Lakers/Thunder. Good matchup. Revenge. Kobe. Durant. Fisher. Got it.
Spurs/Clippers? Seriously? Kings/Clippers/Lakers all having playoff games in the same building for potentially two weeks? The potential of a LA vs. LA Western conference final? People in that climate don’t deserve that type of confusing joy, which is why it won’t happen.
The Spurs. All that is calm, cool and collected. The Clippers. All that is angry (Chris Paul), small (Chris Paul again), big (anyone seen a lost DeAndre Jordan?), floppy (Blake/Paul), swaggy (@NickSwagyPYoung) and poorly coached.
Is there anything more oppositely constructed headed for a sweep in one of two ways? Can you imagine the Spurs using the naivete of the Clippers against them and constructing plays to get an extra pass to the perimeter while Tim Duncan grinds Blake Griffin down to a pulp “old man style” and getting 10 guys in double figures? Can you imagine Chris Paul running the break with Nick Young who starts the “Mo Young” tandem with Lebron’s old sidekick and shooting the lights out while Reggie Evans goes berserk to get 18 rebounds?
As an unabashed Thunder fan, I hope this thing goes 7, with overtime required in games 5,6 and 7. That’s just me. For basketball fans, we can look at three things that will determine the outcome of the series.
The coach. Pop owns Vinny. Don’t try and debate it. Don’t go to wikipedia. Don’t defend Vinny, he’s a clown amongst clowns. Remember the Del Negro Bulls? Neither does America.
The point guard. Gotta give the edge to little man of the year, Chris Paul. But it’s close. If Chris Paul is a 10, Tony Parker is a 9.5
The power forward. The recipient of inside feeds, rebounder of missed 3’s. Tim Duncan, at 55 years old and as Dylan once sang “but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now” is looking like a man making dinner for his very successful wife, pausing for a moment to reflect on what to add to his garden salad, and realizing it all in a manner of 10 seconds without so much as a frown. He’s Tim Duncan. Flustered/Determined/Excited do not exist in his dictionary.
Blake Griffin, robot to the core, is looking like he wants to dunk on someone and proceed to melt him with his eyes. He can’t shoot, he can’t make free throws, but he can leap. He’s going to need to leap quite a bit if he’s trying to keep up with the scoring of the Spurs.
I still give the edge to Duncan, only because he’s seen everything in his 120,000 playoff games and can piss off Griffin to the point where he starts forcing things and get into foul trouble early.
To the final point, are the perimeter shooters of the Clippers consistent enough to make 3’s in clutch moments or create their own shot? Are the Spurs so team oriented that they will end up relying on guys that are not the “right guys” (Ginobili/Parker/Duncan), backfiring when Paul/Griffin/Young start heating up?
I’m taking Spurs in 6, but wouldn’t put it past the Clippers to take this in 5 if they fire Vinny and hire Mike D’Antoni ASAP.
The Lakers big men were pounding the glass. Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed were getting beaten on by Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. LA up by 4. Then it happens. The trigger is pulled and OKC starts to get crazy, the sort of youthful controlled crazy that says “I’m coming to take you out old man”. Kobe Bryant, unfortunately, is meeting the Playoff Thunder.
The playoff Thunder are much like the regular Thunder, except they have a trick up their sleeve. It’s called the (much awaited) 2nd line. Harden at the point. Derek Fisher at the 2. Thabo at the 3 while Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka take the 4 and 5. It’s controlled chaos.
When Fisher takes the ball up the court with Harden flying in and out of the paint, Ibaka running up to set a screen and Collison setting himself up in the low block. Even Scott Brooks admitted “There’s a point when we put Russell and Kevin on the bench, and we just let James run the show”.
Get Harden a top hat and a velvet jacket, because this guy can break ankles and give sartorial advice while simultaneously dunking it over your head. This, (after what may have been the greatest thing that could happen to the Thunder in a Dallas playoff rematch), is the end result of the 10,000 hour rule.
How did it start? It started with Kevin Durant prodding the zone of the Mavericks, with Russell Westbrook getting his jump shot going in games 1 and 2 of round 1 while everyone waited for the 3x scoring champion to start feeling it. It started with overcoming the ghosts of last year (a 4-1 series loss to the Mavericks), something that can make or break (Grizzlies) a young (average age of Thunder starting 5: 24) team trying to make its mark in the NBA playoffs.
The Thunder have the physical gifts to beat just about every NBA team in a one game series, but it needed the extra preparation of the playoffs to understand the value of every possession. More often than not, it was the breakaway speed of the Thunder that allowed them to be last in turnovers (16 per game) while somehow running away with the second best record in the NBA. They knew they could get it back, and when the opponent got tired, they used legs and length to get to the basket at will while opposing Centers stood around and watched.
Last night? 4 turnovers. I am almost certain that is some sort of record for a playoff game. Last night? 32 point lead halfway through the 4th quarter. Last night? Shooting 54% from the field. Last night? 25 from Durant. 29 from Westbrook.
I’m not going to go ahead and crown the Thunder champions of the West. I predicted the first round series to go 7 (Thunder swept in 4), and I predict this one to go 6 if for nothing else than the most obvious size advantage that the Lakers will figure out to use against the duo of Collison and Mohammed. Perkins (who is questionable with a hip) and Ibaka are a different story.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Lakers are going to work harder on defense against the pick and roll, which is going to lead to some serious eyeball work from the refs. The Thunder aren’t going to shoot 54% again, but I can see high 40’s as an average. What is going to determine this series is speed vs. size, and big men don’t run marathons.
A brief review of the first round series before we get into the real matchups:
Bulls vs. Sixers – When you lose Derrick Rose to a torn ACL, a few things begin to cross your mind. You lost your floor general, but luckily you still have guys like Rip Hamilton, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to help make up for the loss. When you lose Joakim Noah (the undisputed heart and soul of the Bulls), things start to get real shaky. Rip Hamilton having to create one on one? Carlos Boozer having to take some sort of leadership role? Not good. Not good at all.
There’s a reason the Sixers won this in 6, and it has much less to do with the Sixers talent than it does to do with the downfall of the Rose legacy. Now I’m not going to write off the Bulls for good…but something metaphysical died when Rose went down with a torn ACL. For a guy who literally lives off planting (sometimes very awkwardly) and driving to the basket, a torn ACL is like a voice in your head that whispers all your fears every time you try to do something highlight worthy. Quite literally, Rose is never going to be the same. Did I think they could win the East at full health? I’d give them a 50/50 shot with Miami, but can they win it next year? I have my doubts. Especially if “that’s all that matters, yo” Carlos Boozer is still here. Amnesty please.
Magic vs. Pacers – No Dwight Howard = No Chance. It wasn’t even close, despite the efforts of Glen Davis, the Richardsons and Ryan Anderson. This entire team has been predicated on the notion of getting the ball to Dwight Howard in the low post, so when he’s gone there’s really no point in attempting a breakdown of how the Magic can adapt their style to suit their sharpshooters. As Dwight Howard does his rehab, the Magic are reportedly giving him the cold shoulder. This team will look nothing like it has in the past, and Howard is most likely gone before the next Magic training camp.
As for the Pacers, they seem to be the more experienced version of the Sixers. Danny Granger stepped it up in the playoffs, as did Roy Hibbert and my favorite UNC alum PSYCHO T. We will discuss them more in the next round preview.
Hawks vs. Celtics – You had them Atlanta! You had them and it all fell apart. Well, that and you have Joe Johnson and Josh “no all star appearances” Smith as the pillars of your franchise. Game 4? Yeah only down by 25, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce looking 10 years younger. Al Horford coming up huge in game 5. Then the owner called Kevin Garnett the dirtiest player in the league and the floodgates hath open. So what’s the upside for Atlanta fans? Your team is still pretty nice in 2K12.
Knicks vs. Heat – The Knicks recent postseason accomplishments make the Jets look like a perennial powerhouse. So let’s just do a quick review of the Knicks second half of the season leading to the postseason. D’Antoni exits, Baron’s back flares up, Landry Fields regresses, Shumpert goes down with a torn ACL in game 1, Amare slices his hand punching the glass case of a fire extinguisher after game 3, Baron’s knee and ACL tear in Game 4, topping it all off with Carmelo reverting to his one man show, getting no one else involved in game 5,ending the series at 4-1 in favor of Miami. It’s going to be a long offseason in New York, and the excuses will come fast and furious.
With all that said, let’s move onto the real excitement of the playoffs…the semifinals -
Boston vs. Philly – There’s an ideological battle that is going to be waged in this series. Do you hang on to aging veterans or piece together a team of young 20 somethings, hoping for a few breaks as you try and use speed to get your way through tough playoff games. The only issue? Boston is feeling like 2008 again and the 76ers have no answer for the combination of Rondo and Ray Allen. Do I see 76ers giving them a tough run at home? Sure, but Boston is coming in rested and full of confidence, especially after they proved that they can absolutely demolish teams like the Hawks at 90% strength. Celtics in 6.
Heat vs. Pacers – I would personally enjoy nothing more than the Pacers taking this 7 games off the pure effort of Roy Hibbert and PSYCHO T, but I can’t help but realize the Heat haven’t even had a real challenge yet and got to mostly coast through the Knicks series (which could at some point work against them into a false sense of confidence). The Heat are going to win this series, it’s just a matter of how long it’s going to take them. Heat in 6.
Now, there is something amazing brewing in the East. It’s the heart and soul of the blue collar heroes against the flash of the Heat. Big 3 vs. Big 3. Short of OKC winning the West, nothing would give me as much joy as seeing Boston win the East. Celtics/Spurs finals? OKC/Heat finals? Or…Lakers/Celtics re-rematch? This is why the playoffs are great.
Since about half way through the second quarter of the New York Knicks/Miami Heat first round series, it has been a punchline. A Knicks team bogged down in injuries and incompetence mercifully waiting to have their season ended amid questions about Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, the future of the point guard position, Mike Woodson and just about every other component of the organization.
Those questions aren’t going anywhere and will likely be revisited this Thursday morning when the heavily favored Heat should be preparing for their second round opponent. However, yesterday the Knicks and their fans were finally given a long overdue playoff moment to enjoy. The record breaking 13 game losing streak came to an end and for one afternoon, the Knicks big three of Anthony, Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler was superior to the Dream Team’s big three of LeBrom James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Eastern Conference is weak. By the time next season comes around it will be the Heat and everybody else. Derrick Rose won’t be back until the middle of next season and Luol Deng will be recovering from wrist surgery, casting doubts over the Bulls. Boston will be yet another year older. Who knows what will happen in Orlando. Indiana, Atlanta and Philadelphia will likely remain good but certainly nowhere near great.
The general core of this Knicks roster isn’t going anywhere. When the dust settles, the line of thinking will revolve around Mike Woodson having a full off-season and training camp to implement his system, while Jeremy Lin, Chandler, Stoudemire and Anthony will have the needed time to perfect their chemistry. Outside of Miami, who will have a better top four in the East than the Knicks next season?
That is the glass half full logical, which will rightly be met with skepticism. There is no sustained evidence to show that this collection of players can function together and that they can survive with such erratic two guard and bench play. As of now, the evidence points to a Anthony led team being unable to win a championship.
Yet, for one day there was hope. There was hope that LeBron and Wade won’t reign supreme without breaking a sweat the next five years. There was the sight of Anthony being good enough to carry a team in the playoffs. There was Stoudemire throwing up a double-double and playing defense. There was Chandler stomping around the paint like a Defensive Player of the Year should.
It gave us a day to enjoy the Knicks and three more days to humor ourselves with the what if of Miami having to come back to MSG for Game 6, where there would be one of the most epic crowds in recent MSG history.
I wouldn’t bank on Jeremy Lin playing and if he does, it isn’t going to be for more than 10-12 minutes. There is no miracle coming off the bench at this point, it is just Anthony, Stoudemire, Chandler and whatever everybody else can muster up.
After all the ups and downs of the roller coaster regular season for the New York Knicks, they finished with a respectable 36-30 regular season record. Unfortunately it was only good enough for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and has set them up with a match-up with the Miami Heat in round one, where they find themselves substantial underdogs. Can the Knicks shock the world and send the league’s most hated team packing home early?
The answer is probably not. The safe money in this series is the Heat in 5 or 6. I think the Knicks take it to 6 games but will ultimately fall short 4-2. How can they prove me wrong?
The Knicks must split with Miami in the first two games to create some type of pressure on the Heat when game 3 arrives at Madison Square Garden. Miami has no home court advantage. Their stands will be filled with fair weather fans, Knicks fans and white shirts covering empty chairs while people are arriving late and leaving early. Madison Square Garden is going to be a madhouse. The Knicks are a different team at home and should be able to at least split in games 3 and 4. The longer this series goes, the more pressure is on the Dream Team who is led by a player who isn’t known for his exploits in pressure situations.
Now is Carmelo Anthony’s moment. He has been playing as well as, if not better than any player in the NBA the past month. He needs to match LeBron James shot for shot and go beyond him in the 4th quarter. Yet even that won’t be enough for the Knicks, as they will need their supporting cast led by Amare Stoudemire to have enough firepower to match Dwayne Wade and to a lesser extent Chris Bosh.
Beyond that, it is on Tyson Chandler to dominate the paint with Miami running out a Ronny Turiaf and Joel Anthony combination at center. Iman Shumpert to D up Dwyane Wade like he did Derrick Rose a few weeks back and the JR Smith/Steve Novak combination to outscore Miami’s questionable bench.
Miami brings a defensive intensity matched by few, if any teams in the league and the Knicks have major issues at point guard and finding consistent secondary scoring options to Anthony. Can Stoudemire give them 18-22 points a night? Can JR Smith find any type of consistency? Will Iman Shumpert hit his open threes? These are the questions that will determine if this series will be a long one or a laugher.
The rest of my first round picks -
Chicago over Philadelphia in 5 – The Sixers have been a disaster the second half of the season. Chicago has been the East’s best team from start to finish and will use Evan Turner’s foolish words about wanting them in round one as fuel. The Sixers don’t have a single reliable scorer who can get them points in a big spot. That isn’t going to cut it against Chicago’s D.
Indiana over Orlando in 6 – The Magic have been a circus all year. Some think they rally around Dwight Howard quitting on them and make a bit of a “Ewing Theory” run. They might steal a game or two here but that’s it.
Boston over Atlanta in 6 – This will be a tighter series than many expect. The Hawks are confident against Boston and have athleticism that will be tough for them to deal with but in the end, the old heads are a safe bet.
San Antonio over Utah in 6 – Utah is feisty and will be tough to beat in their building yet Greg Popovich’s unbelievable coaching job will continue into the second round. The Spurs are too good to lose in the first round in back to back years.
Oklahoma City over Dallas in 7 – Awesome first round series. The champs will put up a hell of a fight but they simply aren’t on Oklahoma City’s level.
Memphis over Los Angeles Clippers in 6 – I love Memphis as a NBA Finals darkhorse.
Los Angeles Lakers over Denver in 5 – Andrew Bynum has developed into arguably one of the ten best players in the NBA this year and will be too much for Denver to handle inside. The Nuggets also lack a big time scorer to go shot for shot with Kobe.
Guest Contributor Justin Fritze, weighs in with his Eastern and Western Conference picks -
Bulls vs. Sixers -
This series is going to be fascinating to watch. Will Derrick Rose be able to find his groove or is he going to just muscle his way into the lane and hope he draws fouls? Like the year before when the Sixers gave the Heat trouble, I can see the pass-first Sixers taking two games at best (one on the road/one in Chicago’s shiny new arena), but the newly acquired Rip Hamilton finally coming through with 3 pointers to put away the Sixers with inside out passing off the double team.
But what if that doesn’t happen? What if Derrick Rose turns it over, Iguodala gets to the line, and Boozer once and for all proves that he isn’t worth the contract he was given? Derrick Rose, despite the weight of the city crushing his soul, should get a pass if he doesn’t play lights out. This guy has had an injury to almost every part of his body throughout the year. Still taking Bulls in 6.
Knicks vs. Heat -
A few things will happen if the Heat don’t win this in 4. Knick fans will become psychotic, Lebron James will have that PTSD look in his eyes, and Dwyane Wade will become a man on fire.
But let us all have a little reflection on the roster of guards the Knicks have, because next year half of them will retire or look for big money. Mike Bibby, the oldest “33 year old” I’ve ever seen, sounded fun at the beginning of the year but looks genuinely tired, physically/spiritually/subconsciously. Baron Davis, who after tossing Blake Griffin a basketball through a moonroof was sent to basketball purgatory, rebounding to the Knicks and looking like a little fat Buddha with a bad back, to now possibly being the savior of the Knicks playoff hopes. Toney Douglas, who as soon as he enters the game causes Knick fans to pour out a double shot of Jager, and the always social media savvy JR Smith. JR Smith loves the ladies.
Let’s not forget the greatest 3 point shooter in the universe Steve “I Am Legend” Novak. I will be buying a Novak jersey regardless of what happens at any point after today. Ok Knick fans. Are you ready? Knicks in 7. KNICKS IN 7! Am I drunk still from the Rangers game 7 win? You bet your ass I am.
Pacers vs. Magic -
Fun series right? Nope. No Dwight Howard (who I loathe almost as much as Metta Call Of Duty), so now it’s going to be a 3 point festival on the Magic side of the ball. The Pacers are going to take this in 5, and I don’t even imagine it being close. Sure the Magic are going to try and change their philosophy of 3 ball/inside to Dwight, but Stan Van Gundy is already thinking of a new job. Why stress this thing when you know for a fact everything is getting blown up at the end of the year? Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert are going to dominate inside, and guys like Ryan Anderson and JJ Reddick are going to get desperate real early in game 4, chucking up 3’s a la Novakia (a Russian cousin of Steve Novak). Pacers in 5.
Celtics vs. Hawks -
The great battle of old soldiers against the constant underachievers. They should put a picture of Joe Johnson/JR Smith/Al Horford in the digital version of Merriam Webster’s new dictionary right next to the word. Great 2K12 team, not so much in reality. I really think the Celtics are going to put in a statement game at home, get that fire going early, and put the Hawks down 2-0 quick. This is going to go 6 though, as the Celtics can’t keep the pace up all the way through. Rondo is going to put up a triple double at some point in this series, and Ray Allen will rain 3’s from the high heavens. My only fear is Josh Smith and his scowl. Want something to chew on? Josh Smith has never made an all star game. Celtics in 6. Fear the eyes of Pavlovic.
Thunder vs. Mavericks
Last night does not make anyone in Oklahoma City feel good. The Thunder looked lost, anxious, nervous, and generally off balance for most of the night as Dallas looked every bit the team that got them to the Finals last year. There were a few things swinging the wrong way. Durant couldn’t get an open look, the knife’s edge that is Russell Westbrook taking jumpers became the only steady thing the Thunder had going, and the enforcer of the Thunder (Kendrick Perkins) was getting worked over by the bigs of Dallas. So where does that leave the series? 7 games. No less. Dirk is going to shoot the lights out, Jason Terry is again crushing the souls of opposing fans with effortless 3 pointers, and the duo of Vince Carter and Jason Kidd has more playoff experience than the entire Thunder roster. Durant and his game winner will quickly be forgotten if they split games going into Dallas. Thunder in 7.
Spurs vs. Jazz
While I am a big fan of the new look Jazz (without Williams/Boozer), I know that the Spurs want to get this series out of the way as fast as possible. Call it the will of the ancients, the old man strength syndrome or simply the wisdom of the ages, the Spurs and the Mavericks are going to simply out-scheme teams like the Thunder and the Jazz. The Spurs are healthier, younger (Joseph/Leonard), and somehow outpaced every single team in the West with the best coach in the NBA manning the helm like an old fishing boat captain. Spurs in 5
Clippers vs. Grizzlies
The Clippers have everything they need to counter the inside out game of the Grizzlies. Chris Paul has proven this entire season that he is the best closing point guard in the game, but I (along with the rest of casual observers) do not trust Vinny in crunch time. Despite an assistant coach masquerading as a head coach, I see the force of Nick Young/Mo Williams and Chris Paul doing too much to let the Grizzlies run away with it. Clippers in 6.
Lakers vs. Nuggets
Denver has one thing going for it. Age. Their guards are 21, 24, 24, 26, 27, 27 and the ancient Andre Miller at 36. They might actually outcoach the Lakers, but the coinflip that is Kobe Bryant’s mentality on whether to shoot/get others involved is going to be the outcome of this series. He knows the window is just about closed, so look for him to try and get this thing out of the way in 5 games. Lakers in 5. Nuggets will be back next year, and probably the year after that so don’t get too discouraged Denver.
The New York Knicks can be infuriating to watch at times. This season has been a bizarre roller coaster of about five different teams, all of which are deeply flawed but unquestionably talented. The current version is entirely too reliant on Carmelo Anthony on the offensive end and is still prone to mind numbing lapses on defense despite having two candidates for first team All-Defense in Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert.
Prior to this week starting, we knew the Knicks would need to split with Chicago and beat Milwaukee if they wanted a chance to make the playoffs. They pulled it off. Last night was a textbook example of this team finding a way despite their flaws. Milwaukee gave them their best shot in their building. Monta Ellis finally woke up and ripped off 35 points. Brandon Jennings hit a number of ridiculous shots en route to 22 points. Ekpe Udoh and Larry Sanders were blocking shots like Serge Ibaka and Dwight Howard but the Knicks still prevailed.
The primary reason is that Carmelo Anthony is playing as well as he ever has in his career. He dropped in 32 points on an efficient 13-26 from the field, along with grabbing 10 rebounds. Whenever the Knicks offense begins to sputter, he has found a way to bail them out. His support on the offensive end has been erratic at best. Tyson Chandler added 19 last night but really at this point JR Smith or Iman Shumper is the team’s number two scoring option.
Smith has been wildly inconsistent. He literally has zero conscience and will continue to jack up shots and make head scratching plays mixed in with making unbelievably difficult shots and distributing the ball like a point guard. Last night he was brutal for 3 and a 1/2 quarters but woke up when it mattered most and hit what turned out to be the game winning 3 pointer in the final minute. Simply put, he deserves the minutes over Landry Fields, a shooting guard who can’t shoot. I like Landry’s intangibles but you can’t play him in crunch time.
At point guard, Baron Davis is the starter in name only. He logged a forgetful 19 minutes last night and had more turnovers than assists. For some reason Davis repeatedly drives into the paint and passes up an easy shot to attempt a difficult pass that is usually stolen. The Knicks crunch time point guard is turning into rookie Iman Shumpert who played 42 minutes last night. We know how good Shumpert is on defense but his offense game still has a ways to go. He is inconsistent shooting the ball but similar to Smith, doesn’t lack confidence to attack the basket.
So this is what you have with the Knicks. A team entirely too reliant on an erratic shooting guard and a rookie point guard but a gutsy team that has shown an ability to scrap out wins. When you play defense and with confidence on offense, the wins will come. Will they come consistently enough to win a playoff series? That is the question that still needs to be answered.
The performance Carmelo Anthony put on at Madison Square Garden today was the type that made you laugh at anybody who regretted giving up Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and the immortal Timofey Mozgov. For all the headaches of the past season and a half, the Knicks victory over the Chicago Bulls, the de facto best team in the league, showed why the Anthony was worth it.
There are only a handful of players in this league with an ability to completely take over a game and will an inferior team to victory over a superior team, Anthony is one of those players. He put up a gaudy 43 points on 16-31 shooting from the field but more importantly was on when it mattered the most as he hit the game tying 3 to force overtime and the game winning 3 in overtime.
Both shots were drilled with a defender right in his face and both shots are an example of why nobody wants to play the New York Knicks in the first round. The Knicks were able to overcome a dreadful performance by JR Smith, who missed more shots today than some people miss in a season, a no show from starting point guard Baron Davis and a rare goose egg from sharpshooter Steve Novak.
It was Anthony taking charge on offense, Iman Shumpert playing like a grizzled veteran with his defense of Derrick Rose and Tyson Chandler protecting the paint that carried the now 29-27 Knicks over the Eastern Conference’s number one seed, a team they could very well see again in the first round.
We knew when Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin were lost to injuries, it would be on Anthony to carry this team and so far he has embraced and excelled with the task. His work is far from finished, the Knicks could still go anywhere from out of the playoffs to a number four seed over their last ten games. Yet for today, Anthony gave New York City a performance to remember and to remind us that he was worth the blockbuster trade that acquired him, worth parting ways with Mike D’Antoni and worth dealing with his previous rough patches.
Few players in this league can own crunch time how Anthony did today, the Knicks are lucky to have a player who can and will always be a threat as long as they have him.
There are 11 games left in the one of the most bizarre seasons in New York Knicks history and we are no closer to knowing whether they will miss playoffs, sneak in as a seven or eight seed or possibly steal the Atlantic Division title and the four seed that comes with it.
The next six games should teach us all we need to know about this version of the Knicks, the one without Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire. The one who is dangerously reliant on steady play from Baron Davis and JR Smith, and the one who needs Carmelo Anthony to be every bit the franchise player he claims to be.
Tomorrow it is the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden, with Derrick Rose likely returning from an extended layoff because of a groin injury and then Tuesday it will be the Bulls again but in the United Center. The Knicks need a split, not just for their playoff positioning but for their confidence if they get Chicago in the first round. Logically, tomorrow is the best chance to steal one when they could feed off the crowd energy and Rose is shaking off the cobwebs from his absence.
After the home and home with Chicago, the Knicks play Milwaukee on the road who is right behind them for the 8 seed. Simply put, this is a must win. They will likely be about even in the standings prior to this game and currently the Bucks have a 2-1 season series lead.
Following Milwaukee, the Knicks have a three game homestand against the lowly Wizards, the Heat and the Celtics. If the Knicks have any aspirations of grabbing the four seed, they must beat Boston in their building. A win against Miami would also be important for confidence in case the Knicks get them in the first round.
At a minimum, the Knicks must come through these next 6 games with a 4-2 record. You can tolerate a split with Chicago and a loss to Miami but they have to handle business against the Bucks and Celtics.
I still firmly believe the Knicks are a dangerous team in the playoffs because of their renewed commitment to defense, Carmelo Anthony, and their outside shooting. If Stoudemire or Lin return, it is an added bonus but it is the defense that truly makes them a threat. Tyson Chandler deserve the Defensive Player of the Year award for leading the turnaround on a team that has been allergic to defense since the days of Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason. It would be a damn shame to give the award to clown Dwight Howard as his team slowly tanks around his lack of character and idiocy.
This has been such a bizarre season, that you wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks finished 9-2 or 2-9. The sprint to the finish line starts tomorrow when Madison Square Garden should be rocking like a playoff game.
Since assistant coach Mike Woodson has taken over as interim head coach, the Knicks are 8-1 and have climbed all the way back up to a game over .500. Two nights ago at the Garden after the Knicks took care of the Magic 108-86, former Knick great Patrick Ewing said he would be interested in taking over as the future head coach of the Knicks if the opportunity presented itself.
The thought of it is enticing however it’s tough to even really bring up the topic of a new coach when you have a guy in Mike Woodson who has done an unbelievable job so far as interim head coach. I love the fact that Woodson is very defensive minded, and has done a tremendous job at getting the guys to play more as a team.
I do think bringing in Patrick Ewing as a replacement is at least worth thinking about and I do think he would get an interview, especially when you’re talking about a guy who is only 49 years old and who is one of the Knicks own. Not to mention, Ewing could play a major role with some of the Knick big men in Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire, and even guys like Josh Harrellson and Jarred Jeffries.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. The Knicks still need to wait and see how the rest of the season goes under Woodson, and if it’s anything like the start of it, they may not even need a replacement. The Knicks have 15 more regular season games to be played and are 2.5 games up on the Bucks for the 8th and final seed in the playoffs. I would say a lot of what happens in the playoffs for the Knicks will determine the route they want to take.
I think every Knicks fan has a place in their heart for Patrick Ewing. He has his number retired as a Knick and as a fan, you had to appreciate the way he played the game and the example he set on the floor. I myself see some big positives out of bringing in Patrick Ewing to be the next coach of the Knicks, but for right now they are just going to have to wait. Mike Woodson has done a brilliant job so far with this team and depending on how well the Knicks do in the upcoming weeks, the Ewing talk may start to die down. However, if the Knicks somehow don’t make the playoffs, or they make them but don’t have a strong showing, then I think Ewing should at least get some consideration.
OTHER UPDATES
- Jeremy Lin will be out tonight against Atlanta. It sounds like he may not play until the middle of next week. Will Mike Woodson finally start playing Toney Douglas over Mike Bibby?
- Jared Jeffries continues to be out with a knee injury. He is expected back towards the end of the next week as well.
- Amare? They’ll be lucky to get him back for the playoffs.
Carmelo Anthony has had his moments since joining the New York Knicks last season. Unfortunately, they have been overshadowed by an alleged dispute with former head coach Mike D’Antoni and a winning streak that he wasn’t apart of. Yet, now Anthony is part of the Knicks winning 7 of their last 8, moving back to .500 and getting within striking distance of first place in the Atlantic Division…and now, more than ever, Anthony must assert himself as this team’s franchise player.
Amare Stoudemire is likely out until the playoffs begin, if he is lucky and the Knicks happen to get there. Jeremy Lin is banged up and won’t be suiting up tonight against Orlando, the conference’s third best team. Anthony is dealing with a groin pull himself which he gutted through in the fourth quarter and will gut through again tonight against the Magic. It is admirable to see him play through pain, especially when the lifting will be so heavy without his power forward and point guard.
The Knicks have quality role players around Anthony and have learned to win ugly with defense, hustle and rebounding which is a beautiful and welcome sight to basketball fans in this city who have fond memories of the early 90s. Yet, if they are going to get through this brutal stretch of the schedule which is filled with playoff caliber opponents, it must be Anthony who takes the lead on both ends of the floor. The Knicks need their franchise player to carry them to a playoff spot and just maybe a division title.
These are the kind of situations where elite players are made and Anthony knows that.
“A situation like this requires me to step my game up a little bit more, take it up a notch,” Anthony said. “I love moments like this.” – Carmelo Anthony on Monday.
The Knicks brought him here to love moments like this and to thrive in them. There is enough talent around Anthony to make some real noise in the Eastern Conference, now it is up to him to lead the charge.
