The Knicks have made their decision, the more rational one at least. Interim Coach Mike Woodson has agreed on a multiyear contract to become the head coach.

Woodson took over when Mike D’Antoni resigned on March 14, from hosting an 18-24 record and no support from his locker room. Woodson lead the Knicks to an 18-6 record, an 8.4 PPG differential and the 7^th seed in the playoffs.

Outmatched, and Outgunned the Knicks lost 4-1 to the Miami Heat in the first round, breaking an NBA-record of 13 consecutive postseason loses, by winning Game 4, which was the first victory since 2001.

Many expected Woodson to get the nod as head coach, but is it the right move?

Woodson led his former team the Atlanta Hawks to 206 wins in his stay before management decided not to renegotiate his contract, which expired in 2010.

The Hawks posted one 50-win season and three playoff appearances in six seasons with Woodson running the sidelines. The Hawks made it to the conference semifinals twice but failed to win a single game.

At best, the Hawks were just an average team that would make the playoffs each year. The one and two seeds in the playoffs never actually felt the Hawks were a threat, hence only three wins in three playoff appearances by Woodson in Atlanta.

Knick fans are not willing to embrace mediocrity. Can Woodson shed his can’t get over the hump ways, and propel the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals? Only if he can make Carmelo Anthony and Amare’ Stoudemire coexist.

Follow me on Twitter: @Ty_Hardamon

Hosted by Brandon Contes. Topics on the show included Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks, NFL free agency, some MLB preview and the NCAA tournament.

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.

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

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.

Photo by Keith Allison

When was the last time you heard Knicks and defense in the same sentence? Then again, when was the last time you heard of the Knicks and title contenders in the same sentence? New York hasn’t had a dominant man in the middle since Patrick Ewing, but all that changed when Tyson Chandler traded in his cowboy boots from Dallas for the bright lights of New York. In doing so, Chandler has the NBA and Knicks fans in a New York state of mind.

Chandler transformed the Mavericks, a perennially “soft” team, into a defensive minded unit that shut down the Heat for their first NBA title as a franchise. New York hopes Chandler can do the same for the Knicks and help restore the “D” in coach D’Antoni’s name.

For the Knicks to succeed he must play the role of Dennis Rodman. Chandler must do all the dirty work by locking up opponents top big men, rebounding, and blocking or altering shots at the rim. Make no mistake, Chandler is being paid $56 million over four years to be the defensive coordinator as much as new assistant coach Mike Woodson.

As owner James Dolan and coach Mike D’Antoni unveiled their early Christmas gift both were in a New York state of mind. Dolan said during Chandler’s press conference, “We made a commitment to our Knicks fans that we would put together a team that would compete for an NBA championship. The addition of Tyson along with Amare (Stoudemire) and Carmelo (Anthony) is another important piece of that (championship) puzzle.” D’Antoni echoed Dolan and called the Knicks trio “(on paper) the best in the league.”

For the Knicks to fulfill their lofty expectations Chandler must be worth every penny of Dolan’s $56 million investment. Chandler is up to the task and said, “I know what my job is in coming here. I know I came here to defend. I’m going to defend the rim and I’m going to rebound. I’m going to get extra shots. I know if we play on both ends, and we play as a team, the sky is definitely the limit.”

The Knicks officially unveil their new toy on Christmas Day as New York at Madison Square Garden at noon.

The NBA trade deadline is February 24th, and come hook or crook, the New York Knicks must find a way to obtain Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. Carmelo has done his part, with the greatest subtlety; he has made perfectly clear his desire to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

First of all, he has no desire to continue to play in Denver, and has expressed this desire through his actions, or lack thereof. The Nuggets, who can pay Anthony more than any other team, have offered Carmelo a contract extension for the last year and he has yet to sign it. He isn’t negotiating, the offer is a max deal, and Denver is no longer high on his wish list. It is even common knowledge in NBA circles that his newly wed wife La La Vasquez, for career reasons, also has desires to live in New York. But for Melo it isn’t just living in the tri-state area, it is about playing with Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks, and a true chance at winning an NBA title. Those feelings were made perfectly clear when the Nets and the Nuggets had a deal worked out and the final stipulation, the signing of that Anthony contract extension, killed the deal by his continued failure to sign. The failure of the Net deal opened the door for the Knicks, and with New York fresh off the bitter taste of losing the LeBron James franchise sweepstakes; they must take advantage of their good fortune.

Right now the Denver Nuggets are asking for too much for Carmelo, and they have been all year long. From New York they want Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry and his expiring contract, Raymond Felton, another unnamed starter, and 1st round draft pick in exchange for Carmelo and veteran guard Chauncey Billups. The loss of Raymond Felton, the man that makes the Knicks offense go, is a major blow, but it can’t be the sticking point on preventing 26 year old Anthony from becoming a Knick. It is common knowledge that New York has its eyes set on New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul after the 2012 season. If that is indeed their plans, then Felton is only a stopgap measure anyway.

Measured Negotiations
So far New York has played the situation perfectly. The Knicks have held their ground, refusing to roll over to all of Denver’s steep demands. Knick General Manger Donnie Walsh has been in the league long enough to know that Denver is feeling pressured also, even though they are negotiating like they hold all the cards. It would behoove Denver to get something in return for Carmelo, and allowing him to walk away from the team without any compensation is a non-starter. So the NBA trade deadline is noose around the Nuggets neck in the same way it is around the Knicks. If the deadline passes the Nugget can do a sign and trade for him in the off-season, but holding out for that risky option is a last resort for Denver, not a trading strategy. Still the Knicks must be wary of that option in their negotiations with the Nuggets.

The only other team in reported trade talks with Denver is the Los Angeles Lakers, who reportedly are considering a straight up trade of Andrew Bynum for Carmelo Anthony. The good thing for the Knicks is that this trade doesn’t make much sense for either team. Denver already has a solid center in NeNe Hilario, and while the Lakers aren’t playing great right now, their team strength lies in their size. Adding Carmelo helps Los Angeles in the regular season, but in the playoffs scoring won’t be an issue, and defense and rebounding will be at a premium, traits Melo for all his wonderful talents, does not excel in. It is more likely that the Laker trade rumors were just preliminary talks that Denver is now using as leverage against New York. The problem New York has, is that while they have played the negotiations the right way the whole time, they ultimately are in a no win situation. The potential Laker deal, the just reported renewed talks with the Nets, or an emerging last minute player are all potential concerns for the Knicks. Carmelo clearly wants to play in New York however, playing with Kobe has to seem enticing to Anthony, and if push comes to shove, signing his contract with the Nuggets and staying in Denver is always a last resort option.

Reasons for NY Reluctance
It is understandable why the Knicks don’t want to decimate their team for Melo and Chauncey Billups, an aging point guard who may have a hard time running the Knicks fast paced offense. Mike D’Antoni’s offense is designed to shoot the ball within the first seven seconds whenever possible. The idea behind this, score before the opponent can set up a proper defensive front. This is hardly the offense you can imagine Billups running. For the first time in years, New York is playing as a collective. The Knicks are a young team; the players have gelled, are playing plus .500 ball, and are currently the Eastern Conference sixth seed in the playoff race. Even if the team fails to sign Carmelo Anthony, the future for this franchise is bright, the question is how bright? Can New York assemble a true title contender without adding another major acquisition? These questions cannot accurately be answered today, but conventional NBA wisdom says signing Melo is the best shot New York has at winning a title. Remember with the Heat’s all-star line-up, how far can this team get with Wade, Bosh and James in Miami, without equal talent and star power to compete?

The Title Landscape
Based upon the current NBA landscape it is logical that the Boston Celtics would no longer be a factor by the time the Knicks could put the right pieces around Amar’e and Carmelo. That leaves Chicago, Miami, and possibly the Orlando Magic to deal with. That is an ideal situation that New York has to take a shot at. New York may be able to build a contender the slow traditional way, however in todays league, teams obtain their major pieces through trades and free agency. New York knows first hand the success the right signings can cause. Bringing in Stoudemire and Felton changed the team into a playoff contender within months. Between that and watching the Heat, Donnie Walsh knows very well how trades and free agency can expedite the process to title contention.

Just Sign the Deal
This season has been a great improvement for this franchise, but it is just the beginning. And despite the collective success, frankly, there is not a player up for trade that is worth losing Anthony over, even Felton, who is likely the major sticking point for the Knicks unwillingness to sign off on the trade. Despite the reluctance to lose the young guard, the Knicks must pull the trigger, and soon, or risk losing one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, and a chance to build a dynasty that would have a real opportunity to make a championship run for several years to come. So the Knicks must bite the bullet, ship off whatever players they must, regroup and figure out what type of team they have after the trade, and fill in the blanks from there. GM Donnie Walsh knows basketball, and he knows there are only a couple of better pure scorers in the league than Carmelo Anthony, and when that type of franchise changing talent comes along, you just can’t pass on it. Sometimes it is okay to blink first.

SPORTSTALK1240 host Brandon Contes talks with former New York Knick John Starks, who reminisced about some of the highlights of his career, the Knicks run to the Finals in ‘94 and his connection with the New York fans. John also spoke about the current Knicks team, head coach Mike D’Antoni and the trade talk surrounding Carmelo Anthony.

Hosted by Brandon Contes. The show featured guest was former Knick John Starks, who reminisced about some of the highlights of his career, the Knicks run to the Finals in ‘94 and his connection with the New York fans. John also spoke about the current Knicks team, head coach Mike D’Antoni and the trade talk surrounding Carmelo Anthony. Brandon closed out the show talking some Mets and Yankees baseball as we head into spring training.

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So far, this has been a great season for the Knicks.  The Garden has excitement every night and Amar’e Stoudemire is the franchise player this team has needed for years.  The supporting cast, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Landry Fields have all meshed well and each have a distinguished role on the team.  The problem is, after those five, there is not a whole lot in terms of variety on the Knicks.

Toney Douglas is a backup swing guard who sacrifices his body on a nightly basis.  He is not a true point guard and whn Felton is in foul trouble or getting beat up, the Knicks do not have anyone to turn to.  Shawne Williams and Bill Walker are the mad bombers.  They come in and launch threes, usually at a pretty successful rate.  However, both are in the shooting guard small forward role.  That brings us to Rony Turiaf.  He is a high energy, lunch pale player who provides valuable minutes in the front court.  The problem is he is 6′9″, injury prone, with little offensive game.

The Knicks have been out rebounded by double digits in each of their last four losses, Lakers, Jazz, Kings, and Suns. That can’t happen for a team with playoff aspirations.  Donny Walsh needs to go out and acquire big man depth. Anthony Randolph, once thought to be a key piece to the Knicks revival, cannot find a way out of Mike D’Antoni’s dog house, and seven footer Eddy Curry has been a waste since day one.  Timofey Mozgov is still very raw, but he has six fouls and nice height, so why not give him the opportunity to take up some space.

Donnie Walsh has done a great job job reviving this franchise.  He needs to to continue to tweak it accordingly.  I know the Carmelo Anthony quest has taken precedence in the media and among the fan base, but the smaller pieces need consideration as well.  There are big men out there, see Earl Barron as a late addition last year. I firmly believe that reinforcements are on the way and IN DONNIE WE TRUST.

The New York Knickerbockers have been playing some inspired basketball lately.  Yes, they have had a few hiccups along the way, but recently it seems they have found their way to playing competitive and exciting basketball on a nightly basis.  And while coach Mike D’Antoni is not known as a defensive mind, he certainly has guided this team in the right direction.

The real strength of this team is their depth.  Every night they have 10 or 11 guys getting minutes, which is invaluable to a run and gun team like the Knicks.  Last Sunday’s game in Detroit, where the Knicks were shorthanded, was the hallmark of the season so far.  Playing without their energy guys in Ronny Turiaf and Toney Douglas, the Knicks outlasted an inferior Detroit Piston team in double OT.  The starters played a majority of the minutes, but guys like Roger Mason and Shawne Williams were scraped off the bench and contributed positive minutes.

Combine this depth with the growth of players such as home grown Knicks Danilo Gallinari (15.5 ppg) and Wilson Chandler (16.8 ppg), the guts and toughness of Raymond Felton, and the savvy of rookie Landry Fields and you have the makings of a very exciting team.

The one big difference about this team is the man in the middle and the prize of their offseason, Amar’e Stoudemire.  The Knicks took a calculated risk giving this superstar player more money than any other team, but it has certainly paid off.  They haven’t had a game changer of this magnitude since #33 donned the orange and blue.  Not only has Stoudemire performed on the court, 24.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg, and 2 blocks, “Stat” has provided leadership on and off the court as well.  He is seen constantly encouraging the team during games and not afraid to shoulder some of the blame for the team’s struggles.  He has been worth every penny to the team so far, who currently stand at a game over .500 at 10-9.

There are, however, still some kinks to be worked out.  Timofey Mozgov lacks the basketball IQ and smoothness needed to play in the NBA, but has shown glimpses.  Anthony Randolph has been inconsistent in his minutes this year.  The team also has defensive lapses during games.  Let’s not even mention the albatross known as Eddy Curry’s fat contract.

Four of their next five games are against sub .500 teams before Melo, the Celtics, and the Heat trifecta invade the Garden.  Hopefully the Knicks can fatten up before the heavy hitters come to town and stay on their recent path to success.

SPORTSTALK1240’s Anthony Donahue talks with Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim about Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, and the current Syracuse basketball team.