Currently reeling with no obvious end to their disastrous six game losing streak in sight, the Knicks are in trouble.
But it’s not simply the tallies in the loss column that are proving to be a cause for concern. Teams often go through slumps, and that is entirely acceptable. The difference in New York is that the Knicks do not appear to be experiencing just a slump. What this team is going through, rather, seems to represent a frustrating downward spiral.
Following Jeremy Lin’s ascension to fame and stardom, Carmelo Anthony has been given the opportunity to gel with his new point guard. The two players may respect one another on the court, but the fact of the matter is if the offense does not run through Anthony, he not only struggles individually, but also brings the team down with him.
The Brooklyn native is clearly an isolation player, thriving on offense if and only if he is given the green light to create his own opportunities. Though such a style of play worked for the Knicks earlier in the season as Anthony carried the team on his back, team play has not come easy as of late.
The Knicks’ struggles have stemmed from Anthony’s inability to roll with the punches. Circumstances have clearly changed from the beginning of the season, as the team has added an immense amount of depth to the roster. With players like Lin and Steve Novak emerging and the likes of Baron Davis and J.R. Smith making their Knicks debuts, the team has been able to present a much more talented group on the floor.
Even with the different array of talent all now donning orange and blue, somebody needs to step to command stronger play from the team. Since Anthony’s return, there has been little chemistry or camaraderie visible on the court. The Knicks need to be able to play together, but so far, they’ve had difficulty doing so.
It has been Anthony’s on court frustrations and lack of optimism that has deterred his team from ultimately finding success again. With Anthony not able to emerge as leader, the Knicks should look to a familiar face to save their season.
Though Amar’e Stoudemire has struggled mightily with on and off the court issues this season, he has the ability to take command of this team. He’s done it before, and still has the potential to do it again if looked upon with that role.
It’s clear that Stoudemire is lacking some of the explosiveness that made him an M.V.P. candidate last season, but perhaps that is because he’s no longer the center of attention on offense. Whereas Anthony’s isolation style causes the offense to bunch up and appear stagnant, Stoudemire’s jump shot and execution in the pick and roll could very well give the Knicks’ that injection of life needed to find an efficient flow once again. Stoudemire excels when he serves as his team’s go-to-guy, so why not play to his strengths and take advantage of his pent up aggression?
Aside from his contributions on the court, STAT is most definitely the right guy to get into his teammates’ ears in the locker room. He represents a positive and motivating presence, but even more importantly, preaches Coach Mike D’Antoni’s philosophy and vision. The entire team needs to have faith in the coaching staff’s ability to achieve success. There’s no better player than Stoudemire, a leader who has found success in D’Antoni’s system over the years, to make everyone else believe.
The trick to featuring Stoudemire on offense more heavily moving forward would be not allowing Anthony’s smaller role be too much of a story. With media and fans alike ready to pounce on Anthony for any negativity, it’ll be crucial for him to cope quietly with a lesser role on offense.
Given the team’s past success, inserting Stoudemire as the go-to-guy seems to be a potentially strong move. After all, the Knicks have tried a number of different schemes on offense, only to be unsuccessful thus far. Though the pressures of being a savior can often be too much to handle, Stoudemire indulged in every bit of attention he received last summer as the pioneer coming to the Big Apple to deliver success.
The fact is, the Knicks need a definitive leader on and off the court, and because the big man feeds off of the type of energy, they should look to him once again to embrace that role.
To overcome Anthony’s struggles and negative impact on the team as of late, Coach D’Antoni now needs to do everything in his power to salvage what’s left of the season. If the Knicks still want an opportunity at securing a playoff spot, the team needs to stop the bleeding and instead go back to something familiar that has delivered success in the past: an up-tempo offense that features none other than STAT. Should D’Antoni be able to do accomplish this, he may just regain respect all around.
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