Knicks Unable to Ride Momentum Long Enough to Win Against Heat in Miami

Visibly playing through the pain of ankle and wrist injuries, Carmelo Anthony finally relented, accepting that he can longer perform his "superhero" act.

The pain proved to be too much for Anthony, forcing him to sit against the Miami Heat on Friday. Dwyane Wade, though he had missed the last six previous, returned for the Heat.

In fact, Wade returned in a big way for the Heat, who ultimately overpowered the Knicks for a 99-89 victory. Wade poured in 28 points, while LeBron James scored 31 points to lead all scorers in the win.

The Knicks were able to keep the pace, however, by hoisting up as many three point field goals as they possibly could. Truly living on a prayer, New York threw up an astounding 43 shots from long range, sinking 18 to keep them in the game. That charge was led by Bill Walker, who sank 7 threes, two off the team record of nine.

All this allowed the Knicks to do was stay in the game until the very end. While doing this is no easy feat against the Heat, the team simply did not have enough momentum to carry them all the way through the fourth quarter in order to get a win. All things considered, it was an all-around decent effort, but Anthony was sorely needed to ultimately power through this one.

Of course, the Knicks had some struggles that led to the loss itself. Toney Douglas continued to prove he's not fit to start, shooting a difficult to watch 6 for 18 from the field. Though he did sink four shots from long range as the Knicks fought to stay in the game, his let down late in the fourth quickly killed any momentum the team had.

An inconsistent shooter to say the least, Douglas is not (and should not be expected to be) a fourth quarter player. Without Anthony, a proven star in the clutch, things fell apart late in the game for the Knicks.

Landry Fields and Amar'e Stoudemire both had less than impressive offensive outings, but the three ball allowed the Knicks to stay in it until the likes of James and Wade took over.

Though this game was won for the Heat by its stars, it was lost by the Knicks largely in part due to their less than balanced attack. Though Walker finished with 21 points, without Anthony, the Knicks' rotation was unable to maintain what was needed for a victory. No one stepped up to help Walker as he cooled off and ultimately fouled out in the fourth.

The Knicks' bench, aside from Walker, finished the game having shot 4 for 19 from the field. When their star is down, the team can only hope they have enough depth to provide a boost, but the Knicks simply do not, with the likes of Bibby shooting 2 for 8 from downtown, and the little-used Steve Novak only sinking 2 of 6 from deep.

If they want to rise up as a contender, the Knicks need to take note of the depth the Heat has built around their stars. In my latest piece for the "Off the Dribble" NBA blog at The New York Times', I suggest a plan of action:

After assembling their own core of stars, the Knicks should take note of what the Heat has done. New York needs role players who have experience and are not afraid to take the big shot if needed. This squad needs specialty players: 3-point shooters, defenders and ball-handlers.

Right now, relying on younger talent will not make the Knicks a championship contender. Perhaps the team should focus its attention on convincing available veterans that the opportunity to play for a title is worth a discounted salary.

The Heat may have a lot of star power, but it was strong contributions from their bench, including two crucial three-pointers drained by sharpshooting veteran Shane Battier that helped sink the Knicks.

If the now 7-12 Knicks ever want to reach the status the Heat will continue to reach, they need to focus on surrounding their stars with the right players, because it is obvious the likes of Stoudemire and Anthony cannot do it all. With Anthony out, the Knicks certainly needed a thorough pick-me-up, and they did not receive that for 48 full minutes last night.

The team will aim to avenge their loss in Miami by beating the Rockets in Houston tonight, where Anthony is expected to sit out once again.

And as always, you can ready my latest piece at "Off the Dribble" by clicking here.

Recapping Yesterday's Deadline Decisions in the NBA

The Knicks made headlines for all the wrong reasons last night, dropping their seventh of eight games with a 91-81 loss to the Cavs. This type of let down is clearly an unacceptable one, but things will not get any easier as the team takes on the star-studded Miami Heat tomorrow night.

While the Knicks ponder what they can do to ultimately turn their so far frustrating season around, let's take a look at some of the many moves other teams made (or didn't make) by yesterday's extension/option deadline, in attempts to fortify their rosters.

As previously noted, the Knicks did in fact exercise Toney Douglas' team option for next season, hoping he can bounce back from his slow start and find a productive rhythm once again. Though this may seem to have been a small fish to fry, many NBA teams had more pressing matters.

The Nuggets and former Knick Danilo Gallinari agreed upon a contract extension through four years worth $42 million, earning him approximately $10.5 million per season. The decision appeared to be an easy one for Denver, whose coaching staff has praised the Italian Stallion for his elevated defense early on this season. Of course, he has always been known for his sweet shooting stroke, and this season has been no different. Gallinari has shot over 47% from the field on his way to averaging a team (and career) high of 17.4 points per game.

The number six overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft poured in the points as he reminded the Knicks what they lost, scoring a career high 37 points late last week. During his return to MSG, Gallo also sank a career-high 18 free throws and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds in Denver's 119-114 win Saturday over his former team.

The deal is more than a fair one for Gallinari, who the Nuggets hope will perhaps continue to blossom into more of a star.

Also cashing in on a big pay day was Timberwolves' All-Star Kevin Love, signing a four year contract extension worth an estimated $62 million. Last season's league-leading rebounder, Love was expected by many to have been offered a full five year contract extension. However, the Timberwolves could very well be holding out that right for rookie phenomenon Ricky Rubio.

Perhaps the Timberwolves did so in an effort to keep their core together, but Love has more than proven himself to be a worthy franchise player. If a player of that magnitude is willing to stay long-term, a small market team should look to lock him up as long as possible, regardless of what hurdles may lie ahead.

What's strange is that Love's contract also includes an opt-out clause following the third season of the deal. This means he can either opt-out, simply to seek out more money from the Timberwolves, or leave the team completely in favor of a lucrative contract in a bigger market.

After hesitating to lock him up, then furthermore gaffing with the opt-out clause, the Timberwolves can only hope the team makes enough progress towards inching their way into the playoffs under Coach Rick Adelman. The more noise the team makes, the more likely Love will be inclined to stay in the fold after experiencing success. However, it's important Love's team make a stronger and much firmer commitment to him in 2015 than they just did. Needless to say, they've taken a gamble on one of the best players in the league.

Among those who held off on their big paydays were Magic forward Ryan Anderson and Suns center Robin Lopez. Anderson, who is averaging a career-high 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and is shooting an even more impressive 42% from beyond the arc. That being said, much of Anderson's success has stemmed from his placement as an outside shooter next to Dwight Howard in the front court. Should Howard depart Orlando, Anderson may not find as much success. Both he and his team decided to wait things out, making him a restricted free agent this summer.

Also playing the waiting game is Lopez, who after showing potential as a spot-starter over the last two seasons, has found himself backing up new Suns starting center Marcin Gortat. As we've seen many times in the NBA, a great deal of potential is often enough to help a young player cash in on a lucrative contract, so perhaps Lopez is doing the right thing, taking into consideration Gortat's emergence and the Suns' ongoing struggles.

Players who had their team options declined for next season included the likes of Magic backup big man Daniel Orton and former Knicks' first round draft selection Jordan Hill of the Rockets. Both will hit the open market as unrestricted free agents this summer.

Toney Douglas Remains With Knicks As NBA Teams Make Key Decisions

By the end of Wednesday, NBA teams will have had to make decisions on both any 2008 and 2010 draftees currently on their squads. Will they go or will they stay?

Wednesday's deadline forces teams to:

A) Agree upon contract extensions with any 2008 first round draftees eligible to become Restricted Free Agents this upcoming summer.

B) Exercise or decline team options for next season on 2010 first round draftees.

Many teams made headlines with some controversial decisions regarding talented and/or popular players, but as far as the Knicks were concerned, they made the seemingly obvious decision to exercise Toney Douglas' team option for next season, putting him on the books with a salary slightly over $2 million.

What might have been a no-brainer for the front office is quickly proving to be a frowned upon move by Knicks fans all over the internet. Fans have taken to Twitter to express their displeasure with the move, many citing Douglas' inconsistencies and disappointment this season as the reason.

There's no denying Douglas struggled mightily as a starter to begin the season. But who's to say he really belonged there? Frankly, the Knicks did not have a choice but to start him with Baron Davis injured, Iman Shumpert (at that time) unproven, and Chauncey Billups released. Douglas was thrust into the starting lineup by default. Plain and simple.

During his first two seasons, Douglas served as a key cog in the Knicks rotation, providing an ever so needed boost off the bench, often filling it up with double-digit scoring performances.

This is where he thrives. Coming off the bench, Douglas is able to concentrate on scoring as a means of being an offensive spark plug, not forced to do much else. As a starter, Douglas was expected to take on the responsibility of being a facilitator for his teammates, but that is simply not who he is.

If the Knicks can place Douglas in situations where all he needs to worry about is providing points in a pinch, then exercising his option will have been a smart decision. With the Knicks committed to three rather large, long-term contracts (the team's so called "Big Three"), finding productive players at cheaper rates is going to be imperative to maintaing a strong supporting cast around the team's stars.

Can Knicks Build Momentum Following Win Over Bobcats?

After a frustrating six game losing streak, the Knicks put an end to their skid by stomping all over the struggling Bobcats, 111-78.

Many Knicks teammates were dancing and prancing along the bench as the team made its way to victory, outscoring Charlotte 38-21 in the fourth quarter. Though it's clear the Knicks needed an uplifting win to build up their confidence, it's important the team doesn't get too cocky.

After suffering losses to some of the NBA's weaker teams already this season, all the Knicks can hope to do is allow their momentum from the win in Charlotte to propel them to more victories on the road. A win is a win, but the Knicks have to understand beating the Bobcats should be considered an expectation more so than an accomplishment. With the kind of talent currently on the roster, winning needs to be a consistent expectation. The focus needs to be on improving the disappointing 7-10 record. No celebrating just yet.

The Knicks learned that they could very well indeed win without Carmelo Anthony dominating the game. Anthony had a career-low 1 point, shooting 0-7 from the field. That said, Amar'e Stoudemire poured in 18 points and Landry Fields continued his steady play by adding 18 as well.

What was more impressive, however, was the 20 points recored by Tyson Chandler, to go along with a massive 17 rebounds. While Chandler has not been expected to score in bunches, his field goal percentage this season has been phenomenal. Furthermore, his scoring outbursts usually result in a Knicks victory. It's obvious his defensive presence has elevated his team in that regard, but perhaps the Knicks should look to feature their big man on offense more often as well.

The contributions of the likes of Fields and Chandler are key to any future Knicks success. This team clearly needs strong play from its supporting cast. STAT and Melo cannot carry the team on their own, and it's refreshing to see that when they have off-nights, their teammates do have the ability to provide a pick-me-up.

The team was also paced by strong bench play, with a surprising 11 points by Jared Jeffries. Toney Douglas and Steve Novak each had 9 points off the pine as well for the Knicks, who go into Cleveland tonight seeking a second straight win.

Knicks Look To Take Down Bobcats on the Road

**This game preview was written by Knicks Journal contributor Zach Horst. You can follow him on Twitter @zd183.**

The Knicks have a great opportunity to get back on track tonight in their third game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Both teams are riding losing streaks, New York on a 6-game skid, and Charlotte losing the past four.

The Knicks are coming off a heart-breaking double-overtime loss to Denver - Melo's first match against his former team of 7 years. Anthony struggled mightily from the field, scoring 35, but shooting 10-30. To be fair, he is banged up with wrist and ankle injuries. He continues to play through the pain and is expected to do so tonight.

Amar'e Stoudemire hasn't been his normal All-Star self this year. Many are blaming it on the number of touches he's getting, but his aggressiveness and swagger of past years just isn't there yet. STAT did score 25 points in both games against Charlotte this season, though.

The Bobcats have been woeful this season, winning only 3 of seventeen thus far. Corey Maggette and D.J. Augustin, who exited early from his last game with an inflamed big toe, will not play. Boris Diaw remains a threat against the poor defense of Stoudemire. In their first meeting of the season, Diaw scored 27 points.

The Orange and Blue need to focus on their fundamentals for this game. Against an inferior opponent, it is important not to come out cocky and fearless. The team has to insure quick and fluid ball movement, finding the open man and knocking down open jumpers. The Knicks can't get trigger happy from behind the arc. Instead, the big men need to find points in the paint and draw fouls to get to the line.

New York is desperate for some confidence - a big win could propel them to an offensive roll. The chemistry and ball movement need to improve, and the defense must continue to play tough. With Baron Davis practicing and looking to make his debut later this week, the Knicks could be moving up in the standings very soon.

Of course, any Knicks fan praying for a victory over the Bobcats tonight can relive the exciting moment in Knicks history below.

Who Would Be Baron Davis’ Starting Backcourt Mate On the New York Knicks?

The dream of Baron Davis hitting the hardwood for the New York Knicks will soon become a reality.

According to many reports, his long-awaited debut could come as early as Friday as the Knicks take on the star-studded Miami Heat.

Though Coach Mike D’Antoni’s plan is to ease Davis into the rotation slowly, monitoring his minutes on the court, there is no denying how badly the Knicks are struggling right now. As it just so happens, Davis has many of the talents his team is currently craving, so in fact, his vital return to play may be needed sooner than later.

It has come as a surprise to many this season, but the Knicks’ offense has been more of a problem than their defense. Though the team is still lacking in the win column, the addition of Tyson Chandler has elevated the defense without question, seemingly beginning to instill a new team culture, resulting in the best defensive roll out New York City has seen in years.

The offense, however, something D’Antoni’s teams have been known to excel at, has appeared more stagnant than ever before. No efficient point guard not only means Amar’e Stoudemire is no longer being set up for opportune shots, but also that Carmelo Anthony dominates the ball that much more often, resulting in forced up shots from him as well.

Aside from STAT and Melo, New York’s dynamic duo, the offense is weak, with no reliable third scorer stepping up thus far. In addition to creating a better offensive flow for the likes of Stoudemire and Anthony, Davis will also be looked upon to score, whether it be as a complementary player, or as a much needed boot off the bench.

Regardless of how things begin in Davis’ Knicks tenure, the conclusion that he will find his way into the starting lineup at some point has to be drawn.

Besides the fact Davis represents the team’s strongest point guard threat on paper, Knicks also need to look at inserting Davis into the starting five as a means of shaking things up. If everything was just fine and dandy, the team could have looked to bring Davis in off the bench, only adding to any success. Instead, the boat needs to be rocked.

The two-time all-star in fact found himself practicing with his new team’s first unit on Monday, alongside Landry Fields in the backcourt.

Though Fields has been the Knicks’ incumbent starting two guard since his rookie year, starting both he and B-Diddy would mean pushing rookie Iman Shumpert to the bench. The Georgia Tech product has excelled since being welcomed into the starting lineup, so far posting up impressive numbers for the season. Not only has he been able to score (with a 12.3 points per game average), but Shumpert is smart on defense (2.6 steals), and has proven he can effectively pass the ball as well (his 3.6 assists per game are second the team behind Anthony).

There’s no denying the rookie loves to shoot, which very well may point out his scoring prowess could be used off the bench. That said, the Knicks are still lacking scoring all around, and his strong play overall makes him a solid candidates to stay in the starting lineup.

Though Fields has put together a string of impressive offensive outings as of late, he has been a liability so far this season, shooting poorly from long range. From day one, Fields was inserted into the starting five because he provided a nice balance and played fundamentally well. The Knicks seem to need more than what he brings to the table right now.

Shumpert does make rookie mistakes here and there, but he appears to be the whole package. Fields is known for his defensive intelligence, but Shumpert has proven to be a strong defender as well. In the interest of rocking the boat, a staring backcourt of Davis and Shumpert may be the shock to the system the Knicks are in dire need of.

Neither are liabilities on defense, and both can effectively find teammates in the open floor. More importantly, the 10-15 points (at the very least) each one is capable of would indeed serve well in lieu of a steady third scorer.

Fields could still serve as a spot starter for various matchups, but the fact is both Davis and Shumpert appear to be better players all around. Fields’ strengths remain the same; he is able to mesh well with big existing talent. All that recognized, the Knicks need to shake things up in an attempt to find a winning recipe. Davis and Shumpert simply represent new ingredients.

Can Baron Davis Help Change Culture for the Knicks?

After over a month full of speculation, Baron Davis hit the hardwood for the Knicks for the very first time Monday. The point guard acknowledged the rust he attempted to fight off during his first practice of the season, and so did his new coach, Mike D'Antoni.

Though Davis practiced with the first unit (with Landry Fields as his backcourt mate, according to The New York Times' Howard Beck), he is expected to formally make his way into the lineup playing spot minutes, as early as later this week.

Easing Davis into the rotation is certainly the right way to go about things. Though the Knicks' sorely need the skills B-Diddy brings to the table, they cannot expect too much from him too quickly. Not only will he provide his new team with a much needed floor general to organize the offense, but the Knicks will also rely on Davis to score some too. The team has lacked a consistent third scorer over the course of the season so far.

While he gets back into game shape and builds chemistry with his teammates, the two-time all-star may very well be more productive providing the Knicks with a spark off the bench. With Josh Harrellson sidelined around six weeks due to a wrist injury, the Knicks will be craving points off the bench even more so than they have early on. Davis could certainly give his team that boost.

Whatever role he fills for the Knicks, it's important that Davis helps change the culture of this team. After losing six straight games, the team is clearly in disarray as it searches for answers, questioning everything.

Many question the chemistry between Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire when examining the team's recent struggles. The two are clearly two entirely different players on offense, with 'Melo able to thrive in isolation situations, and STAT more productive in pick and roll situations.

Obviously a dominant ball handler, Anthony's many possessions and excessive shot selection of course takes away from the offense of his fellow Knicks' co-captain. With all that recognized, an efficient point guard could balance out Anthony's possession time, while all the same, getting the ball to Stoudemire in more efficient situations.

The Knicks will look to continue figuring things out on the court as they take on the Bobcats in Charlotte tomorrow night.

Along with Davis, reserves Jeremy Lin and Jerome Jordan practiced with the Knicks on Monday, after both were recalled from the D-League following impressive brief stints with the Erie Bayhawks last week.

Landry Fields Needs to Drive to the Basket

Though many of the Knicks have been struggling on offense as of late, Landry Fields' lack of production early on has particularly been quite a let down, given how he was truly able to elevate the team during his rookie campaign.

Perhaps the sophomore guard has already begun to bounce back, recording two straight double-digit scoring outings in the Knicks' last two losses.

There's no doubt Fields can be somewhat of an X-Factor for his team, and in my first piece for The New York Times' NBA blog, "Off the Dribble," I examined Fields' struggles and pointed out what may very well be the problem.

via The New York Times

By positioning Fields behind the three-point line on either corner of the court, the Knicks’ coaching staff is taking away the contributions he had provided in the past. His rebounding numbers are down (from last season’s 6.4 per game to this season’s 3.6) because he is no longer in position to cut to the basket to crash the boards.

Furthermore, his placement on offense is clearly not helping his shooting; he no longer has many opportunities to knock down easy jumpers. Fields is shooting an abysmal 21 percent from beyond the arc. And his 43 percent field goal percentage overall represents nearly an eight percent drop from last season’s solid numbers.

Fields' true value to the Knicks has been how well he fit, able to elevate the team while easing into the offense. He's the kind of player who provides various intangibles. The team needs to give him free reign (rather than restricting his movement) to do what he does best: all of the little things.

With the flow of the Knicks' offense off completely, Fields, like the rest of his teammates, has looked utterly lost all season long. Hopefully the team figures out a way to remedy this, starting with tonight's game vs. the Nuggets.

You can read my full piece for "Off the Dribble" here.

Knicks Suffer Demoralizing Loss to Bucks at Home

After all of the waiting Knicks fans have done in the past three plus years for the team become a legitimate competitor, what is the worse scenario--not having the talent, and expecting the Knicks to lose, or having the talent present, still suffering demoralizing losses?

For years, the Knicks have coveted major talent in the form of some of the league's biggest stars. After finally being able to bring some of the league's best to the Big Apple, something just isn't clicking.

It showed in the team's demoralizing 100-86 loss at home to the Bucks, a team that was previously 0-8 on the road this season. The Knicks lacked physicality, consistency, but most of all, chemistry, as they have all season long.

The Knicks have made headlines while bringing in the likes of Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler, but the fact of the matter is big names do not necessarily equal chemistry nor success.

Anthony went on to admit during last night's post-game chat with the media (in the clip above), that it was difficult for his team to claw back as the Bucks played with a higher determination to win. The better Milwaukee did on the court, the more deflated the Knicks became.

The Knicks star, who led his team with 35 points but shot only 11 for 26 from the field, did say, however, that he felt as though players were getting set up for shots in the right places, but that those shots simply weren't falling.

Many will beg to differ with that notion. The lack of an efficient floor general has clearly shot the Knicks in the foot early on, and there has been simply no flow to their offensive game.

Players are not getting set up properly. That has been evident in Stoudemire's game throughout the season, as he lacks a true pick and roll partner. STAT has consistently been jacking up off balance jump shots, coming off passes he catches with his back often already facing the basket. When one of the most prolific scorers in the game is not getting set up properly (despite what Anthony says), the team is obviously going to struggle immensely.

Anthony added that tonight's game against his former team, the Nuggets is a must-win for the Knicks, but not because he has anything to prove, having spent a successful 7 plus years in Denver.

While he may not have anything to prove to the Nuggets, Anthony and the Knicks need to begin proving to the NBA that they are a contender, because so far, that simply has not happened.

Without a point guard and an efficient flow to the offensive game, this mismatched Knicks roster has failed to produce at the level it was expected to. While Chandler has helped elevate their defense, the offense has been stagnant, preventing the team from scoring and being able to pile up the wins.

The team no stands at 6-9 on the season, currently riding a five-game losing streak.

When they face the 11-5 Nuggets tonight, the Knicks will see a prime example of what a balanced team looks like. Though there's no true star power in Denver, the Nuggets have created a healthy attack from A to Z with good chemistry and a coach that knows how to adapt to different situations with various lineups in George Karl. Win or lose, the Knicks could learn a few things tonight, ironically enough.

Tonight's game will mark Danilo Gallinari's first game at the Garden since the Carmelo Anthony trade.

Frustration Continues to Mount as Knicks Fall to Suns

Coming into New York with a 4-9 record, the Suns (also losers of 5 straight), appeared like a team still searching for answers, vulnerable to a Knicks explosion of offensive prowess.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the Suns had other plans. Steve Nash carried his team, pouring in 26 points and threading the needle on his way to 11 assists as he helped the Suns hold on for a 91-88 victory.

Since the day Coach Mike D'Antoni arrived in New York, fans have been salivating over a potential reunion of Coach and Nash, and last night, the point guard aging like fine wine showed them exactly why.

Nash represents the key piece the Knicks are missing on offense. The two-time MVP is a true point guard, as authentic and fluent as they come. The Knicks' offensive woes, clearly affecting the entire roster from A to Z, stems from the lack of a floor general, leaving the offense entirely stagnant.

Instead of drooling over Nash's abilities and dreaming of the day he may don orange and blue, however, the Knicks and their fans simply need to recognize a need, and a disgraceful weakness when they see it and hope for the best.

The injured Baron Davis certainly can fill this most glaring void for New York, when and if he eventually steps on the court. That said, when the Knicks got into bed with Davis, everyone knew what they were getting: an injured point guard. Until then, the lack of a point guard who can effectively make his teammates better will seemingly continue to haunt the Knicks, who are currently riding a four-game losing streak.

Without that much needed point guard to create better opportunities for them, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire continued to struggle, shooting a combined 12 of 44 from the field. STAT did in fact lead the Knicks with 23 points, but clearly was not able to do it in impressive fashion, also committing six turnovers. Anthony added 12 points in the loss.

There were bright spots (if very, very few) for the Knicks in the loss. Rookie Iman Shumpert poured in 20 points, and Landry Fields also broke out for 17 points. The starting backcourt duo also combined for six steals on the night. Both successful outings seemed to be as a result of both guards aggressively attacking the basket, efficiently and often. This seemed to benefit them immensely, rather than tentatively moving aside for isolation plays in favor of the Knicks' stars.

Things do not appear to be getting easier for the Knicks anytime soon. After leaving the locker room last night without speaking to reporters, Carmelo Anthony was excused from practice today due to a "family issue," and his status for Friday's matchup against the Bucks is at this point unknown.

Lack of Three-Point Shooters Hurting Knicks All Around

There is no denying that the Knicks have amped things up on the defensive end, hovering between a top 10 and top 15 defensive squad through the first thirteen games of the young NBA season.

Tyson Chandler's presence has been key, helping propel the Knicks to victory due to their defensive effort a few times already this season. What's more, with former Hawks coach Mike Woodson on the bench, and Carmelo Anthony committing to clamp down on defense all throughout the lockout, it's safe to say an elevated defense has certainly become the expectation from Knicks' brass.

MSG Network's Alan Hahn notes in the clip above that as the Knicks' defense has improved, their personnel has also changed, so much so, that they have no longer been able to spread the floor on offense effectively.

The likes of Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Shawne Williams were utilized to spread the floor last season, knocking down corner threes as well as drawing out to defenders in order to free up Amar'e Stoudemire down low.

With Tyson Chandler now manning the five position, there is one less player to place behind the three point line. Furthermore, the Knicks are now left to use out of place players Josh Harrellson and Landry Fields, among others, beyond the arc.

Though Harrellson has responded well, converting on 14 of 38 three-point shots (good for 37%), he was never known to be a prominent long-range shooter at Kentucky. In fact, the rookie was originally drafted due to his ability to bump and bruise opponents on the defensive end. His natural ability and expertise is certainly not on offense. Though the Knicks have been criticized for their lack of defensive effort over the years, the new lack of long-range shooters has created a new yet unfamiliar void for the team.

Fields is clearly not the one to fill that void, appearing out of whack that far away from the basket. His strengths come from playing without the ball, not from firing bombs away beyond the arc.

Whether the reason for such struggles be the Knicks' lack of a floor general to set up teammates properly, or simply not the ideal personnel to execute on long-range shooting, it's clear this is a first for a Mike D'Antoni led team.

How (and if) the Knicks will overcome such shortcomings remains to be seen, but in any event, it appears as though the team could use a healthy balance of both defense and long-range shooting if they plan on becoming being recognized as a contender.

There's No Need For Knicks Fans To Fret Just Yet

**This editorial was written by Knicks Journal's newest contributor, Zach Horst. You can follow Zach on Twitter @zd183.**

The fans have been pouring on the boo's, calling for D'Antoni's head after the disappointing 102-93 loss to the Magic and the resulting 3-game skid. In fact, this had to be considered one of the team's "better losses."

New York, with their best player in Carmelo Anthony playing through the pain, outplayed the Magic for 3 quarters. Almost everyone is panicking, but the season is still young. The Knicks have been playing poorly of late, and yet they are only one win under .500.

For starters, their defense has been tough and unrelenting. The traps are often daunting, and unlike in the past, help defense is usually there. Just a few years removed from the laughingstock of the league with center David Lee anchoring the defense, Mike D'Antoni (and assistant coach Mike Woodson) currently has his team sitting at 11th in defensive efficiency. If the orange and blue ever get rolling on offense, the D is good enough to bring them deep into the playoffs.

The Mavericks, for example, were only rated 8th in defensive efficiency when they won the Championship last year. Tyson Chandler brings much-needed communication and poise to a usually-chaotic defensive squad. Melo has been putting in the effort as well, and hasn't really had a bad game defensively. The same cannot yet be said for Amar’e Stoudemire.

Anthony continues to be lethal on offense, scoring 26 points, grabbing 6.3 boards, and dishing out 4.3 assists per game. His shooting percentage is down from his career average, but he has been injured as of late. Knicks fans should fully expect it to rise back towards the 46% he is accustomed to.

Tyson Chandler (as I detailed in a previous article) is having a stellar year on the offensive end as well, shooting 70% from the field and 81% from the line - both career highs. Once Amar'e finds a groove (one would think he’s likely to do so), the Knicks’ offense will stop posting sub-100 scores.

Iman Shumpert has proven himself as a stopgap at PG for the time being. Perhaps he looks to shoot too often, but he is still a work in progress and has promising athleticism, heart, and defensive ability. Positive signs have also come in the form of both Mike Bibby and Josh Harrellson from behind the arc.

Every fan catches a glimmer of hope on the horizon when the camera pans to a suited Baron Davis on the sideline. His court vision will improve the team's ball movement and hopefully allow (or force) the Knicks’ stars to move without the rock. Imagine how good 'Melo can be when Davis is feeding him the ball in the open court, rather than the Knicks’ captain forcing up contested shots. In fact, I gather he has taken only a handful of uncontested shots this entire year.

The Miami Heat started 4-5 last year before they meshed and ultimately finished 2nd in the East, and the Knicks began 3-8 before finishing with the 6th seed. New York needs stability and time more than anything right now. Historically, the team has found itself in trouble through making knee-jerk decisions to hire or fire their way out of situations.

Fans and critics need to hold their judgment until at least halfway through the season, when everyone becomes healthy and the chemistry has had time to develop. No one knows just yet how powerful this team can become, and that's the beauty of it all.

Was Amar'e Stoudemire Justifiably Snubbed By Team USA?

Team USA announced its twenty finalists for the 2012 Olympic squad, with Knicks' teammates Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler receiving the high honors.

The large pool of players, which also includes reigning MVP Derrick Rose, multi-time all-stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as well as past NBA champions Lamar Odom and Chauncey Billups, will be trimmed down to twelve participants in time for competition in London.

Though the group of finalists represent some of the NBA's top-tier talents, there is one notable omission Knicks fans may take offense to: captain Amar'e Stoudemire.

STAT, who started at power forward for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team last season, was of course part of the larger pool of players biding for a spot on the 2010 U.S. Olympics roster.

However, when it came time to name him one of the final twelve, the Knicks had reportedly stepped in to request he not play, citing his uninsured contract as the reason. At the time of the request, Stoudemire was just weeks removed from signing his $100 million contract with New York, and the Knicks certainly had justification for holding their own (potential) success in higher regard at that point in time.

That was then, and this is now. While Knicks officials are not believed to have a preference as to whether or not Stoudemire participates this year, it is believed Team USA President Jerry Colangelo did not want to have Garden policies as a potential hurdle once again when making selections.

Given his recent struggles on the NBA hardwood, Stoudemire should keep his head in the game and concentrate on how to once again elevate the New York Knicks. Though it helps, being an all-star does not make one a shoe in for Team USA as it is. The squad finds balance in veteran leadership and experience, and players who are especially stellar in a certain skill (for example, Chandler's defense).

Stoudemire has seemed to struggle meshing with Carmelo Anthony on the court, which may indicate perhaps he is not the best candidate for a slot on the star studded Team USA. That being said, he is happy for his teammates and will be open to playing for the team, should they call at some point in the future.

Should STAT find the game he so effectively honed last season, perhaps they will. Just as a player like the Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge was given late consideration for his strong play early on this season, it is also possible the Knicks' captain's early difficulties could have been a factor in not naming him to the pool.

Despite arguably being the NBA's second strongest defensive center behind Dwight Howard, Chandler is not widely expected to make the final cut, though Anthony should.

Knicks Let One Slip Away In Loss to Magic

When the Knicks lost to the Thunder on Saturday, there were plenty of excuses to be made. The team was without leading scoring Carmelo Anthony, and were also the visiting squad in Oklahoma City. Moreover, the Thunder stood at 10-2 going in the matchup. All these things considered, the Knicks and their fans could justify the loss, for a change.

Unfortunately, none of those things applied Monday afternoon against the Orlando Magic.

The Knicks, who held a lead all the way through most of the fourth quarter, were led by Carmelo Anthony, who scored 33 points, all on the bad ankle that he actually re-tweaked late in the game.

A big reason why the Knicks commanded a lead through each of the first quarters was Tyson Chandler's steady defense on Dwight Howard, who scored only 8 points (just four in each half). Though Chandler held Howard in check on offense, he could obviously not prevent the Magic big man from going at Amar'e Stoudemire, provoking silly fouls from STAT along the way.

Without Chauncey Billups, the Knicks have failed to find a reliable and consistent third scorer behind STAT and Melo. Because of this, the team will continue to struggle maintaining a balanced scoring attack until that third threat is established, whether it be Iman Shumpert, (the hopefully soon debuting) Baron Davis, or someone else.

Due to his early and ongoing foul trouble, Stoudemire was limited to just 21 minutes on the court, leaving just Anthony to carry the team. To nobody's surprise, however, Anthony conquered the task for much of the game, despite shooting 1 for 8 from downtown. He's never been a stellar long-range shooter, but without many other options on offense, what choice was he left with but to keep taking shots in an attempt to help his team compete?

Many will criticize the Knicks for allowing 17 three pointers by the Magic, who were led by Ryan Anderson's 30 points and shot an overall 48% from downtown. As bad and demoralizing as that may be, it is not the main reason the Knicks eventually fell victim to a 102-93 loss.

Aside from Chandler's effort on Howard, the Knicks never played especially strong defense on the Magic, who shot over 50% from the field throughout the game. The fact is that through more than three quarters, the team was able to overcome their shortcomings on defense, enough to hold a lead. As Coach Mike D'Antoni's teams have demonstrated in the past, if the defensive effort is simply not present, his team can win by filling it up and just scoring more points than the opponent. While this is not an ideal (nor a balanced or healthy) way to win a ballgame, it has been done before.

The Knicks were doing a good job of this for much of the game, but Carmelo Anthony's stamina and consistency seemed to waver, even before he re-tweaked the ankle. As unfortunate as this may be, Anthony can in no way be blamed for the loss.

Ways to avoid this from happening would have been to sit Anthony a bit more early on, perhaps featuring Shumpert (who scored 12) on offense while the Knicks star rested, preventing himself from getting burnt out late in the game. What's more, even with Anthony's production beginning to fade in the fourth, Coach D'Antoni could have looked to pound the ball to Stoudemire, who although he was playing with four fouls, clearly had rested up early on.

This loss falls on the shoulders of the coach, not only for the lack of a sound defensive effort by the team, but because of his inability to make adjustments throughout the game.

The Knicks will look to even their record (which now stands at 6-7) against the similarly styled Suns on Wednesday.

On a side note, the loudest cheers of the day unsurprisingly went to Magic assistant coach and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, who acknowledged the roaring crowd with both a wave and a smile. Ironically enough, as the game announcer proclaimed "Once a Knick, always a Knick!" in Ewing's honor, former Knicks Quentin Richardson and Chris Duhon checked into the game for the Magic.

Knicks' Winning Streak Comes to a Halt in Memphis

Even with all sorts of momentum, coming in the form of a four game winning streak in their favor, the Knicks could not escape some of the struggles that have already plagued the team during the young NBA season.

There turned out to be a number of snafus and setbacks that awaited the Knicks in Memphis, but a couple of the downfalls seemed all too familiar. As the team saw its four game winning streak come to a halt with 94-83 loss to the Grizzlies, they were almost certainly able to recognize two things that appear will continue to plague them for quite some time: poor ball movement and a lack of depth.

Though rookie Iman Shumpert has appeared to be a godsend over the last four games, the phenomenon came back to Earth on Thursday night with his poorest performance yet.

Although he was designated as the starting "point guard," Shumpert appeared way too trigger happy to be any type of facilitator. What's more, while he had previously begun to prove he could contribute positively both with and without the ball, the rookie looked pressured as he forced up way too many shots, converting on only 5 of his 20 field goals and also committing six turnovers.

As has often been the case during the Knicks' five losses on the season, whenever the team's so called "point guard" is off his game, the entire team seems to crumble. This does make a great deal of sense, as fluent ball movement is key to the flow of the offense and essentially, success in Coach Mike D'Antoni's system.

Perhaps Amar'e Stoudemire's weak outing (the big man only scored 6 points on 1 of 7 shooting from the field) was in part due to the team's stagnant offense. That being said, STAT also found himself in heavy foul trouble throughout the game, only logging 19 minutes. It is very possible the lack of time on the court also limited him from getting into a groove.

Though Carmelo Anthony shot well, making 6 of his 11 shots, his playing time was also limited, having experienced injuries to both his wrist and ankle. He was forced to head back to the locker room before the final buzzer sounded, though X-Rays proved to be negative. He finished with 14 points.

The Knicks fell behind early, and things got ugly very fast. They never held a lead throughout the entire game, and by the time some of their fresh legs began to make a small run in the fourth quarter, it was simply too little, too late.

The Grizzlies improved to 4-6 on the season with the victory. While that record appears to be nothing to brag home about, the Knicks could learn something from the home team: pure resilience.

The Grizzlies have been forced to adjust again and again, dating back to last season. The team made noise and gained respect during the playoffs, battling the Thunder down to the wire, despite being without perennial all-star Rudy Gay.

Though Gay is back in the flesh (now playing through the pain), in fact scoring a season-high 26 points in his team's win Thursday, the Grizzlies are now playing without leader Zach Randolph, who will continue to sit out for a prolonged period due to injury.

The impressive thing about the Grizzlies is they have a balanced squad from A to Z, and are quite effective at adjusting/reacting to adversity, as well as featuring different players on both sides of the ball.

As the Knicks continue to work towards becoming a legitimate contender, that same resiliency, learning how to win should their stars be down for the court and/or off their games, is a skill they will surely need to hone moving forward.

After a four-game winning streak, however, the fact that Thursday was just not the team's night is a much easier pill to swallow. Every good team has bad games now and then.

The Knicks can bounce back Saturday as they look to take down the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

What's the Next Step for Knicks Point Guard Toney Douglas?

Going into the season, the New York Knicks and its coaching staff could not be any more confident in Toney Douglas.

Coming off two strong seasons of providing the Knicks with that ultimate spark off the bench, Douglas had given the team a reason to believe in him. While playing the entire last season through a visibly painful shoulder injury, Douglas’ consistency, perseverance, and production were all enough to make many believe he could step in to the starting point guard role this season, taking over for the released Chauncey Billups.

One could argue that after spending two seasons being coached by Mike D’Antoni, Douglas would know exactly what his coach desires and/or expects from his starting point guard.

And perhaps he does. Douglas may very well know just how crucial the point guard’s role (and success in implementing it) is to D’Antoni’s system. Though he may know realize the importance in his mind, something just is not clicking for Douglas on the court.

The most glaring issue is that Douglas is struggling to co-exist with the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony on the court. Though last season he was given the green light to shoot the ball, balancing out the rotation as one of the more prolific scorers of the Knicks’ second unit, the third-year guard has struggled to instead embrace the role of facilitator.

Instead of getting his teammates involved and creating offensive opportunities, Douglas has forced up shot after shot, only shooting 32% from the field. What’s more, as temporary or permanent as the move may turn out to be, he lost his starting job to rookie Iman Shumpert eight games into the season.

There’s no doubt that Douglas’ struggles have slowed his team down early on, but whether or not it is truly his fault is debatable.

The truth is, as confident as the coaching staff was in Douglas’ abilities, he was in fact given the starting job by default, with the unproven rookie Iman Shumpert and newly acquired Mike Bibby the only other options. Heading into opening day, Douglas was the only point guard who had prior experience with the Knicks.

Perhaps Douglas’ best impact simply does not come as a starter. As opposed to honing the role of floor general, he may instead be best kept as a combo guard off the bench, spelling either guard position while pacing the second unit. The fact of the matter is that when Douglas excelled with high-scoring games off the pine, he would often also help propel his team to a victory.

Aside from not being inserted into a role in which he could ultimately succeed, Douglas was furthermore out of place when it came to elevating his team. He appears best used as a complementary piece, and as the Knicks look to continue piling up the wins, perhaps that is exactly what Douglas needs to be.

As Douglas looks to regain his confidence, the coaching staff needs to instill belief in him by placing him in good situations. They need to mix things up, inserting Douglas into lineups of which there is less offensive firepower and he is once again given the green light to score at will.

This seems to be an ideal solution for all involved. Doing so will seemingly elevate the Knicks, as it has done before, and furthermore, the move will continue to give Shumpert, a player who is proving he can play well with and without the ball, the opportunity to improve by playing with experienced veterans.

If the Knicks want to keep Douglas steady, they need to act quickly in finding him effective minutes off the bench. In the team’s past three games (all wins), Douglas has visibly struggled even more mightily, shooting a combined 1 for 13, playing only 31 total minutes in the contests.

In order to get his groove back, Douglas needs to be given minutes as opposed to being relegated to the end of the bench. With Baron Davis aiming for a return to the court at the end of this month, it’s important that whatever his role turn out to be, Douglas makes strides in cementing it before Davis comes into the fold. If Douglas is not able to do so, he could very well find himself out of the rotation.

Though this is quite an extreme with the Knicks’ season only 9 games young, it is certainly a possibility, should Shumpert, Bibby, and Davis all demand minutes next month. What’s more, fans need to look no further than D’Antoni’s history with the likes of Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson, and Larry Hughes when it comes to benching struggling guards, no matter how proven they may already be.

During D’Antoni’s tenure with the Knicks, Toney Douglas has been more than a reliable contributor. All of this, however, is due to the guard being inserted into good situations on the court. If the team wants him to succeed, they need to re-discover the ideal role for him once again, and fast.

Tyson Chandler Earns His Worth as Knicks Beat Bobcats

The Knicks avoided another embarrassing and frustrating loss to the Bobcats last night, but did not do so without giving fans a scare first.

The team overcame a 10-0 start to the game by the Bobcats to acquire a lead and keep it throughout the game, no matter how small it became as Charlotte tried to claw back.

The Knicks' 91-87 victory certainly had both its positives and negatives last night. The bad news is that the Knicks still have not begun to play like a team ready to compete at a higher level. Their struggles and inconsistencies still allow the weaker teams in the league to give them trouble securing a victory.

Last season, whether it be the roster that included Raymond Felton and company, or instead the one with Carmelo Anthony, one major gripe about the Knicks was that despite how much they made strides to becoming a better team, they still struggled putting inferior teams away.

Though this season has already seen some of the Knicks' prior troubles plague them once again, perhaps all this squad needs is time to figure out just how to make things right.

With a 5-4 record, the Knicks, winners of three straight games, have perhaps begun to learn how to cope with such existing struggles.

Superstars Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony struggled on offense last night, shooting a combined 18 for 43, good for only 30%.

This allowed the Bobcats to stay in the game until the very end. The Knicks' defense, though solid for most of the game, was spotty at best in the final two minutes, as they allowed Charlotte multiple opens looks to take the victory away.

Fortunate for the Knicks, although the team's bench contribution was embarrassingly minimal, they did in fact get major contributions from Tyson Chandler and rookie phenomenon Iman Shumpert.

Together, the two paced their team on the defensive end, getting three steals a piece. In addition, Chandler had a game many would expect from a player earning $15 million, also scoring 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking three shots. Shumpert added 16 points in the win.

Going into the game, Carmelo Anthony had been knowingly slowed by lower back pain, but lucky for his team, other players had stepped up to fill the void.

This is what needs to happen for the Knicks on a nightly basis. The team needs to continue to turn in solid defensive efforts, while also maintaining a balanced offensive attack in which any number of players can step in to make things happen. Shumpert has especially done a good job of this early on during his rookie campaign, letting his defensive skills propel his offense, enabling him to score in bunches amongst the rest of the Knicks' firepower.

The Knicks have a more difficult test ahead of them tomorrow, as they host the division-leading 76ers.

Knicks Look for Redemption Vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Oh, just how much things can change in only a matter of days.

Following last Wednesday's embarrassing 118-110 loss at home to the Bobcats, the Knicks were looked at as the laughing stock of the city. Fans were certainly not pleased, pointing to extremes as solution to the team's early season struggles, suggesting Coach Mike D'Antoni be fired.

Fast-forward five days, and things are more or less back to normal, with no one calling for the head coach's head anymore...not just yet, anyway. The Knicks' season has absolutely had its ups and downs early on, but for now, people appear content.

The team bounced back from an ever so discouraging 2-4 start to even their record, and now the guys in orange and blue have a chance at redemption as the Bobcats return to the Garden for the second time in less than a week.

The advantage the Knicks will have entering tonight's game is that the difficulties they encountered against the Bobcats are still fresh in everyone's minds. That said, there is no reason as to why these same struggles should repeat themselves.

The Knicks cannot not allow Bobcats' big man and former D'Antoni disciple Boris Diaw to score in so many ways yet again. Diaw torched them on Monday for 27 points, beating defenders, stepping inside and out, knocking down an array of shots from all over the court. Having scored double-figures only one other time since the new year began, it is imperative the Knicks do not fall victim to a not-so-potent offensive option like Diaw pouring in the points.

Because the Knicks were in fact able to score as many as 110 points in their last matchup with Charlotte, it is clear scoring will not be a problem. Instead, winning the rematch and avoiding another demoralizing loss will continue to come down to defense.

In return for allowing him to start yet another game (as opposed to being pushed to the bench like his backcourt mate Toney Douglas), Landry Fields must look to reward the coaching staff's confidence in him with a solid performance on defense. The Bobcats' Gerald Henderson also hurt the Knicks last week, almost entirely in part due to Fields' spotty defense.

The Knicks' sophomore guard is in the starting lineup specifically to provide a certain defensive presence amongst the team's offensive firepower. If he is not seen pulling his weight, Fields could find himself relegated to the bench sooner than later. His opportunity to re-prove his worth will come as soon as tonight as he looks to contain Henderson, who scored 24 points in Monday's Bobcats win.

Fields' new starting backcourt mate, rookie Iman Shumpert, will have his hands full while attemping to throw off opposing point guard D.J. Augustin, who converted 10 assists (while committing no turnovers), in addition to his 14 points last week. The Knicks can only hope Shumpert's rapid-fire quickness will be enough to force Augustin into rushing his passes and making bad plays on offense.

The Knicks will have to worry about all of this while not fully relying on Carmelo Anthony's production (he scored 32 points in last week's loss). Anthony has been plagued with lower back pain, and though he will be ready to go tonight, the team cannot expect him to carry them all the way to victory tonight. He only added 13 points in Saturday's win against the Pistons.

The team will hope Amar'e Stoudemire can effectively step in to provide a dominant scoring presence tonight, after having played second-fiddle to 'Melo early on this season.

In any event, the team has plenty of options who can step up and fill any voids offensively. No worries there. On the contrary, it will be a strong defensive outing all around that potentially wins the game for the Knicks tonight.