No coach will ever claim a moral victory. No player will ever claim a moral victory. Rarely will a fan claim a moral victory for their favorite team. I will not claim a moral victory for any of my favorite teams, no matter what the situation may be.

The Knicks’ loss to the Bulls tonight, however, is a good sign. A very good sign.

Amar’e Stoudemire led all scorers in the 105-102 Chicago win with 34 points on 16 of 27 shooting, and Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 32 on 12 of 26.

Following an eleven point halftime deficit, a great second half surge by the Knicks resulted in a chance to send the game into overtime on their last possession, but a Carmelo Anthony three pointer fell short at the buzzer.

The teams were even in rebounding and turnovers, as both grabbed 37 boards and committed 14 turnovers. This wasn’t the only case of even play; the stats were relatively close across the board, as the Bulls and Knicks treated us to a great game.

So, yes, the Knicks lost a game that they had a great chance to win down the stretch. Nevertheless, they, and we as fans, should be very satisfied with this performance.

Why though?

The Knicks shot nearly 49%, 7% better than their average, while ball movement and offensive flow was significantly better than normal. You can look at their assist to turnover ratio for proof of this, but there is a different stat that I would like to focus on.

Three point shot attempts.

The Knicks shot 16 three pointers, nearly eight less than normal. Keep in mind that two of those threes were on their last two possessions, when they had virtually no other option. When they found themselves down by double digits at the break, they did not panic nor did they play undisciplined, as they have tended to do in those types of situations this year. Instead, they pounded the ball inside, and when they did take jump shots, they were high percentage ones.

Who should gain credit for this? Well, let us not kid ourselves, it is Mike D’antoni. The guy who has been coaching as if he wants to get fired may finally be figuring it out, even if it is just one game.

Not to mention, this is the second straight game where this has been the case; the Knicks took just 18 threes on Tuesday night, making half of them, and shot 60% overall. The Knicks could be realizing that shooting three pointers makes them weaker, not stronger. As I have said multiple times, shooting threes is not always a terrible thing, but the Knicks do not possess any reliable three point shooters; it just is not their game.

Another good sign was the play of Amar’e Stoudemire, whose struggles have been immense this season. Amar’e played like the Amar’e we expect him to be, scoring 34 points on 16 of 27, and grabbing 11 rebounds. It’s just one step, but the Knicks need, absolutely need, Amar’e Stoudemire to play to his full ability in order for them to succeed. If nothing else, tonight should be a confidence booster for the All-Star power forward.

Yes, it’s just one game, but the way the Knicks played tonight combined with their Tuesday night performance against Detroit is very encouraging. Maybe the Knicks are headed in the right direction. Maybe the Knicks could revive their season. Maybe the combination of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Mike D’antoni can work out after all. It’s way too soon to tell, and I certainly am not yet sold, but maybe, just maybe.

Two things became very apparent during the Knicks’ hard fought  99-89 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday night.

First off, the Knicks moved the ball better and had significantly better flow in their offense due to the absence of Carmelo Anthony.

However, it was also proved that the Knicks cannot win a close game without Carmelo Anthony.

Seems contradictory, does it not?

Well, the Knicks played solid basketball for three quarters; they led for a good portion of an absolute see-saw battle of a game, while moving the ball very well and getting open shots, as D’antoni teams are supposed to do. When they needed someone to step up late, though, there was nobody to turn to.

Amar’e Stoudemire? He is far from a closer, and his struggles this year have been immense, playing the worst basketball of his career. Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert, and Bill Walker are all inconsistent and unreliable, as good of role players as they can be at times.

It seemed as if the Knicks were about ready to plead Carmelo to put a uniform on and come save them—nobody could knock down the big shots in the fourth quarter, while LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Heat combined for 19 of their 59 total points in the final quarter.

Although he can be a cancer to this team and D’antoni’s offensive system at times, Anthony is unquestionably one of the league’s most clutch players and best closers.

Some fans have been quick to overreact, myself included, and suggest that the Knicks deal Carmelo Anthony, but that is clearly not the answer. Melo has been severely banged up this year, and it has resulted in the lowest shooting percentage of his career.

As previously touched on, Carmelo doesn’t mesh well with coach Mike D’antoni’s system, and I am not sure if the two will ever make a good fit; D’antoni is all about movement, but Carmelo likes to stop the ball and play isolation basketball. Doesn’t work in this offensive system, sorry, it just doesn’t. Perhaps Baron Davis can fix the problem; giving Anthony a true point guard to work with is much needed, but only time will tell.

Things will still likely need to change in New York even after the return of Baron Davis, and while dealing Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler for Dwight Howard could be the solution, trading away Carmelo Anthony is not.

Could the solution be firing head coach Mike D’antoni? It’s very possible. When the Knicks get down, they panic and play a very undisciplined style of basketball, while jacking up three pointers every chance they get.

Now, shooting threes isn’t always a bad thing. However, when you do not have any good three point shooters, as is the case with the Knicks, it should not be the main option. In my opinion, this falls on the shoulders of the head coach.

Whatever changes may or may not occur, Carmelo is the one guy that the Knicks absolutely need to make sure stays a part of the organization.

Even if the Knicks were to end up with a team consisting of Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and Amar’e Stoudemire along with any coach, D’antoni or not, how good would they really be? Come playoff time, who would be the guy they could turn to late in the fourth quarter?

Carmelo Anthony is that guy, and the Knicks need him to succeed.

Following a double overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets tonight, the New York Knicks have now dropped six straight games and quickly caused concern throughout the Big Apple.

Former Knick Danilo Gallinari led all scorers with 37 points, and Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 25 points.

Anthony’s jump shot with 1.7 seconds left in regulation was able to get the Knicks into overtime, and made us realize what we love about Melo—his clutch gene. However, Anthony missing his final two shots in double overtime made us realize what we dislike—his inability to get his teammates involved.

For Carmelo, it was what we have come to expect as a typical night—yes, he scored 25 points, but turned the ball over six times and missed 20 of his 30 shots.

Baron Davis could return by the end of the month, and if things don’t get better when he returns, then changes need to occur. Whether it’s firing Mike D’antoni or making a trade, something will have to happen.

In my mind, the right move would be trading Carmelo Anthony. It’s amazing to think that a guy that we heralded the acquisition of less than a year ago could be shipped out, but it could very well be the right move.

D’antoni’s system is all about ball movement, something Melo can’t quite comprehend. He likes to stop the movement when he gets the ball and play his game, but that simply does not work in this offense.

The ideal trade involving Carmelo would be in exchange for Nets’ point guard Deron Williams—a deal that would benefit both teams. Having D-Will run an offense under D’antoni with Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, Toney Douglas, and Tyson Chandler would be beautiful, and would undoubtedly make the Knicks a better team—possibly title contenders.

So, let’s just wait and see what happens with Baron Davis. If he can return to his best form and the Knicks have a turnaround, wonderful. But if not, trading Carmelo is the best option, as crazy of a notion as it may be.

After a rough start to the season, the Knicks are starting to figure it out. A win Wednesday night over the Sixers is the fourth straight for New York, and their biggest win on the year.

Yes, it was the third and final game of a back to back to back for the Sixers, and yes, the Knicks were idle yesterday. Nonetheless, this victory was an impressive one for the Knicks over a Sixers team that rode a five game winning streak into the game.

If anything, with the way the Sixers have been rolling, playing this many games is an advantage for them; they are very young and deep, and virtually unaffected by playing back to back’s.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with 27 points on a mere 9 of 24 shooting, while Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner each put in 16 for the Sixers.

The Knicks once again received a nice contribution from rookie Josh Harrelson, who scored 13 points in just 23 minutes. Amar’e Stoudemire added 20 points on a solid 8 of 14 shooting, along with grabbing 10 rebounds.

New York’s most impressive play, however, came on the defensive side of the ball, where they held the Sixers to just 79 points on 39.5% shooting. This is no new thing for the Knicks though, as their opponents have averaged 82 points on under 40% shooting in the last three victories for the Knicks. And it has not stopped there for New York; the Knicks have outrebounded their opponents in each game on this four game winning streak, something they have not been accustomed to in the past.

Shutdown defensive play and domination on the glass are two things that Knicks fans are not familiar with, and the new style of play is very exciting to see.

If anyone can be credited for this sudden change, it is none other than Tyson Chandler.

Chandler, who has averaged 12.5 rebounds and a block per game on the win streak, is single handedly bringing a new culture of basketball to the Knicks. If they continue to rebound and defend this well, the success will not stop.

This victory over the Sixers, and the fashion it came in, reassures that the Knicks are the team to beat in the Atlantic division, and wins over them and Boston make it nearly impossible to deny this.

The Knicks go on a two game road trip next, and will take on the Grizzlies on Thursday night.

Since their Christmas Day win over the Celtics, the Knicks have not had too much to smile about. The offense rarely even seemed like an offense, the defense was its usual atrocious self, and their undisciplined play resulted in a 3-4 record, which included losses to Toronto, Golden State, and Charlotte. Even their most recent win came over a winless Wizards team; a game in which Carmelo Anthony had to bail the team out with a go ahead three in the final minute.

Saturday night, though, the Knicks played their best 48 minutes of the season, and came out with a 28 point win over the Pistons. Yes, the Pistons are a bad team, but tonight’s game was a very good sign for the Knicks.

The flow of New York’s offense was much better than on previous nights; the ball movement resulted in plenty of open jump shots, leading to 103 points, while six players finished scoring in double digits.

The Knicks performed equally as well on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Pistons to 37% shooting and just 80 points. The Knicks also forced 20 turnovers, while committing just 11 of them. New York even outrebounded Detroit, their second straight night outrebounding the opponent.

Basically, everything went right for the Knicks against the Pistons.

As was previously mentioned, six different Knicks had double figures in points tonight, and it was a total team effort. Carmelo Anthony struggled for a good portion of the night, and other guys had to step up for the Knicks to play as well as they did.

Unsurprisingly, Amar’e Stoudemire lead the team with 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting, but the Knicks had contributions from plenty of role players too.

Iman Shumpert scored 11 in his first game as a starter, and Josh Harrelson provided 11 points himself, off the bench. But perhaps the biggest contribution came from none other than Mike Bibby.

Bibby, who the Knicks signed to the disapproval of many fans, was on fire tonight, missing just one shot and draining all four of his three pointers in just 15 minutes of action.

Tonight was just a glimpse of what basketball fans expect of the Knicks. Remember, it took a few weeks for the Heat to finally gel last season, so maybe this is the beginning of the Knicks figuring it out.

If there is one word to describe the performance of the New York Knicks in tonight’s game against the Lakers, it is frustration. Coming off a disappointing loss in Golden State, the Knicks were hoping to avenge it with a victory over the Lakers. This was not the case.

The Knicks trailed right away, as the Lakers had a seven point advantage after the first quarter, which was opened up to twelve by the conclusion of the first half. Los Angeles would proceed to win the game by 17, after holding New York to a mere ten points in the fourth and final quarter.

To beat a team like the Lakers, your stars need to show up. I do not mean to ever blame a loss solely on one player, but tonight, Carmelo Anthony showed up, and Amar’e Stoudemire did not.

Carmelo was 8 of 14 from the field, had seven rebounds and six assists. Amar’e, on the other hand, was nowhere near his best. He shot 4 of 17 and had just two rebounds. That is not the Amar’e Stoudemire we have come to know and love as Knicks fans, and the Knicks will need him to play much better if they hope to beat the other elites of the league.

It is easy to pinpoint Stoudemire because he is a superstar, but the entire team, other than Anthony, was terrible on the offensive side of the ball. The Knicks shot a lowly 31% from the field, while missing 16 of 22 three pointers.

In similar fashion to their game against the Warriors last night, the Knicks seemed to panic when they found themselves trailing in the second half. Everything was rushed on the offensive side of the ball, their shot selection was very questionable to say the least, and as a whole they seemed very undisciplined.

If you ask me, problems like these fall directly on the shoulders of the head coach, in this case Mike D’antoni. I have never been a D’antoni fan, and for a team that desperately needs to improve defensively, he just is not a good fit. Can they win with D’antoni? Yes, they probably can, but firing him and finding a coach better suited for this team would be ideal for New York, in my mind.

For now though, Mike D’antoni is the head coach of the Knicks, and they will need to find a way to get back on track by defeating the Kings on Saturday night.

It seemed like a repeat of Games 1 and 2 of last year’s NBA Quarterfinal between the Knicks and Celtics was brewing when the two teams met today; the Knicks lead at halftime and quickly coughed it up in the second half.
But this time around, it was a proven different Knicks team, and a different outcome. After Carmelo Anthony knocked down two free throws, and Kevin Garnett missed a jumper at the buzzer, it felt like more than just one opening day win for New York. It proved this team can win close games against good teams, something they were not able to do last April.
No, the Celtics did not have Paul Pierce, a guy they often go to with the game on the line. They did, however, have Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo, and beating them is no small task. Not to mention, New York is without point guard Baron Davis, and when he is able to return he should bring much needed help at the position.
The Knicks got off to a booming start in this highly anticipated Christmas Day matchup, as they opened up a 11 point lead by the conclusion of the first quarter, and extended it to as much as 17 in the second quarter. Boston did cut this lead to ten at the half, and when Carmelo was taken out of the game in the third quarter due to foul trouble, the Celtics took advantage and went on a run to take an eight point lead into the final quarter.
Enter Carmelo Anthony back into the game, and the Knicks suddenly got right back into the thick of things after an Antony three pointer tied the game at 100 with 3:25 left. Carmelo then gave the Knicks a two point advantage with 16 seconds remaining after drawing a foul and knocking down both of his free throws.
After Garnett’s jumper was off the mark, Madison Square Garden erupted at the joy of their Knicks, a team that was so dismal just a few years ago, defeated the mighty Boston Celtics for the first time since 2010.
The change of the basketball culture in New York is truly amazing. Long considered the world’s mecca of basketball, New York was forced to root for possibly the worst franchise in sports for some time in the Knicks. Sunday’s win is likely the first of many for the 2011-12 Knicks, who have aspirations of winning the Eastern Conference.
If there is anything else this game proves, it is that Carmelo Anthony is undoubtedly this team’s MVP. Carmelo had 37 points, and took complete control of the game in the fourth quarter, something that we all know he is capable of.
The only negative coming out of today’s win was the injury of Iman Shumpert’s knee. The rookie is reportedly being expect to miss two to four weeks, something that nobody wants to see any player go through, let alone a rookie.
Other than the injury to Shumpert, today was a great day for New York, and Knicks fans truly have something to smile about.

At this time two years ago, most Knick fans would tell you that the only way their team would contend anytime soon would be if they landed LeBron James in the upcoming summer. After signing Amar’e Stoudemire in early July, these same fans were hopeful that James would come to New York, but, as we all know, he decided to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.
Suddenly, things once again did not look too bright for the Knicks. Through the first 54 games of the season, the Knicks were an above average and very respectable team, but nowhere near elite status, as they still only had one superstar in a star-driven league.
This all changed though on February 22nd of 2011, quite possibly one of the most important days in the franchise’s history, when they acquired Carmelo Anthony in a three team, twelve player deal that also sent point guard Chauncey Billups to New York.
Despite the blockbuster trade, things did not immediately get better in New York, as the Knicks were swept by the Celtics in the first round.
It was very apparent all season that the Knicks biggest issues included defense and rebounding. With the recent signing of Tyson Chandler, former Maverick, the Knicks quickly addressed both of these issues. Chandler will fill the Knicks biggest needed at the center position, and should make immediate impacts on both sides of the ball.
New York has not stopped there though, as they have reportedly signed point guard Mike Bibby (after waiving Chauncey Billups), and are also currently going after J.J. Barea.
If all of these pieces fall into place in New York, the Knicks could become Eastern conference contenders. The Celtics aren’t getting any younger, and the Bulls are just flat out overrated.
The one team the Knicks should fear though, of course, is the Miami Heat. The Heat are the defending Eastern conference champs, and will enter this year as the conference’s favorites, and deservedly so.
However, the Knicks certainly could give the Heat a run for their money, and could possibly be their biggest threat. So, let’s see how the Knicks could stack up against Miami.
If the Knicks can acquire J.J. Barea, they will certainly have the edge at the point guard position over a Heat team that will most likely start Mario Chalmers, especially after losing Mike Bibby to none other than the Knicks. As far as the Knicks situation goes, Barea is one of the most scrappy players in the league, and will bring much needed postseason experience. If they do not get Barea, Toney Douglas will likely start. Even if this is the case, the Knicks still have the advantage, as Douglas has a much higher ceiling than Chalmers.
As far as the two guard position goes, the Heat have the clear advantage with Dwyane Wade over Landry Field of the Knicks. With that said, however, Landry Fields is one of the bright young talents in the league and is in no way a weakness on this team.
Knick small forward Carmelo Anthony is arguably the team’s best player, but unfortunately for him, the Heat’s small forward, LeBron James, is the league’s best player. The success of these teams will heavily rely on whether or not Carmelo and LeBron can perform in the postseason, as the ball will often be in their hands in big moments, and we saw that when LeBron could not come through in the clutch, the Heat could not win. The same very well could be the case for the Knicks with Carmelo.
Furthermore, two more superstars can be found at the power forward position for each of these teams, and this is probably the closest match up. However, Amar’e Stoudemire of the Knicks has the slight advantage over the Heat’s Chris Bosh. Stoudemire proved that he can be the number one option on a successful team when he was without Carmelo Anthony last year. Chris Bosh has never done such a thing, as his Raptor teams never had too much success. This is with no disrespect to Bosh though, as he has proven that, despite the number of doubters he has, he has the capability of being an elite player in this league.
The center position is the biggest advantage for the Knicks, where recently acquired Tyson Chandler will play. The Heat’s situation at center is very unclear, but they will likely be starting Joel Anthony. Clearly the Heat’s biggest hole, they will need to address this position.
The benches are pretty weak for both teams, but the Heat have a slight advantage after the recent addition of Shane Battier. Battier will add much needed depth to Miami, while Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, and Eddie House are other notable players that will come off their bench. The bench for the Knicks will consist Toney Douglas, first round pick Iman Shumpert, and Bill Walker. They will also likely bring back a few of their free agents(Anthony Carter, Shawne Williams, and Jared Jeffries) to round out the bench.
As for the head coaches, Erik Spoelstra is, by my standards, a superior coach to Mike D’antoni. The Knicks should get ride of D’antoni as soon as possible, as the guy really does hold them back. They have never been able to play defense, and he doesn’t know how to coach defense. It just is not a good fit, and you cannot succeed in this league if you do not play defense, and D’antoni makes it difficult to do so.
The Heat have the advantage in four of the seven categories, and ultimately are a better team. I would even say their starting lineup as a whole is better than the starting lineup for the Knicks, as LeBron and Wade are enough to give Miami the advantage. The Knicks could certainly challenge the Heat this year, but chances are that, come June, the Heat will be representing the Eastern conference in the NBA Finals.

Knicks' Stars Anthony and Stoudemire in Practice

With the NBA’s lockout unlikely to end anytime soon, it is looking as if there will not be an NBA season. I, and many other NBA fans across the country and world, will be extremely disappointed if there is not a season this year. However, there is something slightly positive that could come out of this for us Knicks fans.

With a lockout taking the place of a 2011-12 NBA season, it could very well mean the Knicks will be the next NBA champions.

I don’t think it will happen, as the Miami Heat should return as favorites whenever there is an NBA season again, but it is a possibility.

With Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and others set to become free agents next summer, it is very likely that the Knicks could land a big name. Chris Paul certainly seems like the most realistic possibility for the Knicks, and he would be a nearly perfect fit in New York.

As the league’s best point guard, he’d be a perfect complement to two of the most prolific scorers in the game in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Paul has averaged 10 assists per game in his career so far, and that has been in New Orleans without ever really having a great scorer along side him, so imagine the great things he could do when teaming up with the very best.

CP3, who has made three all defensive teams in New Orleans (one first team, two second teams), would also help out on the defensive side of the ball, as that is perhaps the Knicks biggest concern.

Another possible addition that could help lead the Knicks to an NBA title is Samuel Dalembert, as the nearly 7 foot tall Haitian Canadian would fill a huge hole for the Knicks at the center position.

They obviously wouldn’t need Dalembert to score, they’d just need him to do what he does best, play defense and rebound. Dalembert has averaged two blocks and over eight rebounds per game in his career, so he can do that pretty well.

Samuel would be perfect for the Knicks, as their center position has been an absolute disaster. They were starting Ronnie Turiaf last season, and no disrespect to Turiaf, but he has no business starting at center on a playoff team. Dalembert would fit right in.

So to Knicks fans everywhere, please just be patient. I want an NBA season this year as badly as you do, it just isn’t looking too great right now.

If there is indeed not a season, it could just mean that the Knicks will be the next team lifting Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

The Knicks came into this one needing a W, and that’s exactly what they got. Trailing the 76ers by three games going into this one, the Knicks needed this game badly to keep pace with Philly for the all important 6^th seed in the East. The 76ers won last night, as did many of the teams trailing the Knicks, heightening the pressure for tonight’s matchup against New Jersey at the Garden.

Having played a game last night, the Nets looked tired down the stretch, and their performance as a team suffered accordingly. They began turning the ball over (nine in the first 14 minutes of the second half), missing shots, and forgetting how to play defence. The Nets were also slow getting back in transition at times, and their offence became a bit stagnant.

However, even with all these problems, this game remained a back and forth affair until the end. The reason? A young chap by the name of Deron Williams.

Williams took control down the stretch, creating shots for himself and driving to the basket nearly at will. The Knicks are not exactly renowned as a great defensive team, and their defence (or lack thereof) against Williams was a prime example. Luckily, D’Antoni’s crew did pick it up late in the ball game, salvaging the win for the Knicks.   

Speaking of the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony played a fantastic game for New York. Melo finished with 39 points, including 20 in the Knick-controlled third quarter. Even more impressive, Anthony finished over 50 percent from the floor, including 75 percent from beyond the arc and perfect from the foul line. Anthony Morrow also finished with 30 for the Nets.

In the second half, the Knicks converted some bad Nets’ possessions into easy transition buckets, including a great bounce pass from Anthony Carter to set up a three on the fast break.

Both teams went cold in the last two and a half minutes though, with the game tied at 114. Both teams missed open shots, including two bone headed plays from Jersey’s Travis Outlaw. Outlaw took a contested fade away over Melo, and followed it up with a travel off a fast break from Williams.

The cold streak finally ended with 1:08 left though, with cold blooded Carmelo Anthony draining a pull up J to give the Knicks a 116-114 lead. After a Nets miss, Toney Douglas picked up a huge offensive board on the next New York possession. The Knicks were in the bonus, and Douglas stepped up to the line and calmly knocked his two freebies down.

Nothing’s ever easy with the Boys from Broadway though. After a Kris Humphries tip in and an Anthony miss, the Nets had one last chance to tie or win the game, down by two with eight seconds left. Luckily for the Knicks, Deron Williams missed his open 17 footer, and Billups picked up the board. Billups knocked in his two free throws as expected, and the Knicks went home winners.

With Billups’ two clutch free throws, and a good push down the stretch, The Knicks were able to take this all important game. Melo had arguably his best game as a Knick, both offensively and defensively, Billups and Carter shared the point effectively, and the Knicks played huge in the second half. If they can play the rest of their games like they played in those last 24 minutes, New York will be just fine. This team could potentially be a huge threat in the postseason, and won’t be the type of team that any of the favourites would like to face in April.