The 66 game NBA regular season has come to an end.  The playoffs have finally arrived.  The Knicks are locked on to the 7th seed and will play the 2nd seeded Miami Heat in the first round.  Game one will be Saturday afternoon at 3:30 in Miami.  The Heat finished the season with a 46-20 record while the Knicks finished with a 36-30 record.  Miami dominated New York in the regular season winning all three games against them by an average of ten points.

The Heat are not the best matchup for the Knicks.  That is without a doubt, but the Carmelo Anthony led Knicks could make a series of this.  The Knicks have been playing good basketball finishing the season very hot.  With the exception of Jeremy Lin, who will most likely miss the entire first round, the Knicks are coming into the playoffs fairly healthy.  Amare Stoudemire is back and looked strong in the last couple of games of the season.  Tyson Chandler will be ready to go as he got to rest himself for a couple of games.

The key to this series will be the play of Amare Stoudemire.  Stoudemire needs to help Melo in the scoring department and needs to outplay Chris Bosh.  As soon as Amare went down in last years playoff with injury the series was a wrap.  The Knicks need to get the continued incredible play of Anthony as well as a strong series from Amare if they want any chance to make this a series.  Another huge factor in this series will be the defense of Iman Shumpert on Dwyane Wade.  We have seen the aggressive defense from the rookie Shumpert all season that has had many guards frustrated.  If Shumpert can contain Wade throughout the series and force LeBron James to carry this team, the Knicks will make this a long series.

The coaching matchup is fairly even as both coaches Mike Woodson and Erik Spoelstra have been to the playoffs and have won in the playoffs.  Mike Woodson is a guy who preaches tough defense.  Spoelstra has had the entire season to work with his team while Woodson has only been the head guy for six weeks.  Team chemistry is definitely going to be a major factor in this series and could be a disadvantage for the Knicks.

The problem is that the Heat just have too much athleticism and talent for the Knicks.  LeBron James will most likely win an NBA MVP this season, Dwyane Wade has done it before in the playoffs and the Heat are looking to start the dynasty that they hoped for when signing the “big three” last season.  The Heat have added some depth this season with players such as Norris Cole and Shane Battier who have been big contributors off the bench this season.  The Knicks definitely have the advantage when it comes bench play and depth.  New York will keep this a good series because of their improved depth and the strong shooters such as Steve Novak and J.R. Smith.  New York is going to have to get improved play from their backcourt and some big buckets by guys other than Stat and Melo.  Also, the “precocious neophyte” Landry Fields cannot disappear as he did in the first round last year against the Celtics.

The Knicks hope to revive Madison Square Garden and pull off the upset this series like they did against Miami 12 years ago.  It is going to be a tough task trying to do it against a star-studded Miami team, but the Knicks are not backing down and are ready for the challenge.  Sunday afternoon the rivalry continues.

My Prediction: Heat in 6

Anthony put on an unbelievable performance at Madison Square Garden in a playoff atmosphere against the Bulls, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference and the most wins in the NBA. The Knicks beat the Bulls, 100-99 in overtime. Melo scored an astounding 43 points. He showed integrity and determination down the stretch making clutch basket after clutch basket. With 11 seconds left, Melo drained a long three pointer with the long arm of Taj Gibson right in his face. The Garden erupted into a thunderous roar. The Knicks seemed to be out of the game, but thanks to four missed free throws by Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, the Knicks stayed alive. Steve Novak had a three pointer that somehow went in the hoop and came right out prior to Melo’s game tying three. Melo’s clutch three helped send the Knicks to overtime where he was not done yet.

Melo would make a driving layup with just over a minute to go in overtime to cut the Bulls lead to two. With eight seconds left, Melo would make the Garden shake once again. He drained another long three pointer with Deng’s hand in his face to give the Knicks a 100-99 lead. The Knicks would get a stop on defense and come out with the victory.

Anthony showed all his haters that he knows that it is his time. The Knicks are playing without Jeremy Lin for the rest of the season and possibly without star Amare Stoudemire for the year. Sunday was up there as one of the most magical performances ever seen at MSG. New York will need Melo to play like this down the stretch and into the playoffs. The Knicks needed that game as the Bucks are creeping up behind them for the eight seed in the East. It was a monumental win in a game that could be a playoff preview of the first round. Anyone who had doubts about Melo has hopped on the bandwagon now and is on for the ride.

The Knicks clearly are the team that the Bulls and Heat wanna stay away from come playoff time. The Knicks are tied with the Sixers for the seven seed at the moment with the Bucks sitting just a game behind. New York has ten games remaining and will play the Bulls once again on Tuesday night in Chicago.

The month of February was outstanding for the New York Knicks. The team has found a point guard, and they are back to their winning ways. The Knicks were 8-15, when Jeremy Lin became the starting point guard. Carmelo Anthony had just been injured and A’mare Stoudemire left the team due to the death of his brother. Mike D’Antoni was on the verge of being fired when Lin stormed onto the scene and became the star the Knicks needed. The emergence of Lin has saved the Knicks season.

Since Jeremy Lin has become a starter, the Knicks have won 9 out of their last 12. There was a 7 game win streak during this current stretch as well. Lin had an amazing 38 point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, as well as a 28 point and 14 assist game against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Lin has been averaging nearly 25 points and 9 assists a game during this stretch. It’s amazing what a great fit D’Antoni’s system is for Lin-  kind of reminiscent of when D’Antoni was coaching the Phoenix Suns, and we saw Steve Nash excel so greatly.

While Lin has been a sensation, there is much to be excited about with this team. The fact is that the New York Knicks are winning games playing team basketball. While the Knicks may not win the championship this year, the team has a young talented core along with a nice mix of veterans like veteran Tyson Chandler, A’mare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony to lead the way. Mike D’Antoni’s seems to finally have the right mix of players to excel in his system. If the team can continue to play defense, the Knicks should be championship contenders for years to come.

The playoffs start in April, and it will be interesting to see how the Knicks will play down the stretch. Will they have enough to win a playoff series? How far can they go? One thing is for sure, if Jeremy Lin continues to play at the his current level, the Knicks have a very strong chance.

The New Jersey Nets began the 2nd half season on the right track yesterday by defeating the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets were not expected to beat the Mavs especially since the Nets have lost the last 11 meetings against the Mavericks. Brook Lopez dominated the game with a 38 point outing.

The Nets are trying to make one final push to try to be an 8 seed in the playoffs. This comes amongst a number of distractions that are plaguing the Nets. The Nets are trying to attempt a trade that would involve Brook Lopez to Orlando for Dwight Howard. If Dwight Howard comes to New Jersey, there is a good chance that the Nets All Star soon to be free agent point guard Deron Williams will stay with the team this offseason.

The Nets are moving to Brooklyn this summer and a Deron Williams-Dwight Howard duo would be quite the combo. The problem that the Nets are facing is what if Dwight Howard is not traded to New Jersey. This means that Deron Williams will most likely explore his free agent possibilities this summer. Teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers will be chasing after him and who would want to play for New Jersey when you have the possibility of playing with future hall of famers like Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant? Rumors have swirled across the NBA saying that Dwight Howard will go wherever Deron Williams goes, so Deron may possibly be playing on a Miami Heat style trio with Deron, Kobe, and Dwight or maybe even Deron, Dirk, or Dwight. Either way, it would be a no-win situation for the Nets.

All and all, Nets fans are truly hoping that the Orlando Magic front office saw what Brook Lopez did last night to the Dallas Mavericks. Nets fans want Dwight Howard badly so they can move to Brooklyn along with Deron Williams and they can drift off into being a competitive team again. Nets fans would love to have a rivalry with the New York Knicks especially since Jeremy Lin has pretty much saved the Knicks franchise.

The trade deadline is March 15th and it will be an interesting outlook on what will happen on deadline day.

When Mikhail Prokhorov bought the New Jersey Nets he immediately envisioned a five-year plan to make this team a title contender. To make Prokhorov’s vision a reality general manager Billy King has acted swiftly.

During his 10-year tenure (1997-2007) in Philadelphia, King built a team that went to five consecutive playoff appearances (1999-2003) and won an Eastern Conference Championship in 2001. King made two important trades that netted starting power forward Tyrone Hill and starting center Dikembe Mutombo to pair with MVP Allen Iverson during the team’s 2001 NBA Finals appearance.

On February 23, 2011 King capitalized on the diminishing relationship between the Utah Jazz, and superstar point guard Deron Williams. King made the boldest trade of his career trading former All-Star point guard Devin Harris, former 2010 third overall draft pick Derrick Favors, two first-round picks, and cash to the Jazz for Williams. Harris has struggled mightily in Utah, Favors is a backup power forward behind Paul Millsap, and Williams is an unrestricted free agent after the season with no guarantee he’ll make the move to Brooklyn with the Nets.

After acquiring Williams, King has put role players around Williams, as he once did with Iverson, in the hopes of building another contender. King traded the draft rights to JaJuan Johnson and a 2014 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for the draft rights to starting shooting guard MarShon Brooks, who was selected to the Rising Stars Challenge for All-Star Weekend. King then re-signed power forward Kris Humphries to a one-year deal that provides nightly double-doubles for this season and cap space flexibility for the future. Finally, King traded for Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur after Brook Lopez was injured as a quick fix replacement in the final year of his deal.

Now King is working on another bold move that could change the landscape of the Eastern Conference and give the Nets a “superhero” for years to come in Brooklyn. King is in discussions with the Orlando Magic and other teams to put Dwight Howard in a Nets uniform. If King can trade some of the role players he’s assembled around Williams he’ll form a dynamic duo that would be this generation’s newest Stockton-to-Malone combination.

The Timberwolves have improved thanks to the pairing of international sensation Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love. The Clippers have become a legitimate title contender thanks to the arrival of Chris Paul to pair with human highlight reel Blake Griffin in “lob city.” The Knicks have been rejuvenated by the revelation of Jeremy Lin to work the pick-and-roll with Amare Stoudemire, who thrived in Phoenix thanks to MVP point guard Steve Nash.

King is trying to continue the trend of dynamic pick-and-roll duos with the Nets and form possibly the best of the tandems in Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. King’s career, the future of Brooklyn, and the futures of Deron Williams and Dwight Howard all rest on potentially the most important trade discussions of the season.

If King can land Dwight Howard Prokhorov’s proclamation will have added validity and Brooklyn will eagerly anticipate the arrival of their first “superheroes” since the beloved Dodgers left town.

Follow me on Twitter: @MikeAScotto

Can anyone escape “Lin-Sanity?” The man, who escaped the wrath of the L.A Lakers regime, could not escape Madison Square Garden’s new sensation: Jeremy Lin.

Commissioner David Stern was known as a bully several months back, but now he is the latest consumer of buying into Lin-Sanity.

On Tuesday Stern told USA Today “No” when asked if Lin would participate All-Star weekend. Under immense pressure from fans and analysts, Stern changed his mind. Typically, the Rising Stars Challenge is comprised of a total of 18 players. This year Stern made Lin and Miami Heat guard Norris Cole late additions. Since its inception in 1994, there have never been a total of 20 players playing in the game. Why now?

Lin-Credible

Lin has provided a spark to a dull NBA season. Early headlines consisted of the “Aging Boston Celtics”, “Disappointing L.A. Lakers” and “Injury Prone Superstars”. Now you see: “Super Lintindo”, “Linderella Story”, and “Just Lin Baby”.

The Super Bowl ended and media almost instantaneously shifted to Lin. He put a desperate franchise on his back in the #1 media capital in the nation. According to Madison Square Garden Network since Lin has become the starting point guard there has been a 109 percent increase in household ratings.

Stern had good reason to add Lin to All-Star Weekend festivities. Take a look at these “Lintastic” numers Lin has put up since coming to the Knicks:

• Leads the NBA in points per play when going away from a screen on a pick and roll (1.57)
• First player since the NBA/ABA merger to score 20-or-more points and have his team win, in his first five career starts.
• Most points ever in his first five starts (137)
• First Ivy League player to outscore Kobe Bryant as a starter (38 to 34)

NBA All-Star weekend festivities begin on February 26, 2012 in Orlando, FL. Lin was selected by Team Shaq and will accompany teammate Landry Fields and high-flying Blake Griffin with hopes to ousts Team Chuck.

Despite some questionable decisions made in the past by the commissioner, this one serves the purpose of excitement and happiness for everyone.

Follow me on Twitter @Ty_Hardamon.

Photo by DvYang

The Knicks have become an entirely different team than the team we saw just seven games ago when they were an abysmal 8-15.  They were a couple losses away from Mike D’Antoni being jobless, Jeremy Lin being cut, and Carmelo Anthony banging himself up even more.  The Knicks were being led by a banged up Anthony and a struggling Amare Stoudemire.  Two men were attempting to carry the team on their backs.  It just could not be done.  They needed a change.  That’s when the Knickerbockers would make a Lin-probable return to winning basketball and an excitement in New York that we have not seen since the days of Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, and Latrell Sprewell.

The Knicks are now at .500 at 15-15 and in the thick of the playoff race securing the eight seed in the Eastern Conference right now.  Lin has helped lead the Knicks putting up unbelievable numbers.  Lin has scored at least 20 points in six of the seven games and has had at least seven assists in every game.  Three of the games he has recorded a double double.  Lin dropped 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in front of a packed Madison Square Garden without Stoudemire and Anthony.  It has been a story that has gotten Lin several endorsement offers and the financial assets to move him off his brother’s couch and into his own place.  Lin has thrived even with all the attention he has received.  When everyone thought the Lin-sanity would take a halt for a game against the Raptors in Toronto, Lin scored six points in the final minute including a game winning three pointer with less than a second to go.

This story has been one of the most inspiring stories and one that has Knicks fans believing in a championship this season. Just today, the Knicks signed J.R. Smith hoping he can add some depth from the shooting guard position.  When Smith is on, he is an explosive scorer.  Him and Anthony played together in Denver as well.  The Knicks have a potential starting lineup of Jeremy Lin, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler.  That is arguably the best lineup in the NBA.  The question is whether Anthony will be able to co-exist with Lin and the rest of the team.  Melo will have to do a lot more passing and less shooting.  This Knicks team has thrived moving the ball and getting everyone involved.  They have gotten great bench play from Steve Novak as well as Jared Jeffries and Bill Walker.  The team has played superb team basketball since Anthony has been out.  The Knicks need Anthony to return, be healthy, and move the ball with this new look team.  If this team can co-exist and continue their unselfish play, we might just see a deep playoff run and MSG rocking come late May for the first time in over a decade.

Photo by Kimberly

Jeremy Lin is the talk of Madison Square Garden, Chinatown, New York Knick fans, and the NBA the past three games. Lin has become a top trending topic on Twitter regularly and the phrases #Linsanity and #Linning are now popular. People on YouTube also created a special Lin remix called “All I Do Is Win.”

As the Knicks struggled losing 11 of 13 games in a recent stretch coach Mike D’Antoni made a move that has saved the Knicks season from completely tanking and possibly his job. D’Antoni gave Lin a chance against the New Jersey Nets on February 4^th at MSG. Lin played 36 minutes off the bench scoring 25 points with seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals. At that point it was uncertain if Lin was a one-hit wonder, but after the Giants won the Super Bowl the next day, coach D’Antoni named Lin the starter against the Utah Jazz at home. Some called the move desperate, but D’Antoni felt he struck lightning in a bottle.

Lin was indeed the jolt of energy the Knicks needed as he played 45 minutes, scored 28 points and dished out eight assists. After the game D’Antoni said, “I’m riding him like secretariat.” The comment drew laughs inside the press conference room, but Lin’s affect on this team was no joke. Lin finally gave D’Antoni the point guard he needed to run his offense effectively. D’Antoni said, “He has an attacking mentality, he can get in the paint and he is a point guard… he has an innate ability to see guys.” Even Utah Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin of the Jazz was impressed with Lin. Coach Corbin said, “You talk about that Lin kid… guys are feeding off him… he was splitting the pick-and-rolls which we don’t allow guys to do.”

Lin has earned the respect of his fellow teammates in the locker room who praised his work ethic. Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said, “He (Lin) won the game for us,” after the Knicks beat the Nets at MSG when Lin came off the bench. After the victory against the Jazz forward Jared Jeffries said, “He’s the first one every day and he does his workouts with Kenny Atkinson and he deserves a lot of the credit right now on what he’s been able to do.” Knicks center Tyson Chandler also praised Lin and said, “He doesn’t get rattled out there. He plays with a different confidence than I have seen from young players like that. He understands what the coach wants and he does it out there.” Lin, a humble young man, shared the credit with his fellow teammates. Lin said, “Basketball is fun when you play on a team that wants to work together, work through tough times.”

On Wednesday, Lin took his game to a new level, both literally and figuratively, against the Washington Wizards. Lin carried the Knicks without their two superstars, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, to a victory. Lin scored 23 points, had 10 assists, and a crossed former top overall pick John Wall at the three-point line and took off halfway in the lane for a dunk that had the crowd buzzing at the Verizon Center.

The Knicks look like a basketball team again with Lin running the show. Lin has brought needed energy, sparked the team, and a winning swagger since getting quality minutes the past three games.

After getting cut by the Knicks in training camp a two years ago, getting cut by the Warriors and Rockets this year, Lin has found a home at the mecca of basketball, MSG. After a brief stint in the NBA Development League and his continued Christian faith in God, Lin has answered the prayers of Knicks fans and D’Antoni by filling the role of playmaker the team desperately needed.

Follow me on Twitter: @MikeAScotto

Photo by Kimberly

Prior to the beginning of this NBA season, many raved how the Knicks would be a championship contender. The Knicks went 6-11 in the month of January, including, an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets, the exact team they swapped players with to land mega-star Carmelo Anthony.  They also landed the top center inside the free agency pool in Tyson Chandler, who is fresh off propelling the Dallas Mavericks to a championship. Would the Knicks have the same luck?

To date the Knicks are below .500 standing at 11-15. With Mike D’Antoni job in a limbo, a drastic change was made to shake things up. February 4^th, 2012 is when “Lin-Sanity” began.

The Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin made a name for himself by smashing a ton of Ivy League records, along with a 3.1 G.P.A. Undrafted, skipped around the league to the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets before the Knicks claimed Lin off waivers on December 27^th, 2011. Lin was sent to the D-League, where he posted a triple double over his inferior competition.

Called up shortly after, the first American player in the NBA to be Chinese posted 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes of action vs the Nets. Lin has surged the Knicks to three straight wins, while averaging 25 points and eight assists in those contests.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lin is the first player since LeBron James in 2003 to score at least 20 points and hand out at least eight assists in his first two NBA starts.

Lin excels in the pick and roll with his deceptive speed and uncanny strength. Center Tyson Chandler has been the main beneficiary of the emergence of Lin. The last three games Chandler has averaged 17 points, four more points with Lin facilitating than Carmelo Anthony (13).

We don’t know if the experiment will last forever. However, the Knicks have edged opponents with missing Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony in the lineup. D’ Antoni now has his team moving the ball and pressing the tempo. Lin is to thank for the recent success, actually, Lin is to thank for D’Antoni’s two-week job extension.

The New York Knicks are at home tonight to take on the lowly Detroit Pistons. If you had asked me at the beginning of the season about this game, I would have told you that it would be a definite win for the Knicks. If you ask me that question right now, and I’m going to have to say this is a toss-up. The Detroit Pistons are 4-18, while the Knicks aren’t that much better at 7-13.

What is wrong with the Knicks? In my last article about the Knicks, I talked about the Knicks being hopeful that the year 2012 would bring them joy and happiness. This season has been anything but joy and happiness. It’s been disappointing, and at times down right dreadful. The Knicks have currently lost 3 straight games and are a whopping 1-9 in there last ten. There have been rumors about some Knicks fans out there now regret the Carmelo Anthony trade.

So what’s the problem? Is it Carmelo Anthony? Is it Amar’e Stoudemire? Is it Tyson Chandler? Is it Mike D’Antoni? Is it the point guard position that many of us pointed to at the beginning of the season as a potential flaw? I think it is a mixture of Mike D’Antoni’s offense and the lack of a viable guard to run the point.

When D’Antoni arrived in New York he was leaving a future hall of fame point guard in Steve Nash out in Phoenix. Since he has been here, his best point guard that he has had was Raymond Felton. Felton was a good player but he was no Steve Nash. Knicks fans are hoping that once Baron Davis gets healthy, he will be able to play at the elite level he played at in Golden State, Los Angeles, and somewhat last year in Cleveland.

Another problem has been the lockout. The Knicks have played 20 games, which mean only 46 games are left in the season. The Knicks need to start playing better basketball as soon as possible, or expect even more changes this offseason.

If the Knicks don’t make the playoffs with at least a six seed, this season will be a disappointment. If they make it as the seven or eight seed, there is a good assumption that they won’t get far because they will most likely be taking on the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls- who clearly are the top two teams in the eastern conference.

The solution is easy, win, win games New York. This is New York, signing Amar’e and Chandler, and trading for Melo will mean nothing if you all can’t even be competitive. Get it together New York!

Once again the Nets are at the center of trade rumors. This time DeMarcus Cousins is the target, but what are the chances he joins the team? The answer is slim to none.

Nets GM Billy King knows he must do everything in his power to keep superstar guard Deron Williams happy and lock him up for the trip to Brooklyn and beyond. To keep the current face of the franchise the Nets must win now and surround Williams with more talent.

Cousins is a talented rebounder and good inside post scorer, but his immaturity and public disputes with the Sacramento Kings have proven that he’s a head case. This is the second incident involving Cousins’ lack of discipline after he was kicked out of practice by the team last season.

King and the Nets are better served putting all their eggs into the Dwight Howard basket. The Nets can offer young talent, expiring contracts, draft picks, and are willing to absorb players like Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Duhon to facilitate a deal.

This is a developing story that will surround the team until the trade dealine.

Follow me on Twitter: @MikeAScotto

The New York Knicks are 1-2 and will take on the Kings tonight in Sacramento. Is the Knicks 1-2 start reason for concern? Not really. For about the first month or so of basketball, every team in the NBA will look a bit sluggish. Let’s not forget there was basically no preseason due to the lockout leading to this shortened season.

Newly acquired center Tyson Chandler is still getting aclimated with the team. The Knicks have a really big group with Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, and Tyson Chandler. Amare and Carmelo did not get to really gel last season, but Knicks fans are hoping that they can all come together quickly with Chandler.

The season short but the Knicks are young, and Chandler brings the defensive intensity that the Knicks haven’t had in a while. Knicks fans are hoping that Chandler will bring in the defensive tenacity that he helped bring the Dallas Mavericks there first championship in franchise history.

With the talent that the Knicks have, most fans believe that they should be a top 3 seed in the eastern conference. Miami and Boston are the two other teams who have a good shot at contending out east. Knicks fans hope to get a good win against Sacramento, and then start the new year right with a win against the Toronto Raptors.

The big 3 will lead the way for the Knicks. It is up to the supporting cast to help out those 3 on a consistent basis for the Knicks to have a great NBA season.