the best post player in the game today. Van Gundy doesn’t fit with Howard and must be gone at the end of the season.

Then we have the Denver Nuggets, the team I’m pulling for, really emerging this postseason as contenders. Melo has played out of his mind, Billups has been his playoff self, and the post presence has put them over the top. This team is scary when they’re hot and with each win you have to like their chances over the shaky Lakers. But how soon do people forget George Karl is their coach, and I really don’t want to see Karl get a ring. I’ve never thought highly of him as a coach and I don’t believe he has been the reason this team is succeeding, it’s Chauncey Billups and his leadership. Maybe I’d be ok with them getting a ring if Karl gives his to Iverson for bringing in one of the best playoff players ever.

The Lakers finish off my list. Oh how confusing this team really is. With Bynum back in the starting lineup they look rejuvenated, but for how long? This team is too inconsistent to consider them the favorites. This team really hasn’t shined like I expected them too thus far and feel this team hasn’t lived up to their potential. Kobe’s window is closing quickly and he must realize this is do or die time and if he doesn’t get his title this season then he may never get his ring without Shaq.

Well, there you have it. My playoff thoughts all discombobulated into one post.