Tyson Chandler

Offense: Chandler began the 2012-13 season on the same pace he totaled in 2011-12. His offense, though still at times frustratingly limited, consisted of a league-high number of alley-oops, plus the usual assortment of dunks and finishes around the basket. He even surprised teammates, fans, and broadcasters alike by stepping out and hitting a midrange jumper every once in a blue moon. His field goal percentage was tops in the league again, heading towards the historical precedents he had reached the season before.

However, over time, for injuries unreported and reasons unknown, Chandler’s offensive output dipped dramatically. The Knicks found him less in the pick-and-roll, definitely, but it’s hard to pinpoint why, exactly. Perhaps different ailing body parts than Chandler refused to use as an excuse to sit out? The numbers alone tell the tale:

• Pre-All-Star: 11.4 ppg, 67.3% FG, 6.4 FG attempts per game, 11.1 rpg,
• Post All-Star: 7.6 ppg, 50% FG, 5.1 FG attempts per game, 9.1 rpg,

Chandler’s scoring output and efficiency on offense took a serious nosedive after February. He was logging high minutes because of the Knicks’ season-long mixtape of injuries to back-up big men like Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Amar’e Stoudemire. Chandler, throughout his career, hasn’t been a big minutes player, and his 32.8 per game this season is higher than his career average. The overall drop in his offense didn’t hurt the Knicks too much, as their Offensive Rating was still better with Chandler on the floor than off. It can be looked at two ways. One, Chandler isn’t supposed to be on the floor for offense, so whatever he can give the team should be seen as a bonus; or two, given his age, mileage on his body, and knack for injuries, things won’t be getting better.

Grade: C+

Defense: Chandler still remained the defensive backbone for the Knicks all year, but it was to a strikingly lesser degree than the prior season.

Whereas in his first season in New York, Chandler directed a bunch of mediocre defenders all over the floor, calling out screens, mismatches, double-teams, and directions for any player in orange and blue, this year, his impact was less noticeable. The defensive floor-scrambling — hedging pick-and-rolls, recovering to stop the roll man, sending help on double-teams, trapping, protecting the basket, and usually gathering the rebound — became more infrequent. It was odd, considering he helmed a lesser cast to a top five Defensive Rating in 2011-12. This year, the Knicks finished just 17th in Defensive Efficiency, according to NBA.com/Stats. Amazingly, the Knicks’ Defensive Rating was actually .5 points better with Chandler off the floor this season.

Unlike his offense, Chandler’s defense should be able to recover. Though as he gets older — a legitimate concern at this point — he may not be able to switch onto guards as effectively or rise up to block a shot, his communication and understanding of team defense can uphold. Many older defensive geniuses (Kevin Garnett, for example) have remained effective in keeping a defense glued, simply by barking out instructions and having an understanding of where to be at all times. The Knicks’ defense seemed a bit fluky this season, simply because a better defensive coach and roster would, imaginably, be a better overall defensive unit. Despite what the numbers say, it’s still hard to think the Knicks’ defense could get them anywhere without Chandler.

Grade: B-

Overall: It will be interesting to see how Chandler rebounds next season. He began the year at a pace that could’ve placed him on First, Second, or Third All-NBA team and simply faded out. As mentioned, nagging injuries or overuse could have done it; it certainly appeared to be both in his lackluster playoffs (though he blamed catching his daughter’s illness for that). Overall, Chandler is still a vital piece to this Knicks team, but it feels as though the Knicks’ only chance of ever reaching the elite level they desire is if Chandler is that indispensable player that Knicks fans grew to love in 2011-12.

Final Grade: B-

May 14, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) sits next to forward Amar

The Knicks really never made a push in this game and were consistently overmatched from start to finish. The Pacers outplayed and outworked them once again and the Knicks looked both lifeless most of the time. Carmelo Anthony had a good first half, but the Knicks still saw themselves down 15 at the break and were never able to recover. A combination of poor second half from Melo and an overall poor shooting performance by the team wasn’t enough to make it close against one of the league’s top defenses.

Raymond Felton

Felton recovered after a brutal Game 3 performance at Indiana where he went 1/8 from the field. He looked to be back on track tonight with a 7/16 performance, but most of his value came from three steals and two blocks while facilitating the ball. He was able to get to the basket multiple times off the pick and wasn’t short of effort.

Grade: B+

J.R. Smith

No one doubts his ability to put up points, but it has to be in an efficient manner for the Knicks to win. JR’s 19 points tonight was a little deceiving, as he hit a couple of garbage-time makes towards the end of the game. If you include those, he still comes away with 7/22 shooting and 3/10 from three. Many of his misses came at times where the Knicks desperately needed a bucket to propel them back into the game and cut the lead. Whether it was bad shot attempts or he was just off, what he brought tonight isn’t going to cut it and may mark one of his last games as a Knick.

Grade: C-

Carmelo Anthony

As mentioned, Melo looked sharp in the first half as he looked towards shooting 50% for the first game in these playoffs, but he tapered off in the second half and in effect, the team followed his lead. It seemed as though he was picking up fouls rather than playing solid defense on some plays and when the Knicks needed him most to make a big time second half push, he was nowhere to be found to carry them or get hot and start his own run.

Grade: C+

Tyson Chandler

May 14, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) guards Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) in game four of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Chandler finally showed up for the first time this series. With a few solid-to-very good games against Indiana during the regular season, there had to be some question of what was wrong with Chandler right now. After being embarrassed for the first three games by Roy Hibbert, he was able to grab double-digit boards for the first time and also posted a double-double with 12 points included. His 3 blocks and 7 offensive rebounds were encouraging as well, and he’ll need to carry this momentum into Game 5 if the Knicks want any chance of making this a series.

Grade: A-

Kenyon Martin

For the minutes he played tonight (28), he performed very poorly compared to how he has looked for the Knicks since getting him. His couples of blocks were a plus, but it’s not too much to ask for a few points out of him with a few more rebounds (5 tonight) as well.

Grade: D

Role Players

Most of the key players ate up all the minutes tonight and there wasn’t much left over for the reserves. A primary note is that Jason Kidd was held scoreless once again and he hasn’t been able to score a single point since Game 2 vs. Boston (3 points).  Shumpert wasn’t able to score a point in his 16 minutes and 6 shot attempts, but much can be attributed to a bothersome knee that was visible at multiple points of the game. The Knicks were clearly missing his perimeter defense and he will need to be at full strength for the Knicks in Game 5, especially if J.R. cant get it going. A major question that Mike Woodson should be facing is why it took so long to bring in Chris Copeland and Steve Novak, when it seemed like nothing else he was rolling out there was working. Copeland looked good in his 12 minutes and Novak was able to knock down a 3-pointer in his miniscule single minute on the floor, but all was too little, too late.

Grade: F

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

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

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

Has this Knicks’ offense become too selfish?

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

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

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

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

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

But overall I have to agree with Chandler here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIRST TEAM

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

Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City — 17 — 12 — 46

Tyson Chandler, New York — 9 — 6 — 24

Joakim Noah, Chicago — 8 — 8 — 24

Tony Allen, Memphis — 25 — 3 — 53

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

SECOND TEAM

Tim Duncan, San Antonio — 3 — 14 — 20

Paul George, Indiana — 7 — 13 — 27

Marc Gasol, Memphis — 5 — 2 — 12

Avery Bradley, Boston — 10 — 5 — 25

Mike Conley, Memphis — 4 — 11 — 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How long this series goes could rest on his shoulders.

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

If he does, I like the Knicks chances.

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

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

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

When: Tuesday May 6th at 7:00

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City

Watch: TNT

Betting Line:  New York Knicks (-6)

Key Matchup: Tyson Chandler vs. Roy Hibbert

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: New York 96, Indiana 92

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s as simple as getting Chandler more touches.

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

That plays right into the Pacers hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He can start with a big game Tuesday night.

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Someone forgot to tell that to the New York Knicks’ Tyson Chandler.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) looks to pass the ball as Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) falls to the floor during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks have gotten themselves off to a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics and their defense has been outstanding through two games, which is a bit surprising considering the fact that they have gotten very little production for their All-Star center.

Chandler, who missed 16 of the Knicks final 20 regular season games with a bulging disc in his neck has struggled early on in this series.

Combined in those two games, Chandler has only three points, 10 rebounds and one blocked shot and has been benched in the fourth quarter of both games.

Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said that Chandler’s energy level isn’t there right now, which is something that probably should have been expected due to the long layoff. Chandler looked sluggish and rusty during Game 1 and played only 22 minutes in Game 2 although he looked a little bit better from an energy standpoint.

This isn’t to suggest that Chandler has been horrible through two games, but if the Knicks are to make a run through the Eastern Conference, they are going to need a lot more from him.

Chandler has said he feels good, now it is just a matter of getting his timing and his legs back.

The good news for the Knicks is that Kenyon Martin has come through in a big way while Chandler hasn’t been himself.

But if the Knicks have both Chandler and Martin playing well, they are a very dangerous team.

It’s something they are going to need the rest of the way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That is the recipe for winning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that’s only the beginning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A little bit.

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

They are off to a good start so far.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 10, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not a chance in the world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s certainly good to hear from Woodson.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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That would be the presence of All-Star center Tyson Chandler, who has now missed nine consecutive games with what was originally described as a bulging disc in his neck.

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

However things could be much worse than that.

According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, there is a growing fear among the Knicks’ brass that Chandler could have a pinched nerve in his neck.

The original timetable for his return was one week, but that is no longer the case as there is now no immediate timetable for his return to the lineup.

“There’s always a concern but he’ll be fine,’’ Knicks coach Mike Woodson told Berman. “We’re just being cautious. Eventually, he’ll be back. I like to think he’s getting better. He’ll let us know when it’s time for him to step back on the floor.’’

Dr. Wellington Hsu also told the New York Post that the symptoms appear to be related to a pinched nerve that isn’t easy to get rid of.

The general feeling is that Chandler is fine and will be back soon, but it is not the worst thing in the world to be cautious with him for the remainder of the regular season.

For one, the Knicks are on a roll right now.

Secondly, Chandler has played a lot of minutes at this point in the season and his body has taken a beating. It would be nice to give him some additional time to heal in order for him to enter the playoffs well rested and at 100 percent.

Despite winning seven straight games, the Knicks are not the same team without Chandler on the floor and to have any success in the postseason, they need their big man completely healthy.

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The Knicks say Tyson Chandler is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Celtics.

Chandler has missed the past six games with a bulging disk in his neck and a bone bruise in his left knee.

The Knicks say Chandler’s knee is healed but his neck remains an issue.

Amazingly, the Knicks have gone 4-2 in Chandler’s stead since he went down in the scariest moment of the Knicks’ season against the Denver Nuggets almost two weeks

ago. As Begley mentions, Chandler’s knee has recovered from that incident in Denver, but the bulging disc that has made his neck cranky all year still seems to be an issue.

Even before these missed games, Chandler had been struggling somewhat during the month of March. Through eight games, Chandler had only been averaging 6.1 points on 51% FG, with 8.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks – all below his season averages – and the Knicks had a defensive efficiency of just 101.2 through that stretch.

With Chandler out, the Knicks have actually played pretty well on both ends of the court, thanks in large part to the splendid play of Kenyon Martin who has filled in admirably in Chandler’s absence. They’ve kept opponents under 100 points in five of the last six games (though they’ve played at a snail’s crawl pace, so their defensive efficiency has been quite poor), and have performed ably on offense.

As has been Mike Woodson and the Knicks’ repeated message all season, the team is trying to come together for the playoffs and are solely focused on winning the Atlantic Divsion in the meantime. The Knicks have a back-to-back coming up against Boston on Tuesday and the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Winning the game against the Celtics is the most important, but with Kevin Garnett out for the Celtics, it may be an OK time to keep Chandler inactive. While it’d be nice to get a big win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday, that game doesn’t have the same standings implications.

If Chandler doesn’t play the next two games, or even Friday against the Bobcats, he could return for a hugely critical stretch starting next Sunday when the Knicks rematch the Celtics, and face two weeks which includes opponents such as the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The good news is that All-Star center Tyson Chandler is expected to miss only a week with a small bulging disk in his cervical spine (neck area).

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

The bad news is that Chandler could miss up to four or five games in that span, which include Atlantic Division battles against the Toronto Raptors (twice) and Boston Celtics.

Chandler has missed the past two games with the neck problem which was confirmed by an MRI on Tuesday. He also suffered a bone contusion in his left knee during the Knicks’ loss March 13 to the Nuggets.

The Knicks have gone 1-1 with Chandler on the sidelines, but going without the backbone of their defense for the next four or five games will be extremely difficult.

It will be even more difficult considering he won’t be the only one out.

According to the Knicks, Kurt Thomas is also expected to be out two to four weeks with an acute stress reaction surrounding a chronic stress fracture in his right foot.

That leaves the Knicks frontcourt very shorthanded as both Amar’e Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace will miss the remainder of the regular season as well.

With that being said, expect to see a lot of Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Chris Copeland for the foreseeable future.

One thing is for sure and that is the Knicks need big bodies, but there are two problems with that.

First of all there isn’t much out there to go and get. Secondly, the Knicks have refused to waive Wallace, which is something that could be considered again given the injury situation.

But for now Mike Woodson will have to try and patch things together- something he is used to by now.

Woodson should get a bit of good news though as Carmelo Anthony is supposed to return to the Knicks lineup Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, but who knows how healthy his knee is at this point.

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One is the fact that Carmelo Anthony is the team’s best player and it hurts to not have him in the lineup.

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

Another fact is that Tyson Chandler is the Knicks MVP and most important player on the team and they really can’t afford for him to be out of the lineup for any length of time.

But that has been the case the last three games as Chandler has been out with a strained neck. He also is nursing a banged up knee after taking a tough fall against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Chandler left that game in the second quarter and hasn’t returned to the court since.

Chandler will undergo an MRI Tuesday morning on his strained neck, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard (per ESPN’s Jared Zwerling).

When Chandler’s not on the floor, the Knicks lose a leader and their best defensive player. The first time All-Star helps make up for teammates mistakes, and that is something they don’t have when he’s not on the floor.

Not to mention that when he’s on the sidelines, the Knicks are missing 10.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.15 blocks per game, in addition to Chandler’s 64.5 percent field goal percentage, which leads the NBA.

Hopefully for Knicks fans, Chandler’s neck won’t turn out to be a problem as they need him badly for the stretch run.

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The Knicks ‘Big Three” will once again be on the sidelines together as it is expected that both Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Tyson Chandler (knee) will miss the game as well.

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

Both Anthony and Chandler are officially listed as questionable due to knee injuries, but Knicks had coach Mike Woodson told reporters after Saturday’s practice in Los Angeles that he’s planning as if neither player will be available for Sunday’s game.

“Yes, we went through shootaround thinking that (Chandler and Anthony will not play),” Woodson said (via ESPNNewYork.com).”We got these (other players) in uniform ready to play.”

If Anthony and Chandler are out, Woodson may opt to start a front line of Chris Copeland, Kenyon Martin and Kurt Thomas. Those three started on Thursday against Portland.

‘Melo got his knee drained on Thursday in New York and rejoined the team Saturday in Los Angeles. He has missed four of the Knicks’ past seven games, and missed large portions of two others because of the knee problem.

Chandler suffered a left knee contusion late in the first half of New York’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. He missed Thursday’s loss to the Blazers and sat out of practice on Saturday.

This five-game west coast trip has been disastrous for the Knicks, who have lost the first three games by an average of 22.5 points per game and now only have a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic Division.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The worst of which occurred in the second quarter of yet another Knicks blowout loss- this time at the hands of the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night- when reigning Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler crumbled to the floor with what looked at the time to be a serious knee injury.

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

Chandler is the one guy the struggling Knicks can’t afford to be without and it looks like the Knicks caught a break as it was being reported as a left knee contusion and ESPN reported that Chandler would try and play Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 12-year vet was noticeably limping leaving the Pepsi Center, but all reports noted that he was in good spirits.

Knowing Chandler and his toughness, there was never any doubt that he would gut it out the rest of this long west coast road trip.

However is that the smartest idea for Mike Woodson and the Knicks medical staff to allow him to play right away?

Chandler is the one player the Knicks can’t afford to be without for a game, much less an extended period of time. With that being said, do the Knicks risk making Chandler’s knee worse? If it’s just a contusion, there isn’t much chance of the knee getting worse, but the pain could stick around and linger for a longer period than it would if he properly rested.

But Chandler is as tough as they come and there’s no doubt he will play through the pain and never use the knee as an excuse.

That’s a good thing because without him, the Knicks defense will be even worse than it is right now and if Chandler isn’t in the lineup, the Knicks have very little chance to compete.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martin is a similar player and should have similar results.

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

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

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

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

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Looking from afar, the opinion on Chandler was simply that of a guy who played defense and offered little other value.

How wrong most people were.

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

Carmelo Anthony is an MVP candidate.

Amar’e Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star.

But make no mistake about it, the Knicks wouldn’t be where they are today without Chandler, who has proven to be the Knicks’ Most Valuable Player.

The thing about Chandler’s value is that you can’t measure his worth in stats, although the 11.4 points and 11.4 rebounds he is averaging on the season are quite impressive. In addition the Knicks big man is shooting 65.8 percent from the floor, which leads the NBA by a wide margin.

But Chandler brings so much more to this team.

In terms of pure leadership, while the Knicks did add veterans such as Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby during the offseason, no one in a Knicks uniform measures up to Chandler.

He’s both the emotional and vocal leader of this team. More importantly Chandler leads by example. We in the media have often criticized superstars such as Anthony for not doing the little things necessary to win. You can never make that statement about Chandler. Winning is the only thing that matters to the 12-year vet. It doesn’t matter what he has to do, Chandler does it to get wins.

Then there is the impact that Chandler has on this team.

Without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the Knicks don’t make the playoffs a season ago and certainly aren’t currently 34-20, just a half game out of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Sure Anthony is second in the NBA in scoring at 28.5 point per game, but Chandler impacts the game more.

Look at the difference defensively when Chandler is on the bench. They aren’t the same team. With Chandler on the floor, the Knicks can be more aggressive on the perimeter, because they know he is behind them to erase most mistakes. He owns the paint defensively and that is a crucial part of why the Knicks are where they are right now.

Let’s talk rebounding. Chandler owns the glass. he is fourth in the NBA in rebounding and leads the NBA with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game. That is a crucial part of the Knicks offense. Also keep in mind that with Chandler, the Knicks are a lousy rebounding team, only 21st in the NBA (41.3 RPG).

Where would they be defensively and on the glass without him?

This game isn’t all about scoring points, although Chandler can do that as well.

The 11.4 points he is averaging this season is close to his career-high 11.8 set in the 2007-08 season as a member of the New Orleans Hornets. Chandler only attempts 6.4 shots per game. He could easily average 15 points per game if he got a few more touches.

But that speaks to Chandler as a leader. He doesn’t care as long as the Knicks are winning.

What he did Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors was nothing short of outstanding.

His career-high 28 rebounds and the way he controlled the paint showed that he can almost single handily dominate the opposition’s offense by controlling the glass. Keep in mind that the rest of the Knicks starters combined to grab only four offensive and three defensive boards. That’s simply Chandler carrying his team on his back.

Yes, Anthony, Stoudemire, J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton were all crucial parts in Wednesday’s win, but it was a team victory, just the way Chandler would want it.

But make no mistake about it, the Knicks wouldn’t have beaten the Warriors without Chandler’s dominance, nor would they be in contention to come out of the Eastern Conference.

When you are talking about the MVP of the Knicks team this season, don’t forget to mention Chandler’s name.

He means that much. Just think of where this team would be without him.

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Although the 99-93 win was nice, it didn’t come without a little anxiety as the Knicks nearly blew a 20-point second half lead. But a win is a win and Mike Woodson will take it.

With that being said, let’s take a look at home each Knicks player graded out in this much needed win.

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Raymond Felton (14 points, 6-of-15 shooting, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers)

Felton didn’t shoot the ball well, especially from behind the arc, where he went only 2-of-8 on the night. But he had success penetrating and getting to the rim. He also took very good care of the ball, not turning it over on the night. Grade: C+

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Once again, Kidd had a brutal shooting day, going 0-for-6 from three-point range, including taking some bad shots, which isn’t Kidd-like. His nine boards saves his grade a little bit. Grade: C-

Iman Shumpert (4 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

To continue the trend, Shump once again did not have a good day from the floor and was limited to only 13 minutes. He continues to be ineffective at both ends of the floor and it makes you wonder how much that surgically repaired knee is still bothering him. Grade: D

Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 6-of-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers)

Anthony also did not have a good shooting day, but he did score 29 points and made 16-of-18 free-throws. However in addition to shooting only 33 percent from the floor, ‘Melo also coughed the ball up five times, which is getting concerning. Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler (5 points, 2-of-2 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks)

Just a typical night for Chandler. He crashed the boards and played great interior defense. His plus-14 on the night showed his impact. But he only attempted two shots on the night.  That is a number I would like grow to see around six or seven each game. Grade: A-

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Amar’e Stoudemire (22 points, 9-of-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

Stoudemire just keeps getting better and better. He was outstanding and efficient and was clearly the Knicks best player on the floor. Grade: A+

J.R. Smith (14 points, 5-of-12 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Smith was not very good early in the game, especially defensively where Evan Turner repeatedly beat him to the basket, but he rebounded nicely, including hitting a pair of huge three’s late in the game and picking up his intensity defensively. Grade: B-

Steve Novak (4 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 6 rebounds)

Novak only attempted a pair of shots, which can’t happen as poorly as most of his teammates have been shooting the ball, but he did impact the game by grabbing six rebounds for a change.  Grade: B-

Pablo Prigioni (4 points, 1-of-4 shooting, 5 assists, 1 rebound)

His stat line may not show it, but Prigioni was very good in his 13 minutes. He dished out five assists and was tough defensively.  Grade: B+

Kenyon Martin, Chris Copeland, James White and Kurt Thomas all received DNP’s- Coach’s Decision.

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As things pertain to the New York Knicks, we have seen a story of two different teams so far on the season.

First there was the dominant team that defended, moved the ball and shot very well on almost a game-by-game basis.

Feb. 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Clippers won 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Then we have the Knicks team we have seen as of late.

The team that doesn’t defend well, relies mostly on isolation and doesn’t shoot the rock particularly great on most nights.

The results for the most part have been very good as the Knicks at 32-18 sit second in the eastern Conference, only

With that being said, let’s take a look back on the first half of the season and hand out individual grades to everyone on the Knicks roster.

Raymond Felton (38 GP, 14.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 40.4 FG%, 35.8 3P%, 15.3 PER)

Felton saves his best for when he wears a Knicks uniform. He has been the engine that has made the Knicks offense and to say they were a different team without him would be an understatement. The numbers are nice but the shooting percentages have been going down and the turnovers have been going up, which are both concerns. But overall it was a nice first half for Felton. Grade: B

Iman Shumpert (13 GP, 5.3 PPG, 1.5 APG, 3.4 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 33.8 FG%, 41.4 3P%, 10.2 PER)

Everyone felt that as soon as Shump returned from injury the Knicks perimeter defense would fall into place, but that hasn’t been the case. Shumpert looks a step slow, which is probably to be expected coming off knee surgery. It’s also concerning how awful he has been shooting the rock (33.8 percent). It’s hard to give Shump an accurate grade due to the fact that he has only played 13 games, but he hasn’t been the shot in the arm that Knicks fans hoped he would. His grade is giving him the benefit of the doubt as it should be a little worse. Grade: C-

Jason Kidd (45 GP, 7.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 39.3 FG%, 38.8 3P%, 14.9 PER)

Kidd started the season great and while he has tailed off as of late in terms of production, he has still been very good. Much of what Kidd does on the floor doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. While Kidd has been a leader and does all of the little things a team needs, his shooting percentages have plummeted the past 20 games, which is a big red flag. Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony (43 GP, 28.6 PPG, 2.7 APG, 6.5 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 44.7 FG%, 40.5 3p%, 23.8 PER)

‘Melo is an MVP candidate and that should say it all. He has shown at times that he is all about winning, playing team basketball at both ends of the floor, which shows he understands what it means to lead. Yet there has been times when we have seen “”MeloBall” cost the Knicks games. Overall though, Anthony has answered all of the questions about him during the first half of the season. Grade: A

Tyson Chandler (50 GP, 11.4 PPG, 1.0 APG, 11.1 RPG, 0.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 67.3 FG%, 20.4 PER)

Chandler was supposed to have some help defending the paint this season, but that hasn’t happened. He has made his first All-Star team and has been simply outstanding at both ends of the floor, which no other Knicks player can claim. We all know about the impact that Chandler has had on the Knicks’ defense, but he leads the NBA in field goal percentage by a wide margin. If he got a few more touches per game, he would easily be averaging a double-double at this point. Grade: A+

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Amar’e Stoudemire (20 GP, 13.6 PPG, 0.5 APG, 4.8 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 0.75 BPG, 55.9 FG%, 22.1 PER)

What role will STAT have when he comes back? Will Stoudemire be able to handle coming off the bench? Those are the questions that Stoudemire has answered with a resounding YES! It’s only been 20 games, but STAT is looking outstanding coming off the Knicks’ bench. He still struggles defensively, but he has been nothing short of great. In addition he has a PER of 22 coming off the bench playing a little over 22 minutes. That’s not easy to do. Grade: A

J.R. Smith (50 GP, 16.2 PPG, 2.8 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 40.0 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 15.5 PER)

Smith has had his moments where he has proven to be a legitimate second scoring option and has helped carry the offense at times when Anthony was out with injuries. But for every game winning shot or solid offensive performance, there have been games where he has shot the Knicks out of a possible win. Smith has been good, but he is not efficient and his shooting percentages are brutal. But he has done so much more to help this team so far than score the ball, which show’s Smith’s true value. Grade: B-

Steve Novak (49 GP, 6.9 PPG, 0.5 APG, 1.9 RPG, 42.3 FG%, 44.7 3P%, 11.4 PER)

Novak is once again shooting an outstanding percentage from behind the arc, but he is only getting off a little more than four shots per game. That’s down from the six three-pointers he averaged per game during the season’s first month. There are reasons why Novak isn’t getting many looks and some of it has to do with the Knicks being unselfish. But if Novak isn’t banging three’s, he has little other value. Grade: C

James White (34 GP, 1.8 PPG, 45.6 FG%, 33.3 3p%, 8.3 PER)

White hasn’t done much but is a nice depth piece who is shooting a good percentage from the floor. Grade: D+

Chris Copeland (32 GP, 6.3 PPG, 0.3 APG, 1.3 RPG, 47.5 FG%, 37.1 3p%, 16.2 PER)

Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Copeland has done some very good things this year, mostly when it comes to scoring. But he is another guy that offers very little value in any other area, especially defensively. Grade: C

Rasheed Wallace (20 GP, 7.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.65 SPG, 0.75 BPG, 38.8 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 16.9 PER)

Wallace being out of the lineup has hurt the Knicks much more than anyone thought it would when he was originally signed. He shooting percentages leave a lot to be desired, but his communication on the defensive end of the floor was a big part of the Knicks early season success. Grade: B-

Ronnie Brewer (45 GP, 3.7 PPG, 0.9 APG, 2.2 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 36.8 G%, 31.0 3P%, 10.3 PER)

Brewer got off to a good start but has hit rock bottom as of late. He has struggled mightily offensively and hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a great perimeter defender. Grade: D-

Pablo Prigioni (49 GP, 3.4 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 46.0 FG%, 40.6 3P%, 13.2 PER)

The 35-year old rookie has had his moments this season. He brings it defensively and keeps his teammates involved. He may be the most unselfish player on the roster. Sometimes he is too unselfish as Prigioni shoots a good percentage from the floor but rarely looks to shoot the ball. The only knock on Prigioni has been consistency as he has trouble putting together back-to-back solid efforts. Grade: C

Marcus Camby (14 GP, 2.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 36.4 FG%, 10.6 PER)

It’s hard to call someone more of a disappointment than Brewer, but Camby has been exactly that. The Knicks needed him to be a solid backup to Chandler and he just hasn’t been healthy enough to contribute. When he has been healthy, other than four starts, he has had difficulty breaking into Mike Woodson’s rotation, averaging only 10 minutes per contest. He is making well over $3 million this season to provide a lot more than three rebounds per night. Grade: F

Kurt Thomas (30 GP, 2.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 55.9 FG%, 14.9 PER)

In his little bit of playing time per game, Thomas gives the Knicks some defense and rebounding and then takes a seat. He knows his role and does his job when called upon, including shooting over 55 percent from the floor. Grade: C

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Things have gone well for the Knicks as of late as they performed well at both ends of the court for long stretches at a time.

The Pistons made it closer than this game should have been and scored 62 points in the paint, but the Knicks made 14-of-34 three-point attempts, including 10-of-20 to begin the game.

As the Knicks continue to roll, let’s take a look at how they graded out against the Pistons.

Raymond Felton (4 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

It was another solid game for Felton, who controlled the pace of the game very nicely and didn’t force things too much. He has improved defensively the past four games and made things tough on Pistons’ point guard Brandon Knight, who made only 2-of-10 shots from the floor. His nine assists gave him eight or more assists in five consecutive games. Anyone doubting the impact that Felton has on this team is being proven wrong on a nightly basis. Grade: A-

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds)

Feb 4, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives the pane during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-85. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Kidd hasn’t been great the past few weeks and despite being all over the floor early on, he didn’t do much in this one. Grade: C

Iman Shumpert (8 points, 2-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists)

Shump’s minutes are still limited, but he looked good in his 17 minutes and he played his usual solid defense which was a big part of the win. Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony (27 points, 10-of-17 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists)

Anthony did whatever he wanted to for most of the night, due large in part to having Kyle Singler guarding him, which was a gift from the Pistons. He led the team in scoring and was efficient from the field. It was a solid all-around day except for another high turnover number (four). Grade: A-

Tyson Chandler (8 points, 4-of-9 shooting, 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block)

Chandler grabbed 20 rebounds for a third consecutive game and made Greg Monroe a non-factor for most of the night. It has been an outstanding stretch of play for the first-time All-Star. Grade: A+

Amar’e Stoudemire (20 points, 8-of-14 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block)

Stoudemire looks more and more like the STAT of old, scoring 20 points in 28 minutes. He looks explosive and it is no coincidence that the Knicks recent streak has come with impressive performances from Stoudemire. Grade: A

Steve Novak (6 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds)

It’s been hard for Novak to turn in consistent back-to-back performances as of late. He did knock down a couple of three’s but needs to do more in 20 minutes of playing time. Grade: C+

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

Not Prigioni’s best night although that he wasn’t bad. He is at his best when he is getting teammates involved and that didn’t happen on Monday with only one assist. Grade: C

J.R. Smith (16 points, 5-of-15 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Smith chucked up an insane amount of three’s again (13).  He did make five of those, but he had a fourth quarter that was reminiscent of the Smith of old, throwing up brick after brick, often taking bad shots and playing out of control. It wasn’t his best all-around effort, but he was productive. Grade: C+

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They have started to get healthy, but one man in particular can be credited for their most recent stretch of good play- Knicks’ center Tyson Chandler.

Feb 4, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-85. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The first-time All-Star has been as dominant at both ends of the floor as possibly at any time in his 12-year career. He has been all over the paint defensively, but the work he has put in on the glass as of late has been nothing short of special.

Chandler helped the Knicks defeat the Detroit Pistons on Monday night by grabbing 20 rebounds, doing so for the third consecutive game.

No Knicks’ player has accomplished that since Willis Reed accomplished the feat in December of 1969.

That season ended with a Knicks championship, something Chandler hopes will happen this season as well.

The Knicks have struggled rebounding the basketball all season long, ranking 26th in the NBA, after the most recent stretch of domination, Chandler has helped them climb up to 23rd (41.0 RPG). Hopefully that trend continues and the Knicks keep on crashing the glass at this rate.

It is not that Chandler has been having a bad season, he clearly hasn’t, but something has ignited him as of late.

If a spark needed lit in Chandler, credit Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson for sparking the fuse, giving Chandler a stern talking to before his latest exploits.

Woodson’s message was clear and that was if Chandler was going to be an All-Star, he had to play like it on every possession.

“I didn’t think he was playing complete basketball,” Woodson told Newsday’s Jim Baumbach. “He was taking possessions off. He wasn’t moving the pace offensively and he wasn’t getting it done in terms of rebounding the basketball. And you can’t be an All-Star in this league and not play like it.”

If Woodson was trying to send a message to Chandler, that message was received loud and clear.

“The last thing you want is for people to start questioning you,” Chandler said. “And I agreed . . . Sometimes you need that. You need a little push.”

It’s no secret that the Knicks feed off Chandler’s energy and emotion. He’s is their emotional leader and when he is providing that on a nightly basis, this Knicks team is very tough to beat.

It’s no coincidence that the Knicks recent winning streak has coincided with Chandler’s improved play.

Now the key is for him to keep it up.

Chandler doesn’t have to grab 20 rebounds a night, but he must continue to play like the dominant center that he is.

I have no doubt that he will do exactly that.

Chandler is a winner, a leader and a pro’s pro. He is the type of player that young big men should emulate.

It’s not always about flash and highlights, but instead about winning and doing your job.

Very few do it better than Chandler.

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The funny part is that the Knicks actually trailed 18-6 at one point in the first quarter after starting the game 1-for-13 from the floor. Then came a 46-7 run and that should tell you all you need to know about this blowout win.

February 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd (5) looks to pass against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks shot 54.7 percent from the floor and 44.2 percent from behind the arc as they chucked up 43 three’s on the night.

However the most impressive part of the big win was the fact that the Knicks bench outscored the Kings team 82-81.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how the Knicks graded out.

Raymond Felton (7 points, 3-of-8 shooting, 8 assists, 2 rebounds)

Felton dished out at least eight assists for the fourth consecutive game, but because of the blowout, Felton saw only 26 minutes. But he turned the ball over four times and was sloppy with the ball for a change. Grade: C+

Jason Kidd (5 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

Kidd saw only 16 minutes Saturday night but was productive, especially on the glass. It appears that Kidd will be limited in terms of minutes in the near future, but he looked much healthier against the Kings. Grade: B

Iman Shumpert (6 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds)

Shump played some solid defense and contributed a little bit, but it appears that he doesn’t have his legs completely back yet, missing a wide open baseline slam early in the game. Grade: C+

Carmelo Anthony (9 points, 4-of-12 shooting, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal)

Had you told me the Knicks would beat anyone by 39 points with Anthony having only nine points, I would have laughed at you. But while ‘Melo’s streak of 31 consecutive games with 20 points came to a close; he picked a nice time to do it as he wasn’t needed for a change. He did hand out five assists which was nice. Grade: C+

Tyson Chandler (11 points, 4-of-8 shooting, 20 rebounds)

That’s 20 rebounds in back-to-back games for Chandler, who grabbed eight offensive rebounds for the second consecutive game as well. He dominated the paint once again even though he got off to a slow start defensively. The insane part of his night was that Chandler grabbed 20 boards in only 26 minutes of playing time. Grade: A+

Amar’e Stoudemire (21 points, 10-of-10 shooting, 6 rebounds)

Back-to-back great games from STAT, who appears to be close to all the way back and he was the one who got the Knicks rolling early on. Grade: A+

Kurt Thomas (11 points, 5-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds)

The elder statesman scored 11 points in only 13 minutes. He was a minus-four on the night, but Thomas took advantage of his playing time to contribute. Grade: A-

Chris Copeland (5 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 2 assists, 1 rebound)

Copeland has become the forgotten man in Mike Woodson’s rotation and didn’t do much to impress in his 10 minutes, missing four of his five attempts. Grade: C

Steve Novak (15 points, 5-of-7 shooting)

That’s more like it for Novak, who finally had some room to get some shots up. When Novak knocks down five triples off the bench, the Knicks are usually going to win. Grade: A+

Pablo Prigioni (3 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 7 assists, 2 steals)

Prigioni dished out seven assists and played his normal tough defense. You can’t ask for much more in 22 minutes. Grade: A

J.R. Smith (25 points, 9-of-16, shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals)

Smith was more efficient at the offensive end than usual and knocked down seven three’s. He took 14 shots from behind the arc in 22 minutes, which if he is making half of them I guess I am fine with that, but Smith filled up the stat sheet in normal fashion and posted a team-high plus-36 rating. Grade: A+

Both Ronnie Brewer and James White played but neither did anything worth mentioning.

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The Knicks big win, coupled with the Miami Heat’s loss to the Indiana Pacers leave the Knicks just one game behind the defending champs in the Eastern Conference.

February 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) lays it in against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks’ player graded out in their 96-86 win over the Bucks.

Raymond Felton (14 points, 5-of-8 shooting, 8 assists, 2 rebounds)

The Knicks floor general looked as good as he has since coming back from injury. He knocked down two of his three attempts from behind the arc and his plus-15 mark showed how well he played. He banged up his pinkie finger late in the game which is a concern, but otherwise Felton was in total control all night. His eight assist was the third consecutive game he had dished out at least eight dimes. Grade: A-

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

Kidd didn’t have his usual impact on the game and was on the bench for most of the Knicks’ comeback. All five off his attempts were from behind the arc and he only knocked down one, but overall Kidd didn’t do much in his 24 minutes. Grade: D+

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

Shumpert didn’t really have much of an impact in his 19 minutes on the floor, but did knock down a corner three and grab a few rebounds. Grade: C

Carmelo Anthony (25 points, 7-of-22 shooting, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 7 turnovers)

It wasn’t a good shooting night for Anthony but he did what it took to win, including keeping his teammates involved, rebounding and getting to the free-throw line, where ‘Melo knocked down 8-of-12 attempts. He saved his best scoring of the night when the Knicks needed him the most, scoring 10 points in the third quarter. It wasn’t his best night but still a solid performance. The seven turnovers are concerning though. Grade: B

Tyson Chandler (9 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 20 rebounds, 2 blocks)

Chandler absolutely owned the pain Friday night against a big Bucks team. Of his 20 rebounds, eight came at the offensive end giving the Knicks a ton of second possessions. Overall, just another dominant night for the first-time All-Star. Grade: A+

Amar’e Stoudemire (17 points, 5-of-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block)

Another solid game off the bench for Stoudemire, who looks more and more like he is embracing his role. I will take 17 and seven off the bench every night and be happy. Grade: A

J.R. Smith (17 points, 6-of-14 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 steal)

Smith chucked up 13 shots from behind the arc in 36 minutes. He did make five of them though as the Knicks look like they will live and die with Smith’s streaky shooting. Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni (0 points, 1 assist)

Prigioni didn’t do much in his 11 minutes, but he was able to spell the starting guards and despite not showing up on the stat sheet he didn’t have a bad night. Grade: C

Steve Novak (3 points, 1-of-3 shooting)

Novak did knock down a three in limited minutes, but didn’t have much of an impact. He is a guy who if he is not getting shots, could see his minutes decrease if the Knicks are winning games. Grade: D

Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Amar

In his first six games back, Stoudemire played under a 20-minute limit, and took some time to get adjusted. He bricked bunnies at the rim, couldn’t time his rebounds and jumps correctly, and looked even flatter than normal on defense. He averaged 9 points per game on 44% shooting with just 3 rebounds per game.

However, over the previous seven games, Stoudemire is starting to show glimpses of his old self. While he still lacks his normal explosion, a consistent jumper, and a competent sense of what to do on defense, Stoudemire is finishing around the basket much better, fitting into the offense, rebounding at a better rate, and at least giving effort on the defensive end. In the last six games – in which the Knicks are 5-2 – Stoudemire is averaging 15.8 ppg on 64.9% shooting, with 5.4 rpg, while attempting 6.3 free throws per game in just 23.9 minutes per game.

Per 36 minutes, Stoudemire’s numbers look like those of an All-Star forward. His scoring per 36 is up to 20.2 ppg from last year’s 19.2, and his FG% is better as well. He is averaging less rebounds per game and less blocks, but overall, Stoudemire is starting to look like a consistently valuable member of the Knicks’ rotation.

Likewise, as has been discussed, Stoudemire is blending in with his fellow frontcourt co-stars, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. When the three have shared the court this season (granted, in just under 108 minutes so far – a small sample size), the Knicks are a +31.  According to nbawowy.com, on offense, when the three have played together, each player is shooting above their season average FG% (well, Tyson Chandler is 66%, down from 68% on the season, but hardly anything worth complaining about). As a team, in 120 possessions, the Knicks are shooting 49% from the field and averaging 1.15 points per possession.

Equally as encouraging, Stoudemire, Anthony, and Chandler are blending in defensively. In 120 possessions – again, a small sample size – opponents are shooting just 41.9% from the field and averaging only .94 points per possession.

To put it simply: the Knicks are out-performing opponents on both ends of the floor when Stoudemire, Anthony, and Chandler are playing together. Who could’ve seen this coming a month ago?

Mike Woodson also deserves credit, though. Woodson, so far, has successfully mixed three players that had far more detractors than supporters. Of course, a big difference in Stoudemire’s ability to function between Anthony and Chandler stems from the fact that the Knicks now have Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and Pablo Prigioni at the helm as opposed to Toney Douglas, Baron Davis, and Mike Bibby. However, Woodson encouraged Stoudemire to seek out Hakeem Olajuwon’s help this summer. Thus far, Olajuwon’s lessons have helped turn Stoudemire into an effective post player (nearly 31% of Stoudemire’s possessions come in the form of post-ups). Many people doubted Stoudemire’s ability to change his stripes after ten years in the league, but he is proving them wrong.

Woodson has also managed Stoudemire’s minutes nicely. He is yet to play over 30 minutes in a game and has yet to start a game. Stoudemire, of course, deserves a ton of credit for accepting a role off the bench (something another power forward is having trouble with), but Woodson seems to have Stoudemire in a perfect rhythm as of late.

Stoudemire has done a near 180-degree turn through the course of January and it still seems as though he has work to do. He likely will still regain a little bit more explosiveness around the basket which will help his rebounding and ability to finish, and he is learning the defensive schemes and rotations. If his improvement on the offensive end in recent weeks is anything to be taken seriously, we should all be excited about having Amar’e Stoudemire back on the court.

You have heard the criticisms over and over about how Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can’t play together and how Stoudemire and Chandler can’t be on the floor together.

Jan 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) shoots a free throw during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-104. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Well on this night at least the Knicks “Big Three” silenced their critics.

The important thing was that the Knicks got a much needed win, but it was nice to see Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler all have success in the same game, which has been a rare sight since they were put together last season.

‘Melo started slow and didn’t have his best night from the floor; making 8-of-17 shots, but did score 20 and broke the mark held by Richie Guerin, which was set during the 1961-62 season.

But the best part was the way the Knicks’ bigs had success.

Sure, Orlando’s Glen Davis left the game after breaking his left foot, but Chandler and Stoudemire were nothing short of great on this night.

The duo combined for 35 points on 17-of-18 shooting from the field in leading the Knicks to a 113-97 victory.

It was especially good for Chandler, who has been in a funk recently and hasn’t been getting enough touches. Before Wednesday night, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year had scored in double-figures only once in his last seven games, but finished with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds and a season-high five assists.

It’s encouraging because this should be something the Knicks can build off of.

“That’s the beauty of having two big guys play and Melo plays big as well,” Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said (via Associated Press). “It’s kind of nice to have three big guys like that up front playing.”

So the next time Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler are criticized for not being able to play together, those people can watch this film.

They can play well together and hopefully we see production like this from the “Big Three” going forward.

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They will have to settle for two.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With Carmelo Anthony already voted in as a starter, he will have company in the Lone Star State in the form of his Gold Medal winning teammate Tyson Chandler, who can call himself an All-Star for the first time in his 12-year career.

Chandler was one of five first-time All Stars chosen for the East team for next month’s game in Houston.

He’ll be joined by other first time honorees Joakim Noah of Chicago, Indiana’s Paul George, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, and Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is more than deserving, averaging 12.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game (fifth in NBA), while leading the league by shooting 67.4 percent from the floor.

While Chandler was honored Thursday night, the same can’t be said for Knicks’ swingman J.R. Smith.

Smith had the credentials, averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals, off the bench for a team that is currently holding down the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

But despite the Knicks success, Smith came up with the short end of the stick when it comes to making his first career All-Star team.

Smith was likely hurt in the voting because he is not a starter and has a poor shooting percentage (40 percent). He also entered the season with a reputation of an inconsistent player, which probably prevented some coaches from voting for him.

Chicago’s Luol Deng and Miami’s Chris Bosh round out the Eastern Conference reserves.

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In the case of the New York Knicks, that should mean two, maybe three All-Star’s from a team that is currently 25-13, only one game behind the Miami Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

January 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) shoots against the New Orleans Hornets during the third quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks’ superstar Carmelo Anthony has already been voted in as an Eastern Conference starter, but the question remains of how many Knicks players will join ‘Melo in Houston on February 17?

There are really only two candidates in Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith and you can make a case that both belong on the team, when the coaches vote in the reserves.

As far as Chandler is concerned, you can make a legitimate case that he is the best center in the Eastern Conference at the moment.

His numbers speak for themself as he is leading the NBA in field goal percentage (67 percent) and averaging 12.4 points, 11 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has never made an All-Star team and this year should be his first.

The only way Chandler doesn’t make his first All-Star appearance is if it is decided that only one backup center is needed. If that is the case, his only competition realistically is Chicago’s Joakim Noah. But Chandler’s resume is more impressive so I have a hard time seeing him not making the team.

That brings me to Smith, who is having a big season of his own.

Despite coming off the bench, he is having the best year of his career, averaging 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 33.6 minutes per game.

His resume stacks up comparable to other shooting guards in the league, but there are other point guards in the NBA with impressive resumes. Guys like Jrue Holiday and Kyrie Irving could get the nod despite playing on poor teams.

Smith most certainly deserves to be an All-Star. He very well could be the second most valuable player on a team in contention.

But ultimately the fact that he comes off the bench will hurt him.

When the reserves are announced on January 24, the Knicks will deserve to have three All-Stars, but at the end of the day, chances are they only get two.

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Without Rajon Rondo in the lineup and with Paul Pierce in foul trouble most of the night, the Knicks did not shoot the ball well and couldn’t get stops when they needed to, en route to a 102-96 loss to their Atlantic Division foes.

Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) loses the ball to New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Boston won 102-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The in-game and postgame altercations between Anthony and Kevin Garnett overshadowed what was not a great performance by the Knicks.

With that being said, let’s see how each Knicks’ player graded out in my daily report card.

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 40.8% (31-of-76)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 52.7 %( 39-of-74)

Three Point Percentage: 43.8% (14-of-32)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 33.3% (6-of-18)

Free Throw Percentage: 76.9% (20-of-26)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 90.0% (18-of-20)

Assists: 26-19 (Celtics +7)

Rebounds: 42-36 (Knicks +6)

Points in the paint: 40-28 (Celtics +12)

Individual Grades

Jason Kidd (8 points 3-of-5 shooting, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers)

Kidd had some problems early with the aggressiveness on defense from Avery Bradley, but had a steady night and led the Knicks with a plus-11 and was all over the floor defensively in the fourth quarter. Grade: C+

Ronnie Brewer (3 points, 1-of-4 shooting, 1 assist, 1 rebound)

Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) dribbles around New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Boston won 102-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Another ineffective day for Brewer at both ends of the floor. He knocked down a corner three in his 18 minutes, but did little else. Grade: D

Carmelo Anthony (20 points, 6-of-26 shooting, 3 rebounds, 5 assists)

It was one of the rougher nights of the season for Anthony, who picked up his second foul only four minutes into the game and didn’t knock down his first shot until a couple of minutes into the second quarter. Anthony got into an altercation with Kevin Garnett and allowed KG to get under his skin. In addition, his 20 points came on 26 attempts and showed his immaturity by attempting to go to the Celtics locker room and waiting for Garnett by the Celtics bus. Not one of ‘Melo’s finer moments in a Knicks uniform. Grade: C-

Marcus Camby (4 points, 2-of-4 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 block)

Camby pulled down seven rebounds in only 10 minutes, which begs the question of why he didn’t play a little bit more? I know the Knicks are better with ‘Melo at the floor, but in a tough and physical game, the Knicks could have used Camby’s defense and rebounding a little bit more. Grade: C

Tyson Chandler (13 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 17 rebounds) 

Chandler played 41 minutes and grabbed 17 rebounds to go along with an efficient 13 points.  The impressive part is that eight of those boards came at the offensive end. Chandler made 4-of-6 shots and it is a wonder why he didn’t get a few more touches. Grade: A

Amar’e Stoudemire (13 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists)

Stoudemire played 28 minutes and showed flashes of his old offensive brilliance, but they were limited. It was a good sign though. Grade: C+

Chris Copeland (0 points, 0-0 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Leandro Barbosa (12) looks to pass around New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Copeland played only four minutes for the second consecutive game. Grade: Incomplete

Steve Novak (9 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Novak played 18 minutes and was a liability on the defensive end of the floor, but he did knock down three shots from behind the arc. He played 18 minutes and took four shots. When he is hot, they have to find ways to get him more open looks. Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni (2 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 turnovers)

Prigioni continues to turn in a bad performance after a good one. He coughed up the ball four times and didn’t have an assist in 15 minutes of playing time. In addition he got rung up for a technical. Grade: D

J.R. Smith (24 points, 7-of-18 shooting, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 assists, 1 block)

He made only 7-of-18 shots, but made four from behind the arc and led the team with 24 points. Smith played hard at both ends of the floor and even though he forced up a few shots late in the game, the Knicks wouldn’t have been in the game without him. Grade: A-

James White: Only played a few seconds. Grade: Incomplete

Rasheed Wallace: DNP (foot)

Kurt Thomas: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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But Carmelo Anthony took over and scored 16 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks came back to defeat the Orlando Magic 114-106.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) shoots against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks had plenty of trouble with Jameer Nelson through the first three quarters, as the Magic guard scored 29 points on them, but Mike Woodson’s team got some key fourth quarter stops and held Nelson scoreless in the fourth, while holding the Magic to only 17 points as a team in the game’s final quarter.

It wasn’t just ‘Melo though, as several Knicks players played a key role in the win.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks player graded out in the comeback victory.

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 47.7 %( 42-of-88)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 48.2% (41-of-85)

Three Point Percentage: 36.4% (12-of-33)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 38.5% (10-of-26)

Free Throw Percentage: 81.8% (18-of-22)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 77.8% (14-of-18)

Assists: 24-23 (Knicks +1)

Rebounds: 45-40 (Magic +5)

Points in the paint: 44-36 (Magic +8)

Individual Grades

Jason Kidd (15 points, 5-of-10 shooting, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover)

Well that was more like it. After struggling for two games, Kidd was fantastic and filled the stat sheet. More importantly he found his jumper again, knocking down five shoots from behind the arc. He kept the nicks under control when it looked at times that the game could get away from them. That type of leadership can’t be taught. Grade: A-

Ronnie Brewer (2 points 1-of-4 shooting, 1 steal)

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic shooting guard DeQuan Jones (20) defends during the second half at Amway Center. New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Brewer blew some defensive assignments early on and got benched for it, but despite only scoring two points and not grabbing a rebound in 17 minutes, Brewer did play a role in the win. He had an outstanding third quarter defensive, forcing a few key turnovers that the Knicks turned into points. Grade: C

Carmelo Anthony (40 points, 14-of-29 shooting, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal)

He scored from everywhere on the floor and put the Knicks on his back in the fourth quarter. Even more impressive was that he not only grabbed six boards, but dished out a season-high six dimes. Anthony was simply magnificent. Grade: A

Marcus Camby (2 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 1 rebound, 4 assists)

Camby only grabbed one rebound in 13 minutes, but made several nice passes that resulted in four assists, which you don’t necessarily expect from him. Keep in mind that he had only four assists all season. It was a nice day for Camby but he has to be a bigger factor on the boards, so his grade comes down a bit. Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler (14 points, 6-of-6 shooting, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block)

Another solid outing for Chandler, who recorded another double-double. He was a presence around the rim at both ends of the floor, but Nikola Vucevic got the better of him on the glass in the fourth quarter. However he went 6-for-6 from the floor and pulled down five offensive rebounds. Grade: A-

Amar’e Stoudemire (11 points, 3-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assists)

Stoudemire was sloppy, but still scored 11 points and went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He is having a lot of trouble defensively, and you can see the drop-off in New York’s interior D when Stoudemire enters the game. Grade: C

J.R. Smith (18 points, 8-of-18 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals)

Smith saw his streak of 20 point games ended, mostly because of being in early foul trouble, but while he wasn’t spectacular, he was still pretty good. In addition to scoring 18 points, Smith was active on the glass and at the defensive end of the floor. Grade: B

Chris Copeland (0 points, 0-of-1 shooting)

Copeland only played four minutes and didn’t have any impact in the final result. Grade: Incomplete

Pablo Prigioni (5 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

After a great game against the Spurs, Prigioni was non-existent against the Magic. Grade: D

Steve Novak (7 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Novak knocked down a couple of three’s in the second quarter, but that was pretty much it from him on the night. Grade: C-

Rasheed Wallace: DNP- Foot

James White: DNP- Coach’s Decision

Kurt Thomas: DNP-Coach’s Decision

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Jan. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and center Tyson Chandler (6) speak on the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 100-83. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony is the second frontcourt player in the latest Eastern Conference voting, released by the NBA on Thursday. LeBron James is first with 1,151,304 votes and Melo has 1,054,099.

The two are the leading vote getters overall in the Eastern Conference but Kobe Bryant is No. 1 overall with 1,177,456.

Anthony is the only Knick that would start for the Eastern Conference if voting ended today, but some other Knicks players crack the leaderboard as well.

Tyson Chandler ranks fifth on the East frontcourt list with 315,752 votes and Amar’e Stoudemire dropped is 11th with 104,109. In addition, Raymond Felton is seventh among Eastern Conference backcourt players with 77,123 votes.

If the voting ended today, the Eastern Conference starting lineup would look like this: Dwyane Wade (765,077) and Rajon Rondo (675,822) at guard, with James, Anthony and Kevin Garnett (390,751) in the frontcourt.

In the Western Conference, the starters would be: Bryant and Chris Paul (651,893) at guard and Kevin Durant (1,088,797), Dwight Howard (716,671) and Blake Griffin (593,824) in the frontcourt.

Balloting concludes on Jan. 14, and the starters will be announced live on TNT on Jan. 17.

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December 28, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward James Johnson (52) dribbles the ball past New York Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni (9) in the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings defeated the Knicks 106-105. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Of course the Knicks should have never been down 27 to the Kings to the first place.

Playing once again without Raymond Felton and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks allowed 71 first half points before their furious second half comeback.

With that being said it is time to hand out individual grades in our daily report card and to no ones surprise, there won’t be many high grades given out on the defensive end.

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 49.4%( 41-of-83)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 45.3% (39-of-86)

Three Point Percentage: 36.7% (11-of-30)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 50.0% (15-of-30)

Free Throw Percentage: 60.0% (12-of-20)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 76.5% (13-of-17)

Assists: 28-26 (Kings +2)

Rebounds: 46-34 (Knicks +12)

Points in the paint: 34-30 (Kings +4)

Individual Grades

Jason Kidd (16 points, 6-of-13 shooting, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers)

It was a bit uncharacteristic for Kidd, who only knocked down 4-of-11 shots from behind the arc and committed five turnovers on the night. And eveyone was bad guarding the perimeter and Kidd certainly played a part inn that. But other than that it was Kidd filling the stat sheet as usual. Grade: B-

Ronnie Brewer (0 points, 0-for-1 shooting, 4 rebounds)

Brewer only played 11 minutes and as he has been lately, extremely ineffective. He wasn’t involved in the offense and was out there early when every Kings player had success from the perimeter. Grade: F

James White (4 points, 2-of-3 shooting, 1 assist, 1 steal)

Dec. 26, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA: New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler reacts as he talks to a referee in the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

White started for Anthony again and only played nine minutes. He made a pair of shots but didn’t do anything to make an impact. Grade: D

Kurt Thomas (0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block)

Thomas played only 13 minutes, which seems to be his limit, and didn’t take a shot from the floor. He did his usual though- play some defense and grab a few rebounds. Grade: C

Tyson Chandler (21 points, 9-of-13 shooting, 18 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block)

Chandler was outstanding once again, except from the free-throw line where his six misses came back to haunt the Knicks. Other wise he was efficient from the floor and outstanding on the glass. DeMarcus Cousins had a double-double, but Chandler made it difficult on him. Another great game, but the misses from the line will cost his grade. Grade: B+

Chris Copeland (23 points, 8-of-16 shooting)

Copeland once again made a case for more playing time in the future by being an offensive spark off the Knicks’ bench. But he didn’t do much other than score. In 41 minutes, Copeland grabbed only one rebound and dished out only one assist. Grade: B

Steve Novak (11 points, 4-of-7 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Novak was more involved in the offense, which is a good thing. But in a game like that, his skill set offered very little help in other areas. It was good to see him get seven shots off though. Grade: C+

Marcus Camby (2 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 4 blocks)

It was another example of what Camby can bring to this team on the defensive end of the floor, blocking four shots in 11 minutes. I would have liked to see him out there a little more and would have liked to see Camby grab more than two rebounds, but he ws effective in the little time he received. Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni (0 points, 0-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal)

Prigioni didn’t score, but the Knicks played well with him out there. They were a +17 with him on the floor and Prigioni dished out nine assists in only 18 minutes. I will take that from him. Grade: B+

J.R. Smith (28 points, 11-of-25 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists)

Smith wasn’t efficient from the floor again, missing 14-of-25 shots, but he led the team in scoring and played a game-high 43 minutes. But it hasn’t been Smith just jacking up bad shots lately as he had another complete outing with good rebound and assists numbers. Grade: B+

Rasheed Wallace- DNP (foot)

Carmelo Anthony- DNP (knee)

Raymond Felton- DNP (finger)

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That home losing streak wouldn’t reach two as the Knicks sent a loud message to the Brooklyn Nets that they are still the kings of New York, with a 100-86 win at Madison Square Garden.

Dec 19, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) and power forward Kris Humphries (43) defend New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler took the game over in the third quarter and the Knicks got back to playing outstanding team defense. Between that and the way the Knicks have been taking care of the basketball, you can see why at 19-6 they remain one of the top teams in the league.

Here’s a look at our daily report card for each Knicks’ player, following last night’s win against the Nets.

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 45.8 %( 38-of-83)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 44.9% (35-of-78)

Three Point Percentage: 37.9% (11-of-29)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 40.0% (10-of-25)

Free Throw Percentage: 76.5% (13-of-17)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 66.7% (6-of-9)

Assists: 19-19 (Even)

Rebounds: 39-38 (Knicks +1)

Points in the paint: 36-32 (Knicks +4)

Individual Grades

Raymond Felton (8 points, 4-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers)

It was not one of Felton’s better nights in a Knicks’ uniform. He didn’t turn the ball over, but otherwise didn’t do much positive, including shooting only 26.7 percent from the floor. He only had four assists and did not do a good job guarding Deron Williams in the second half. Grade: C-

Jason Kidd (7 points, 2-of-9 shooting, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals)

For a change Kidd was not spectacular either. He took nine shots from behind the arc and only knocked down two of those. But in typical Kidd fashion he helped the team in other ways, including grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out five assists and recording three steals. Grade: C+

Ronnie Brewer (4 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)

Brewer didn’t do much on either side of the ball and Mike Woodson ended up going away from him in favor of Chris Copeland at times. The only positive note is that all of Brewer’s four rebounds came at the offensive end. For a guy who has the reputation for being a great defender, Brewer has been caught out of place a lot as of late. Grade: D

Carmelo Anthony (31 points, 12-of-22 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block)

Dec. 17, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts after being called for a flagrant foul on Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (not pictured) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

So much for having a bad ankle, as Anthony got off to a good start and sustained it throughout the evening. He did a lot of his damage when Gerald Wallace wasn’t guarding him, but honestly it didn’t matter. ‘Melo finished the night 31 points on 54.5-percent shooting, with three rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist. In addition he only turned the ball over once in 36 minutes of action. Welcome back ‘Melo. Grade: A-

Tyson Chandler (16 points, 7-of-11 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks)

Chandler was the real difference maker on this night. Chandler was a real difference-maker on defense for the Knicks. When he wasn’t blocking shots, he was altering them as the Nets only scored 32 points in the paint. He and Brook Lopez both finished with good stat lines, but Chandler made much more of an impact on the game. Chandler finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks and shot 63.6 percent from the floor. Grade: A

Chris Copeland (8 points, 3-of-4 shooting)

Copeland was the first player off the bench and continues to produce, making 75 percent of his shots, including sticking a big three in the Knicks big third quarter run. On the night the Knicks bench scored 34 points and shot 57.1 percent from the field and Copeland was a big part of that. Grade: B

J.R. Smith (19 points, 7-of-11 shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists)

Smith was the spark off the bench the Knicks needed and he was efficient, ending the night with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and shot an efficient 63.6 percent from the floor.  No that wasn’t a misprint, Smith was very efficient and turned the ball over only once (also not a misprint). It’s hard to say anything negative about Smith’s performance, but if he can continue to play this way, the Knicks are very dangerous. Grade: A

Pablo Prigioni (6 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 2 assists)

Prigioni played 14 minutes, knocked down a pair of shots from behind the arc and did a good job defending the ball. That’s all Mike Woodson needs from him. Grade: B

Kurt Thomas (1 point, 1 rebound)

Thomas played just eight minutes and played some tough defense. He wasn’t asked to do much. Grade: C

James White (0-of-1 shooting)

White played only two minutes and wasn’t out there long enough to give a grade to. Grade: Incomplete

Marcus Camby- DNP, Sore Left Foot

Rasheed Wallace- DNP, Sore Left Foot

Steve Novak- DNP, Flu

It was all anyone in a New York Knicks’ uniform could talk about dating all the way back to before training camp began. The Knicks had a defensive minded coach in place in Mike Woodson, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler and added enough veterans who could play solid defense in order to help this team win.

Dec. 17, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts after being called for a flagrant foul on Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (not pictured) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

And it worked. At least through nine games when the Knicks were the top rated defensive team in the NBA.

But since then we have learned that actions speak louder than words and talk is cheap because this team is not backing up any of the claims they made about being a great defensive team.

After their strong start on defense, the Knicks have slipped to 17th in the league in defensive efficiency and are allowing opponents to shoot 45.7 percent from the field — the 22nd highest total in the league. In addition, they have slipped from first in the league in points allowed to 11th (96.6).

“We’ve had some slippage,” Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley, citing the team’s lack of practicing time as a reason, not an excuse, for the recent defensive lapses. “… We watched tape today and I was very demanding in terms of the slippage that we’ve had as of late. We don’t want to go that way. We want to continue to go back the other way where we were playing at a high level defensively. Right now, we look like we’re trying to outscore teams and that’s not good.”

The Rockets alone blitzed the Knicks twice, scoring 131 points in their first meeting and 56 in the second half in the second meeting on Monday.

Too many times as of late, Knicks’ defenders have been left on an island as the help just hasn’t been there. By comparison, the help defense was outstanding the first half of the season.

The first 10 games of the season, the Knicks allowed opponents to top the century mark only three times and lost two of those games. However the opposition has hit the 100-point mark in four of the past five games, which is something that needs addressed immediately.

The Knicks can start fixing things beginning Wednesday night when the Brooklyn Nets pay a visit to Madison Square Garden.

If they don’t start tightening up the defense soon, this team will start looking less and less like a contender despite their impressive 18-6 record.

They made another one Thursday night when Carmelo Anthony’s scorching hot start helped spoil Mike D’Antoni’s return to the Big Apple with a 116-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Knicks stayed unbeaten on the season at Madison Square Garden, but it came with a price as Carmelo Anthony left the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.

But after a season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter, the Knicks cruised to victory, improving to 17-5 on the season.

Here’s a look at the individual grades each Knicks’ player received in our daily report card.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 53.2 %( 42-of-79)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 41.7% (35-of-84)

Three Point Percentage: 48.0% (12-of-25)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 32.4% (12-of-37)

Free Throw Percentage: 66.7% (20-of-30)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 86.2% (25-of-29)

Assists: 25-13 (Knicks +12)

Rebounds: 44-33 (Knicks -11)

Points in the paint: 38-32 (Knicks -6)

Individual Grades:

Raymond Felton: (19 points, 9-of-26 shooting, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal)

Felton abused Chris Duhon and the other Lakers’ point guards with his quickness. He was consistently able to penetrate the middle and when the Lakers’ secondary defenders came to help, Felton’s kickout passes kept their defense scrambling. He didn’t have a great night shooting the ball, but was able to shoulder some of the load once Anthony left the game. In addition he took great care of the ball, dropping eight dimes and coughing it up only once. Grade: B+

Jason Kidd: (5 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals)

Kidd made only one shot on the night, but as usual found a way to make a huge impact in the game. He was a big part in the ball continuously moving and always made the right pass to find the hot hand, which on this night was easy because everyone was hot. He’s also the leader out there on the floor that prevented the Knicks from relaxing after a slow start. Nine rebounds and five assists were tremendous, but Kidd’s contributions go way further than anything on the stat sheet. Grade: A-

Ronnie Brewer: (6 points, 3-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block)

Brewer scored just six points and failed to hit either of his open three-point looks, which isn’t the end of the world for him, but his main job is to play defense and allowed Metta World Peace to drop 23 points. That’s not going to earn him high marks for this game: Grade: D+

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures on the court as Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace (15) follows during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony: (30 points, 10-of-15 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 steal)

Anthony exploded out of the gate and scored 22 of the Knicks 41 first-quarter points, just two shy of the team record shared by Willis Reed and Allan Houston.  His 30 points came on a very efficient 10-of-15 shooting in only 23 minutes and had he not gone down with an ankle injury, the Garden crowed could have seen something special. Game-by-game, Anthony is transforming himself from a “me-first” player to a legitimate leader and MVP candidate. Grade: A+

Tyson Chandler: (18 points, 5-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks)

Chandler finished with 18 points, only four rebounds and missed six free-throws on the night, but he’s another guy who you have to look deeper into the box score for. His interior defense was brilliant last night. Chandler was often out there by himself to control the paint as Mike Woodson often had the floor spread with shooters, but he turned away penetration all night and was outstanding rotating to help. Dwight Howard may have out produced Chandler on the stat sheet, but Chandler had by far the more meaningful game: Grade: A

J.R. Smith: (18 points, 7-of-14 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 assists)

Foul trouble limited Smith’s minutes, but he joined in on the party by scoring 18 points and more importantly, did so by shooting 50 percent from the floor. Grade: B+

Steve Novak: (12 points, 4-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 4 assists)

Novak did what Novak is supposed to do- drain three’s. He knocked down four on the night and even dished out four assists while grabbing three rebounds. When Novak is on the floor he simply can’t be left alone, which makes it very difficult for the opposition to play good team defense. Grade: A-

Rasheed Wallace: (8 points, 3-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 steal)

‘Sheed chipped in eight points, but more importantly his strength and his length at the defensive end gave Howard some fits. Grade: B+

Pablo Prigioni: (0 points, 0-of-0 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals)

Prigioni didn’t attempt a shot in 12 minutes, but he was active defensively. That’s what he is there for. Grade: B

James White: (0 points, 0-of-0 shooting, 1 assist)

White played only four minutes and didn’t get to do much while he was out there. Grade: Incomplete

Chris Copeland: DNP Coach’s Decision

Kurt Thomas: DNP Coach’s Decision

Marcus Camby: DNP Sore Left Foot

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Lopez is listed as day-to-day by the Nets after missing the past five games with a foot sprain, and his impact of being out of the lineup has been felt as Brooklyn has lost four straight.

But although both guys are having good starts to the season, who’s the better center?

Classic big man battles are a thing of the past, with so few quality big men in the game today, so when there is a matchup of two quality centers, it is worth looking at.

Chandler is averaging career highs in points per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, true shooting percentage and PER, and of course his defense has been outstanding as usual.

The Knicks are outscoring opponents by 12 points with Chandler on the court (per 48 minutes) and are getting outscored by 0.3 points with him on the bench.

Lopez on the other hand means just as much to the Nets.

The Dwight Howard saga last season almost made you forget how talented Lopez is. This season the Nets are 10-4 with him in the lineup and 1-4 without him.

In addition, the Nets gave up an average of 102.2 points per game. With Lopez, Brooklyn allowed an average of 90.7 points per game.

Lopez is more of a traditional scorer for a big man than Chandler and is better at blocking shots, but don’t discount Chandler’s ability on the offensive end of the floor. Just because he doesn’t demand the ball in the fashion that some big men would, he can score the ball.

Both guys re so valuable to their respective teams, as neither are the same when they aren’t on the floor.

But if I had to choose one of the two, I’m going with Chandler and that’s no disrespect to Lopez.

Chandler has the pedigree of a winner, something I’m sure Lopez will one day develop and he’s a much better rebounder, which for me is the one knock on Lopez’s game.

I like having the guy in the middle that can score when he has to, but can rebound the ball and play defense at a high level. Right now that guy is Chandler.

With a bunch of new additions to the personnel and the promising notion of 82 games under Mike Woodson’s defensive tutelage, things were looking up in the Big Apple, but I don’t think anyone planned on them having the best record in the Eastern Conference (as of Dec. 8).

Dec 5, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) prepares to shoot a foul shot during the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Success in the win column almost always comes with good statistics from its players.  In the case of Fantasy Basketball, if you have owned many of the Knicks players, chances are you’re reaping the benefits.  While there a few slight “Fantasy disappointments”, most of the guys playing their home games at Madison Square Garden have been blowing up the stat sheet.

Carmelo Anthony: Many thought his otherworldly 2.9 3-pointers made per game during the 2012 London Olympics was solely based on the competition, but his success Across the Pond has translated to the NBA this season.  He is now making a career-high 2.4 3’s per game, a full trey per game more than his previous best in the 2010-11 season with Denver and New York.

Even with the uptick in shots made as well as shots taken, his percentages haven’t suffered, as he is also shooting at an all-time high of 44 percent from 3-point land.  He is back to his old scoring ways and now sits at third in the NBA in PPG, only trailing Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.  While his scoring may take a slight hit when Amar’e Stoudemire comes back from his season-long absence, other parts of his game, like his rebounding, may improve.

Raymond Felton: GM Glen Grunwald is looking like a genius right now.  In a controversial move this summer, the Knicks’ front office man decided it was in the best interest of the team to not match the offer sheet the Houston Rockets had made for sensation Jeremy Lin.  This move was followed by lots of skepticism.

I was one of the supporters of this move, but the proof still had to lie on the court. Well truth be told.  Raymond Felton was brought over from Portland in a sign-and-trade to help alleviate the loss of “Linsanity” and he has done a remarkable job running the point for this team.  His best year came when he was a one-and-done in New York in 2010-11 and he is doing it again for them this time around.   He has provided the Knicks backcourt with solid leadership and relatively mistake-free basketball.  The Knicks are better with him than with Lin.

For the all the doubters let’s compare this year’s key statistics (both have averaged 33 min/g):

Felton : 15.2 PPG, 6.9 AST, 42% FG, 2.2 TO/G

Lin:         10.5 PPG, 6.4 AST, 38% FG, 2.8 TO/G

His FG% has always been something to be desired, but still remains consistent.  The 68 percent free throw shooting is obviously something his owners can’t be happy with, but he is making up for it with a career high 1.8 3’s per game.  Continue to ride this guy as Stoudemire’s return will only increase his assists.

Tyson Chandler: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has not slowed down one bit, but his offense had been the big surprise of the season so far.  He has always been a FG% machine, but this year’s 77 percent shooting clip is that of the record books.  He finished the month of November shooting 70.9 percent, the second time in his career he had topped 70% while taking at least 75 shots.  Only one other player in NBA history has accomplished that- Wilt Chamberlain (who did it 7 times).  His points per game and FT% are also on pace for career highs.  While his blocks and rebounds are down from last season, he is another Knick that will benefit in specific categories once Stoudemire hits the court again.

J.R. Smith: While dubbed a “sixth man”, albeit his 33 min/per, he has arguably contributed the most to this team’s success so far.  He has come off the bench to spark their second unit, chipping in stats in every offensive and defensive category.  Fantasy owners can live with the 41 percent shooting as long as he continues to deliver in all the other relevant categories.  He is a roto league dream averaging 13.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 3’s per game.  Shooting 88% from the charity stripe is a nice bonus as well.

Jason Kidd: Seemingly resurrected from the dead, the former Cal standout is having himself a rebirth year.  Woodson has been playing him primarily at shooting guard and that has seemed to fit their offense perfectly.  He has lived and died by the 3 this year.  He is shooting over 50 percent on the year from long range which has translated to 1.8 3’s made per game.

On the other end of the spectrum he has only attempted 12, yes 12, 2-point field goals the ENTIRE season.  Because of such a disparity his overall scoring is capped, but for all-around statistics you can do way worse on the waiver wire (47% owned ESPN, 57% Yahoo!).  His role as a shooting guard has made his assists take a nose dive, but 3.2 per game is still a nice asset to have for a plug-in guy and his 3.2 boards are very nice for a guard.  He’s also fifth in the league in steals (2.1/game) and shooting 94% from the free throw line.  Grab this guy now, as an injury to any of the other Knicks backcourt guys could free up a ton of minutes for him.

Rasheed Wallace: Averaging 7 points, 4 rebounds and a 3 per game.  Not bad for a guy who hasn’t played in two years.  And he’s already gotten his first ejection!

Steve Novak: Doing what Stevie does best, hitting the 3-ball.  He got off to a slow start hitting only 14 of them in his first 8 games, but had poured it on of late, draining 26 long balls in the last 9 games.  He’ll get you nothing in terms of other categories, but can single-handedly win you the 3-pointers category in any given week.  Snag him off the waiver wire now and you can “Discount Double-Check” him off your Christmas list. (24% owned ESPN, 23% Yahoo!)

Marcus Camby: He has to be one of the lone disappointments for the Knicks so far.  Drafted by many Fantasy owners as a sure-fire double-digit rebound guy, he has only played in 6 games so far.  He had fallen out of the rotation for Coach Woodson and is now dealing with plantar fasciitis, an injury that is very difficult to fully recover from mid-season.

Carmelo Anthony has been busy playing at an MVP level, but one other Knicks player has been busy making history.

Knicks’ center Tyson Chandler leads the NBA with a .713 field goal percentage. He’s so efficient right now on the offensive end of the floor that he is destroying the competition as Dwight Howard is second with a .599 field goal percentage.

Nov. 26, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts on the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

He also finished the month of November with a .709 field goal percentage, which marked the second time in his career that he hit at least 70 percent of his shots in a calendar month (minimum 75 attempts). This first time also came in a Knicks’ uniform last January.

That alone put him in elite company as only the legendary Wilt Chamberlain has had more than one such month in the history of the NBA (via ESPN’s Jared Zwerling). Chamberlain accomplished the feat seven times.

When you look at things, Chandler is becoming one of the most efficient shooters in the history of the game. That’s not bad for a guy who is considered primarily a defender. Chandler gets a lot of his points from put backs and by attacking the rim off the pick-and-roll, but also is capable of scoring with his back to the basket, something I would like to see more of in the Knicks’ offense.

“I’ve just concentrated on trying to be efficient when I’m working on the pick-and-roll and understanding where I can be effective at. I try to take only the best shot when I’m out there,” Chandler told Zwerling.

His personality fits this Knicks team so well and is a major reason why they have been so successful.

Chandler doesn’t mind doing the dirty work at the defensive end of the floor and is very unselfish offensively. With the success he has had, Chandler could demand the ball more but is happy taking whatever comes to him.

He has also learned through the years how to become  solid offensive player.

He started having success in the pick-and-roll with Chris Paul in New Orleans and in the Big Apple has the luxury of playing with both Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton, something I feel helps Chandler out a great deal.

With the Knicks having two guys that can create a plays, it opens up the floor much more for Chandler as they can run the pick-and-roll on either side of the floor and sometimes even twice in one possession. That makes it hard for the defense to react and Chandler is very good and finding open spaces in the floor.

It’s no coincidence that the Knicks fortunes started turning around when Chandler arrived.

As long as he keeps doing what he is doing, Chandler could be in store for a huge season- at both ends of the floor.

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Dec 2, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives around Phoenix Suns shooting guard P.J. Tucker (17) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

New York jumped out by as many as 20 in this one and held off a late Suns charge to stay perfect at Madison Square Garden on the season.

The Knicks got the win despite playing without both Jason Kidd (back) and Marcus Camby (foot) and watched Raymond Felton injured his hand late, but no matter the combinations, the Knicks keep clicking.

Here’s a look at how each Knick graded out in the win.

Game Stats: 

Field Goal Percentage- 44.4% (40-of-90)

Opponents Field Goal Percentage- 48.8 (39-of-80)

Three-point Percentage- 41.4% (12-of-29)

Opponents Three-point Percentage- 34.8 (8-of-23)

Free-throw Percentage- 82.4% (14-of-17)

Opponents Free-throw Percentage- 68.4% (13-of-19)

Rebounds- 45-43 (Knicks, -2)

Points in the paint- 38-30 (Knicks, -8)

Individual Grades:

Raymond Felton: (23 points, 10-of-17 shooting, seven assists, three rebounds) Felton was brilliant running the Knicks’ offense. He was good from the floor and knocked down 3-of-6 shots from behind the arc. The most impressive part was that he didn’t turn the ball over in a team-high 39 minutes. Grade: A-

Ronnie Brewer: (eight points, 3-of-8 shooting, four rebounds, two steals): Brewer wasn’t bad. He knocked down a few shots and did a decent job defensively. But Phoenix crept back into the game several times and shot almost 49 percent from the floor. The Knicks better defenders have to step up and defend better. Grade C+

Carmelo Anthony: (34 points, 11-of-27 shooting, four rebounds, two assists, one block): ‘Melo was great as usual, but he wasn’t as efficient from the floor and I would like to see the rebound and assist numbers go up, but regardless it was a typical MVP-type performance. Grade: A-

Dec 2, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Phoenix Suns point guard Sebastian Telfair (31) drives past New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Kurt Thomas: (two points, 1-of-3 shooting, six rebounds) Thomas played 19 minutes and did a good job on the glass. He also did a good job on Luis Scola and Michael Beasley. Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler: (15 points, 6-of-8 shooting, 13 rebounds, two blocks): Chandler has been great lately. He’s shooting a high percentage from the floor and has been more involved offensively. In addition, this one of his better performances crashing the glass all season. Grade: A-

Rasheed Wallace: (one minute played) Two technicals in one minute just doesn’t cut it. He can’t hang his teammates out to dry like that.  Grade: F

Steve Novak: (12 points, 4-of-10 shooting) Novak did what Novak does- drain three’s. He hit four more big ones on Sunday. Grade: B

Chris Copeland: (eight points, 4-of-5 shooting, three rebounds, two assists, one  steal, one block) Because of the Wallace ejection, Copeland got 10 minutes of playing time and filled the stat sheet. Some decent performances of late could earn Copeland some more playing time. Grade: B+

Pablo Prigioni: (no points, 0-1 shooting, one rebound, one steal) Prigioni wasn’t nearly as effective as he was against the Bucks and received only nine minutes of playing time and turned the ball over three times in that span. Not his best day. Grade: D+

J.R. Smith: (four points, 1-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, four assists) It keeps getting uglier and uglier for Smith, but he made an impact rebounding and passing the ball. Grade: C-

Jason Kidd: DNP (back spasms)

Marcus Camby: DNP (sore left foot)

James White: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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Nov. 26, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts on the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Mike Woodson has done a masterful job with the rotation and getting the Knicks to play like an entire team on both ends of the floor, especially on defense. We know the offense runs through Carmelo Anthony and it seems like a different second scorer steps up every other game. It’s time for a big name and highly paid player to elevate his offensive game and that is Tyson Chandler.

I’m not only saying this because Chandler is coming off his career high 28 points against the Nets (great defense Mr. Lopez), I have been saying this for a while now. It just amazes me how you are a professional basketball player and you visibly struggle with the basketball in your hands. You have been playing this game your entire life; you had to get to this level by knowing how to put the ball in the hoop! I have no complaints about Chandler on defense, rebounding, being a leader, and hustling. Not many do a better job than he does in those categories, but it’s time for the Knicks to get a little more out of Chandler at the offensive side of the floor.

Chandler is an established NBA player and winner. He anchored the Dallas Mavericks team to their historic NBA Finals win against the Miami Heat. His defense was played at an elite level, as it was on the Team USA Gold medal team and how he has played in New York these past two seasons. But at this point of his career, the value he brings to the Knicks, he has start getting involved more in the offense and develop a post-game.

Chandler is 7’1″. His height gives him an obvious advantage which I don’t believe he uses correctly on offense. The man needs to learn a few simple moves to do when he is in the post. Hook shot, quick spin move, close fadeaway or a swift move straight to the rack. Something has to be done to get your 7’1″; $58 million man involved the offense more.

He is awesome with the put back dunks and getting the ball on a strong drive with a pass. Chandler needs more of these opportunities in hopes of taking some pressure off the other players and putting some of it on himself. If opposing defenses saw him as a threat, all of the scoring pressure wouldn’t all be on Anthony and the guards can have a big man they could trust with the ball.

The Knicks need a few things to be a real contender. They need Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire back healthy to get them more explosiveness and give them more depth. But if Chandler can start giving the Knicks a solid 12-16 points a game and still give them those big energy put back dunks that gets everyone’s blood boiling, the Knicks’ offense can create another dimension before Amar’e and Shump come back.

It can’t hurt if you get your 7’1″ NBA professional center more involved the offense. The more options that Woodson has, the more games the Knicks will win.

Nov. 26, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Brooklyn Nets small forward Gerald Wallace (45) battle for the ball during the second half at the Barclays Center. Nets won in overtime 96-89. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Anthony scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but was only 10-of-16 at the free throw line, including four costly misses in the fourth quarter that could have led to a win.

Tyson Chandler finished with 28 points and 10 boards, but no other Knicks player finished in double figures.

Raymond Felton was abysmal shooting the ball, finishing just 3-of-19 from the field, but the Knicks had to stick with him with fellow point guard Jason Kidd out with back spasms.

But the story was once again awful shot selection and bad decision making down the stretch.

The Nets were up five with four minutes to play in regulation, but the Knicks ran off eight straight to take an 84-81 lead with 1:40 left.

But they wouldn’t score again in regulation.

Felton was the only one to shoot the ball over a 1:20 stretch, missing three jumpers and being called for traveling.

After Brook Lopez tied it with a free throw with 24 seconds remaining, Anthony took a contested and rushed jumper with the clock winding down.

Chandler gave the Knicks the quick lead in overtime with an uncontested dunk, but that was it for the Knicks.

The Nets answered with eight straight points, taking the lead for good at 89-86 on Jerry Stackhouse’s 3-pointer with 3:31 remaining before three straight points from Gerald Wallace, who finished with 16.

When the Knicks had the ball in overtime it was nothing but isolation plays for ‘Melo and Felton.

From the 1:40 mark of the fourth quarter and overtime, the duo combined to go 0-for-9 from the floor with most of the shots of the bad shot variety.

Lopez led the Nets with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Deron Williams had 16 points and 14 assists. Stackhouse also finished in double-figures with 14, including four big three’s that were daggers.

Both teams are now 9-4 on the season.

The Knicks will be back in action Wednesday when they hit the road to take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

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