If you haven't heard, the New York Knicks are on a roll! And although New York City isn't roaring like it was in the 90s, there is a slight buzz that's beginning to penetrate the city. Well, at least temporarily. As true skeptics acknowledge, the Knicks have benefited from an easy schedule. And although that's stating the obvious, we should still give credit where credit is due. The Knicks of the past decade would have lost to the teams that are easily beatable. And not only would they have lost, but they would've been BLOWN out. The Knicks team we've seen over the past 11 games is definitely playing on a different level than teams in recent years.
This Knicks resurgence is in large part due to the leadership and dominant play of Amar'e Stoudemire, the first real franchise player since the Patrick Ewing Era. As Stoudemire goes, the Knicks go. On Wednesday night, Stoudemire logged 30+ points for the sixth game in a row, helping the Knicks extend their winning streak to six; while also winning 10 of their last 11.
After publicly questioning his teammates winning spirit, Stoudemire is leading by example and averaging 25.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg. This season's two-time Eastern Player of the Week has undeniably proven that his addition to the Knicks' lineup is most certainly an upgrade over fan favorite David Lee. And not only that, but his ability to step it up in the 4th quarter and takeover games have resulted in early MVP buzz for the All-Star. And, with the solid play of Raymond Felton, Stoudemire has also shown that he is equally, if not more, effective after being separated from two-time MVP Steve Nash.
Although it took a little time for Stoudemire and Felton to find their rhythm, they're arguably becoming the best one-two punch in the league. The pick n' roll is just as good to them as it was to the Phoenix Suns. Kudos to GM Donnie Walsh for finally giving the Knicks what they lacked for a long time, a true point guard. I guarantee if Chris Duhon was still running point, the Knicks would not be the second hottest team in the league, behind the Dallas Mavericks.
Felton's impressive season with career high averages of 18.6 ppg and 8.6 apg proves that he's become more comfortable in his role. This is also evident by the extra bounce that's found its way into his game and has spread to the rest of the team; further igniting the offense allowing Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to make strong contributions each game.
However, it's not all good. Although the Knicks are much improved, there are still two major flaws in their game: turnovers and defense. The Knicks currently average over 15 turnovers per game, ranking among the top 10 in the league. And although Stoudemire and Felton have been carrying the team, they rank sixth on the turnover list and are both responsible for 83 TOs going into tonight's game. If the Knicks gain better control of the ball and limit their stumbling and bumbling (via Walt Frazier), which is doable, the Knicks could really be on to something!
The Knicks also continue to lack defense, which is no surprise for a D'Antoni team. While the Knicks are grabbing more rebounds, averaging more steals and blocks, they're still allowing opponents to score too many points against them. And for whatever reason, the Knicks enjoy letting players have career highs against them i.e. Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Andrea Bargnani. But, thankfully, the Knicks have been outscoring their opponents and shooting well enough from the field and three point line to make up for lack of defense. However, when you live by the three, you die by the three. Ask John Starks. That's a dangerous game to play. The Knicks need to learn to tighten it up defensively in order to be a true contender.
And although I still question whether D'Antoni is the right man for the job, I do agree that Eddy Curry should continue to accrue DNPs next to his name. D'Antoni feels that giving Curry some minutes may be detrimental to the team and cause them to regress. No one wants that. And quite frankly, Curry isn't fit enough to handle the fast paced nature of the Knicks offense. But, if Curry has to earn some minutes in order to improve his value so he's trade worthy, then D'Antoni must find a way to work him into the game without completely ruining team chemistry.
I don't mean to get ahead of myself by looking past any of the Knicks' upcoming games, but it looks like this year's Christmas matchup may actually be worth watching. The Knicks kickoff a marathon day of NBA games with a matinee matchup against the Bulls. However, the true test begins after tonight's game @ Washington when the Knicks square off against the Nuggets, Celtics, Heat, Oklahoma City, and the Magic; all teams above .500. Will the "New Look" Knicks continue to shock us, or will they resort to their old ways and fall apart causing fans to jump ship? We shall see. Although I could be setting myself up for disappointment by drinking the kool-aid, one thing is for sure, it feels good to care again!!
Here's what the rest of their 2010 schedule looks like.
- Tonight 12/10 @ Washington
- Sunday 12/12 vs Denver
- Wednesday 12/15 vs Boston, ESPN
- Friday 12/17 vs Miami, ESPN
- Saturday 12/18 @ Cleveland
- Wednesday 12/22 vs Oklahoma City
- Saturday 12/25 vs Chicago, ESPN
- Tuesday 12/28 @ Miami
- Thursday 12/30 @ Orlando, TNT
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