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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Anthony has capitalized on the court, leading the NBA in scoring and leading the New York Knicks on a current 12-game winning streak that has them in a good position to not only win the Atlantic Division, but also to capture the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dunks the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) and Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

But Anthony is capitalizing off of the court as well as he is becoming the biggest star as the NBA prepares for its biggest stage.

Anthony moved past LeBron James into the top spot in national jersey sales, the NBA announced Tuesday morning. The numbers are based on jersey sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and NBAStore.com from November 2012 to now.

‘Melo’s recent run, as well as the Knicks play as of late likely has a lot to do with him overtaking LeBron, as Anthony moved up from fourth in jersey sales a season ago.

In addition to Anthony topping the list in jersey sales, the Knicks top the list when it comes to team merchandise sales.

Here is the most popular jersey sales list:

1. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
2. LeBron James, Miami Heat
3. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
5. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
6. Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets
7. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
8. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
9. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
10. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
11. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
12. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers
13. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
14. Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks
15. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

Top 10 Most Popular Merchandise (by Team)

1. New York Knicks
2. Miami Heat
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Chicago Bulls
6. Boston Celtics
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Philadelphia 76ers

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Coach Eric Spoelsta will rest his two-mega superstars, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, along with point guard Mario Chalmers. This is good news for the Knicks who want to keep their winning streak alive and play their best basketball heading into the playoffs. Mike Woodson is probably going to be without his All-Star center Tyson Chandler, who hasn’t played since the Portland Trailblazers game on March 14th forcing him to miss nine straight games.

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) celebrates during a time out the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. New York won 102-90. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

It would have been nice to see if the red hot Knicks challenge the Heat at full strength and see where they stand with them after losing to them 99-93 back on March 3rd. With LeBron and Wade out, this is very winnable game for the Knicks who are neck and neck with the Pacers for the 2nd seed. Here’s everything you need to know:

When: Tuesday, April 2nd at 8:00 P.M. EST

Where: American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida

Watch: TNT & MSG

When the Knicks have the ball: 99.4 PPG (11th in NBA), Heat: 95.3 points allowed (6th in NBA)

When the Heat have the ball: 103.3 PPG (5th in NBA), Knicks: 95.7 points allowed (8th in NBA)

Key Matchup: Kenyon Martin vs. Chris Bosh

This is basically a must win for the New York Knicks considering the game’s circumstances. Without LeBron, Wade, and Chalmers, I consider the Heat a so-so team at best. With the Pacers and Knicks in a heated race for the 2nd seed, the Knicks need to come out hard and get this victory in Miami.

Chris Bosh stepped up and beat the Spurs so Kenyon Martin will have to take him out of his element. Martin is a tough player and won’ back down from anyone. Bosh has the label of a “soft” player and will bully Bosh around. Bosh is the Heat’s best player tonight and if the Knicks can stop him, they should win this game without any problems. It is a rivalry game and the Heat did just beat the Spurs in San Antonio, so this game might not be as easy as Knicks fans think it will be.

Knicks 96
Heat 88

Mar 22, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (right) and shooting guard Dwyane Wade (left) during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at American Airlines Arena. Heat won 103-89. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

While the Knicks will have a very good chance to extend their winning streak, win or lose, they won’t get the opportunity to make that statement because the Heat will be playing shorthanded.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra declared LeBron James (hamstring), Dwyane Wade (ankle, knee) and Mario Chalmers (ankle) all out for tonight’s game against the Knicks, all with minor injuries.

He said they would be re-evaluated day to day, but neither player participated in shootaround Tuesday morning.

“We had the busiest month in franchise history,” Spoelstra told The Palm Beach Post. “We want to make sure these guys are healthy.”

Asked if James’ issue is a hamstring “strain,” Spoelstra simply called it tightness, adding that “we’re not worried about it.”

It is bad news that the Knicks won’t get the chance to beat the Heat with LeBron and Wade on the floor for the third time this season, but winning the season series from the Heat will still be a big deal, even without two of the best players in the NBA.

As for the Heat sitting their stars, quite frankly they can due to holding an 11 game lead in the conference over the Indiana Pacers and an 11.5 game lead over the Knicks.

But it’s almost a sad thing as for Knicks fans, beating LeBron is so much more satisfying than beating a Heat team with LeBron in street clothes.

The Knicks have been dealing with their own injuries all season and could welcome All-Star center Tyson Chandler back to the lineup, as Chandler has been upgraded to a game time decision.

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Who knows what the reason is?

Maybe it is playing in front of the bright lights in the big city, or maybe there’s something in the water at the hotels that other teams stay at, but one thing we know for sure is the fact that “The Mecca” brings out the best in people.

We saw that Wednesday night as the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry gave a performance for the ages, dropping 54 points in a losing effort.

One day later, we can actually reflect on how special of a night Curry really did have and regret the fact that the Davidson product was one pick away from wearing a New York Knicks jersey.

But with all the special performances by opposing players in Garden history, where does Curry’s 54 rank?

Let’s take a look.

10. Richard Hamilton drops 51 in 2006:

Rip’s game against the Knicks as a member of the Detroit Pistons isn’t really talked about much as one of the best performances by an opposing player, but it is certainly worthy of making the list. Hamilton was an impressive 19-for-37 from the field and 12-for-12 on free throws, but the Knicks won in triple overtime.

9. LeBron James scores 50 in 2008:

You knew he was going to have a big game at The Garden sooner or later and during this 2008 contest, LBJ certainly put his name among the greats in Garden history. James had 50 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-105 victory, by making 16-of-30 shots from the field, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range.

LeBron said after the game:

“I’ve dreamed about playing well in this building and it’s overtaken of how I could ever dream about,” James said. “To get a standing ovation in the greatest basketball arena in the world, it was a dream come true for me. It’s one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

8. Rick Barry scores 57 in 1965:

It was Barry’s rookie season with the Warriors and he didn’t succumb to the biggest stage in the world, making 18 of his 29 shots and missing just one of his 22 free throws, but it wasn’t enough as the Knicks ultimately defeated the Warriors 141-137.

7. Reggie Miller’s 1995 postseason:

Miller’s heroics in Game 1 of the 1995 playoffs will always be remembered, painfully for Knicks fans, but as good as Miller’s eight points in 11 seconds was in terms of history, Game 5 of that series may have been an even better performance as Miller scored 39 points and dished out six assists, but he turned in one of the best fourth quarter performances in playoff history as he scored 25 points to lead the Pacers to  Game 5 win, although the Knicks would go on to win the series.

6. Curry’s 54 in 2013:

You don’t see nights like we saw Wednesday night as Curry was simply unbelievable. Curry drained a remarkable 11-of-13 three-pointers, just one shy of the NBA record and added six rebounds, seven assists and three steals, but Golden State ultimately lost one of the more entertaining games a basketball fan could ever watch.

GUARDS

Stars:

Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference guard Chris Paul (3) of the Los Angeles Clippers holds the game MVP trophy after the 2013 NBA all star game at the Toyota Center. West won 143-138. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

1. Chris Paul – UTA@LAC – $7,800

Expect a big bounce back game from Paul after an unimpressive performance last time out against the Spurs. Utah really doesn’t have anyone to guard him and I’d expect a big game for a solid price for such a star.

2. Ty Lawson – DEN@CHA – $8,100

Lawson is still on fire and should continue against Charlotte tonight. Over his last five games, he has put up over 40 FDP four times and the lone time he didn’t, it was an impressive 36.

3. Brandon Jennings – ATL@MIL – $7,800

The top six or so PGs on the board tonight are all pretty good options in my opinion, but I’ll take Jennings to cap off the group of 3 I’m mentioning. He has averaged a very healthy 20+ shot attempts per game over his last five games and I don’t see any reason why he would stop shooting. Even if he misses well over half of them, he should still have the chance to rack up FDP.

Values:

4. Brad Beal – HOU@WAS – $5,300

Beal is probably the best play on the board tonight when you consider his price and offensive capability. Beal has returned to the starting lineup with a bang and and also has two straight 30+ FDP in his last two. I see him as a great take for the price at this point.

5. Arron Afflalo – CLE@ORL – $5,800

The Magic squad is pretty depleted right now, with Jameer Nelson sidelined and J.J. Redick shipped to Boston. Afflalo is essentially their most proven option right now on offense and is coming off a 38 FDP night against a tough Memphis defense. I expect him to rack up minutes again tonight and definitely get his opportunities. He’s a good bet at $5,800.

FORWARDS

Stars:

1.  LeBron James – MIA@PHI – $9,900

LeBron is always the most reliable player on the board and even though his price reflects that, you won’t ever really want to miss out on him.

2.  Blake Griffin – UTA@LAC – $8,700

The power forward position looks shaky at best tonight. In my opinion, it’s probably going to be worth spending a little bit extra. There are guys who can perform in the $6-8K range, but none are incredibly reliable besides David West, who is playing on a back-to-back. Griffin has shown success against Utah in the past and will should have another strong performance.

3.  Josh Smith – ATL@MIL – $9,200

Smith is definitely a little bit pricy, but as I said, PF looks pretty shallow and it could be worth reaching up for him. He’s had a stretch of games where he hasn’t disappointed, even though you’d have liked to see slightly more out of him in his past two games, he still almost reached 30 FDP effortlessly.

Feb 04, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Orlando Magic forward Maurice Harkless (21) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Magic 78-61. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Value:

4.  Mo Harkless – ORL@CLE – $4,700

Another case of the Magic being depleted, Harkless should definitely continue to get his opportunities tonight. He has averaged over 15 shot attempts over his past three games, something you usually won’t see out of guys priced this low. Harkless definitely should be worth the value and I see 20 FDP as his floor with these minutes.

5.  Martell Webster – HOU@WAS – $4,700

I like Harkless a little bit more out of the $4,700 guys, but Webster is not a bad option either. He has had a solid couple of games and as long as the minutes are there again, he should have no problem compiling some stats at home against Houston.

CENTERS

Star:

1. Al Horford – ATL@MIL – $8,100

Horford has averaged a ridiculous 42 FDP over his past four games. Larry Sanders presence in the lineup makes this a little bit tougher a match-up than it could have been a week or two ago, but it’s never a bad idea to play the hot hand like Horford.

Value:

2. Emeka Okafor – HOU@WAS – $5,900

Okafor has averaged nearly 27 FDP per game over his past four, which is good enough for me at this price. He’s always a scare for a dud game mixed in between a stretch of good 0nes, but he’s always a decent cheaper option to put up mid-20s.

GUARDS

Stars:

Feb 12, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

1. Russell Westbrook – HOU@OKC – $8,700

A minimum of 30 FDP is what I would peg Westbrook at for tonight against a fast-paced Rocket team. While 30 probably isn’t worth his high price tag, he should have opportunity to post a handful more than that with how high scoring this game should be.

2. Stephen Curry – PHO@GS – $8,400

Curry has posted 39 and 36 FDP in his past two games in losing efforts. He’s on a back to back, but I’d look for him to keep rolling as the Warriors are at home looking to break a five game losing streak.

3. Dwyane Wade – MIA@ATL – $9,000

It’s tough not to put Harden here, but Wade has been just as hot and gets an easier defensive draw tonight. Wade has averaged a healthy 37.6 FDP over his past ten, a trend that I would expect to continue at Atlanta tonight.

Values:

4. Gerald Henderson – DET@CHA – $4,600

After posting 36 FDP at Orlando last night, I’ll be rolling with Henderson again for this price. There are rumors of him being on the trade block and once you combine that with his recent stretch of games, he should continue to get his opportunities tonight and should provide great value.

5. Ricky Rubio – PHI@MIN – $5,800

He’s finally getting big minutes after returning from injury and has put together a stretch of impressive games, including a near triple double. He can perform like a top PG and is very hard to not take at this price.

FORWARDS

Stars:

Feb 12, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) dribbles against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

1.  LeBron James – MIA@ATL – $9,700

LeBron is both the best and hottest player in the game and you’d be hard-pressed not to take him any time he’s on the board. I wouldn’t expect less than 40 FDP.

2.  Rudy Gay – MEM@WAS – $8,100

Gay saw a $600 price increase from yesterday, but I still like him at that price. He’s still shooting a ridiculous amount and I don’t think there’s any reason to doubt he will continue to do so, especially with his former team in town tonight, although Tony Allen poses some threat as a defensive match-up.

3.  Dirk Nowitzki – ORL@DAL – $7,100

Dirk has been relatively consistent lately and gets a solid draw coming out of the break with the Magic tonight. He should be fresh and produce up to par for his price tag.

Value:

4.  Andrew Nicholson – ORL@DAL – $4,200

Another solid option for the minutes he gets, Nicholson gets a pretty good match-up tonight. He’s hard to fully count on still, but for the price, he’s one of the cheap guys that will get his chances to compile some stats.

5.  Jeff Green – BOS@ATL – $4,600

Coming off a 28 FDP performance last night at Denver, Green is one of the best producers in this price range. He has seen both an increase in minutes and opportunities over his past handful of games and should continue to get run with the short-handed Celtics.

CENTERS

Star:

1. Greg Monroe – DET@CHA – $8,400

He had his first disappointing game in a while last night, but has been an absolute beast of late otherwise. Expect a big bounce back game for Monroe against this Bobcats front-court.

Value:

2. Spencer Hawes – PHI@MIN – $5,700

Out of the $6,000 and below guys at center, Hawes has been getting the most consistent minutes. He’ll most likely be good for 20 FDP or more just with the amount of run he will get, which isn’t bad if you’re trying to go cheaper at center, but it’s probably worthwhile to stretch out a few hundred more to get Omer Asik.

So, with the “first half” of the season over with, the All-Star break slowly fading in the rearview mirror, here’s a look at the top five MVP candidates through the 2012-13 NBA season:

1.) LeBron James – 27.3 ppg, 56.5% FG, 8.2 rpg, 6.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 31.4 PER

Team Record: 36-14

LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA for a number of years now; all other arguments were merely attempts to make a change in the scenery. James has been MVP three of the last four seasons, and now this is where it gets scary: This season, James is shooting the best FG% of his career on the fewest number of shot attempts in his career; he’s averaging a career-high in rebounding and rebound rate; his Usage Rate is the lowest since his second year in the league; his Player Efficiency Rating is at the second highest of his career; and he’s playing on the best team in the Eastern Conference. Astoundingly, James has taken his game to another level and it’s been through a more subtle, subdued approach. He’s cut down on his three-point attempts and long jumpers (he’s also hitting both at a better clip), instead focusing more on attacking the basket where he can’t be denied, and operating a large chunk of Miami’s offense from the post, where he abuses smaller players, and hits his teammates, most often, for passes at the rim or behind the arc. Simply said, nobody is playing at the level LeBron James is.

2.) Kevin Durant – 29.2 ppg, 51.9% FG, 7.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.2 bpg, 29.2 PER

Team Record: 39-14

If LeBron James is operating at the highest level in the NBA, Kevin Durant is operating on a close second, and likely by himself. It’s a shame that James’s greatness has largely overshadowed the fact that Durant, too, is having the best season of his career and becoming close to being unfairly good. Durant is on pace to become the first player since Larry Bird to lead the league in scoring while shooting 50-40-90 — 50% or over from the field, 40% or over from three-point range, and 90% or over from the free throw line. Durant’s having his best season shooting the ball from all three locations. At only 24 years old, he’s nearly impossible to guard, and it’s becoming even harder now that he has increased offensive versatility (a developed post game) and increased willingness to pass, as evidenced by his career highs in assists per game and assist percentage. If Durant completes the above accomplishment, and the Thunder finish with a better record than the Heat, it might be enough to move Durant into first place in the MVP race.

3.) Tony Parker – 20.8 ppg, 53.6% FG, 3 rpg, 7.6 apg, 24.5 PER

Team Record: 42-12

Unlike Durant and James, Tony Parker isn’t having his best season in quite so many statistical categories, but when evaluating the San Antonio Spurs, it’s pretty clear that the team’s success begins with Parker. Sure, Gregg Popovich may be the finest coach in the league, Tim Duncan has evaded Father Time, the Spurs’ effortlessly integrate new pieces into their system with nary a drop-off, but Parker’s brilliance is perhaps the biggest reason why the Spurs have the best record in the league for the third year in a row. Furthermore, Parker has had to carry the team with Duncan and Manu Ginobili missing a combined 23 games. His scoring and FG% are both near career highs, he’s shooting the three-ball better, getting to the free throw line and making his shots at a good rate, his assists per game are nearly at a career high, and his assist percentage is a borderline ludicrous 40%. Watch a Spurs game and Parker’s value jumps out more than his stats. On offense, Parker just prods and prods until he’s in the lane where he shoots a terrific percentage at the rim, or he can set up his roll-man or kick it out to any number of shooters the Spurs possess. On defense, Parker is still not (and won’t become) a great defender, but he’s capable and his effort is there pretty consistently. Though the Spurs’ greatness is affected by a number of things, one gets the feeling that Parker may now have the keys over Duncan as to how far he can carry the team.

4.) Chris Paul – 16.6 ppg, 48.2% FG, 3.4 rpg, 9.6 apg, 2.6 spg, 26.8 PER

Team Record: 39-17

By most statistics, it would appear that Chris Paul is having a down season. His minutes, scoring, assists, rebounds, steals, and 3FG% are all lower than his career averages. However, similar to Tony Parker, Paul’s worth goes beyond the stats. The Clippers have entered championship contender talk, and while an improved supporting cast certainly deserves mention, Paul may be the lone factor that decides whether the Clippers are actual contenders, or merely a good playoff team. In the nine games that Paul missed in late January and early February, the Clippers went just 3-6 (though some of those were without Blake Griffin). Paul is one of the few players with the ability to seemingly take over a game at any moment. Though he doesn’t look for his shot often, he can score at will, get anywhere on the court with a clever handle and surprising speed and strength, and his teammates greatly benefit from the attention Paul draws when he goes into attack mode. However, missed games, and occasional tendency to operate on cruise control may hurt Paul’s chances at winning MVP.

5.) Carmelo Anthony – 28.6 ppg, 44.7% FG, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg, 23.8 PER

Team Record: 32-18

Perhaps it was the Olympic experience, perhaps it was his peer LeBron James winning his first NBA title, but whatever it was, Anthony stormed into the season with a new attitude. Anthony is scoring at a near career best level, shooting the three-pointer far better than at any other point, and defending like he never has before. If the players ranked above him weren’t playing at such a high level, Anthony could be ranked higher based on the immense weight of the Knicks that he carries on his shoulders. Though the Knicks, too, have improved through better coaching and a deeper supporting cast, it seems as though their ultimate fate rests on Anthony’s jumpshot. His scoring eruptions have almost become routine to the point that his five 40-point games this season hardly even stand out. Throw in a previously-unseen willingness to defend and pass (though stats don’t reflect it, the eye test does), and Anthony may be having the best season of his career. Unfortunately for he and the Knicks, it just hasn’t been better than the names listed above him.

Honorable Mentions: Tim Duncan, James Harden, Stephen Curry

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It also is the home to the leagues two best players- LeBron James and Kevin Durant. These two guys can each play all five positions and are the premier players in the sport today. With LeBron and Durant at the top, the rest of the top small forward position players have a lot of catching up to do. The first two players are no surprise but how about the next eight? Here are the Top 10 small forwards heading into the 2013 NBA season.

May 17, 2012; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler (5) shoots during the first half in game two of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

10. Caron Butler- Los Angeles Clippers

Caron Butler comes in at No. 10 on the list. Butler hasn’t been healthy enough to make a jump into the 5-9 range but he is a damn good player when he gets on the court. He does the little things and has always been a leader, showing the world his toughness by playing with a broken hand in last year’s postseason. Playing with Chris Paul can boost your stats and I like Caron to take a nice step forward if he can stay healthy.

9. Gerald Wallace- Brooklyn Nets

Gerald Wallace is a do everything type of guy. He doesn’t do one particular thing great but he does everything well. He can score, rebound, pass, defend and block shots. He is known as one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league and is often near the top of the league in steals. He isn’t the same All-Star type quality player he was with Charlotte, but Wallace doesn’t have to be the go-to-guy on a Nets team that features players such as Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.

8. Luol Deng- Chicago Bulls

Luol will have to be the man in Chicago until MVP Derrick Rose returns from injury after the All-Star break. Deng has always been second fiddle but now he’ll get a chance to shine while Rose is sidelined. He has always struggled staying healthy but has shown up to camp at 100 percent for the first time in a long time. Look for Deng’s numbers to spike this year as he sees more shots with D-Rose out.

7. Danny Granger- Indiana Pacers

Granger is considered the “star” of the Pacers, even though his numbers aren’t “star” quality. He is still an above average player though and has come into his own as the leader of an Indiana team that will be near the top of the Eastern Conference this year. Granger’s three-point shot has steadily improved and he is a solid defender. His scoring production should increase this year as well.

6. Rudy Gay- Memphis Grizzlies

Gay leads the upstart Memphis Grizzlies who have proven to be a tough playoff team the past couple of seasons. When healthy, Gay is an athletic wing who can score, rebound and defend. His three-point shot can be inconsistent at time but make no mistake about it, Gay is the Grizzlies go to guy down the stretch and has proven he can hit clutch shots late in games. He was highly touted coming out of Connecticut and  is finally proving his superstar quality.

Oct 13, 2012; Hartford, CT, USA; Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

5. Paul Pierce- Boston Celtics

Despite being 34 years old, the Truth is still one of the best, most clutch fourth quarter players in the game today. Despite not being the player he once was, everybody knows that Pierce will still take the big shots in the fourth quarter for Boston and be one of the key pieces in determining whether the Celtics can stay in the upper class of the Eastern Conference.

4. Andre Iguodala- Denver Nuggets

Iggy has turned into quite the ball player. Once just considered a freak athlete, he has polished his game and turned himself into a viable offensive threat. He is one of the premier defensive stoppers in the league today and showed the world that he can now shoot the rock during the Olympic games in London. I think his first season away from Philadelphia will be a huge success. This team and their style of play fits Iguodala’s game perfectly. He is a guy who likes to run and play a high volume game, just like teammate Ty Lawson.

3. Carmelo Anthony- New York Knicks

The time is now for Carmelo. His draft partners (LeBron,Darko,Bosh,Wade) all now have rings, leaving him as the lone top five pick of the 2003 draft who hasn’t won the big trophy yet. Carmelo is a top five offensive player in this league, no doubt about it. He can shoot from the outside, drive to the basket, post up smaller players, and he finally looks to be in good shape.

The knock on him has always been his defensive skills. ‘Melo is a bad defensive player who has no interest in buckling down and making a big stop when he needs too. The other problem with ‘Melo is how he co-exists with teammate Amar’e Stoudemire. The two have yet to click and if it doesn’t happen this year, one of them might be on their way out of New York.

2. Kevin Durant- Oklahoma City Thunder

Never before has the league seen a player as unique as Kevin Durant. The 6″10 small forward is virtually unguardable. He can take it inside or light it up from behind the arc. His length makes it impossible to block his shot and he is arguably the most clutch player in the game right now.

Durant is already a three-time scoring champion and is only 24 years old. He will make a run at Kareem’s scoring record if he remains healthy and he just might break it. KD has taken the once laughable Oklahoma City Thunder and turned them into a powerhouse that game up just short in their first NBA Finals appearance. Don’t be mistaken though, it shouldn’t be long before Durant gets his first ring.

1. LeBron James- Miami Heat

No surprise here. LeBron James is not only the best small forward in the game, but he is unquestionably the best player in the game today. Period. The three-time MVP and now NBA champion might go down as one of the top five players to ever play the game. He can do it all and then some- score, rebound, pass, and defend. He is the ultimate total package. Hate him or love him, there is no denying his greatness. A player like LeBron hardly ever comes around, so cherish the time we have to watch him play the game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

No, the LeBron James Rule is completely flawed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 3, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives against Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) during the first half of game three in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

The 2013 New York Knicks are a puzzling team and despite them having what seems like all the pieces, the mystery is trying to get those pieces to fit together properly.

The Knicks certainly have the talent, but the big part of the mystery involves Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire and whether or not they can find a way to co-exist. Tyson Chandler needs thrown in that mix as well as when the Knicks’ Big Three was on the floor together last season, they were terrible, averaging only 95 points per 100 possessions.

Knicks legend and television color commentator Walt Frazier told  the New York Times that the Knicks and head coach Mike Woodson need to figure out this puzzle fast.

“I think their window is a two-year window right now,” he said of the Knicks’ chances at a championship. “They have to capitalize right away…

“They better forget last year and do whatever it takes,” Frazier said of Anthony and Stoudemire. “They have to look at Miami and what LeBron James was able to do, Carmelo especially because James became the consummate player — defense, passing and whatever else it took for that team to get a championship.”

Frazier is correct to recognize the window is a short one. it’s almost a now or never situation for the Knicks in the next couple of seasons. However asking Anthony to turn in a LeBron-type effort in order to do so is simply wishful thinking as that is something not likely to happen.

James has always been a complete player and even though he didn’t get his ring until this season, LeBron always has had the ability to make his teammates better; Anthony has never shown that type of ability throughout his nine years in the NBA. Anthony is a pure scorer who does a little bit of the rest of what makes LeBron great, but he doesn’t do it well. Sure it’s easy to say that ‘Melo should be more like LeBron, but it’s not that easy.

It’s too late in Anthony’s career to ask him to be something else other than one of the game’s best pure scorers. Asking him to be more of a facilitator would be nice, but it would take away from him being the player that he is.

What he needs to do instead is produce LeBron-like results where it matters- in the win column.

Instead, Woodson needs to continue to use ‘Melo as a key offensive focal point, but Antony needs to allow the offense to go away from him more. Raymond Felton and Stoudemire had some good pick-and-roll chemistry in the past, if it works, run that a lot. Anthony needs to accept that in the name of winning.

That’s LeBron’s thinking. He put up MVP numbers last year but did it in the flow of what the Heat were trying to do on offense. That’s exactly what ‘Melo needs to do. Not play like LeBron, but think like him on the court.

Can he do it?

I have my doubts, but that remains to be seen.

If the Knicks are to win a championship, Anthony fitting in as a piece of the puzzle and not the whole puzzle could be the difference on how far this Knicks team can advance in the next couple of seasons.

That’s the funny thing about puzzles; you never know what shape they will take until they are finished.

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In fact, before closing on a 17-6 run that was powered by LeBron James; the Americans found themselves trailing with five minutes left in the game.

James finished with 20 points, finally deciding to take the game over late.

Carmelo Anthony didn’t explode for 37 points in 14 minutes like he did on Thursday against Nigeria, but he did finish tied with LeBron with a team-high 20 points.

Of course that number could have been much higher if he would have gotten the ball more. Anthony did make 7-of-13 shots from the floor, but Lithuania had no answer for him in the post, yet the Americans didn’t feed him the ball regularly, instead elected to continue to throw up bricks from behind the arc, something they have done during three of the four Olympic games.

Linas Kleiza led Lithuania with 25 points and kept them in the game but it wasn’t until a Chris Paul 3-pointer with 5:38 remaining that Team USA took the lead for good.

Then LeBron took over late, scoring eight of his 20 points in the final four minutes to help the Americans remain unbeaten and avoid their first loss in the Olympics since falling to Argentina in the 2004 semifinals. In addition to Anthony’s 20, Kevin Durant also had 16.

The U.S. could never gain control of the game, leading just 55-51 at halftime after a poor defensive effort and allowed Lithuania to shoot 58 percent from the floor in the game.

What nearly killed Team USA is that they chucked up 33 shots from behind the arc, only making 10. In three of their four games, the Americans are only 28-for 83 (33.7 percent) from behind the arc.

Anthony played 25 minutes but fellow New York Knick Tyson Chandler started and played only eight minutes, scoring two points, grabbing one rebound and blocking a shot.

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Team USA led France only 22-21 after the first quarter, but for the final three quarters it was all team USA as they outscored the Frenchmen 76-50 the rest of the way, en route to a 98-71 win.

Three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant took over and led the Americans with 22 points and nine rebounds and LeBron played the role of facilitator, dishing out nine assists as his unselfish play really got Team USA rolling.

The French featured several NBA-stars including Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, Boris Diaw and Ronny Turiaf, but the overall talent level of the Americans eventually won out.

It started sloppy for Team USA and they didn’t shoot well early on, which if they were to lose, would be their downfall, but after missing their first six three-point attempts, they made eight of their next 19.

It wasn’t a great performance overall and Team USA showed there is room for much improvement, but they showed the potential for dominance once they started clicking.

The balance on this team is scary as only Durant, Kevin Love (14) and Kobe Bryant (10) finished the game in double figures.

Ali Traore led the French team in scoring with 12 points and Parker was the only other player to reach double-figures with 10.

As for the two New York Knicks playing for Team USA, both Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, each grabbed nine rebounds as Team USA outrebounded the French 56-40.

Melo played 17 minutes and scored nine points but struggled from the floor, making only three of 10 attempts from the floor, also missing both of his attempts from behind the arc.

Chandler played only 11 minutes, scoring eight points, dishing out three assists, and making 2-of-5 shots from the floor.

Up next for Team USA is a matchup with Tunisia on Tuesday, July 31

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It makes you scream on top of your lungs and sometimes you can legitimately hate your best friend because you disagree with him. The current debate that it taking place at most bars and basements is the 1992 Dream Team against the current 2012 USA basketball team. Instead of your typical “who’s better” debate; let’s make an All-Time Dream Team combining the two.

The 1992 squad is one of a kind and will possibly go down as the greatest team ever in the history of sports. With 11 Hall of Famers with some of them entering their prime, we might never see such a team assembled again. They won their six Olympic games by an average of 51.5 points. The word dominance gives that accomplishment a slap in the face.

This current team representing our country has a majority of its players just entering their prime. You have LeBron, say what you want about him but there is no arguing how great he is as a player. Kevin Durant is on the cusp of his prime and is right under LeBron as the best player in the world, if not the best scorer. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are unselfish point guards who make playing point guard in the NBA easy. Carmelo Anthony is showing he is the best scorer on this Olympic team early in their scrimmages.

The one clear advantage the 1992 team has over the 2012 team is the big men. Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Karl Malone are in the top 10 big men of all time conversation. Team USA this year has solid big men in Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love, but they have a raw and unproven player in Anthony Davis who hasn’t even played a minute in a NBA training camp.

So who makes the all-time USA Dream Team?

Starting Five:
Point Guard: Magic Johnson – Magic is probably the best point guard ever, but he was 33 and coming off his absence of the league due to his HIV announcement. You can’t go wrong with Chris Paul here, but have to give Magic the advantage here.

December 13, 2011; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats principal owner Michael Jordan during training camp at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan – The debate you have been having for years, Kobe or Jordan. Michael Jordan was entering his prime that made him the best basketball player the world has ever seen. Kobe out of his prime is still scoring close to 30 points a game in the NBA. Jordan is the best ever, playing the best ball of his life, so Jordan gets the slight nod here.

Small Forward: LeBron James – The 1992 team had legends here with Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, and Chris Mullin. All four of these hall of famers can score from anywhere on the court and will make any defender look silly. The 2012 team aren’t any scrubs either, with 3 strong candidates for the Hall of Fame when their careers are over in LeBron, Durant, and Carmelo. There is no wrong answer here, but you have to give it to LeBron. The guy does everything right on the court. Just imagine right now Magic, Jordan, and LeBron on the court at the same time.

Power Forward: Charles Barkley – The weak spot in the 2012 team is the strength of the 1992 team. The only natural PF the 2012 team has is Kevin Love and even though he is an awesome NBA player and puts up big numbers, he can’t be in this conversation. Coach K has been mixing his Forwards up so far, starting 2 out of the 3 in Durant, LeBron, and Melo at the 3 and 4. With that, Charles Barkley is the overwhelming choice here. He led the 1992 team with 18 points per game and was the heart and soul of the team. Charles is tough and will back up his team no matter what the price.

Center: Patrick Ewing – The 2012 team has Tyson Chandler coming off his best defensive season and playing the best ball of his career. The 2012 team had top 5 centers of all time in Patrick Ewing and David Robinson. Tyson is great, but can’t compare to these two at both their current stages in their careers. With almost identical stats, I’m giving the edge to Knick legend Patrick Ewing. He and Barkley would be a terror in the paint in any era.

Bench:

With seven spots left on the All-Time Dream Team, you really can’t go wrong with anyone. The next seven I will pick are hall of famers are probable Hall of Famers.

Chris Paul would be a perfect compliment to Magic Johnson off the bench. He is intelligent and could play with anyone and make them even better than they are. The next player off the bench has to be Kobe Bryant. He is a pure scorer and him coming in for Jordan just sounds right. My next 5 spots can go any way you want. I will start off by giving Carmelo Anthony one of the spots. He has been carving up the international style of play and can play both power forward and small forward.

I will give another spot to David Robinson; he is a center who gives this Team USA no disadvantage when you put him in for either Ewing or Barkley. My 5h spot in the bench goes to Scottie Pippen. One of the 50 best players ever, he can defend anyone in the world had gives team USA balance on both sides of the court off the bench. My second to last spot goes to Kevin Durant, who can go in the game at any time and put points on the board at anytime and anywhere. My last spot goes to Larry Bird, the ultimate professional. Even though at his point of his career he wasn’t the Larry Bird we all know and fear, I dare you to leave him open.

So the Ultimate Team USA squad looks like:

PG – Magic Johnson & Chris Paul
SG – Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant
SF – LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Scottie Pippen, & Larry Bird
PF – Charles Barkley
C – Patrick Ewing & David Robinson

These 12 can easily beat anyone in the world with their left hand tied behind their back. You can put up any kind of starting five you want. How bout a starting five of: LeBron, Kobe, Jordan, Carmelo, and Ewing? Or Chris Paul, Durant, Magic, Pippen, and Barkley? You can mix and match any type of rotation you want and this team will embarrass any team ever. Period.

Sports are about debate and preference. If you like the veterans games of 92 over this year’s team I’m sure you would make a couple switches, but hey that’s what debate and opinion is about. I had a lot of fun writing this can look forward to hearing your all time squad. Bring it up with your friends; I’m sure the debate can go on for hours.

Dec 14, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets former center Hakeem Olajuwon waves to fans during a game against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Kings 118-105. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Stoudemire is mostly known as a pick-and-roll finisher and a mid-range shooter and adding some semblance of a post-game will be huge.

Olajuwon, 49, has previously worked one-on-one with three of the best players in the game: Kobe Bryant (2009), Dwight Howard (2010) and LeBron James last summer. Each player showed immediate improvement on the block in the following season. Stoudemire’s future work with Olajuwon could signal Mike Woodson’s coaching strategy to use him more in the low post and have Chandler become the team’s main high pick-and-roller with Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony.

Stoudemire’s low-post game, which was practically absent during all of the 2011-12 season, needs to become a factor if the Knicks are going to contend. Looking in deeper, it could mean that the paint will be his new home—whereas he previously loved to take jumpers from the elbow. If Stoudemire can score from the block effectively, it adds an entire new dimension to the Knicks offense.

When STAT’s jumper is on, he’s very good. But that hasn’t been the case too much lately.  Developing a post-up game makes him more of a threat in the paint and therefore a more complete player. If he picks up Olajuwon’s pointers quickly, he will be a threat and headache for opposing teams.

The Knicks can’t be a jump shooting team and need to add the ability to score on the block.

If Stoudemire becomes that guy, we could see a much more balanced team in 2013.

After Stoudemire’s lack-luster 2011-12 campaign, which saw him score 17.5 points per game, eight points behind his total from the season prior, a slight change is imminent.

Not only did Carmelo Anthony take some of Stoudemire’s production when he arrived in 2011, but defenses figured out how to slow Stoudemire down. They forced more jumpers, boxed-out effectively to limit offensive rebounds.

The frustration showed on Stoudemire’s part.

In addition, Jeremy Lin, with the ball in his hands a good percentage of the time, took away from some touches for Stoudemire.

If he wants to be successful in this offense with Lin, and Anthony taking the majority of the shots, he is going to have to turn to the post in order to get touches this upcoming season.

It was a great move for Stoudemire to seek out Olajuwon. It was a move that was tough to make, given his pride, but it’s a move he may be able to look back on a few years from now and say was the right decision.

Look at the impact Olajuwon had on LeBron last season. If he has similar results with STAT, the Knicks could be very tough to deal with.

Tyson Chandler is also expected to spend time with Olajuwon.

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Apr 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Anthony Davis waves to the crowd after cutting down a piece of the net after the finals of the 2012 NCAA men

With Kentucky’s Anthony Davis set to become the 28th No. 1 overall pick since the NBA Draft Lottery began in 1985, now is the perfect time to take a look back at defats of the past.

There have been some outstanding players selected with the No. 1 overall pick, but there have also been some total busts that have gone No. 1 overall as well.

Here’s a look back through time as I rank all of the No. 1 picks through the lottery era.

Note: Players were ranked on statistics, championships, longevity, etc.

27.  Kwame Brown, 2001, Washington Wizards: When you talked about bad No. 1 picks, Brown’s name has to be at the top of the list. In 12 NBA seasons, Brown has averaged only 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He should have been sign No. 1 that Michael Jordan wouldn’t make a good executive. The sad part is that Brown has made $58.7 million in his career.

26.  Greg Oden, 2007, Portland Trail Blazers: You have to feel bad for Oden, but the facts are that injuries have made him one of the worst No. 1 picks ever. In five NBA seasons, Oden has managed to play in only a total of 82 games.

25.  Michael Olowokandi, 1998, Los Angeles Clippers: The “Kandi Man,” had a pair of average seasons in 2002 and 2003, but overall was a complete bust that averaged only 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his nine-year NBA career.

24.  Pervis Ellison, 1989, Sacramento Kings:  Ellison was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1992 when he averaged 20.0 points and 11.2 boards per night, but that was as good as it got for Ellison during his 11-year NBA career that saw him finish with averages of 9.5 points and 6.7 rebounds.

23.  Joe Smith, 1995, Golden State Warriors: Smith’s career got off to a good start when he was named to the NBA All-rookie First team, but other than that, his career was that of nothing more than a journeyman. Smith averaged 10.9 points and 6.4 rebounds throughout the course of 15 NBA seasons.

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

22.  Kenyon Martin, 2000, New Jersey Nets: Martin was an All-Star in 2004, but he’s been nothing more than average during the course of his 12-year NBA career, averaging a modest 13.0 points and 7.1 rebounds.

21.  John Wall, 2010, Washington Wizards: Wall is blessed with enormous speed and talent, but must become a better leader and shooter before he can take his game to the next level. The talent is there though.

20.  Andrew Bogut, 2005, Milwaukee Bucks: Bogut has dealt with injuries throughout his eight year NBA career and not only was a NBA All-Rookie First Team member in 2006, but an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2010. He could likely be a few spots higher if the injuries haven’t slowed him down.

19.  Andrea Bargnani, 2006, Toronto Raptors: Bargnani has a ton of talent and really started to emerge in 2012 before injuries set him back as well. He’s averaged a solid 20.5 points per game the past two seasons.

18.  Danny Manning, 1988, Los Angeles Clippers: I always wonder how good Manning could have been if it wasn’t for the devastating knee injury as a rookie. Regardless he forged out a good career averaging 14.0 points per game and 5.2 rebounds, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1998.

15.  Glenn Robinson, 1994, Milwaukee Bucks: Robinson was a two-time All-Star and won a ring in 2005, but he’s a guy who never really lived up to the hype coming out of Purdue. In 11 NBA seasons, Robinson averaged a solid 20.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

17.  Derrick Coleman, 1990, New Jersey Nets: Coleman had a decent NBA career, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and made the All-Star team in 1994. He finished his NBA career averaging 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

16.  Kyrie Irving, 2011, Cleveland Cavaliers: I really like what Irving brought to Cleveland during his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2012. He has unbelievable speed and a natural point guard. He’s a little high on the list but I love his potential.

15.  Glenn Robinson, 1994, Milwaukee Bucks: Robinson was a two-time All-Star and won a ring in 2005, but he’s a guy who never really lived up to the hype coming out of Purdue. In 11 NBA seasons, Robinson averaged a solid 20.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

14.  Elton Brand, 1999, Chicago Bulls: People forget how good Brand was early in his career for the Bulls and Clippers, posting six career seasons of 20+ points per game.

13.  Blake Griffin, 2009, Los Angeles Clippers: Griffin, in two seasons, has won the Rookie of the Year and made a pair of All-Star teams. In addition, he’s the most explosive player in the NBA right now and has averaged 21.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He has a ways to go before Griffin is a complete player, but he’s well on his way.

12.  Brad Daugherty, 1986, Cleveland Cavaliers: Daugherty’s career was cut short due to back problems, but during his eight NBA seasons he was very good, averaging 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, making the All-Star Game on five different occasions.

November 10, 2010; Washington, DC, USA; Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11) against the Washington Wizards during the first half at the Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-US PRESSWIRE

11.  Yao Ming, 2002, Houston Rockets: Ming also saw his career cut short due to injury, but while in a Rockets uniform he was very good. He was an eight-time All-Star and averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds in his eight-year NBA career.

10.  Larry Johnson, 1991, Charlotte Hornets: LJ also dealt with injuries throughout his 10-year NBA career, but while healthy he was a solid 16.2 and 7.5 guy with the Hornets and Knicks combined.

9.  Chris Webber, 1993, Orlando Magic: Webber was the Rookie of the Year in 1994 and a five-time All-Star during his 15 year NBA career. Similar to Johnson though, C-Web had a very good NBA career but never really showed the signs of dominance for a length period of time.

8.  Dwight Howard, 2004, Orlando Magic: All the whining and complaining aside, Howard has become the best big man in the game today, averaging 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks during his eight seasons in Orlando to date. In addition he’s won the Defensive Player of the Year three different times, been named to the All-NBA first team five times and is a six time All-Star.

7.  Derrick Rose, 2008, Chicago Bulls: Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011 and has a Rookie of the Year and three All-Star selections on his resume already.

6.  Patrick Ewing, 1985, New York Knicks: The only thing missing from Ewing’s resume is a championship. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1986, a member of the original Dream Team and an 11-time All-Star. Ewing played in the NBA 17 years and averaged 21.0 points and 9.8 rebounds.

5.  David Robinson, 1987, San Antonio Spurs: “The Admiral,” was one of the NBA’s best ever and was a 10-time All-Star, a league MVP (1995) and the Defensive Player of the Year (1992). In addition Robinson won a pair of NBA titles. Something interesting on this list is that of all the No. 1 picks, only Glenn and David Robinson has won a championship so far.

4. Allen Iverson, 1996, Philadelphia 76ers: Iverson was one of the toughest players the NBA has ever seen and all his off the court issues aside; he was one of the best pure scorers (26.7 PPG) the league has ever seen. In addition, A.I. won the MVP in 2001 and was an 11-time All-Star.

3.  Shaquille O’Neal, 1992, Orlando Magic: One of the most dominant big men in NBA history, Shaq won an MVP in 200 and made 15 All-Star teams. He won four rings and finished his career averaging 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds.

2.  Tim Duncan, 1997, San Antonio Spurs: Quite simply Duncan is the best power forward in NBA history. He has won four title, the MVP twice and been named an All-Star on 13 different occasions. He’s still going strong and has career numbers of 20.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

1.  LeBron James, 2003, Cleveland Cavaliers: There’s no real explanation needed here, but LBJ is one of the most gifted players NBA fans have ever seen. He finally got his ring this year and has won three MVP awards. In addition to the accolades are career numbers of 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals. Like him or not, LeBron deserves the top spot.

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The Buckets Over Broadway radio show was back with a bang on Tuesday as I was joined by B.O.B. lead writer Greg Kaplan.

On this week’s episode, we looked back at the NBA Finals and LeBron James winning his first ring and if there will be any pressure on Knicks star Carmelo Anthony to win that elusive ring.

In addition, Greg and I discussed the Knicks strategy in the draft, J.R. Smith declining his option, how deep the Knicks could be in 2013, whether or not Mike Woodson is the right coach for this team and much more.

More importantly we figured out who the true creator of the Steve Novak fan club truly is. You can listen to this week’s episode by clicking the link below.

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May 9, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) is fouled by Miami Heat shooting guard Mike Miller (13) during the first half of game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Now that the monkey is finally off his back, which NBA player does the pressure of not winning shift to?

There are stars such as Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Chris Paul, who right now haven’t won a championship, but the most likely NBA superstar to feel the heat of not winning a title, is going to be Carmelo Anthony.

A player with the talents of Anthony and hasn’t come close to winning a title is going to start hearing all the criticism James received for not winning until this season.

Melo was drafted in the same 2003 draft class as LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They all now have at least one ring while Melo has been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round in 8-of-9 seasons.

A superstar such as Melo has to lead the Knicks on a lengthy playoff run or he will soon begin to receive the LeBron treatment from the national media and NBA fans alike.

James took a lot of heat for leaving Cleveland and signing with Miami. Melo isn’t so different as he held the Denver Nuggets hostage to force his way to the Big Apple. Now he has to win.

He was paired with Amar’e Stoudemire to do one thing- win a championship.

That means Melo is going to have to take a big step in that direction this year. He’s got the team he wanted, the major market he wanted, the coach he wanted. Actually so far Melo has gotten everything he’s wanted. Now it’s his turn to produce.

He’s now the best player in the NBA to never win a championship. Hopefully the pressure won’t mount on Melo in the fashion it did with LeBron, but playing in New York, that’s doubtful.

The monkey is off LeBron’s back. It’s time for Melo to get that monkey off of his before it turns into the size of a gorilla.

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Lebron led them to the promise land! They had a little help along the way of course: Derrick Rose tore his ACL, Iman Shumpert tore his ACL, Amar’e slashed his hand, Ray Allen was injured, The Spurs choked against The Thunder, and The Thunder choked against them. Who knows what would have happened if none of those convenient mishaps didn’t occur.

If you ask me The Heat were the third best team in the league last season. The Bulls were number 1 when Rose was fully healthy, and The Spurs were number 2. OKC was only fourth due to their lack of experience, which ultimately led to their demise. A little luck is needed once in a while right?

Don’t get me wrong, The Heat are immensely talented. Lebron alone will keep a team in the playoffs probably until he retires, and if you add Wade and Bosh into the mix you get a deep playoff run year after year. They most likely can make the Finals again sometime in the next few years, but it won’t be as easy as this time around. Next year they will have to face the healthy and improved Bulls, Clippers, Thunder, and maybe our own New York Knicks.

The Knicks are set to have a big year if they play their cards right. The arbitrator ruled in favor of players retaining their bird rights after being waived, so Lin and Novak will be returning to the team next season barring a successful appeal by the league. That means that the Knicks can add quality talent if they choose wisely and make a good investment. Newly minted head coach Mike Woodson impressed last season, and he sent home some of the players with missions on how to improve. Amar’e should come back with new low-post moves, Tyson should be more of an offensive weapon, and ‘Melo should be a better passer.

Who knows if any of those things will actually be successful, but if they create a perfect storm this could turn out very well. I don’t want to sound overly optimistic, but the Knicks v.s. Heat episode II may have very different results than the first one.

That does not mean we are better than The Heat, or even at their level. What it means is that we can be competitive against some of the best teams in the league. That’s what so great about the NBA playoffs, anything can happen as long as you stay in the game.

The Heat have their work cut out for them if they want to win another championship. Dwyane Wade is 30 and injury prone. As great as he is, he might not have 3 or 4 more years of excellence in his body. Bosh was not consistently efficient this season, and if he cannot reproduce his playoff success regularly he doesn’t make a huge impact. They have a decent supporting cast, but Chalmers is due for a contract upgrade sooner or later, Battier is not getting younger, and the rest of the lebron-ettes can be easily replaced and exchanged.

The Knicks may not be the only thing stopping The Heat, but if one thing is for sure, it is that The Heat need a lot of help from the NBA gods if they plan on winning not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 championships.

Jun 21 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) dribbles into the near court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of game five in the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

“It’s about Damn Time” were the words that came out of LeBron’s mouth Thursday night after winning his first NBA championship. In the past two years, LeBron has gone under the most scrutiny by media and sports fans probably in the history of the NBA.

Since the infamous broadcast “The Decision” and the outrageous Big 3 Party where he displayed his cockiness of how many rings the Miami Heat would win (not 1,not 2, not 3…) all types of hate toward LeBron have been present.  Ranging from the burning of his Cavalier’s jersey to the thousands upon thousands of jokes of LeBron not having a title yet, Lebron was the face of “I hate…”

The pressure to excel under the great magnitude of criticism from the entire world without question affected his gameplay in the last year’s playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.  In the 2-4 series loss, LeBron went for 17.8 points a game (including an 8 point game), 60% FT, 8.7 Points in paint, and 7.2 rebounds.  He often disappeared in the fourth quarter in the corner, not wanting to be part of the game at all.

When this year’s playoffs came around, nothing with the media changed – he was still the most hated figure in sports. Even when LeBron would put up huge numbers such as 30 + games with 8 rebounds and 7 assists, he would be blamed for the loss.  Not only did he have a ridiculous playoffs averaging 30.3 points 9.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, LeBron tried to improve his image off the court. He apologized for “The Decision” saying it was wrong to carry out his decision in this fashion.  Before game 5 of the finals, he even admitted that the way he acted last year was “very immature” as he tried to “prove people wrong.”  No more was the fake crying he did with Wade on the golf cart trying to imitate Dirk Nowitzki’s flu. No more was that chip on his shoulder that he needed to prove something. Instead of paying attention to all the media, he “just went back to the basics,” as he said after he winning the championship.  “I never had to prove anything to anyone.”  “I played with a lot of hate, and that’s not the way I play the game of basketball.  I play with love, and a lot of passion, and that’s what I got back to this year.”

And that’s exactly what LeBron did.  In the 4-1 series win he went for 28.6 points, 83% free throw, 17.5 points in paint and 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists.  The stat that stands out the most is the points in the paint compared to last year.  Instead of jacking up threes, he used his superhuman physique and smart play to drive to the basket and completely dominate, carving up every defender.

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James celebrates with the MVP trophy after winning the 2012 NBA championship at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

His demeanor was completely different from last year finals in that he was never complaining with calls like he usually does where he takes out his mouth guard and furiously walks away to avoid the refs, and after scoring he kept his head up and went straight back to defense.  But most of all you saw his leadership.  You saw Thursday night when Mario Chalmers was about to complain about a call, and he just calmed him down, telling him it’s not worth it.  He did not disappear in the 4^th quarter like he did last year and stepped up and made huge shots such as in game 3 when he knocked that ridiculous bank shot from the left side, or in game 4 when he was suffering with a bad cramp and knocked down that 3 right in front of Thabo Sefolosha’s face.

Many people view his Championship as redemption to all the critics. But that’s not what he wants or what die-hard basketball fans want. They want this to be a step to move on from all the silly comics and stat comparisons, and that media jargon. They want the NBA media to return to the actual game of basketball and focus on his style of play, and just how damn good he is.  That what I get most out of when he said “it’s about damn time.” Not only is it time that he is a Champion but also it’s about time we can finally move on and appreciate LeBron James work ethic, energy, domination, and skills as a team player.  Sports Memes for a while has had some very amusing pictures of LeBron on Facebook and they finally come to a close with this one: Click Here. 

The now-famous words LeBron James used when asked how it feels to finally be the champion. Words commonly used when someone isn’t so much excited about winning or achieving something extraordinary, but when the pressure is finally off your shoulders and the overwhelming feeling of relief washes over.

The only moment I can compare LeBron’s words to is the moment when the game was no longer in doubt in 1994 when the San Francisco 49ers were well on the way to crushing the San Diego Chargers, and teammates jokingly ripped the proverbial monkey off of Steve Young’s back. But, even then, Young seemed overly jovial and excited. LeBron, in contrast, was relieved.

All of last year, after “The Decision” and the backlash it generated, James seemed confused and baffled that people hated him. He went from generally loved and adored by an entire country to despised in the matter of a half-hour ESPN special. In the 24-hour news cycle and the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately environment we live in, it doesn’t take long to become hated. LeBron found out the hard way, and he didn’t know how to react.

Look, he had to go through the School of Hard Knocks. Even when James wasn’t winning and seizing the big moments on the court, he was still filling up the stat sheet like few before him. However, he needed the adversity in order to truly become great.

Its corny and cliche, but everything happens for a reason, and sports are no different. Does James eventually win a ring if he didn’t go through the 2010-11 hate cycle and fail in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks? Maybe, maybe not.

Has LeBron avenged himself? That’s up for him to decide. Will the country like him any more today than they did yesterday? Not until he brings home another gold medal in London.

Does it all matter to LeBron? Not anymore. And that’s why the world should be fearful of what he can accomplish. He isn’t doing it for us anymore.

He’s doing it in spite of us.

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James celebrates with the MVP trophy after winning the 2012 NBA championship at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

For some, not even a ring can repair that image of the nine-year veteran. In fact, it is quite possible that LeBron winning that first ring could make him even more hated than he was before.

I didn’t think that was possible, but James winning a title will result in some very irate NBA fans.

While some people are diehard NBA fans, some people watch the game just to root against LeBron. Seeing him celebrate with the Larry O’Brien Trophy will send some fans over the edge.

The guy can’t win for losing. People wanted him to win a title, and now that he has, he will be hated even more for doing so.

The funny part is that if you would ask all the people who have a passionate hate for LeBron, I bet half of them completely forgot or have no idea why they actually hate him.

Do they hate him because he left Cleveland? Because of how ridiculous The Decision was? Because he had to join other superstars to win a title? Or is it something complete different like the idiotic and cocky way he predicted multiple championships?

It could be because of the fact that he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have painted themselves as victims the past two years, but I don’t know for sure because I lost count a long time ago of the many reasons that people hate James.

While I don’t agree with it, these same people have had fun criticizing James for his failures even though he’s been the best player in the game. I don’t agree with it but I understand why people hate him.

Maybe it was him saying: (via RealGM.com after 2011 Finals)

At the end of the day, all of the people that were rooting for me to fail, tomorrow they’ll have to wake up and have the same life that [they had] before they woke up today. They got the same personal problems they had today and I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do.

No, the hate will only increase from here, especially where people are reminded that even though it has been nine years, LBJ would have won his first ring quicker than Michael Jordan did. And once you’re someone’s target for hate, usually you will always be. A championship isn’t going to change that.

It’s only been two years since LeBron started to become the villain. Even though he’s said and done all the right things this season it’s still too fresh in people’s mind, and they unfortunately won’t let it go.

I can hear the complaints already.

“He’s only won one ring.”

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Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates winning the 2012 NBA championship at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the rest of the NBA had no answer for LBJ during this entire postseason, and the excellence that NBA fans saw from King James was something we haven’t seen since the days when Michael Jordan was busy three-peating in Chicago.

The likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant have put together dominant Finals performances since 1998 when Jordan won the last of his six championships, but no one since then has put together the dominant playoff run that LeBron just did to capture his first title.

Just look at what LBJ accomplished the entire postseason.

He not only got to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time but did so by averaging 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals, all while shooting 50 percent from the floor.

In addition, he closed out the Thunder with a 26 point, 13 assist, 11 rebound triple-double.

Dominance is the appropriate word, and we haven’t seen that type of play since Jordan.

MJ averaged over 30.7 points per game in 12 of his 13 postseason appearances. The game was much different then, but during his title years he was unstoppable.

You knew Jordan would get the ball and there was nothing you could do about it. That’s the quality James had this year.

Kobe had a couple of nice playoff runs in 2001, when he averaged 29.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists, and in 2009, when he averaged 30.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists resulting a pair of championships.

But even with the heroics of Bryant, the run LeBron just had was better, considering the pressure he was under.

James has a long way to go before he equals the likes of MJ, or even Kobe, when it comes to postseason success, but for one small stretch for the Miami Heat, what LeBron just accomplished was something that was definitely reminiscent of the days of Jordan.

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The most scrutinized athlete in the last five years, the punch line of all jokes, and the center of all NBA debates can finally be called champion. But did he capture back the respect of the fans and the general public?

LeBron busted onto to the basketball world when he was a 16-year-old man-child from Akron, Ohio. Two years later he would be drafted by his hometown neighbor Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland can be considered a death valley of sports, not winning a championship in any sport in 46 years.

You all know the story, after seven years in Cleveland where he lead the lowly Cavs to a Conference Finals and a Finals appearance, he bolted for the Miami Heat when he had the chance to join buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The new Big Three would be hated and ridiculed off the bat. With LeBron holding the infamous “Decision” on live television, the whole world got to see him leave his team for what then was Wade’s team. He could have done like every other free agent signing in the history of sports and announce through his agent or a press release, but no, the whole world had to stop and hold their breath to watch him announce where he will be playing basketball.

I know people crucify him for leaving Cleveland, but that is their opinion. Do I blame him for leaving them? No, not at all. Players leave the teams that draft them in quest to win championships all the time. The only difference is that they usually aren’t the best player in the world and impact their sport every single second.

To put it in perspective, Albert Pujols was the best baseball player on the planet and left his hometown team the year AFTER he won another championship for them. He did not got an ounce of criticism compared to what LeBron received. LeBron just demands that magnitude of attention.

But why does he demand that attention? Why does the whole world pick apart his every move like a hungry vulture that just saw dinner laying on the road? You want to

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates winning the 2012 NBA championship at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

know why? Because LeBron made it that way.

He was an 18-year-old kid coming out of high school and was nicknamed “The King.” I mean that is awesome getting that kind of hype at such a young age, but that is where it all started. He should have said that’s great, but I’m no king yet, I haven’t proved anything. They never called Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson or any other of the greats “King,” but here comes an 18-year old who gets a cover on Sports Illustrated before he ever steps on an NBA court.

Fast forward seven years later, still ringless and putting the team on his back for all these years, LeBron can play wherever he wants. New York, Chicago, and LA all called, but he went to Miami. The night after he signs with now who overnight turned into the most hated team in the NBA, he is throwing a party. A huge celebration of uh…. wait…. signing a multi-million dollar contract!

They had fireworks as the confetti came from the sky with the banner around the stadium saying, “Yes, We did it!” You got him and Wade saying they were the best trio in BASKETBALL HISTORY and saying they were going to win not 1, not 2, not 3, not 7

Just the cockiness and ignorance in that showing alone made me loet respect for LeBron.

Fast-forward a year when he loses to the Dallas Mavericks in his second NBA Finals appearance, again showed the true colors of Lebron James. When Dirk was sick and playing like an absolute warrior, LeBron had the ignorance to make fun of him being sick. Good one King, that one worked out well right? Dirk was laughing too when he won a ring on your home court then partied in your own city.

Oh, did everyone forget also when he lost and said: “All the people who are rooting for me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today, they got the same personal problems they had, today. You know, and I’m gonna continue to live the way I want to live, and continue to do the things I wannna do with me and my family …they gotta get back to the real world at some point.”

That just reeks of cockiness and basically telling everyone go back to your $15 a day job while I count my money in Miami. But he is so humble now that he won a championship. He is now one of the greatest players ever. He is now the poster of the NBA.

Everyone lives in the NOW. No one remembers what anyone says in the past. People need to sit down and relax before crowning him the best player ever; he still needs to be respected.

Jun 19, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) gives a thumbs up as he checks back into the game after an injury during the fourth quarter in game four in the 2012 NBA Finals against the at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

All joking aside, is the world ready for LeBron to win a title?

For James, it will be his first title in a journey that has taken “The King” nine seasons.

However, he’s not only one win away from a ring. He’s dominated and proven that he’s a clutch player.

What are NBA fans to do now? Who will NBA fans have to criticize or direct their anger towards next season?

It can’t be LeBron.

He’s one win away from silencing his critics and proving the doubters wrong. LBJ has been everyone’s whipping boy for so long—it will have to stop after the next Miami Heat victory.

But I don’t think the world is ready to give King James his due.

Without James to target, basketball may not be the same for the casual NBA fan ever again.

As the casual knows it, basketball will change forever.

So what happens next? Does the anger and criticism shift to a superstar that hasn’t won a title?

Who becomes the next whipping boy for NBA fans?

Carmelo Anthony is a possibility, but the smart money is on Dwight Howard.

The way Howard handled his trade demands in Orlando for the last year has angered the majority of the fans around the league, and his popularity has taken a major hit, similar to the way in which James’ did when he left Cleveland.

No one knows what will happen when LeBron gets his ring.

What’s certain is that NBA fans will lose their whipping boy, and the world isn’t ready for that.

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The Thunder lost 91-85 Sunday night to put the Heat up 2 games to 1 in the series.  The 2 losses have been for completely different reasons.  In game 2, the loss was mostly attributed to the awful start as they went 1-12 in the opening minutes and fell behind 18-2 making it catch-up for the duration of the game.  In game 3, after playing a solid 40+ minutes of basketball, poor decisions in crunch time led to their downfall.

Lets first talk about game 2:

After having such a bad start, a comeback of this magnitude against the Miami Heat in the Finals even with a guy like Durant is hard to come by. Since game 1 was also similar in that the Thunder fell behind early (shot 1-6 from opening tip resulting in a 20-10 deficit in first quarter), people were wondering whether Harden should be in the starting lineup to add scoring to the slow-starting offense. Sefolosha was not posing any offensive threat at the shooting guard position or doing his job on defense (3 points in Game 2) and Perkins wasn’t playing much of a role either (combined 8 points 15 rebounds in Game I and 2), so it was a valid point.

But who in there right minds would want to tinker with the starting lineup in the finals when for the whole playoffs the starting lineup of Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Kendrick Perkins was working – they won 13 of 17 games and went 47-19 in the regular season.  Scott Brooks said in an interview before game 3 “it hasn’t even crossed my mind to change the starting lineup”.  Westbrook in an interview on slow starts said that its all about “coming out ready to play and they were more ready to play than we were…we have to come out and play harder.”  Later he was asked what adjustments they needed to make and Westbrook said he isn’t making any adjustments “regardless of what anybody says.”

The Thunder improved on their game 2 deficiencies in game 3.

1.  They came out with a strong start, never being down by more than 6 in the first quarter shooting 9-19.

2.  Sefolosha came back from a poor game 2 and played outstanding defense on Wade and Lebron coming up with 3 steals, one of which was one of the most important plays of the game when he stripped it from Wade dribbling up the court and finished for a layup to make it a 3 point game with around 2 minutes left.  He also hit the first basket of the game.

3.  Perkins proved all the doubters that he should stay in the starting lineup by going for 10 points on 12 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive.

4. The Thunder’s defense forced 8 turnovers in the 4th quarter, close to as many as all of game 2.

But with all of these improvements, plus Durant still scoring 25 points, the Thunder still lost.  Bottom line is that in a very tight game, the Thunder still did not make smart decisions.  Whether is was Westbrook’s offensive charge, or Harden’s rookie move fouling Lebron with 16 seconds left (they did not need to foul down 3) as he tried to draw a charge with his below par acting skills.  Then the miscommunication on the inbound pass from Sefolosha down 4 with 13 seconds left, which is truly unaccetable… lead to their demise.  This cannot happen if the Thunder want to win the finals.  In game 2, you could come back being down in the 1st quarter, but in game 3 when you make mistakes in the final minutes, there is no coming back.

So How Can The Thunder get to Game 6?

One thing for sure is they need to hit their free throws.  In game 3 they shot 15-24 from the line and with every game being decided by 6 points or less, where leads come and go as fast as a jaguar in the finals, this cannot happen.

Another thing that needs to happen is Westbrook needs to find a medium of aggressiveness.  He needs to pick his spots – when he needs to step up and drive to the basket and when he should just give the ball to Durant and that is a point guard job to do.

In game 3 the thunder improved on their game 2 weaknesses but weren’t smart down the stretch. And in game 4 they need to not only improve on game 2 weaknesses by getting off to a better start but also game 3 weaknesses by finishing the game wisely.

If they overcome all these weaknesses – slow starts, lack of production from supporting cast, Westbrook and Harden playing without intelligence late in the game, and poor free throw shooting, we will see the Finals return to Oklahoma.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but league general managers have felt it best to surround their team with three stars and then simply attempt to fill in the rest of the pieces.

What the ‘Big Three’ leads to is very little depth, but enough star power to carry teams deep into the playoffs.

Which NBA team has the best ‘Big Three?’

Dec 25, 2011; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) and small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Let’s take a look.

6. New York Knicks (Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler):

The Knicks sold the farm to pair Anthony with Stoudemire after things started to turn around in 2011 when Amar’e signed with New York as a free agent. They completed the trifecta by signing Chandler as a free agent this past offseason.

Yet among the ‘Big Threes’ in the NBA, the Knicks have a long way to go before they figure it out.

Melo and Stoudemire have yet to prove that they can co-exist after a rough first year and a half of the marriage, and they often have terrible floor spacing.

Unlike other ‘Big Threes,’ who have three multi-talented players, the Knicks’ ‘Big Three’ almost seems like a group of specialists.

Chandler is a great defender with a limited offensive package, while the other two have trouble spelling the word defense at times.

Melo is a scorer, and who knows what Stoudemire is anymore in the Knicks gameplan, aside from a guy whose injuries are catching up with him.

5. Boston Celtics (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen):

They won’t be the ‘Big Three’ much longer, but for now they are still in Boston, so they make the list.

As a group, age and injury have caught up to them.

While KG may have found new life playing the 5, Allen’s best days are behind him and he may be nothing more than a role-player in the future.

As for Pierce, he’s 34, and while he may still have some big moments ahead of him, consistency is starting to become an issue. It was a good run, but it looks like it’s over.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol):

The question surrounding the Lakers’ ‘Big Three’ is whether or not they will still be together next season.

The Lakers should be higher on this list, but they don’t play to their strength nearly often enough, their strength being the length of Bynum and Gasol.

Sure, Kobe is the scorer, but even though he averaged 27.9 points per game this Lakers trio isn’t nearly as dominant when the big men aren’t the primary focal point of the offense.

3. San Antonio Spurs (Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili):

Jan 16, 2011; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs players Tim Duncan (left) and Tony Parker (9), and Manu Ginobili (20) watch on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the AT

The Spurs trio are all 30 or older, but all are still playing at a very high level.

The bottom line is that they all know how to play winning basketball and are willing to sacrifice production for the betterment of team goals.

Parker played at an MVP level this year, and Duncan and Ginobili showed that they aren’t ready to slow down just yet.

2. Miami Heat (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh):

This ‘Big Three’ was built primarily through free agency, and you’ve seen the results—the Heat don’t have much depth and likely never will, as long as these three are together.

But when you consider that you have a three-time MVP in James, and 23 combined All-Star selections between the three, you realize that this trio is very good.

The scary part is that Wade is the elder statesman at only 30 years of age.

There are only two things I don’t like about this group.

One is that Wade’s body has shown signs of breaking down this year.

The other is that Wade and LeBron are too similar in style. The both need the ball in their hands, and both are more effective in isolation mode.

Other than my nitpicking there, these guys are fantastic.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden):

The nicest part about this trio is that they were built through the draft, allowing the Thunder to add a couple of key parts around them.

These guys are young and ultra-talented.

All they have is the three-time scoring champion in Durant, a point guard in Westbrook who averaged 23.6 points per game and the best sixth man in the game in Harden.

The scariest part is that Durant and Westbrook are only 23 and Harden is only 22.

If they win the championship this year, we could potentially see a dynasty in OKC.

That plan got foiled when LBJ signed with the Miami Heat and the Knicks ended up with Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton.

June 5, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) reacts after a play during the first half in game five of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Fast-forward to the present day and the Knicks have since acquired Carmelo Anthony and LeBron is a game away from failing to win the NBA championship once again.

But have you ever wondered how things may have turned out if James signed with the Knicks instead? How would the fates of both the Knicks and James have been different?

Looking first at LeBron, if he thinks he gets overly criticized now, things would be 10 times as bad for him if he were in the Big Apple. The very first time he shied away from the big moment, the New York media would have been all over him, much less the 10th or 15th time he disappeared in the clutch. If James can’t handle the pressure in Miami, he would have wilted in New York.

LeBron’s fragile ego and New York definitely wouldn’t have been a good fit.

If he feels that he’s a target for criticism now, in the Big Apple he would have been the biggest bullseye in the world.

But would the Knicks be better right now if James had chosen New York?

That goes without saying. You are always better off when you have the chance to add the best player in the game.

A Stoudemire-James combo would have been initially very good and likely would have become a lethal pick-and-roll combo.

But had James chosen the Knicks, it would have had a domino effect.

For one, there would be no Carmelo Anthony in the Big Apple as the Melo trade wouldn’t even have been thought of.

Tyson Chandler likely wouldn’t be a Knick either. Who knows, without the Heat in the finals last season, would Chandler ever made that type of impact to cash in on a big contract.

However, the likes of Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari would likely still be Knicks, but they could have been packaged for a point guard. Chris Paul was the rumored name at the time. what would have become of Jeremy Lin if that were the case? Linsanity would likely have never have gotten the opportunity to become a phenomenon.

How did LeBron’s decision effect coaching? Would Mike D’Antoni still be on the sidelines? Probably because if the Knicks don’t struggle in 2012, Mike Woodson is likely an afterthought.

But would the Knicks be championship contenders?

Probably, but that doesn’t mean they would have won one. LeBron hasn’t proven that he’s a capable enough leader to get it done.

Comparing LeBron to Melo is pointless. James is the better player. He’s bigger, stronger, faster and is a better passer, defender and rebounder. At least for three quarters.

Melo is a scorer, but he’s also a guy that can be counted on to close games. LeBron clearly is not.

How all that would have played out would have been interesting. While I think the Knicks would be better off with LeBron, mentally I just don’t think he would have been able to handle New York and the Knicks would still be in search of a championship.

A Knicks team that would include LBJ, CP3 and Stat would be pretty good, but ultimately would it be better than the Knicks ‘Big Three,’ of Chandler, Stat and Melo? It probably would be, but the Knicks would be in the same tough spot with the salary cap that they are right now.

A lot has happened during the past two years that resulted after leBron’s decision, most importantly the fact that the Knicks have possibly four starters that wouldn’t be in a Knicks uniform as a result.

However, I’m glad LeBron signed with the Heat. Who would Knicks fans and the rest of the NBA hate?

Here’s a guy that quit on his team in Cleveland and disappears in the clutch in Miami. He’s a hypocrite and an ego maniac and that wouldn’t have worked in the Big Apple.

While it would be nice to have the best player in the game, I’ll pass. Instead I’ll take my chances with these guys and see what happens.

May 28, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) reacts during the second half in game one of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

When you think of the NBA and it’s superstar’s first two names that instantly pop up in everybody’s heads are Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

I define a superstar as a franchise player that you wouldn’t trade for anyone else besides one of the top tier superstars in the league. An NBA superstar throughout the years has had reoccurring traits. These traits include: league leading stats, marketability, leadership, and most of all – winning.

A superstar is the guy you build your whole franchise around for the next 10 years. The guy who is taking the last shot. The player who makes everyone around him better. They are the Michale Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson of today.

Superstars are not just the best players at their position. Andrew Bynum started for the West this year in the All Star game; he’s not even close to been called a superstar. One of my rules is my mother has to know who you are. My mom knows Kobe, LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and obviously Carmelo Anthony because of the Knicks. Superstars sell jerseys and put fans in the seats both home and away.

Do you think if Bynum were on the Houston Rockets they would sell out a Nets game?

The NBA is different from every sport in one way, their faces are always seen. There’s no helmet or cap hiding their face. I think marketability is key in superstardom. Just look at Jordan. The guy has his own clothing company.

The Jordan brand and sneakers has been synonymous with MJ for decades now but it would have never happened if he never won. He had the stats, the looks, the highlight reel plays and dunks, the swag and the likeability.

But it all means nothing if you do not win.

The NBA has several franchise players, but not many superstars. Kevin Love is obviously the Twolve’s franchise player, but he is not a superstar. Here is my ranking in top 10 superstars:

May 21, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts to the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in game five of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 106-90. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

1. Kobe Bryant – For a player who some say he is past his prime, he was second in the league in scoring by .07. He has the 5 rings, the endorsements, and is the king of Los Angeles. Everyone in the world knows his name and who he is. At the end of the day I think he is No. 2 behind Jordan. That number 2 spot will be forever up for debate.

2. LeBron James – Three MVP awards in four years, and is coming off his best statistical year of his career. He is tearing up the league and is just entering his prime. We all know how “The Decision,” went down and how he embraced the villain role, but that shouldn’t take away from the guy’s game. He hasn’t won but he has lead his team to two Finals appearances, on the verge of his third. LeBron and Kobe are the top tier of superstars in today’s NBA.

3. Kevin Durant – This spot is up for grabs by a lot of players, but it has to go to KD here. I don’t think everyone realizes how great he truly is. This is only his fourth year in the league and he has already won three scoring titles, made three All-Star games, won an All-Star MVP, Rookie of the Year, and has been selected to three All-NBA First teams. Did I mention he’s only 23? Durant has a personality that no one can hate, just hard working and keeps to himself. You will never hear bad press about him, never in every headline like LeBron, the guy just balls. The Finals appearances will come very shortly.

4. Dwyane Wade – Before LeBron and Chris Bosh came to Miami, South Beach was all Wade’s. He won a 2006 title by coming back and beating the Dallas Mavericks. He gives it his all every game, and got James and Bosh to come to HIS team. They could have gone other places together but he was the bigger man and sacrificed. Wade is the second best shooting guard in the league, and you can make a case for taking him over Kobe right now.

5. Dwight Howard – The best big man in the league without question I rank as my No. 5. I know he has maturity issues the past year, but I think once he gets out of Orlando and lands in a place like Brooklyn with a top five point guard in Deron Williams, he will flourish. He has made a name for himself and led his team to the Finals with Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu as his second and third best players. He is extremely marketable and a physical monster. You want to build your franchise with a big man? He’s the way to go.

6. Chris Paul – With the best point guard in the league debate as hot as ever, Chris Paul has been constantly the best or near the best for years now. The guy does everything you need, plays with heart, a media’s dream, and a leader. I believe it is a lot harder for a pass first point guard to single handing lead a team to a championship. You look at the past decade’s champions and the point guard’s are never the best player on the team. With a little more help in L.A CP3 has a good chance of leading the Clippers in deep playoff runs for the next several years.

With the list half way done, think to yourself, would you be mad if the Knicks traded Carmelo Anthony for anyone of these top 6? The only one I can see if Dwight Howard because of the Knicks already crowded frontcourt, but if they didn’t, Melo – Dwight swap wouldn’t upset many. On to the bottom 4:

7. Derrick Rose – Last year’s MVP is turning into the best scoring point guard in the league. When healthy his quickness and speed make it hard for anyone to defend. With his monster deals with both the Bulls and Addidas, D-Rose will be a household name in a few years right up there with LeBron and Kobe. If the Bulls see Finals in the next two years and he beats the Heat, he will sky rocket up this list.

May 9, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half of game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

8. Carmelo Anthony – And here we go. I am going to tell it how it is with Carmelo coming from a die-hard Knick fan. Melo has been a superstar ever since he came into the league. I think this partly has to do with him winning in college and the draft class he was in. If he were a third pick in any other draft I don’t think he would have gotten that much buzz. When you get drafted with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh along with coming off winning a college championship as a freshman, stardom will come to you no matter what. He has the numbers and all-star games already, now he has to win plain and simple. He is the man on his team and has the coach he wanted. He’s in the city he chose and has proved he is clutch. He now has to advance the Knicks deep into the playoffs, if he does this he will easily be top five.

9. Tony Parker – The best point guard still playing the playoffs this year is Parker. He just beat Chris Paul’s Clippers and chances are he will beat Russell Westbrook and Durant on the way to his fourth championship. I think he is one of the most underrated and disrespected players in the league. Does anyone remember two years ago when there was a rumor he was going to the Knicks or another team via sign and trade? None of these players on his list will ever be openly traded for any reason other than request. Parker is known internationally and is also a household name for marrying Eva Longoria. He is running the Spurs like a well-oiled machine.

10. Dirk Nowitzki – A year removed from his championship, Dirk has become a household name. With most of the country rooting for him vs. the hated Heat last year, Dirk became a hero. He has been an all-star and a solid player for years, but winning a championship and last year’s magnified stage propelled Dirk into superstardom. Without last year, he is not on this list.

Honorable Mentions – Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams
On the cusp – Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook,

Superstars don’t have to be the best talented players playing right now. No question LeBron is the best talent in the world, but Kobe is the bigger superstar. Kevin Love puts up better numbers than Dirk, but clearly Dirk is the bigger star. Superstars win games, sell jerseys, sell out arenas, the public knows them, and are leaders.

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) blocks a shot by Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

This game was a back and forth battle from the start and in the end it was who could convert under pressure, who can knock down their free throws, and step up their defense.  The Knicks caught some breaks in the end such as Carmelo’s long heave from the 3 -point line where Shane Battier gave him a love tap on his elbow and received three shots from the foul line.  The next play with the Knicks up one after a ridiculous move by Lebron James that got him an “and-one”, Amare Stoudemire tried dribbling the ball to the basket with his left lacerated hand that had 8 lines of padding on it, and was about to lose the ball out of bounds when Joel Anthony comes along and bails him out with a foul.

I think Amare Stoudemire played better with a lacerated hand because without being able to use it, he needed to use his athleticism, his jumping skills and actually put a body on a guy to get the rebound.  He finished with 10 rebounds, 5 of them coming on the offensive end and scored 20 points on an efficient 8-13 shooting.   What were once boos at the beginning of the game due to his stupid injury, ended up being cheers for his great performance that he has lacked throughout the playoffs.  He was the key to this game since we had a second scoring option that we haven’t really had in previous games.

The Knicks defense played a large role in this win especially closing out on the three point line – The Heat shot 3-19 from the the 3 point line due to the great perimeter defense by Landry Fields and J.R. Smith.  When Wade shot that three at the end that could have been a game winner, it was Landry Fields who was right in his face and contested the shot.

Mike Bibby who played the rest of the game when Baron Davis went down hard and left the game, hit two clutch three pointers that extended the Knicks lead in the final minutes.  It must feel so good for a crowd to be cheering for him in the playoffs against the Heat, the team he was with last year and was non-existent in the playoffs.

The player of the game was by far Carmelo Anthony erupted for 41 points on 15-29 shooting, with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and only 1 turnover.  When he had the mid-range jumper on target, he was virtually unstoppable.  He needs to hit this if we want to win any more games. Click here for box score.

What we need to see for Game 5:

Tyson Chandler finished with only 1 point and added 9 rebounds in Game.  Two things he has to work on.  The first is he has to finished around the rim, he is 7 feet and missing layups.  The second thing is Tyson really needs to start making smarter decisions – he in frustration committed a cheap foul and then received a technical foul in anger, giving the heat 3 straight free throws.  In game 3 he also made a mistake with an outlet pass and then committed a stupid foul resulting in an “and one” and a 5 point turnaround.  He can’t make these mistakes if we want to win.

We also need J.R. Smith to shoot well.  We cannot have him shoot 3-15 and  1-8 front he 3 point line – it’s just way too many waisted opportunities.  He has to stop isolating himself and trying to create off the dribble – instead he needs to get his shots off when it is in the flow of the offense.

May 3, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives against Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) during the first half of game three in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Probably no onethought the Knicks would win the series or give the Miami Heat too much of a scare, but no one could have predicted how disastrous the series would go. From Game 1, Tyson Chandler coming down with the flu, Iman Shumpert tearing his ACL, to Game 2 when Amar’e cut his hand, to the whole series relying entirely too much on Carmelo Anthony and a beat-up, lackluster supporting cast.

Right now, nearly any team would look dull compared to the Miami Heat. Even at their worst (the first three quarters of Game 3), the Heat have been better than the Knicks, and it’s been a charge led by their superstars. During the Knicks’ best stretches of games, the Heat have never let their heads down; they kept attacking. When LeBron James was summoned to the bench with four fouls in the 3rd quarter of Game 3, the Knicks failed to capitalize, and actually lost the quarter. Enter the 4th quarter, enter James. He promptly scored eight straight points to balloon a two-point lead to a ten-point lead for the Heat.

The Knicks have shown a tendency to hang their heads. They looked defeated, exhausted, betrayed by their own bodies and the bodies of teammates. Even following a vicious J.R. Smith dunk, even with a raucous crowd behind them, roaring at every good play, booing the Heat and chanting “a*****e” at LeBron James, the Knicks couldn’t muster enough to be the Heat.

Some of this has been through Carmelo Anthony’s poor play. As Howard Beck at the New York Times pointed out, Anthony is shooting 34% from the field, has twice as many turnovers as he does assists, but is still using 30% of the Knicks’ field goals. The Heat have defended Anthony wonderfully, making every one of his catches hard  every one of his shot attempts harder. But Anthony continues to wait on the wing and battle for position calling the ball, stagnating the offense.

Some blame the coach for not drawing up creative enough plays to get Anthony open. Some blame the surrounding teammates – Steve Novak has been unable to get good looks as the Heat wisely stick to him; Landry Fields has been almost routinely off-the-mark; J.R. Smith has been unable to provide the second scoring punch needed. Some will blame Anthony saying this is what he wanted when he demanded a trade to New York.

So has gone the Knicks 2011-12 season.

Either way, the time for internal reflection will likely come soon.

May 3, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) brings the ball during the second half of game three in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Miami won 87-70. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

As I’m sitting here watching the final seconds of the Knick lose again to the Heat, my father walks down the stairs. He has been working for fourteen hours and is not even the slightest basketball fan. All he sees is the seventeen point loss on the screen and ask me

Nonchalantly:

“Wow, they got their ass kicked again?”

All I could sadly respond is “Yeah dad, they did”

What I really wanted to say was “Well they played a great first half, lead by six at half, took the MVP out of the game in the third and were only down by two to the best team in the East entering the fourth.”

He would have asked, “Well, what the hell happened?”

That is my question.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!

Every casual fan who was too busy to watch the game tonight and picks up the paper tomorrow will see the box score and say to themselves “Yeah pretty much what I expected, the Heat are too good.”

They are right in the sense that the Heat are good, but if you watched this game you see that the Heat are beatable if you play a full game.

This has been the Knicks problem the whole series. They hang with the Heat in the beginning and the Heat always has the lead, but it is always in reach. The Knicks are always one run away. One hot streak of shooting. Couple of breaks here and there, turnovers by the other team, and my dad wouldn’t have said that.

Knicks played the best they can through three quarters. The Garden was rocking; the Heat, especially LeBron, couldn’t get in a rhythm, turning over the ball like he was a rookie point guard. The Garden crowd was clearly in his head throughout three.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

Miami showed to beat them you have to play all 48 minutes. Twenty-four or 36 minutes don’t give you the win, the whole game does. Dwyane Wade took over the third quarter, while LeBron James and Mario Chalmers took over the fourth.

Who did the Knicks have shooting for them in the fourth?

Landry Fields.

I have been saying this whole series the Knicks are one big run away from stealing a game. Now I will say the Knicks are one or two, maybe even three players away from being serious contenders in the East and to the Heat.

You have your scorer in Carmelo Anthony. You have your low post covered with Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler.

The rest? Fill in the blanks.

Hopefully next year this team after a long day of work when my father comes home and sees a Knicks playoff game on, he will say something different.

Something like “Wow, the Knicks really kicked THEIR ass tonight!

It boiled down to a well-rested Lebron James in the fourth quarter taking over, while a worn out Carmelo Anthony had no chance to reciprocate. Lebron hadn’t played very well until then, and the same could be said for ‘Melo. But LJ came in to score 8 points right off the bench to put the Heat up 10.

Carmelo, on the other hand, went ice cold until the very end of the fourth when the game no longer mattered. He played 43 minutes, and the Heat’s defense was smoldering. He could not get any easy shots, and ended up going 7-of-23 from the field.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 03: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat looks to pass in the first quarter against Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2012 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The Knicks played very well in the first half, even holding an 11 point lead at one point. They were playing tenacious defense, and getting good play from their bench. J.R. Smith finished with 12 points in the game, while Steve Novak continued to be unable to get shots off. Speaking of Novak, he started the game in place of Stoudemire (lacerated hand), but took only 2 shots and did not make either of them. I don’t expect him to start on Sunday.

One player on the bench who I was impressed with in the second quarter was Josh Harrellson. He grabbed 3 rebounds, and scored 2 points in the 5 minutes he played. Coach Mike Woodson decided not to go back to him, which I don’t completely understand, but that is certainly not the reason we lost.

The Knick defense contained Wade and James in the first half, and that is what made this game look different from the first two. In the second half, Wade went on to hit two threes, while Lebron in the fourth erupted sealing the game for his team.

Turnovers were once again a huge issue for this team, and it has been so all season. The thing is that The Heat excel in the fast break off turnovers, and we were handing them great opportunities (18 turnovers to be exact).

The Knicks officially have no chance of upsetting the Heat, but they could win Sunday’s game. Although it may look like this game was similar to Game 1 by the final score (87-70), in reality this was a much closer game where the defense shut down the Heat’s bench, and contained the superstars. If they can continue this play, and find a way to help Carmelo get easier shots, then we can still game 4.

STAT is unlikely to play (maybe for the better), and Jeremy Lin has basically said he will not be playing either. With the bench and Tyson Chandler (10 points, 15 rebounds) back on track, it will be up to ‘Melo. That’s the same guy by the way who has the lowest career postseason winning possession out of the players who have been there the same amount of times since 1991.

Mike Woodson answered the calls to make defensive adjustments, and contained the Heat to only 87 points. That’s his expertise, but let’s see if he can make the changes to help the Knicks shoot better than an awful 32 percent.

You and I know that it is no longer April, but maybe Carmelo can forget that on Sunday, and play the way he did to beat the Bulls in overtime with a clutch 3-pointer. At this point, it seems like that may be our only hope.

Apr 30, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half of game two in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The focus tonight will undoubtedly be on Carmelo Anthony and his move back to the power forward spot where he had so much success in April. Because Stoudemire will miss tonight with the laceration on his hand, the Knicks will go small, thus putting Anthony back in a position he thrived at in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.

A big part of that potential move for the Knicks, however, will hinge on whether or not Chris Bosh plays tonight. His wife just had a baby (Congrats, Boshes) and he flew down to Miami to join her. It is unknown whether or not he will rejoin the team tonight. On one hand, Bosh’s absence would seemingly give the Knicks an upper-hand, making a small team even smaller, and eliminating the third scoring option for the Heat. However, losing Bosh would also effectively eliminate the Knicks and Anthony’s mismatch as LeBron James would surely be moved to the four to match-up with ‘Melo.

Likewise, while some fans gleefully celebrated over the absence of Stoudemire and re-embraced Power Forward ‘Melo II, this move also even further diminishes the Knicks bench. Once thought of as their greatest strength (perhaps prematurely coined Mobb Deep), the Knicks will move either J.R. Smith or Steve Novak into the starting lineup to fill in for Stoudemire’s absence. This leaves Mike Bibby, Jared Jeffries, and perhaps Josh Harrellson to come off the bench – a pretty weak crew.

Nearly everything will hinge on Carmelo Anthony’s performance tonight. It seems fathomable that he could replicate his success on offense tonight (he had 42 points against the Heat three weeks ago), but he will also be the focal point of the Heat’s defense. While there is tremendous amounts of pressure on Anthony to carry the offense, Baron Davis, Landry Fields, Tyson Chandler, Smith, and Novak will also need to contribute scoring if the Knicks have any chance to beat Miami tonight.

Things have fallen to a near hopeless level because of Miami’s two crushing victories to open the playoffs, but it’s only a two-game deficit and the Knicks have an eager crowd awaiting them at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are currently flirting with a dubious distinction, so there is even more pressure to win tonight. Steal Game 3, and the Knicks have one more at home, with the possibility of Amar’e returning. Steal Game 4 as well and we’ll have a series.

Tonight is very important.

Here are the three main issues: They have been torn apart by Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in the paint, and have not been able to play the elite defense that got them back into playoff contention. The ball movement has become almost non-existent, because Carmelo Anthony can’t trust anyone to score if he passes. And finally, Steve Novak’s touches have gone way down, and it is posing an issue from a bench scoring point of view.

In order to stop LJ and Flash, Tyson Chandler must be at 100% health, or pretty damn close. Everyone saw how Tyson shut Lebron down in the Finals last June, so I am confident he can contain them. 

The problem is that when Lebron and D-Wade kick out of the paint it is normally to an open Mike Miller or Shane Battier for a 3-pointer. In order to limit these sorts of sequences Mike Woodson has to tighten up his defensive rotations, and make sure they close out on shooters.

If we make The Heat try to beat us with Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers then we will have a serious chance at protecting our home court, and tying the series at 2-2.

Carmelo needs to play the way he played when Amar’e Stoudemire was injured for 13 games. Good news! He won’t have much of choice since STAT went and cut his hand open, and will miss Game 3. That gives ‘Melo the space to go into the post and work his magic, or swing it around to his shooters (J.R. and Novak). Also with STAT out ‘Melo will play power forward; a position that helped lead to his Player of the Month Award in April.

STAT being out may fix ‘Melo, but it won’t fix the supporting cast. In fact, the bench will be even less deep (an area that was supposed to be a big positive for The Knicks) with J.R. Smith likely starting.

That leaves only Jared Jefferies (limited due to injury), Mike Bibby, and Steve Novak as decent role players. Without a reliable second scorer this team becomes too Carmelo-centric, which is super easy to defend. Once the Heat figure him out like they did in the second half yesterday, Coach Woody will need to find a way to use the double teams on ‘Melo to get the ball to an open shooter.

That’s where Steve Novak comes in. This guy is hotter than the sun from beyond the arc, but the Heat have done a great job freezing him out.

Coach Woody needs to figure out how to get him open whether it’s running down screens or trying to use him in a pick-and-pop type play. Novak can be the type of player who puts the game just out of reach, or gets you right back in it.

It seems like The Knicks do well enough in the first half, but fizzle in the second. That will be the moment to utilize Novak, which will in turn spread the floor for ‘Melo to work his magic. If Novak hits 3-4 three pointers, then his job will be finished.

Most of these changes fall on Mike Woodson, who is not only playing for a chance at a championship, but also the head coaching job. If he can take the team he turned into an 18-6 caliber squad, and duplicate that success in the Playoffs, it will likely lead to a nice extension (that is if Phil Jackson is not made available…).

The Knicks played better, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the Heat from taking a strong 2-0 series lead with a 104-94 victory in Game 2 of the series.

Apr 30, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) is fouled by New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half of game two in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The loss of Iman Shumpert was obvious as the 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade had his way early for the Heat, leading Miami with 25-points. LeBron James might be their best player, but the Heat will only go as far as their leader takes them. Landry Fields is a role player at best and just could not keep up with Wade’s speed and overall talent; especially with him feeding off his home crowd.

New York’s superstar Carmelo Anthony, who wasn’t his normal scoring self in Game 1, played like the star he was the past, scoring 15 in the first quarter. Melo needs to have EVEN BETTER quarters like these for the Knicks to have any chance at all vs. the overpowering Heat. At times in the game he looks like the only Knick who has a sense of offense.

Tyson Chandler, still battling the flu, played like he did all year, with passion and heart. A big controversy coming out of Game 1 was the officiating. This game was better than last, but one play had me cursing and scratching my head. Tyson Chandler slams home a monstrous dunk and immediately taunted the Heat players underneath him. However, Tyson didn’t get up in their face and start screaming; he didn’t even pound his chest These are grown men doing their job and playing the game they love at the highest possible level.

They are not robots, statues, holograms or paper figures. These are PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES. If you can’t show emotion on a playoff dunk vs. the league’s most hated team, then basketball in America has failed.

The Knicks showed they could hang with Miami, keeping the game moderately close the entire time. But like the last game, the seven-point deficit almost felt like a 17- point deficit. The Knicks were always that one big run away and it just never happened. This team just doesn’t have that Clippers run from Sundaynight in them. I would love to see it, but just don’t see it coming from this particular team.

By the way – where is Amar’e Stoudemire?! If I showed my grandmother the game and told her to watch No. 6 and No. 1 and asked her which one is battling the flu I’m pretty sure she would say numero uno.

A year and half ago this was your team STAT can you please start playing like it? I know you had a tough year with injuries and the loss of your brother, but this is playoff time.

The box score is going to say 18 points and 13 rebounds, but I felt like Stoudemire disappeared for most of the game. And those three missed free throws is inexcusable, by him or any professional basketball player.

I’m a plumber and if I cant use a plunger, I simply lose my job. FREE THROWS, man, FREE THROWS!

Oh and I would say punching a fire extinguisher glass case really gives you a slight advantage over the other team. You crashed the glass a little late there STAT. Good job though. I’m sure that’s going to help your free throw shooting.

For the Heat, they again showed why they are the scariest team in the East. They played hard on both sides of the floor and their superstars came to play. When LeBron, Wade, and Chris Bosh are all shooting 50% from the field and are challenging shots, it’s hard to beat them. The three combined for 65 points going 23-for-46 from the field.

Watching the game just irks you as a fan sometimes. Every shot the Knicks take the Heat seem to be all over, whether its hands in their faces or simply forcing a harder shot. Every time the Heat shot it looked like they are were in pregame warm-ups, not a defender to be found.

Game 3 brings this series back to the Mecca of basketball, but will the home team come to play? Is anyone going to show some pride on the defensive end? Can they give New Yorkers the playoff defense equivalent to when Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Charles Oakley played? Can anyone but Carmelo get a groove on offense and take the load off him?

The Knicks must show New York they will not lay down to the hated Heat. Show me something, show us all something. Prove them wrong.

Apr 22, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) talks with small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Knicks won 113-112. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE

Yes, Iman Shumpert is out. Baron Davis’s back is still very much an issue. Tyson Chandler’s fever has dropped, but he’s still recovering from the flu. Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby will play major minutes. Gulp.

But the Knicks need to focus on who they have on the court and what they can do to make those players better. This starts with the offense.

With Davis unhealthy and Shumpert out for the season, you have to figure the ball will be in Carmelo Anthony’s hands a lot more. That is, if they can get him the ball. In Game 1, the Heat played Anthony very physically, pushing him out onto the perimeter and fronting every one of his catches. This led to precious seconds on the shot clock ticking away while the ball-handlers waited for Melo to get position, and then try and toss the ball over the anticipating Heat defenders’ hands.

Mike Woodson needs to be more creative in getting ‘Melo the ball. The Heat are very aggressive with their pick-and-roll defense, so using Anthony as the screener might not be as effective to get him better looks. However, the Knicks could, at the very least, set some down screens for him, or set some off-ball screens and run Anthony on a curl to get him a clean pass.

Likewise, the Knicks absolutely need Amar’e Stoudemire to be more aggressive. It’s baffling that neither Mike D’Antoni or Woodson ever run a ‘Melo-Amar’e pick-and-roll with any consistency, but it may be effective if the Knicks go small without Tyson Chandler in the game, or if they surround Anthony and Stoudemire with shooters like Steve Novak and J.R. Smith.

By using Anthony as the ball-hander and Stoudemire as the screener, the Heat either have to pick their poison – stopping Anthony’s drive or denying Amar’e's roll – or switch, in which case Anthony would have a larger, slower defender on him.

The primary ball-handlers will figure to be Davis (in limited action), Anthony, Bibby, Douglas, and Smith. Some of them have shown the wherewithal to run a pick-and-roll, but in the halfcourt, the Heat either switch on screens, or hedge aggressively which essentially denies any actions in the play.

Stoudemire is at his most effective in a fast-paced offense (see: Phoenix Suns 2002-2009 or New York Knicks 2010). If the Knicks push the ball off misses, and race up the court, they can run a more effective pick-and-roll with Stoudemire before the Heat’s defense can set and prepare itself.

Getting both Anthony and Stoudemire active in the Knicks offense will force the Heat to commit to either one. This will open up the floor for the rest of the Knicks.

And, of course, an offense is only effective if a team can hold onto the ball. Miami is too fast, athletic, explosive to be given opportunities to run in the fast break. If the Knicks continue to turn the ball over (27 in Game 1!!), they really won’t have a chance to beat Miami.

The defense is another issue. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are going to beat you. They’ll get their points on drives and jumpers alike; you really can’t stop them. However, the Knicks frustration mounted in the second quarter of Game 1 and that frustration usually led to silly, pointless fouls, built the momentum for the Heat. Guard the Big 3 the best you can, and just force them into a tough shot – there’s a chance they’ll miss it. What the Knicks don’t want to do is bail Miami out with fouls.

With each passing game in a series, the next game always feels like the most important. However, tonight could be the most important for the Knicks in terms of swinging the whole series. If somehow, some way, the Knicks could steal Game 2 in Miami tonight, they’ll head back to New York with a tied series and raucous Garden crowd awaiting their heroes.

The game will be on at 7 on TNT. Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis will both start, Landry Fields will start in place of Iman Shumpert. Let’s go Knicks!

However while it’s still Knicks vs. Heat, one thing is still missing from this series and from the NBA in general- the rivalry.

Feb 25, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Eastern Conference forward Carmelo Anthony (7) of the New York Knicks and LeBron James of the Miami Heat (left) address the media prior to the start of the 2012 NBA All-Star team practice session at the Orange County Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The team hatred seems like it could get back to somewhere where it was in the 1990′s, but that’s going to take some Knicks victories to really consider this a rivalry from both ends once again.

One thing it is definitely missing is the individual rivalry.

There’s a serious lack of rivalries in today’s NBA.  Never again will we probably ever see anything close to the days of Magic vs. Bird, but something close would be nice.

Dating back to the 2003 NBA Draft when LeBron went No.1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers and ‘Melo went No. 3 overall to the Denver Nuggets, many expected this to become the next great individual rivalry in the league.

Things haven’t quite worked out that way.

Usually a great rivalry comes with high stakes and with both guys having a big goose egg in the championship column, that opportunity hasn’t presented itself.

Then there’s the fact that with Melo playing in Denver and James playing in Cleveland, the two superstars met only twice a year from 2003-10. The opportunity to establish such rivalry didn’t present itself with neither playing real meaningful games against one another.

Now let’s fast forward to the year 2012 and the first-round of the NBA Playoffs.

Everyone expects to see this big individual rivalry between the two, but it will never happen.

For one, LeBron has owned Melo since he joined the Knicks, especially during the 2012 season where Anthony and the Knicks have been beaten four times by an average of 17.25 PPG by the Heat on the season. These games mean something on paper but until New York truly gets into a spot where they can be a factor against teams like the Heat for many consecutive years, this isn’t really a rivalry.

Looking at the individual aspect of the rivalry, until Melo And LeBron go through each other in the Eastern Conference Finals a few times, they won’t be playing meaningful games. Neither guy has won a big game through their nine year career, but up the stakes and we may get something big from the two guys.

But the biggest reason why this will never be a rivalry is the state of the NBA today.

In today’s age where superstars can force their way too any team they choose and marketing dollars mean more than anything that happens on the court, the NBA rivalry has been tossed out the window.

LeBron and Melo are great friends on and off the court, which hurts the chances of any real good rivalry emerging. There’s simply no hatred there.

Bird and Magic were friends, but once they threw the ball in the air, the hatred took over. That can be said about any great rivalry in the history of the game.

That will just never be the case in today’s NBA. In days of old, superstars didn’t care if they were liked or not. But it’s way too important for a guy like LeBron to be liked by everyone. He doesn’t have it in him to have a killer instinct against anyone.

Sure, the two are two of the greatest players in the NBA, but legitimate rivals?

I don’t think they are even close.

When Juwan Howard is on the court for The Heat, you know that the game might as well be over. This game was a wake up call to New Yorkers everywhere who were tricked by the wonderful play of The Knicks in April. When facing true playoff competition it is clear this team is far from a championship contender.

After the first quarter, no one wearing a Knicks’ uniform showed up to play and it showed as the Knicks dropped Game 1 to the Miami Heat 100-67.

Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire proved to everyone that they still can’t play together productively. ‘Melo was one-for-nine at one point early in the game, and finished with only 11 points.

He never got the ball where he likes it (in the post), and instead had to come all the way out to the perimeter only to badly miss most of his attempts. Anthony finished the game with an awful +/- stat of -35.

STAT did not do much better, but his biggest problem was that he grabbed only 5 rebounds, which is absolutely unacceptable for a 6-10 power forward.

The New York bench is supposed to be the X-factor in this series. Steve Novak was the only player who actually fulfilled his role by making both of his 3-pointers. Although J.R. Smith scored 17 points, he hurt the Knicks more than he helped them due to his four turnovers, and inability to take less than 50 dribbles per possession.

Jared Jefferies’ health seems like it will prove to be an issue in this series, as he only played 8 minutes while he was supposed to be available for 15. If Jeffries can’ provide serious defensive help, Mike Woodson may have to take a look at rookie Josh Harrellson who played well in garbage time.

The news only got worse for the Knicks when Iman Shumpert collapsed on his knee without any contact. He had to be carried off the court by his teammates, and was reportedly taken from the arena to a local hospital for an MRI. Shumpert is the teams best wing defender, and his matchup with Wade is key if the Knicks have any chance of containing him. It is unclear as of now if he will be returning for Game 2. Look to see Landry Fields return to his starting position at shooting guard if that is the case.

Tyson Chandler had been battling the flu before today’s game, but might as well have sat out. He barely showed up on the boards, and did not score a point, as the leader in field goal percentage (.679), finished 0-of-3 from the floor.

Finally, you have to give credit where credit is due. Lebron James, one of the NBA’s finest actors, should be recieving his academy award nomination in the mail shortly because he sure can flop. Twice he got fouls called on him by pretending there was much more contact then there was in reality. Tyson Chandler got called for a Flagrant I after King James ran around the court whining about his neck hurting.

All kidding aside, Lebron played great tonight, and if he can keep this up may shed his reputation of failing to show up when it counts. He finished with 32 points and four steals.

The Knicks need to show up with better offensive execution in Game 2 if they want to have a chance to bring this series to seven.

The pressure lies with Anthony. Let’s see if he shows up.

Apr 15, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) causes New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) to loose the ball during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Miami won 93-85. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

But with the Knicks having spent most of the last decade in a cellar of incompetence, that rivalry burned out as quickly as it had started. Only recently has it been revived, and to call it “revived” is even a bit of a stretch. The two teams have mostly become a marquee match-up because they were built in similar ways.

Recall that in the long wait for the highly anticipated summer of 2010, the Knicks were the first team to clear enough salary for two superstar free agents, LeBron James being the main target. The Miami Heat, however, one-upped the Knicks and signed three free agents (James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh), thus beginning the Knicks’ quest for their own Big 3.

New York acquired Carmelo Anthony at heavy costs, and effectively kissed cap space goodbye by pulling off a $56 million sign-and-trade for Tyson Chandler. And now here they are, seated in the seventh seed, looking up at the second-place Miami Heat who they were modeled after. Let the rivalry be renewed!

In the weeks leading up to the conclusion of the regular season, there was a great amount of debate as to whether the Knicks should purposely tank to avoid playing the Miami Heat, who swept the season series and won by an average of twelve points.

Since the Miami Big Three formed, they’ve won five of the seven meetings, and in the two Knicks victories, the game came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. But here I am, suggesting that we all forget what happened last season, even forget what happened this season.

The Knicks have had several different identities this season, and the Heat have never faced any of them more than once or at full health.

In January, they faced a Knicks team without Carmelo Anthony and lacking any point guard play or consistency. In February, they faced the Linsanity team with Anthony working his way back from injuries and Jeremy Lin, exhausted from his sudden, glorious emergence. Most recently, they faced a Knicks team with a red hot Anthony playing power forward, missing Amar’e Stoudemire as the other Knicks were unable to provide a secondary scoring punch against the Heat.

Now, the Knicks head into the playoffs with the roster they thought they’d have in training camp when they said they’d be going hunting in Miami. This is a team that Mike D’Antoni said “will” beat the Miami Heat, as Alan Hahn revealed.  There’s plenty to be excited for if you’re the Knicks (and being the fans we are, that means we’re part of the Knicks, and thus, we get to be excited too!).

Anthony is playing arguably the best basketball of his life, posting 30 ppg on 50% shooting, 7 rpg, and 4 apg in April. Amar’e Stoudemire, though not completely integrated into the lineup, looks like his back is in good condition. Just ask Tyrus Thomas. We get to watch Iman Shumpert guard Dwyane Wade. Steve Novak finished the season leading the league in 3-point percentage. Baron Davis has had sufficient rest, playing just two games over the last week and a half. J.R. Smith seems focused on being impactful off the bench.

If there was ever a team to bring out the most hostile Garden crowd, it’s the Miami Heat.  James’ crunch time struggles have been well-chronicled and that probably doesn’t bode well for the Heat to play in the Mecca of basketball with a raucous crowd that smells blood. If the Knicks can steal one game in Miami, the stakes become much greater for Miami who have much more pressure on their collective shoulders than the Knicks.

There’s plenty to be excited for in this series. And yet, that’s all the reason to be terrified. These are the New York Knicks after all, and in this wild 2011-12 season, we’ve learned that we can’t assume anything. But if there was ever a chance for a miracle to happen, it only seems fitting that it would happen now.

Do the Heat make the most sense for the Knicks in the playoffs?

Throughout this roller-coaster of a regular season, the New York Knicks have gone through multiple identities. There was the “Trade ‘Melo” movement, Lin-sanity, the Woodson Era, and I’m sure I’m missing three or four other periods of play.

All we know is, with 10 games remaining, the team is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and are two games clear in the loss column ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks, who the Knicks face tomorrow after a rematch with the Chicago Bulls tonight.

With all things considered, the Knicks best-case scenario for the playoffs is outplaying the Philadelphia 76ers over the next 10 games and capturing the 7th seed in the East. Either way, the Knicks will be facing one of the two juggernauts in the first round: the Bulls or the Miami Heat.

I’m here to tell you that, in a perfect world, the Knicks want to face the Heat in the first round.

Wait…what!?!?

I know what you’re thinking, and I ask you to hear me out. The knee-jerk reaction to my statement isn’t unjustified considering the the two times the Knicks and Heat have played this year, it hasn’t been close. The Heat have beat the Knicks by a total of 24 points in two games, while the Knicks have always played the Bulls tight, winning one of three, but never losing by more five points.

Yet, I still like the Heat as a match-up and there are three reasons why.

The first, the Heat have not faced this specific, Mike Woodson-led Knicks. The last time these two teams met was at the height of the Lin-sanity, and the Heat locked down Jeremy Lin and dominated the action from start to finish. However, this version of the Knicks plays with an emphasis on the defensive end and have begun playing a more complete basketball game. Woodson has handed the keys to the Knicks offense to Carmelo Anthony, who has finally taken the leap to the “this is my house, this is my team” attitude fans have been waiting for since he came over from Denver. ’Melo would be licking his chops if he got a chance to match-up with LeBron James, in New York, in the playoffs, with a chance to re-establish himself as a superstar.

Also, guard Iman Shumpert has taken the next step in his development under the guidance of Mike Woodson. Sunday’s game was his coming-out party to the nation: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assist, 4 steals. His defense would be the X-factor in any playoff series, but especially against the Heat and having the ability to man-up against Dwayne Wade. And there’s always Tyson Chandler, who last year proved to be the inside kryptonite to LeBron James for the Dallas Mavericks. That has to be in James’ head moving forward.

The second reason why the Knicks want to play the Heat: this team will struggle against elite point guards. What gets lost in the excitement of the Knicks win over the Bulls on Sunday was the 21-point lead the team blew against a resurgent Derrick Rose. As much as I love the defense Shumpert provides, he is yet to prove that he can match the quickness of an elite point guard, someone at the level of Rose, Chris Paul, Deron Williams or even Brandon Jennings.

With the Heat, if Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole is going to beat the Knicks, then they have more problems than originally thought. Neither of the two point guards for the Heat, regardless of how well they’ve played in spurts this season, play at a level superior to any of the potential points for the Knicks. If anything, a healthy (if that’s even possible) Baron Davis would have a slight advantage over the Heat. This team needs to avoid the dynamic point guards that populate rosters in the East, and the Heat are one team that doesn’t present a strong option at the lead guard.

The final reason why Knicks fans should want the Heat in Round 1: this is New York, baby! LeBron James needs to prove to the world that he won’t fold under the immense pressure of the playoffs. All eyes would be on James come late-April, early-May, fair or unfair.

There is no basketball environment quite like Madison Square Garden when the Knicks are playing at an elite level. We all saw what that place is like in a playoff-like atmosphere on Sunday. Carmelo embraced it, Shumpert embraced it, and it seemed to crack Derrick Rose ever so slightly.

Historically speaking, LeBron has owned the Garden. However, the last few times he has come to the Garden, he has been the show. The crowd wanted to see what LeBron could do against the Knicks, not what the Knicks can do to stop him. Now, everything has changed. This fan base is out for blood. Nobody has forgiven LeBron for choosing the Heat over the Knicks in the Summer of 2010. With Carmelo firmly entrenched as the Alpha Dog, there is a growing level of hatred for the Heat this city hasn’t seen since Jeff Van Gundy was glued to the ankles of Alonzo Mourning. We want to be the fans that officially break LeBron. We want to haunt his career. We want him running off our court with his tail between his legs. I don’t know one Knicks fan that doesn’t want to be, in some small way, personally responsible for another Heat collapse.

Look, I understand that priority #1 is just getting to the playoffs. The Knicks last 10 games are incredibly difficult with match-ups with the Bulls, Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Hawks and Clippers ahead of them.

But, there is a new feeling for Knicks fans. We saw something Sunday that makes us all want to believe. Carmelo Anthony is here, officially. Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert are stepping up at the right time. And Steve Novak makes everybody want to believe whenever he heaves up a three.

This team is as exciting as it has ever been all year. Now, bring on the Heat.

Full Highlights can be found below:

Amar'e Stoudemire will need to step up without Carmelo Anthony in the lineup.Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

been bothering him over the past two games.

With Melo out I would expect Bill Walker to join the starting lineup for the Knickerbockers. Walker’s range and scoring abilities should help bridge the gap as far as the starters are concerned, but it will weaken their already shallow bench.

The Knicks have lost seven of their last eight games, and getting back on track against the surging Miami Heat won’t be easy.  The Heat have won 5 of their last six and have looked great despite playing without their star guard Dwayne Wade.

If the Knicks have any hope whatsoever to win this ball game they are going to have to tighten up on D and play smart on offense.

The Miami Heat’s attack has been heavy on Chris Bosh in the past few games, so this is something the Knicks are going to need to focus on from a defensive perspective; this means that we are likely to see a heavy dose of Tyson Chandler guarding Chris Bosh—the effects of which are two-fold. By pitting their superior defensive front court player against Bosh, the Knicks are both neutralizing the Heat’s best front court player, as well as freeing up Amar’e Stoudemire to put the majority of his focus on the offense end of the floor as he will be left to guard the offensively challenged Joel Anthony.

On offense the key to the Knicks attack will once again be ball movement. Now that Anthony is out of the lineup, the Knicks will have one less player that requires their touches; this should make it much easier for the Knicks to share the wealth and spread the floor with their shooters. Look for a steady dose of pick and rolls with Stoudemire in an attempt to get him going in Anthony’s absence.  Should the Knicks be able to get some assistance from their role players, they be able to make things interesting tonight in Miami. (more…)

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

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

* Embarrassed. And they should be.

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

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

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

* Wade’s least favorite rapper was in attendance.

* Who’s Ray Felton, again?

* Old Knick legends discuss new Knick heroes.

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

* The renewed rivalry feels extra funny, for some.

Clearly, we all know about the story that has developed over the past week or so since Howard Beck of the NY Times penned this piece back on January 31st. Donnie Walsh, who has been the driving force behind rescuing the Knicks from the depths of NBA/Isiah Thomas hell the past  2 1/2 years, is in contract limbo. He has an option for 2011-2012 that James Dolan must pick up by April 3oth or his current deal will expire on June 3oth. The enigmatic Knicks owner has not talked to the media in four years and his PR lackeys have given no comment on Walsh’s tenuous contract situation.

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First, despite popular wisdom, the Knicks actually do play some very good defense at times.  Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields, Ronny Turiaf and Toney Douglas have been great at scrambling all over the court and causing chaos, while Raymond Felton can be quite the bulldog on D himself.  And Amar’e, while simply awful at one-on-one defense, can be a good help shot blocker.  Thus we’ve actually had several games where our D clamped down at the end of the games and really save the day for us.  So why am I complaining today — is it just because we lost?  No, it’s because this time D’Antoni came up with a specific defensive game plan that I feel put us in a big hole.  What was it?

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After the Cleveland game where I got another DNP – Coach’s decision, I have read – yet another time – that Mozgov is losing is losing the trust of the coach.

I’ll say this: on my part there’s no panic!

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Danilo vs. Carmelo: a spirited battle of ridiculously Italian first names. (Source: Interbasket.net)

After failing to get LeBron James in the off-season, followed by a pre-season loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, things looked bleak this summer, but what a difference a few months makes.  Antony Marino takes us through the lows of our past, up to the highs of our present (without using drugs):

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