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

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

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) May 14, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then there were Smith’s comments.

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

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

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

The immaturity didn’t stop there though.

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

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

Naturally Smith and some other Knicks did exactly that.

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

Championship teams don’t act like this.

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

Championship teams let their play do their talking for them.

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

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

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

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

That’s the case here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He’s done so much more than that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That is the recipe for winning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that’s only the beginning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A little bit.

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

They are off to a good start so far.

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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-

Mar 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) dunks against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It has been a long while since the New York Knicks could claim that they have held a lead in a postseason series, but that is exactly the case after the Knicks 85-78 to kick off the postseason on Saturday.

The Knicks defense was a big part of the Game 1 victory, but if you looked closely, something was missing for most of the second half- 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler.

In his return to the lineup, Chandler saw only six minutes in the second half, as Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson elected to lean heavily on Kenyon Martin, who was outstanding Saturday afternoon.

It would be nice to see more of Chandler in the paint though the rest of the series, something he promises will happen as he blamed the lack of action on conditioning.

“I knew I would be rusty. I knew I would be a little winded. I knew at some point my legs would get the best of me,” Chandler told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “I just wanted to be out there with my team.”

“I think more so it’s just my conditioning,” he said. “I should obviously be much better in Game 2 [on Tuesday].”

Before Saturday, Chandler had missed 16 of the Knicks final 20 regular season games due to a neck injury. Taking the court for the first time in over two weeks, Chandler looked rusty and his timing was off at both ends of the floor.

He finished with five rebounds and one steal, but did not attempt a shot.

He wasn’t missed much with the way Martin played, but to win this series and make a lengthy playoff run, the Knicks are going to need a lot from Chandler.

The good news was that he said he was pain-free.

Now we just have to see more from him during the upcoming weeks.

With the Knicks victory over the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They also got more good news on the injury front.

Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) dunks the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley before the Pacers game that big men Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin will be ready to go when the postseason begins.

“They will be there, yes,” Woodson said.

But the good news doesn’t stop there, as Woodson may also have the services of Rasheed Wallace for the postseason.

Wallace has not played since Dec. 13 due to a stress fracture in his right foot and Woodson said Wallace has been running for the past few days. There is also a good chance the 38-year-old will play in the Knicks’ game Monday in Charlotte.

Chandler and Martin won’t play the rest of the regular season in order to continue to allow their most recent injuries to heal.

Chandler has missed four consecutive games and 14 of the past 18 due to a bulging disk in his neck, while Martin has missed the past three games with a sprained left ankle and five of the last six.

In other injury news, Woodson also expects Marcus Camby, who has missed the past six games with a left fascia injury, to be ready when the playoffs begin.

As for Amar’e Stoudemire, there has been no update on a potential return for the postseason, which looks all but doubtful at this point.

The Knicks will face the Boston Celtics in the first round, which is expected to begin on April 20.

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However, what’s developing now, is that the shoulder-load of healthy players has increased to stressful levels due to the dwindling ranks. The Knicks’ short-handedness up front last night in Chicago led to Carmelo Anthony, Chris Copeland, and J.R. Smith playing heavy minutes out of position. Fortunately, the Bulls were without two of their big men in Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, so the Knicks weren’t too badly beaten up by considerably larger opponents.

However, because of the short rotation – James White was the only active player not to get off the bench last night – important players are logging heavy minutes. Carmelo Anthony played 45 of the 53 total minutes, J.R. Smith played for 42 minutes, and Jason Kidd, a player who clearly plays better when given rest, logged 37 minutes. Raymond Felton almost played the entire game – 49 minutes – and strained his knee on the opening tip of overtime. Though Felton has claimed that he’ll play tonight, the Knicks now have another important player limping into the regular season’s finale.

According to multiple sources, the Knicks will cut Kurt Thomas today in order to sign Solomon Jones, which will at least add one more healthy big body into the mix. Jones had had a few stints as a third string big man in the NBA, and may actually see some minutes if Chandler and Martin don’t play the four remaining games in the regular season.

Going into Cleveland to play tonight, the second night of a back-to-back, the Knicks aren’t even in a position to rest their top guns. Even if they were willing to concede loss and rest, say, Felton and Anthony, that would leave only seven active players, assuming Jones won’t be with the team yet. Again, the problem remains that missing players from the rotation only further adds to the burden of the healthy players and puts them at risk of injuring themselves by playing heavy minutes.

The absence of Chandler and Martin has seriously hurt the Knicks as both players have become part of New York’s most used, most efficient lineups. Chandler, of course, provides the backbone of the defense, a threat in the pick-and-roll, and presence on the offensive boards to give the Knicks new possessions. Martin, in his short time in New York, has become a physical presence, capable of finishing around the basket, and while he’s not an integral part of the Knicks’ defense, surprisingly, he does his best to protect the basket, and he’s able to switch onto smaller players.

If Felton is indeed seriously injured, it’s obvious how it will affect the Knicks’ currently scorching offense, and furthermore, their overall rotations.

Right now the Knicks are in a precarious position between wanting to win games and retain the second seed, and trying to keep players healthy. It’s an unenviable position for coach Mike Woodson, and one that could face serious repercussions either way. Just get healthy, Knicks. Please.

However if they plan on running that streak to 14 games, they will have to do so very short handed.

ESPN’s Ian Begley is reporting that both Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin have already been ruled out for that game, while Marcus Camby is listed as doubtful.

#Knicks say Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin are out for tomorrow at Chicago. Marcus Camby is listed as doubtful.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 10, 2013

Apr 9, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 120-99. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Martin, who returned to the Knicks lineup on Tuesday after sitting out two games, severely sprained his ankle while seeing questionable fourth quarter minutes with the Knicks already leading the Washington Wizards by 24 points at the time.

Chandler meanwhile will be held out with a bulging disc in his neck. It will mark the second consecutive game the All-Star center has missed and Chandler’s 12th missed game in the past 16.

With Chandler and Martin joining the likes of Camby, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas on the shelf, the Knicks certainly don’t match up well against the Bulls.

New York is 0-3 on the season against the Bulls, who have had the advantage in the paint so far this season against the Knicks.

Chicago is a team that the Knicks simply don’t match up well against as they are bigger and more physical and will certainly use that to their advantage against what will certainly be a very small Knicks team on Thursday.

With Chris Copeland and Carmelo Anthony the two biggest Knicks going against a very tough Bulls’ frontline, it will take another outstanding shooting game from behind the arc for the streak to reach 14.

However at this point, the streak isn’t nearly as important as getting the Knicks big men healthy for the postseason.

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Knicks’ forward Kenyon Martin returned to the lineup after missing a pair of games with a left knee injury, but had to leave the contest with a sprained left ankle.

Apr 9, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson comes to check on power forward Kenyon Martin (3) after he is injury during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 120-99. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Martin was listed as questionable before the game, but the Knicks elected to run him out there as he was the only big man in uniform with Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace already injured.

The injury occurred at the start of the fourth quarter and X-rays were negative.

“He’s just got a severe sprain,” Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling  ”It’s a possibility he’s out for Thursday [against the Bulls].”

Before the game Woodson said that Martin would be restricted to only 20 minutes because of the knee injury, and while he played only 18 on Tuesday night, K-Mart was on the floor in the fourth quarter with the Knicks holding a 24 point lead.

“In hindsight, maybe I should’ve pulled him out, but I can’t sit here and cry over it,” Woodson also told Zwerling. “It happened and I’ve just got to get him back. That’s the bottom line.”

It’s like a broken record with all of the injuries this team has had to suffer through this season.

But one thing is for sure and that’s the fact that the Knicks need their bigs healthy when the postseason begins.

With only five regular season games remaining, the goal for the rest of the season isn’t continuing the current winning streak, although it would be nice. The top priority has to be getting the big men healthy.

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Knicks center Tyson Chandler (bulging disc) is doubtful for tonight’s game while backup big man Kenyon Martin is listed as “questionable” because of his sore left knee. In addition, Marcus Camby (plantar fasciitis) is out once again.

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With Chandler, Martin and Camby likely joining Amar’e Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace on the sidelines, that leaves Chris Copeland and Carmelo Anthony as the Knicks biggest players and they aren’t conventional bigs by any stretch of the imagination, but will be forced to play against physical big men like Emeka Okafor and Nenê.

Chandler missed 10 games with the neck injury and looked good for the first time since his return on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He moved well and finished with 15 points and added five rebounds and two blocks.

Now the question has to be asked of is this just a precaution that Chandler is getting some rest or his neck injury more serious than originally thought?

As for Martin, this could be the third consecutive game he has missed with the knee issue, but don’t expect K-Mart out for too long, although the 35-year old would like to return to the lineup Tuesday night.

“Yeah, definitely. I just don’t want to risk nothing,” Martin said, according to Newsday. “Doc said she was expecting that, at some point. It’s better now than two weeks from now.”

As for Martin sitting out the rest of the season and resting for the playoffs?

Not a chance in the world.

“Oh, hell no,” Martin said. “Hell no. Not at all.”

If Martin and Chandler are forced to miss the game against the Wizards, it wouldn’t be anything new for Knicks head coach Mike Woodson who has had to juggle lineups and rotations all season long.

He may have to pull another rabbit out of the hat for the Knicks streak to continue.

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The Knicks have listed Kenyon Martin (sore left knee) and Marcus Camby (left plantar fasciitis) as doubtful for their game against the Thunder on Sunday afternoon in Oklahoma City.

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) drives to the basket as Miami Heat power forward Chris Andersen (11) defends during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Playing in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder are an impressive 33-5 on the season, certainly will represent the toughest challenge the Knicks have had to date on their current streak.

The Thunder have  an impressive frontcourt which will be tough to matchup against as they start Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, while bringing the likes of Nick Collison off the bench.  The Knicks on the other hand could be without five big men: Martin, Camby, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas. That means Tyson Chandler, who has said he is feeling much better coming off of  a  neck injury, will have his hands full as the Knicks only healthy big man.

If Martin misses Sunday’s game, it will be the second consecutive game he has missed due to the knee, but Knicks head coach Mike Woodson called the reason for Martin’s rest “precautionary.”

“His knee is sore,”  Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. ”It could be because he didn’t have camp and he’s played a few back-to-back games. And when Tyson was out, I was playing him because I was desperate and didn’t know where else to go.”

As for Camby, this is expected by now as  the  free agent contract  that the Knicks gave him during the offseason has turned into a bust as the veteran has played in only 24 of the Knicks 75 games this season.

The last time the two teams squared off the Knicks lost by one point, but were without the services of Carmelo Anthony, who sat out the game with a right knee injury.

Speaking of Anthony, he could pass Durant in the scoring race with a big game on Sunday as Durant is averaging 28.4 points per game, while ‘Melo is right on his heels at 28.3.

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But following their win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson and his coaching staff may not have a choice, especially when it comes to big men Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) smiles on the court against the Miami Heat during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

However Woodson did offer up some good news on Thursday when he said that he expected both Chandler and Martin to be fine.

“I think they’re going to be fine. We were cautious with Kenyon last night and came back with Tyson [late in the win over the Hawks]. [We're] trying to keep Tyson’s minutes not so heavy until he gets his legs and everything fully back under him,” Woodson said Thursday in an interview with ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show (via ESPN’s Ian Begley).” “I feel good about Tyson. I feel good about K-Mart. We’ve just got to make sure that they’re ready when the playoffs start.”

That’s certainly good to hear from Woodson.

Martin sat out the final 10 minutes of the Atlanta game due to a sore right knee. After the game he told reporters that he had been battling the injury for a few days and could not say with any certainty if he’d play Friday against Milwaukee.

As for Chandler, the All-Star returned to the lineup Tuesday night in Miami after previously missing 10 consecutive games. Chandler looked to be in some pain Wednesday night. He left the game in the first half, clutching his chest and said that he was stiff due to the neck injury and could not guarantee that he’d be in the lineup Friday night.

“It’s tough trying to look up at the ball for rebounds or lobs,” Chandler told Begley. “It’s thrown my timing off. I’m just a little stiff right now. I’m not as mobile. I’m not there. I’m not myself moving around like I normally would.”

Now that’s bad news for the Knicks who are already without Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas. If Martin and Chandler can’t go, it makes an already thin frontcourt even thinner.

The Knicks have listed both Chandler and Martin as questionable for Friday’s game against the Bucks, which could be simply a precaution as Woodson said he believed both Chandler and Martin would play before the postseason.

It’s tough to lose anyone right now as the Knicks currently sit just a half-game ahead of the Indiana Pacers for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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Feb. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) celebrates after winning the game 109-105 against the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, Knicks center Tyson Chandler says small bulging disk in his neck felt better and he was eyeing a Tuesday return against the East-leading Miami Heat.

“It became excruciating honestly to where it kind of couldn’t even move,” Chandler told ESPN’s Ian Begley. “But after a while of letting it calm down, then it came to where I could walk around but couldn’t sit for long periods of time or move without spasming up or catching pain,” Chandler said. “This is the best I’ve felt since, so I’ve been optimistic that it’s been getting better.”

Having Chandler, who has missed  the past 10 games, back in the lineup will be big if the Knicks are to continue rolling. If he does return, suddenly the Knicks will have a scary frontline with Chandler and Kenyon Martin. Chandler has averaged 10.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.1 block, while shooting 64.5 percent from the floor. Martin has been pretty good filling in for Chandler, averaging 9.9 points on 69.4 percent shooting during the winning streak, along with averages of six rebounds and around a block and steal.

While playing them together gives the Knicks a pair of pretty efficient offensive big men, it’s defensively where they will make the biggest impact, as they can make teams think twice about taking the ball to the basket.

But while Chandler is confident he can return to the lineup, the Knicks aren’t so confident.

The All-Star center went through a workout on Monday before the Knicks flew  to Miami and the Knicks are still listing him as questionable.

His status against Miami will officially be determined after shootaround on Tuesday morning.

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Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks as a whole have has the injury bug pretty bad this season, and this has caused Mike Woodson to practically never work with a 100 percent healthy roster. This has caused Anthony to play both small forward and power forward this season.

Going forward into the playoffs with this current team, I think it would be best if Anthony played at the 3.

The addition of Kenyon Martin proves to be more valuable every single game. Seriously, what would this team’s frontcourt look without him?

It’s sad to say but the Amar’e Stoudemire injury was expected. We knew it was coming sooner or later. It was a nightmare to watch Tyson Chandler go down and the Knicks can’t wait to get him back on the court.

When the season started, I loved when Melo played the 4. He spread the floor with his lights out shooting and bullied his way to the rim. But when Chandler returns, the Knicks have no choice but to start Martin at the 4.

Anthony still causes problems for basically any 3 in the league since he is one of the best scorers in the league.

When Chandler comes back, a frontcourt of Anthony, Martin, and Chandler gives the Knicks everything they  need. Chandler and Martin will be relentless on the defensive side of the ball and clean up the boards, while Anthony is a world-class scorer.

Melo will be effective wherever you put him on the court. The offense runs through him but with some real big men on the court, I believe it’s best for him to line up at the 3.

Mar 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) shoots a free throw during the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 110-84. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Since Chandler went down on that awful night in Denver, K-Mart as stepped in and started the last seven games.

The Knicks are 5-2 since then, rolling off five straight victories. With 18 and 19 points scored against the Toronto Raptors on back-to-back nights, Martin is showing he deserves to stay in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

Martin has been all attitude and heart ever since he came in to the league. Growing up in New York and during the Nets’ Finals runs, I’ve seen firsthand what K-Mart is capable of doing. That might have been nearly a decade ago, but age doesn’t wear down your determination and heart on the court.

He will get into foul trouble due to his aggressive defensive style but you have to love how he plays on the defensive side of the ball. When Chandler is healthy, Martin and Chandler are going to have players think twice before driving into the paint.

Martin’s point totals have increased every game since he has been inserted into the starting lineup. Knicks fans can’t be expecting Martin to put up 20 and 10 night in and night out, but consistency and minutes is what we are asking for.

As long as he is playing consistent, with passion, and shows flashes of the old Kenyon Martin, there’s no reason why Mike Woodson would take him out of the starting lineup.

Sometimes when opportunity presents itself you have to take advantage of it and that is exactly what Martin has been doing.

Mar 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) shoots a free throw during the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 110-84. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

K-Mart sat around unsigned this season until the trade deadline when the Knicks came calling. Once they did, Martin’s recent play isn’t just about helping his new team win, it’s also about auditioning for a job next season. With what he has done as of late, there is no way that Martin won’t be on some team’s roster at the beginning of next season.

He hopes it is with the Knicks.

Martin has made his feeling felt about wanting to return to the Big Apple next season, but going forward you have to wonder if the feeling will be mutual.

With Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace likely to retire at the end of the season and Amar’e Stoudemire and Marcus Camby continually banged up, the need will be there as the Knicks could certainly use a post presence such as K-Mart at both ends of the floor.

Martin works very well in the pick-and-roll, excels on put backs and alongside Tyson Chandler, helps the Knicks protect the rim very well.

But at the end of the day, it will all come down to money.

The Knicks likely won’t be able to offer Martin much more than the minimum next season, even if a couple of their current vets hang up their sneakers.

J.R. Smith has a player option for next season and with the year he is having, he is all but assured to opt out and seek much more than the $2.9 million he would be owed.  You would have to think that freeing up some money for Smith will be priority No. 1 in the offseason.

Then there is the fact that Martin will be 36 next season.

Watching the injuries pile up this season, you have to wonder if the Knicks will shy away from aging veterans in the future, even if Mike Woodson prefers them over younger players.

There is a reason that Martin sat out most of the season and that is the fact that he was seeking a contract that matched what he felt his value was. Now that he is proving his value, you would have to think that some team will throw Martin decent money next year. Unfortunately, given the fact that they are above the tax line, it likely won’t be the Knicks.

K-Mart is a guy that I would love to see back with the Knicks next season, but the better he plays the remainder of the season; he just may be playing his way out of the Big Apple.

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However that hasn’t been the case at all, due large in part to Kenyon Martin moving into the starting lineup.

Mar 22, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin (3) reacts to a call against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The results speak for themselves as the K-Mart led defense has looked more like it did earlier in the season when the Knicks came out of the gates to an 18-5 start.

With Chandler out, the Knicks have held four of their past five opponents under 95 points. Saturday, they held Toronto to 84 points and held the Raptors’ guards in check. Fourteen of Toronto’s 18 turnovers were the result of Knicks steals and the Raps shot just 4-for-23 from behind the arc. The two biggest weaknesses of the Knicks defense are defending the opposing point guard and recognizing opposing shooters on the perimeter.

Now you may be a bit confused on exactly how much Martin has helped this team, but his contributions have been far greater than the 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds he has averaged through 11 games (six starts).

Defensively K-Mart has made everyone better mostly because he doesn’t need much help. His toughness and intensity have rubbed off on everyone and he could turn out to be exactly the shot in the arm that the Knicks needed as they were a very flat team coming home from their recent five-game road trip.

With Martin in the starting lineup, the Knicks have gone 4-2 and more importantly have won games while allowing Chandler to heal.

The drop-off between the two isn’t as great as one would think though. Chandler is the much better rebounder and overall defender, but K-Mart has filled his shoes rather nicely. Chandler has posted a PER of 19.4 on the season, while Martin isn’t far behind at 18.1, which actually is a bit of a surprise.

When you look at Per 36 minutes numbers, Chandler is averaging 11.7 points and 12.0 rebounds. During the same span, K-Mart is averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.

The sample size is rather small for Martin, but if I am Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, I am thrilled with the production.

What Martin has done is give the Knicks a late season boost and the spark he has provided seems to have the Knicks back on track for the moment.

K-Mart could (and should) remain in the starting lineup when Chandler returns. By sliding Martin to the 4 and moving Carmelo Anthony back to the 3, it moves Martin to his natural position and sures up the Knicks defense, especially in the block where Anthony would no longer have to guard bigger players.

Moving Anthony away from the block offensively won’t hurt as much as people may think as the Knicks will have a pair of very efficient big men, who can score in the paint. Chandler leads the NBA, shooting 64.5 percent from the floor, while K-Mart is shooting 62.7 percent.

Martin will play a major role on this team in the postseason, which looked highly unlikely for a guy who barely got off the bench during his pair of 10-day contracts.

He may not be the star in this league that he once was, but Martin has rejuvenated his career in the Big Apple. One thing is for sure and that’s because of his recent play, Martin won’t be waiting until March to sign with a team next year.

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Thursday night’s 105-90 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers means the Knicks have lost their last three contests by an average of 22.3 points.

This one came without the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, who joined Amar’e Stoudemire on the sidelines with injuries. It’s hard to compete when your best three players aren’t on the floor, but the Knicks competed for a bit before a 13-0 Portland run gave them a 51-48 halftime lead.

March 14, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball on New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 105-90. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

By the end of the third quarter all Blazers starters scored in double figures and J.J. Hickson had a nice line of 12 points and 15 rebounds.

New York made it interesting in the fourth quarter, pulling within seven with just over six minutes left, but the Blazers stuck the fork in the Knicks with an 8-0 spurt in just over a minute.

Without Chandler in the lineup, the Blazers shot 51.3 percent from the floor and scored 40 points in the paint.

Here’s a look at how each Knicks player graded out in another disappointing loss.

Raymond Felton (11 points, 4-of-12 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals)

Felton does not look very good on the floor very often anymore. He was the only true starter on the floor last night and the Knicks needed a big game from him, but he scored only four points and dished out three assists in the first half. When the team makes 36 shots from the floor and your point guard finishes with only three assists, it speaks volumes about your offense. In addition Felton continues to get torched by opposing point guards as Damian Lillard finished with 26 points and 10 assists. Grade: C-

Iman Shumpert (6 points, 3-of-9 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist)

It would have been nice to see back-to-back good performances from Shump, but that didn’t happen as the second-year guard continues to struggle at both ends of the floor. He was a non-factor offensively and when he took his turn guarding Lillard, the results weren’t much better than Felton’s. Grade: D+

Chris Copeland (9 points, 3-of-8 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

Mike Woodson started Copeland instead of James White hoping to take advantage of Copeland’s offensive ability, but Woodson didn’t allow him to become a factor. He scored nine points, but he was the one to go to the bench early for J.R. Smith instead of playing them together. He finished tied for a game-high plus-six rating, which shows how bad everyone else was, but wasn’t put in a good spot to succeed. In addition, a 6’8″ forward has to be able to grab more than one rebound in 21 minutes. Grade: C-

Kurt Thomas (6 points, 3-of-3 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block)

Thomas got the start and played 24 minutes, turning in a very efficient performance. He made all three of his shots and pulled down seven rebounds. I will take that from the oldest player in the NBA.  He also dished out as many assists as Felton did. Grade: B

Kenyon Martin (12 points, 6-of-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block)

Martin started for Chandler and played 31 minutes, which is probably twice as many as he should get. He had a very good first half with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, but slowed considerably in the second half. K-Mart finished with an eye-popping minus-21 rating on the night. Grade: C+

Steve Novak (0 points, 0-of-2 shooting, 1 rebound)

Novak’s minutes continue to go down, playing only nine on the night as he continues to offer very little value.  Grade: F

March 14, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard (11) and New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) battle for a rebound during the third quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 105-90. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Camby (8 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 10 rebounds, 3 assists)

I still believe Camby should get more minutes. He was very solid against the Blazers, scoring eight efficient first half points and grabbed 10 boards in only 19 minutes. Grade: B+

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-8 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Kidd had yet another disappointing night. He played major minutes (34) and didn’t impact the game, throwing up bricks on six of his seven attempts from behind the arc. In addition he only dished out two assists and grabbed two rebounds despite the heavy workload. Definitely a non-Kidd like performance. Grade: D

Pablo Prigioni (2 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals)

Prigioni played 15 minutes and performed nicely, filling the stat sheet during that span. He played good defense and was a plus-six on the night. Grade: B

J.R. Smith (33 points, 11-of-21 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 assists)

Smith was the Knicks only true scoring option and had a decent first half with nine points, but also committed three turnovers. Smith came alive in the second half, but most of his teammates just decided to watch. Most of Smith’s numbers just padded his stats as they came when the game was decided. He did score 33 points, but was also a minus-12 on the night. Grade: B+

Carmelo Anthony: DNP (knee)

Tyson Chandler: DNP (knee)

James White: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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Mar 13, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) reacts during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

In what seems like an event that is a year or two overdue, Carmelo Anthony finally returned to Denver as a visiting player. The homecoming was not as he had planned.  Melo’s troublesome knee acted up, causing an early exit to a game where he never could get it going in a 3/12 shooting, three-turnover performance. Since the injury, his game looks flat, which is both a detriment to himself and the Knicks if he’s not himself. Tyson Chandler also went down early in this one, exiting with a knee injury of his own to add injury to the already depleted front line.

It’s hard to take any positives out of this game, in a night where the Knicks suffered their second consecutive embarrassing loss. The Nuggets fast-paced style allowed for more shots for the Knicks, boosting some individual numbers, but it should not fool anyone into thinking the Knicks were competitive. Denver ran the floor on them all night, even when the reserves were in, and the pace and finishing ability was way too much for the Knicks to keep up with. With the Nuggets daunting home record, a 22-point halftime lead, and no Melo or Chandler, this game was over very early into the night.

Individual grades don’t seem fitting for a performance like this and as I said, positives were hard to come by and also to validate because of how the whole complexion of the game changed, but there are a couple of minor pluses for the Knicks.

Iman Shumpert was a bright spot in putting up a season-high 20 points on 8-10 shooting (4-5 from three). It was only the third time this season that he scored in double digits and a confidence boost for Shump would be huge, as he hasn’t really been able to get it going outside of the first quarter of play this season. With Melo out against the Blazers on a tough road back-to-back, the Knicks would be served well by an increase in offensive production from their young guard.

J.R. Smith was able to post a 15-5-8 line in the loss on 5-12 shooting (3-5 from three). Nothing too out of the ordinary for him, but it’s good to see him bounce back so quickly from the dreadful game he had at Golden State, which saw a poor performance followed by an ejection. He will undoubtedly be relied on heavily with Melo out against Portland, so he will need to be at least somewhat efficient for the Knicks to have a chance.

Mar 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) battles for the loose ball against Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kenyon Martin’s four blocked shots and two steals in just over 20 minutes is maybe the biggest positive to come out of this one. K-Mart stayed aggressive all game, which is something the Knicks have been lacking all season from the big men. With Amar’e out for the time being, you don’t expect K-Mart to come near replacing his offense, but the hustle and defensive capability is something the Knicks can benefit greatly from as long as he stays on the court.

On a whole, the Knicks still get a failing grade on this one and they played some of the most uninspiring basketball seen all season. The Knicks have been nothing more than around a .500 team for the past couple months and that’s a big enough sample size to take it for what it is. They will need both health and major improvements to a team that was so promising early on in order to get back to that status.

Martin played 17 minutes off the bench against the Thunder and followed that up with 22 minutes in Saturday’s blowout win against the Utah Jazz. But while his stats would suggest that he is averaging only 4.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in his three games in a Knicks uniform, his value to this team has been so much greater than that early on.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) steps over Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks were at their best early in the season when Rasheed Wallace was healthy, helping to anchor the second unit defensively. Since Wallace has been out of the lineup, since late December, the Knicks haven’t been the same team defensively.

That could all change though as it looks like K-Mart could thrive in Wallace’s old role.

Martin’s role should increase now that Amar’e Stoudemire will miss the next six weeks and the Knicks should benefit from that.

What made the Knicks good with ‘Sheed in the lineup was the fact that Wallace communicated great defensively.

Martin is a similar player and should have similar results.

He not only communicates defensively, but he defends the pick-and-roll tremendously. In addition Martin is a physical presence guard the post, and is an overall great defender who plays with a high intensity all of the time.

Martin provides a spark off the bench, which seemed to be missing at times and makes things a whole lot easier for Tyson Chandler, as Chandler doesn’t have to scramble and make up for teammates mistakes for 48 minutes. When Chandler and Martin are together on the floor, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year finally has a guy who he can trust with defensive assignments.

The difference between Wallace and Martin though is that K-Mart can defend multiple positions, evident by when Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson used him primarily on the NBA’s leading scorer Kevin Durant for a 13-minute stretch Thursday night.

It’s safe to say that Martin will be in a Knicks uniform for the rest of the season and it’s even safer to assume that K-Mart has found his role for the rest of the season.

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In the middle of his second 10-day contract and only the second time that he has gotten off the bench, you wouldn’t think that his stat line would have drawn rave reviews, but that is exactly what happened thanks to the defensive effort K-Mat gave, often having to guard the NBA’s leading scorer Kevin Durant.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) steps over Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

“Kenyon was huge for us,” coach Mike Woodson told NJ.com’s Alex Raskin. “He gave us a big lift, a guy who hasn’t played much for us. I know I can play him and he can defend a few positions.”

Martin typically would be used to guard in the post because of his toughness, but he was used often to guard Durant on the perimeter and while KD still finished with 34 points, when Martin was checking him he found scoring to be difficult through stretches thanks to the tenacity and toughness that Martin brought to the table.

K-Mart hasn’t played any meaningful minutes since first signing his 10-day contract, which made it a bit surprising that Woodson used his for a 13-minute stretch on one of the game’s best scorers.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen today,” Martin told Raskin. “I was ready. That’s the way I’ve been playing, ever since I picked up a basketball. Just showing them that I still got it–especially on the defensive end. That aint going nowhere.”

Overall his line wasn’t very impressive, scoring four points and grabbing one rebound, but what he brought at the defensive end certainly won his teammates over.

“He played great defensively for us,” Amar’e Stoudemire said. “He provides the leadership on the defensive end.”

“I was glad to see him out there,” center Tyson Chandler also told Raskin. “Durant is a tough matchup for anybody. He brings great energy on both ends.”

“He brings a bruiser,” Raymond Felton added to Raskin. “He can guard one through five. At the same time, when we get knocked on the floor, or put in the ground, you know that he’s going to do it to the other team. It’s always good to have a guy like that.”

Rarely do you find a player who impacts his teammates in such a positive fashion playing only 17 minutes in a loss, but that’s exactly what Martin was able to accomplish.

He’s an old-school player, which is why the fans took to him immediately, but if Martin can do in the future what he did at the defensive end on Thursday, he will become an even bigger favorite both among the fans and his teammates.

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The Knicks once again had problems defending the oppositions point guard, as Russell Westbrook scored 15 first quarter points to eventually give OKC and 11-point lead before Smith got hot by dropping 18 second-quarter points to pull the Knicks within three at 59-56.

A 1-for-14 beginning to the third quarter could have hurt, but the Knicks defended as well as they have all season and only trailed by five before Smith started carrying the team again and eventually got the Knicks a six-point lead.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But the Knicks couldn’t hold it despite one of their best efforts of the season.

New York shot only 40.7 percent from the floor on the night, while allowing OKC to shoot 44.3 percent. In addition the Knicks were outrebounded 42-38 and they dished out only 10 assists on the night which shows how little the ball moved.

With that being said, here’s a look at how each Knicks player graded out in this tough loss.

Raymond Felton (16 points, 6-of-16 shooting, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 4 turnovers)

Felton wasn’t nearly as efficient as he was Wednesday night against Detroit. Twelve of his points came in the first half, but the he missed eight of his next nine shots and ended up just 1-of-8 from three-point range. The turnovers are starting to pile up for Felton and his last one was costly with the Knicks trailing by just one with 90 seconds left. In addition, opposing point guards continue to torch him as the combination of Westbrook and Reggie Jackson combined for 29 points. Grade: C

Iman Shumpert (2 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

Shump looked slow on the second day of a back-to-back and shot the ball poorly. He also did very little to impact the game and once again had the Knicks worst plus-minus rating of minus-11. Grade: D

James White (6 points, 2-of-5 shooting)

White came into the night having started all four games in March, but has averaged just 7.5 minutes and 0.5 points in those contests. I will take a pair of three’s and some decent defense in 12 minutes. Grade: C+

Kurt Thomas (2 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Thomas again started but played only five minutes, but he made a jumper and grabbed a pair of rebounds in that short span. He can’t be asked to do much more in only a couple minutes of playing time. Grade: C

Tyson Chandler (9 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 turnovers)

Chandler had a very slow first half with only just five points and three rebounds, but he was much better in the second half looking like the usual active Chandler. With the way he finishes around the rim, the Knicks have to find a way to get him a more than four shot attempts. I would like to see that number somewhere between seven and eight per night. But other than that it was a productive night from Chandler except his rare four turnovers were costly.  Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire (16 points, 5-of-16 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks)

STAT wasn’t nearly as efficient as he has been during the past few weeks, but still finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Playing 29 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back could have had something to do with that. But he was active at both ends of the floor. Stoudemire was caught sleeping a few times defensively but also made some hustle plays, including a big block of Derek Fisher on a breakaway layup. Grade: B+

J.R. Smith (36 points, 14-of-29 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals)

That was more like it for Smith. He did force a few shots, including the final one, but for the most part he played under control. Smith had to create some for himself but a lot of the time he took shots within the flow of the offense, even though the ball was primarily in his hands. He did miss the game winner, but his coach could have done a much better job to put him in a better position to get a better shot. Hopefully Smith can play this way going forward instead of reverting back to his freelancing ways. Grade: A+

Steve Novak (3 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

Novak hit a three and tallied a steal in the first half, but the lowlight was his attempt to draw a foul by jumping into the defender, but changed his mind mid-air and try a pass that was stolen. Novak did not attempt a shot in the second half as the Knicks needed some more from him in his 13 minutes on the floor. Grade: C-

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) drives past New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Thunder won 95-94. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd (0 points, 0-of-2 shooting, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block)

If Kidd finds a way to get into the scoring column, the Knicks likely win the game as the future Hall of Famer did not attempt a shot in the first half. But he did grab 10 rebounds and contributed in other areas in usual Kidd fashion. Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin (4 points, 2-of-3 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

In only Martin’s second appearance in a Knicks uniform, he left an impression in his 17 minutes.  K-Mart was very energetic and played solid defense, at times matched against scoring leader Kevin Durant. Martin showed that he could contribute offensively as well as his putback slam late in the second quarter pulled the Knicks within four points, and then tied the game with an alley-oop layup shortly thereafter. Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

Marcus Camby: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

Chris Copeland: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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But don’t expect Martin to be going anywhere as the Knicks are expected to re-sign K-Mart to a second 10-day contract.

According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson confirmed that the team will re-sign Martin to another 10-day deal after his current one expires Monday night.

Woody says #Knicks will keep Kenyon for at least another 10-day deal. Barring injuries/roster issue, he’ll prob be here for rest of year.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 3, 2013

That’s not much of a surprise as it is widely expected that Martin will be around for the rest of the season, especially since Rasheed Wallace recently had surgery on his left foot and will be out for about eight weeks.

Feb. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The 35-year-old big man joined the Knicks on February 23rd, after the team had opened up a roster spot by trading Ronnie Brewer to the Thunder.

However even with Martin on the roster, the Knicks are still very thin up front because he isn’t quite in game shape yet. K-Mart has played only five total minutes during the course of his first 10-day deal.

That could change quickly though if both Martin rounds into shape and Marcus Camby comes back healthy.

Camby was in uniform Sunday against the Miami Heat and dressed for the first time since January 10, being sidelined with a plantar fascia injury in his left foot.

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Finally that question may have been answered and unfortunately the answer could be never.

Nate Taylor of the New York Times is reporting that Wallace will have surgery on his left foot and the Knicks say he will be out of action at least eight weeks.

Rasheed Wallace will have surgery on his left foot. The Knicks say recovery time is 8 weeks.

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) February 27, 2013

If you are scoring at home, that would  be late April at the earliest, which means a  return during the regular season won’t happen although there could be a chance that Wallace could return in May if the Knicks can make a lengthy playoff run, but even that seems doubtful at this point.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

That also means that Mike Woodson will likely start using Kenyon Martin soon and that Martin will likely be signed for the rest of the season.

K-Mart’s defensive presence may not be that to the level that ‘Sheed showed early in the season as the Knicks were at their best because of his communication, but Martin is an improvement nonetheless.

It also means that Marcus Camby, who could be returning soon, should play a bigger role down the stretch.

Wallace has been out since December 13 and has only played 20 games on the season, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

It remains to be seen if the Knicks plan on replacing Wallace on the roster. If they do, they will have to release or buy out his contract as they are at the maximum amount of 15 players.

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Camby, who has been out a month and a half now with a foot injury, started scrimmaging with the team and appears almost ready to go.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“Camby’s getting close,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “He scrimmaged a little today.”

The 17-year vet could return as early as Friday and could finally fill the backup center role behind Tyson Chandler that he was projected to fill when the Knicks surprisingly signed him to a three-year deal in a sign and trade deal with the Houston Rockets during the offseason.

So far Camby’s second stint in a Knicks uniform was similar to his first- injury plagued.  He has managed to play in only 14 games this season and played decent minutes in only a handful of those. Camby is averaging only 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes of action.

He could be ready for Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards, but Woodson wouldn’t go as far as to confirm that.

As for Rasheed Wallace, Woodson still said he doesn’t know when or if ‘Sheed will return to the lineup.

Camby’s potential return, along with the debut of Kenyon Martin should improve the Knicks interior defense and will give Woodson a challenge on handing out minutes.

Woodson is currently going nine deep on most nights and that will certainly change when Camby and Martin are ready to go.

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Martin has been unable to find a home this season, either asking for too much money during the offseason, or struggling to find any teams willing to bring him aboard mid-year. His last stint in the NBA was with the Los Angeles Clippers last year where he signed on halfway through the season again, and went on to average 5.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 22 minutes per game.

Apr. 25, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) gestures on the court during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Clippers were generally better with Martin off the court, however when he was on the court, they were still better than their opponents in field goal percentage, offensive efficiency, defensive rebounding, steals, and blocks. That Martin was still able to help the Clippers perform better than their opponents, despite missing training camp and half the season, says something about his potential on-court worth.

Many Knicks fans were upset about giving up Ronnie Brewer – a player whose worth may have been important on defense come playoff time – and signing on an even older, injury-prone backup power forward. However, Martin could prove to be more valuable than fans think, especially if he’s in shape.

He’s close and has played with Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith before, meaning the learning curve will be slightly easier. Likewise, at the very least, the Knicks will get a backup forward who is taking the spot of two players who aren’t even playing. Unless Martin actually hurts the team in drastic ways while he plays, he is currently an upgrade over Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace.

Finally, at the very worst, the Knicks only have to deal with him for ten days before his contract is voided and they can cut hm. If Martin can’t bring anything to the team, it will only be for a very short period, and then the Knicks can go and look at other options.

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Iman Shumpert (21) goes after a loose ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Raptors won the game 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

I fully support the decision of not trading Iman Shumpert. Shump is the youngest Knick and a big piece for the future. For this season they might have needed one more proven veteran who they can count on at playoff time, but I have full faith in Shumpert’s abilities. He is coming off major knee surgery and is still only in his second career season. He has 73 career games played and only 14 this season. When he gets his legs back under him, Mike Woodson will rely on is “Rook” to be the defensive stopper for the likes of Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Paul George, and Joe Johnson come playoff time.

The addition of Kenyon Martin cannot be judged until his 10 days are up and if Grunwald decides to sign him for the remainder of the season. With Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace never consistently being on the court, Martin will have to be the big man of the bench that provides a spark and toughness. He has played well with Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith in the past, so hopefully it works out.

Two years ago today (February 22nd) the Knicks made the trade that will change their franchise forever. They got their guy in Carmelo Anthony and have been invested in him in making a championship run ever since. This is the team that will sink or swim. No other big names will be brought into New York as long as Carmelo is here. This is his team and his time. This is the roster that will determine how far the Knicks will go.

After months of rumors linking  free agent forward Kenyon Martin to the Knicks, Yahoo! Sports’ Marcus J. Spears has reported that the team has signed the former No. 1 overall pick to a 10-day contract.

Knicks have agreed to sign veteran forward Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) February 21, 2013

May 11, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) defends as Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) sets up to dunk in the second half of game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Grizzlies won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Martin fills a void as a backup big man since both Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby have been out of the lineup with injuries.

K-Mart last played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, but has expressed his desire to sign with the Knicks as he has a close relationship with both Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith from their days with the Denver Nuggets.

Martin is a shell of his former self and who knows if he is even in playing shape, but one would think the Knicks would not have reached out to him if he weren’t.

The Knicks may have rushed to sign Martin as it was reported earlier in the day that his agent was in contact with the Miami Heat.

Martin averaged only 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game last season with the Clippers, but he should add a defensive presence and a bit of toughness that is currently missing from the Knicks lineup.

He isn’t exactly the backup center the Knicks could use, but Martin’s big body could help what is currently a very thin frontline.

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There have been a few trade rumors pop up recently involving the Knicks, but the option to sign a free agent is still out there.

May 11, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) defends as Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) sets up to dunk in the second half of game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Grizzlies won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

When you mention the words free agent as it associates with the Knicks, the first name that comes to mind is Kenyon Martin, who has been linked to the Knicks all season.

That is the case once again as Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports that the Knicks have had internal discussions about possibly going after Kenyon Martin or Louis Amundson.

That all stems from the fact that both Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby are still out with injuries and the Knicks need frontcourt depth badly.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson  has said repeatedly that ‘Sheed would return sometime after the All-Star break, but Kennedy notes that internally there appears to be some doubt about just how effective he’ll be.

Currently with 15 guaranteed contracts, the Knicks would have to release someone and eat the money or find a way to create a roster spot via trade in order to sign a free agent.

If they stand pat at the trade deadline, Kennedy thinks that New York will wait and see just how productive Wallace will be once he re-joins the lineup before determining whether or not they will look to sign Martin or Amundson for the remainder of the season.

Amundson has drawn interest from both the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, who both are below the maximum 15 players and wouldn’t have to make a move in order to sign him.

There is no market for Martin, who hasn’t been linked to any other team except the Knicks all season.

Teams have until April 17 to sign free agents.

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Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) tries to shoot the ball as New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Wallace has yet to begin running and sources inside the Knicks organization told ESPN’s Ian Begley that they fear the big man could be finished for the season.

He has been out since December 15, with what the Knicks said at the time was a sore left foot. They since started calling it a stress reaction, but the signs do not look good right now for a Wallace return.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said last week that he expected Wallace to begin running this week, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.

Right now, the Knicks need a big body with both Wallace and Marcus Camby out with foot injuries, so the Kenyon Martin talk could soon begin again. The problem with that is that the Knicks have a full roster with 15 players and would have to release someone with a guaranteed contract in order to add a player to the roster.

However if Wallace is out for the season, that could make that possible.

But since the Martin rumors began a couple of weeks ago, it has been thought that Woodson would give Wallace proper time to heal before making a decision. But Begley’s source doesn’t seem so confident, simply saying “It doesn’t look good.”

When healthy Wallace was averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes, but more importantly he gave the team a strong post defender.

It is no coincidence that the Knicks have slumped defensively in ‘Sheed’s absence. Wallace has missed the past 15 games and the Knicks have gone only 7-8 in that span and have allowed over 100 points in seven of the eight losses.

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Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) shoots a free throw against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But that has no chance of happening until the team figures out exactly what is wrong with forward Rasheed Wallace and exactly how long they will be without him.

Wallace will miss his 13th consecutive game Thursday night with what the Knicks are calling a stress reaction in his left foot and 16th game overall this season out.

The Knicks sure could use Martin as an insurance  policy, but the problem is that they have a roster that sits at the maximum of 15 players, so it would require a roster move of releasing a guaranteed contract.

That insurance policy certainly would come in handy against the Pacers as both Wallace and Carmelo Anthony (suspension) are out of the lineup and Amar’e Stoudemire’s minutes will be reduced (soreness in knee), leaving the Knicks shorthanded in the frontcourt against a very big Pacers team.

By not signing Martin, it looks as if the Knicks believe that Wallace will return soon.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson noted that Wallace will begin running and practicing next week, so his return figures to be close, although the Knicks will likely be without the big man for at least another week at the minimum.

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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.

May 15, 2012; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Mo Williams (25) is helped off the floor by teammate Kenyon Martin (2) during the first half in game one of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

According to Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks are showing a renewed interest in free-agent forward Kenyon Martin.

The interest in Martin, along with the timing of the Knicks recent defensive slump both point to veteran Rasheed Wallace being out of the lineup.

Wojnarowski reports that the Knicks have done some additional fact-finding on Martin in recent days and that Martin would be open-minded about the possibility of accepting a 10-day contract to get the opportunity to prove his value to the Knicks.

Wallace has missed 12 straight games with what the Knicks call a “stress reaction” in his left foot. The uncertainty surrounding Wallace’s return has made the Knicks consider the possibility of signing Martin, sources said.

The Knicks had interest in K-Mart during the offseason, but all they could offer at the time was the veteran’s minimum and at the time Martin was seeking a larger deal, which did not come from any NBA franchise.

Wallace’s status is the “critical piece” to the Knicks signing Martin, one league official said.

Once the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, last season Martin played a reduced role with the Los Angeles Clippers after he returned from a stint playing in China.

The Knicks could interest Martin because he has good relationships with: Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd.

If signed, Martin could provide the Knicks with another tough low-post defender. Something they could really use right now with Wallace out of the lineup.

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Enter Rasheed Wallace.

Wallace now 38, hasn’t played since the 2010 NBA Finals,  fits the bill the Knicks are looking for. Standing at 6’11, Wallace has the size and length to guard both power forward and centers. Offensively, Wallace at his best is very versatile. He can bang in the post but yet stretch his defender outside the three-point line. On the Knicks, Wallace will be a great backup behind either Amar’e Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler.

The problem is he’s 38 years old!

The Knicks already have enough veteran leadership between Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, Stoudemire, and Chandler. On top of this Camby and Thomas–the current subs for Chandler and Stoudemire–are ancient with both players knocking on the age of 40.

It’s very clear the Knicks need younger legs backing up their bigs.That is why I’ve been advocating the Knicks go after Louis Amundson but the big man has recently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the veteran’s minimum. A younger option the Knicks should still go after is Kenyon Martin(34) but it seems he wants more than the veteran minimum.

Apr. 25, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) and Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

But back to Wallace, we all know that Wallace wants to comeback out of retirement to contribute to a contending team, but he has a well documented record of being disruptive in the locker room and volatile with referees during games. Indeed the Knicks need toughness, but not bad attitudes that Wallace may spread. And given that according to Jared Zwerling’s source “Wallace worked out for the Knicks. Not in very good shape” the Knicks should look somewhere else.

Simply put, Wallace can probably still provide serviceable minutes for an NBA team but the Knicks is not the right destination for him if he really wants to have an impact in his comeback season.

May 15, 2012; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Mo Williams (25) is helped off the floor by teammate Kenyon Martin (2) during the first half in game one of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that the Knicks still rate Martin as the free agent they would like to have, but there’s one problem- the Knicks have yet to sell K-Mart on playing for the veteran’s minimum.

Free-agent rumble: Knicks continue to rate Kenyon Martin as vet free agent they like best but NYK, to date, haven’t sold him on vet minimum

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 14, 2012

The Celtics and Lakers are among the other teams that have shown interest in the forward, but just like the Knicks, they won’t offer more than $1.35MM.

The former No. 1 overall pick hooked on with the Clippers mid-season last year for the team’s full room exception of $2.5MM.  But while the 34-year-old offered toughness to the Los Angeles frontcourt, he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG.  It’s quite possible that those career-low numbers hurt the veteran’s value heading into this offseason.

Martin could wait until training camp begins and hope a void is created on a team due to injury, but it’s very doubtful he will get the money he is seeking.

The general feeling is that if Martin wants to continue to have an NBA career, he may have to settle for the veteran’s minimum, which means the Knicks are still in the running.

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The only problem with that theory as I mentioned is that Martin is very unlikely to play for the veteran’s minimum, which is all the Knicks can offer.

That leaves the Knicks in a bind as they could possibly wait until closer to training camp and see if Martin’s salary demands come down, or the club could elect to sign someone sooner, while there are still a couple useful bodies on the market.

Apr 17, 2011; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Denver Nuggets center Chris Anderson (11) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) during the first half of game one of the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Oklahoma City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

So if the Knicks elect to pass on waiting for Martin, here’s a look at potential candidates they could turn to.

Chris Anderson: According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, a source close to Anderson said “The Birdman,” is willing to play for the veteran’s minimum. He is a guy that could be useful to the Knicks as he can score inside, rebound and block shots, posting career averages of 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Of course with Anderson you get the baggage and antics as well, but he’s a guy that can provide exactly what the Knicks need of the bench.

D.J. White: I have always like White as a player and would be a solid bench addition, posting career averages of 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds throughout his four-year career. He’s probably going to be looking to sign for the min-mid level exception though, so he could be out of the Knicks price range.

Andray Blatche: Blatche could be open to signing somewhere for the veteran’s minimum since he’s still getting paid from the Wizards, however he could be looking for a team where he could play a bigger role, looking to cash in on a contract the following season. That’s actually fine with me. There’s no doubting Blatche’s talent, averaging 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds. He even broke out two years ago, putting up a 16.8 and 8.2 season, but he has a reputation for being lazy and not being a great team guy. Those are the last qualities the Knicks need in their locker room right now.

Louis Amundson: Amundson could be looking to earn a little more than the veteran’s minimum as well and that’s also fine with me, however he is someone who could be on the Knicks radar. I’m not a real big fan of Amundson though. While I do like the fact that he brings energy and is a big man who can block shots and crash boards, he’s a lousy free-throw shooter and has no range from the floor.

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May 11, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) defends as Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) sets up to dunk in the second half of game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Grizzlies won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

That’s a legitimate backup power forward.

Sure Kurt Thomas can give them some minutes behind Amar’e Stoudemire as could Carmelo Anthony at times, but a legitimate power forward who can spell Stoudemire and play defense and rebound is still needed.

That guy should be Kenyon Martin.

However, while there is mutual interest between the Knicks and martin, especially since he’s friends with both Anthony and J.R. Smith, Martin still wants to be paid well and that’s something the Knicks can’t do as they are down to offering veteran minimum contracts.

According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, that’s something K-Mart won’t do.

Regarding Kenyon Martin, out of available PFs, he’d make most sense for NYK. Versatile, knows Melo/JR. But source says won’t sign for min.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) August 2, 2012

However most team’s rosters are about set and most teams are in the position that the Knicks are in and can only offer minimum deals.

That could play in the Knicks favor, as could the fact that Martin’s options are drying up — the Warriors were interested but they signed Carl Landry, and the Clippers have moved on. K-Mart can elect to wait it out until training camp starts, looking for some team to give him a piece of their mid-level exception, but he may have some less than ideal options to choose from when it comes time.

The decision to come to the Big Apple should be an easy one for Martin.

There’s a need for him in New York and he can play a big role on a winning team, something he hasn’t done a lot of in his career. With the Knicks, Martin has the opportunity to potentially contend for a championship, something that has eluded him throughout his career.

Now it’s just a matter of whether or not Martin is willing to sacrifice some money for the opportunity to try and win.

After 12 years in the NBA in which he’s made a total of $110,784,447, you would think winning would be his top priority.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

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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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Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

As we discussed after the recent Knicks/Hawks game, JJ has a nice relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their time together in Phoenix, plus the Knicks have somehow managed to look competitive this year in the three games he played against us.  When JJ was on those D’Antoni Suns teams, although he was huge for them, at the time he was considered to be at best their fourth most important player (after Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire & Shawn Marion).  Joe rightly felt he could be more, a centerpiece, and he wanted to be paid accordingly.  Having achieved all that with the Hawks, he now has reached the point most vets get to: the main thing he wants now is the chance to play for a championship.  He is even one of the few stars who has literally put his money where his mouth is and has stated he’d be willing to take a bunch less money to be on such a team.

Now don’t misunderstand: he knows he has a very good thing going with the Hawks and that they are a really, really good team.  He’s not gonna just leave them to play on a mid-level Knick team.  So ignore this quote in the NY Daily News:

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