With Melo Sidelined, What's Next for the Knicks?

Last year Phil Jackson came to the New York Knicks, his former team, at the behest of owner James Dolan.  Carmelo Anthony, the star small forward signed a large contract to stay a Knick.  It was supposed to be a brighter day for Knick fans, some of whom weren't born the last time it won an NBA title.  At this point in the season the franchise wasn't supposed to be 32 games behind the East leading Atlanta Hawks.

Jackson knows about winning titles. He's collected 11 rings by coaching and coaxing all that he could from players such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, Dennis Rodman, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal.

The prevailing thought was at least Jackson had a proven star in Anthony that he could build a team around. This season, by Jackson's admission, has been a dismal failure. The Knicks were 5-36 after 41 games, the worst record of a Knick team; they're currently 10-43, 12.5 games behind the 8th seeded Miami Heat. They went on a 16 game losing streak that ended in January. Anthony scored even in a new offense, designed to get others involved. The triangle offense didn't fit the players the Knicks had on their roster and now, Jackson is re-making the team. Amar'e Stoudemire, brought in a few years back to give the Knicks credibility just made a deal to have the Knicks buyout his contract.  He and his injured body are on to Dallas and better days.

Carmelo, now known by his first name, has been playing with an injured knee for weeks. It got bad enough that he was scheduled to undergo surgery to have 'Patellar Tendon Debridgement." Anthony will miss the rest of the season and will be inactive for 4-6 months. Hopefully, he will be ready for next season.

"This is a necessary step for him to take," said Derek Fisher, his coach.

Anthony could score with the best of them. At the All-Star break, he was 2nd in the League with 24.2 ppg.  In the fourth quarter, the ball went to Anthony.  Every time the Knicks needed a basket, the ball went to Anthony. Most time he produced.

Even with a great scorer, the Knicks didn't win. Now, they don't have him. Guard Langston Galloway, who came to the Knicks on a 10-day contract, was such a breath of fresh air, that he was signed for the remainder of the season. So were other players. It appears that the Knicks are making this up on the fly, kind of like the Triangle but MJ or Kobe isn't on the team to bail it out.

Somehow the Knicks need to find a team without their go to guy. They need to find an identity.  Maybe Phil Jackson doesn't have Executive management skills.  Maybe he is in over his head.  He'll have to find the surface without Carmelo. There are 29 games left to discover, learn and grow.  That is hard to do under the media microscope in New York.  One thing is for certain: the Knicks are in the land of the Unknown.

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Kobe Bryant: Not Enough to Save Los Angeles Lakers' Season

The Los Angeles Lakers’ season is off to a poor start as expected, as after flopping in free agency this offseason the Lakers’ roster is not very talented after missing out on Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. The loss of Steve Nash for the rest of the season was a tough blow, and that was followed up by the loss of Julius Randle for the season with a broken leg.

Despite the injuries to his teammates, Kobe Bryant is back and doing everything he can to try and keep the Lakers respectable in the Western Conference. The bad thing for the Lakers is that even with Bryant playing quite well right now, they still haven’t won a game this season.

Bryant looks to be pretty healthy right now, and head coach Byron Scott is playing him at about 32 minutes per game, which seems to be a good number for the aging Bryant.

This season, Bryant is averaging 24.8 points per game, which is very impressive for Bryant, who has been hit hard by injuries in the latter part of his career. Bryant’s shooting percentage is a bit low at 41% right now, but a large part of that is due to a rough first game against the Houston Rockets, when he shot 6-17.

So far this season the Lakers have only kept it close in one out of their four games, as against the Los Angeles Clippers they were able to only lose by single-digits, which seems like a victory in itself this season.

Sadly for the Lakers it is looking like they very well be a bottom-feeder in the West, but Bryant playing a high-level still will still draw fans to the Staples Center, but it isn’t enough to help them win games.

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What To Watch For: Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks open up their 2014-2015 season at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls. It will be the first time to see the Knicks in the Triangle Offense in a game that matters. That is just one of many things to keep an eye out for tonight when the two teams take the court to get their seasons started. Here are some other things to keep an eye on tonight in the matchup between the Knicks and Bulls.

-Head Coaching Debut

Derek Fisher will be making his head coaching debut on the biggest stage in basketball at Madison Square Garden. It will be a tough task for Fisher to get a currently flawed Knicks roster into the postseason, but he is as ready as anyone to head the Knicks as he is a natural born leader. Fisher’s suit game has also been a talking point, and something to keep an eye on as his dressings are already among the tops in the league according to some people.

-Who Starts For Knicks?

No one is 100 percent sure who Fisher will be starting in the season opener, but strong indications are that it will be Jose Calderon, who looks to be okay after a calf injury in the preseason, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Smith and Samuel Dalembert.

That means Amar’e Stoudemire will be coming off the bench along with J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. The rest of the rotation will be worth watching as well, as the backup point guard spot is one that has yet to be decided upon for the long run. Shane Larkin got plenty of run during the preseason, but it would be hard to imagine veteran Pablo Prigioni being pushed to the side so easily.

-Bulls Add One, Lose One

Tonight will be the much anticipated return for former MVP Derrick Rose. Rose, who has suffered long term injury after long term injury the past couple of seasons, has not played in nearly a full season since 2010-2011. After playing with team USA in the summer, Rose looked to be coming around with preseason winding down, pouring in 30 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 24 minutes and then 27 against the Minnesota Timberwolves to end the preseason.

While Rose’s return will be great for the Bulls, they already are suffering from another injury to a player, this time Jimmy Butler. Butler, who is dealing with a sprained left thumb, will miss the season opener. Butler is hoping to be ready for the Bulls’ next game Friday against LeBron James and aforementioned Cavaliers, but that is up in the air. Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said Butler may miss two-four weeks, but quickly turned around and said maybe one-three. No matter what the timetable is Butler will definitely not be in the lineup for the Bulls against the Knicks Wednesday.

-New Schemes

The Knicks are revamping everything in the organization, from the top to the bottom. On the court, they will be deploying a new offense and different scheme on defense than they have played recently. It will take some time to get things rolling, and it will be interesting to see how they look against a strong team in the Bulls right off the bat.

The Bulls have one of the best defenses in the NBA, and how the Knicks run the Triangle Offense against them will be worth watching.  It will be a tall task, and fans cannot overact depending on what happens, but it will be a nice challenge to see how they react.

On the defensive end of the court, the Knicks are also a work in progress. They have to abandon the tendencies they have used under Mike Woodson the last couple of seasons, which is proving easier said than done. The Knicks have played a defense some would consider lazy, constantly switching and putting themselves in poor defensive positions. They were weak at the point of attack, as Raymond Felton was a revolving door at the top of the defense.

Under Fisher, there will be no switching. He is preaching defense and that the players stick with their man. The scheme is to push ball handlers to the outside of the court, trying to avoid letting teams attack the paint at will. So far the Knicks have struggled during the preseason, as their roster isn’t full with players that like playing defense. It will be a work in progress, but if the Knicks are to contend for a playoff spot this season, their defense will have to carry them to start as the offense comes around.

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New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony Both Winners With New Contract

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Photo Credit: Reuters

It took longer than some people had hoped, but the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony finally were able to come to an agreement on a contract, as he will play out the remainder of his prime years in orange and blue. The exact numbers of the contract are not known, but what is known is that it will be for five years and between $122-123 million. It is not for the maximum that the Knicks were allowed under the CBA to offer Anthony, which makes both the player and organizations winners in this pact.

Heading into free agency, the biggest advantage the Knicks had over any other team courting Anthony was money. They could offer an extra year and anywhere between $30 and almost $50 million dollars depending on who the contract was coming from. While the extra money would be hard to pass up for Anthony, President Phil Jackson and the Knicks still needed to make sure the flexibility would still be there. $6-7 million does not sound like much of a discount, but given the circumstances the Knicks are in and cap situation, that is a big help.

Under the current CBA, Anthony is eligible for 7.5 percent increases in salary every season of the deal starting at $22.5 million. If reports are right and Anthony takes a flat salary in Year 2, the numbers will go as follows:

2014-15: $22.5 million

2015-16: $22.5 million

2016-2017: $24.2 million

2017-2018: $25.9 million

2018-2019: 27.6 million

Where the Knicks save in this deal is the second year of the contract, where they needed it most. The summer of 2015 is where the Knicks will have immense cap space, the first real chance Jackson and new head coach Derek Fisher have to really shape this roster. With Anthony firmly in place, they have the cornerstone, now it is time to augment the roster and add to the centerpiece they have in place. It does not seem like a lot on the outside, but that $2 million dollars could be the difference between the regular midlevel exception and the mini. 

The idea behind this is that Anthony gets his money, but later on so that the Knicks can take advantage of the massive cap space they are projected to have earlier on in the Anthony pact. Teams will more often than not try getting players to take less at the end of their contracts, but with this one the Knicks are agreeing to make sure Anthony gets his money over time as long as he gives them the flexibility earlier on to help get talent around him.

Jackson was very happy with how things progressed as well, saying, “He [Carmelo] did exactly what we kind of asked him to do. Give us a break in the early part of his contract so that when we have some wiggle room next year, which is hopefully big enough wiggle room, we can exploit it.” Jackson continued that saying, “I want to be fiscally responsible. We’ve been a taxpayer team for a little bit and we want to limit that.”

The Knicks have the taxpayer’s mini midlevel exception available to them, but they may not put that to use this season. The Knicks, admitted by Jackson, have some holes on the roster, but said, “We’re not just going to foolishly throw money away because it’s available to us.”

The hard part now is done for the Knicks, as they finally have their guy in Anthony locked up and on board. The next step for the Knicks will be evening out the roster. As currently situated, the Knicks are over-loaded in the backcourt with a log jam at the shooting guard position and a plethora of guards. On the flipside, they are thin up front and could use some help up front in the center and big man departments. How they go about filling those holes will be interesting to watch, as the goal is to keep the salary cap in 2015 and beyond as open as possible.

During his time on the television broadcast Jackson mentioned some holdovers from last season that he expected to see improvements from this season. That may be the strategy the Knicks take, hoping players such as Iman Shumpert and Andrea Bargnani fit more into the new scheme than the old one. Whatever the decision must be, it is now up to Jackson and Fisher to continue shaping this organization into the contender the fans and city are desperate to have.

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New York Knicks' 2014 NBA Draft Recap

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Shannon Stapleton Reuters

For a team that was shut out altogether from the 2014 NBA Draft just 48 hours ago, the New York Knicks made quite a splash. President Phil Jackson was said to be coveting picks in this draft, and wanted in. He was able to do that after swinging a trade with the Dallas Mavericks that saw Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler shipped to Dallas for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, and Wayne Ellington and two second-round draft picks. Jackson and the Knicks made the most of those draft picks, selecting Cleanthony Early 34^th and Thanasis Antetokounmpo 51^st. Jackson did not stop there, as he also purchased the 57^th pick from the Indiana Pacers and selected French center Louis Labeyrie.

The catch of this draft is obviously Early. Early, the four-year collegiate player who played his last two seasons with the Wichita State Shockers, slid in the draft to the Knicks benefit. He was pegged by many analysts to be a shoe-in for the first round, going anywhere from late in the lottery or the early 20’s.

Early is a versatile scorer, who can fill it up from the interior and perimeter. He has an improving three-point shot, which will expand his offensive game even more if he is a threat from long range. He is also a strong rebounder, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Early also made a statement when it mattered most, playing for a Shockers team that lost only once this past season. He had a monster game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament, pouring in a season-high 31 as he 12-17 from the field.

Early showed good athleticism at the NBA Combine, registering a 40 inch-vertical leap during drills. That was one inch higher than Aaron Gordon, who is said to have all-world athleticism.

Early does have some things to work on, namely his ball handling. He could struggle at first getting to the rim with his shaky handles, which is one of the reasons he fell in the draft.

Even with that, he is a player that could help the Knicks right away, with or without Carmelo Anthony. He will add much needed depth behind Anthony if he decides to re-sign, but if he leaves Early will have a great opportunity to grow with plenty of minutes and shots being available. He will have a chip on his shoulder and will look to prove all of the teams that passed him over wrong.

With their second pick of the night, the Knicks selected the brother of Milwaukee Bucks’ 2013 first round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka The Greek Freak. While Thanasis does not have the same ceiling as his brother, he is a strong wing player that is NBA ready defensively.

Standing 6-feet-6 inches tall, Thanasis is super athletic, using that to his advantage defensively. He showcased that athleticism on multiple occasions in the NBA D-League last season for the Philadelphia 87ers. He has a massive wing span of seven-feet, which enables him to finish well at the rim when couple with the athleticism he possesses.

David Dow/Getty Images

He needs to improve his jump shot and offense overall, but defense right now is his calling card. Second round picks have an uphill battle making NBA rosters, but when you have the defensive intensity such as Antetokounmpo teams will notice, especially one as starved for defense as the Knicks. Outside of Iman Shumpert, there are not many players you would say are defensive gifted on this roster. It will be what helps him get noticed by the coaching staff and make the roster this coming season.

As for Labeyrie, there is no much to be said. There is a chance he will never make an appearance in the NBA. Last season, playing for Paris-Levallois, the 6-foot-10 inch Frenchman averaged 2.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 12.8 minutes per game. Nothing to really get excited about here.

The Knicks had a successful draft, especially judging from where they stood as recently as Wednesday morning. It is fair to say that Jackson has made a splash thus far in his first offseason in the front office, as he continues to change the culture in New York. The Knicks are finally beginning to stockpile some useful assets, and you should expect that to continue. The Knicks are loaded currently on the wings and in the backcourt, making more moves by Jackson expected. Things are finally looking bright for the Knicks after so many years of poor executive decisions being made, and Jackson is the driving force.

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Where will Carmelo Anthony go?

By Clevis Murray

Phil Jackson has begun his spring cleaning within the New York Knicks organization by tossing coaches out of the organization akin to how Uncle Phil would toss Jazz and others on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air television show. The firing of head coach Mike Woodson, long-time assistant coach Herb Williams and more is the first major move by Jackson since he became the President of the organization on March 18th and after telling the current team that "changes" will be made and most of them won't return next season, it makes us all question how his moves will impact 7 time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony. 

Anthony is expected to decline his $23.5 million player option for next season and become a free agent. The 2014 free agent class will potentially include the likes of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James but Anthony will be critiqued the most because he is likeliest one of others to leave his current team and with the way things started and ended in the city that never sleeps his departure isn't as far fetched as it seemed back in October/November.  

"He wants to be in a situation where he can start winning, and he is going to look at teams based on that,” a SportingNews source said. “Coaching is only a part of the equation."

Where will ‘Melo go this summer? The 6-foot-8, 235-pound professional scorer born in the Red Hook projects of Brooklyn New York could end up playing in the Windy City in the United Center aka the house that Jordan built. Anthony has also been rumored to end up with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets. All are great teams but the way Anthony plays he is better suited to team up with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah as he is the true missing piece to the puzzle in Chi-Towns championship aspirations. In the event that Anthony does leave the Knicks, he will become more scrutinized than LeBron James when he left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2010 on "The Decision." 

This season Anthony has flirted with the idea of going to Chicago more than any other team this season on countless occasions and has also been rumored to have the Bulls on his short list of teams he's interested in, he also showed admiration for the Bulls coaching staff.

"(The Bulls) have a great coach and system,” Anthony said. “It’s like Gregg Popovich’s system. You can put anyone in the system and it’s going to work. Guys have been in and out of the lineup and they still get it done." 

Chicago Bulls Head coach Tom Thibodeau heard about ‘Melo's comments and would go on to compliment and even recalled a few moments back to 2012 on the Team USA Olympic team, giving Anthony the highest praise a player could get and went into much detail about his game. 

"He can score so many different ways," Thibodeau said. "He can post up. He can catch-and-shoot. He can isolate. He can be the screener in a pick-and-roll. He can be the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll. He gets to the free-throw line. He’s a great offensive rebounder. If you overcommit your help, he probably doesn’t get enough credit for being a very good passer, particularly to the weakside corner. He can hurt you a lot of different ways. He can score the ball very easily. It doesn’t take him much to get going."

Thibodeau also wanted to shutdown the notion that Anthony is a selfish player that can't make plays. 

"It’s interesting because with USA Basketball, they talk about him being a playmaker," he said. "He scores and if a guy is open, he passes the ball. I think oftentimes it’s who he plays with. It’s interesting, a lot of the things that you hear about him, I heard about Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce before they came together and won it. That changes perception. Carmelo has been one of the elite scorers in the league for a long, long time."

Now with those comments having been said, those within the Bulls organization have become “increasingly optimistic” about acquiring 'Melo this season and with the NBA salary cap expected to increase by 7.7% which is an extra $5 million to all teams it makes the possibility of Anthony hearing the raspy voice of Tom Thibodeau on the sidelines a bigger possibility. In order to make a respectable offer to Anthony the front office will need to use the amnesty provision on 2 time All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who has for some odd reason is disliked in the Chicago community and Bulls fans around the world. Chicago could also make a enticing offer to trade Boozer elsewhere as they have the 16th and 19th picks in this years hyped up draft; Boozer will become a free agent in 2015 as he will have one year left on his deal worth $16.8 million.

In his exit interview, Anthony who will turn 30 on May 29th said he's “not concerned about the money” and in all reality he shouldn't as he has earned $135.9 million just from his salary earnings which is excluding his endorsements. LeBron James and Dwight Howard sacrificed money to win and if he wants to that beautiful Larry O'Brien trophy in June then he must take a salary paycut which in all reality wouldn't hurt since he “wants to win.” 

Just like Phil Jackson said, Anthony had to "carry a big load" for NYK this season, but with the Bulls he wouldn't have to because him, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah will form another "Big-3" along with perfect role players in Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and D.J. Augustin. As we've seen the past two seasons, the Bulls are a great regular season team with their blue dollar nitty gritty defense but come postseason time in a best-of-seven series they struggle to put the ball in the hole and knowing that it would be astute for ‘Melo to sign a possible deal with Chicago. Derrick Rose when healthy makes is what twitter calls them these days a "PointGod" but with his recent ACL and Meniscus injury he's been for from it but his absence has been a blessing in disguise as Chicago arguably has the best role players in the NBA as many have had career years in the past which should lure ‘Melo there.

Earlier in March, there was a reported conversation between Joakim Noah and Carmelo Anthony; but everything needed to be denied due to the possibility of tampering but then against the NBA inconsistently fines teams for that anyways.

Joakim Noah: “Look, you can go to Los Angeles. But if you want to win a ring, if you want your legacy to be about winning, come to Chicago.”

Carmelo Anthony: “Look, I’ve been watching you guys. I admire how hard you play. I admire how hungry you are. Oh, and by the way, my son’s favorite player: Derrick Rose.”

Just to add to that, reports came out that franchise guard Derrick Rose wants ‘Melo in a Bulls uniform and like I said before it makes total sense as they would take pressure off each other as well as compliment each other since both players operate from doing spaces on the floor and do something that the Bulls struggle to which is score at a high rate while playing lock down defense — ‘Melo isn't the best defender as he has a 107 Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) and a 27.3 Defensive Win Shares (number of wins contributed due to defense).

A point worth noting is Anthony has never played with a respectable All-Star Point Guard that can score and distribute. Anthony most notably has played with Chauncey Billups back in Denver and also played with Allen Iverson but the difference from then and now is the situation is perfect because the Bulls players play for each other which would make Anthony and Rose the top 1-2 punch in the league with their background dancers behind them.  

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard gave Anthony some words of wisdom for free agency telling him what he should consider.

"He has been in the league for a long time," Howard said. "He hasn't made it to the Finals and at this point in his career he wants to win. You can see it every night when he plays. I know he has to take a lot of shots and all that stuff, but he just wants to win."

"I can't say (what he'll do)," Howard said. "That's on him. He's got to decide. (But) he can't be what everybody else wants. In this situation, you've got to take your heart out of it…So I'd just say for him, take his heart out of it and think with his head and think about business."

LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh left their bad situations to become the missing pieces to now championship teams and Anthony can do just that in a Bulls uniform and create a legacy for him known more than just a scorer.

James spent his first seasons on teams that were thought of to be championship contending teams during the regular season but in all reality weren't becasue James was so good he made his peers look like the best role players but once the playoffs came it was a different story as their true colors were shown. As for Bosh he was in Toronto which was never a championship team but just a traditional playoff team that makes it and gets eliminated in the 1st-round. Both James and Bosh seen the opporunity to team-up with Dwyane Wade in South Beach and the rest is history as the NBA's new dominate "Big-3" has been to the Finals in each of their first three seasons together going 2-1; and are looking to make it four this  postseason.  Both have solidified themselves as champions with a dream-like career and unlike Biggie Smalls, they don't have to wake up and say "It was all a dream" becasue they lived it.

Dwight Howard on the other hand forced his way out of Orlando after making the Finals in 2009 and Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 but after that there was tumultuous ending with the franchise as he had sage known as a "Dwightmare" becasue he wouldn't makeup a decision on where he wanted to play. After a brief stop with the Lakers, Howard signed with Houston to team-up with James Harden and a very young core of role players in H-Town in hopes of fulfilling his championship aspirations now that he feels himself again.

Both Howard and ‘Melo do share something in common, both have seen the blueprints that their peers have laid out and are trying to follow it correctly on their way to the top with some help on the way. If Anthony wants another ring next to his wedding then joining the Chicago Bulls this summer will be the best option for him. He will still be the same player but the difference is he'll have more help with players that know their role and are fine with it as they excel at it and also another joining another superstar in Derrick Rose would be a dream come true. ‘Melo has been flirting with Chicago all season but it's time for him to put his big boy pants on and go in for the kill.

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W2W4: Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks; April 16th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16^th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will play their regular season finale Wednesday night against the surprising Atlantic Division champion Toronto Raptors. There is a good chance this one, like last night against the Brooklyn Nets, will resemble something closer to a preseason game as the Knicks prepare for the offseason and the Raptors get ready for the playoffs. Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

Photo Credit N/A

-How Bench Players React

The Knicks are sure to use plenty of their deeper reserves and young players tonight, as they do not have anything to play for. Carmelo Anthony will not dress with his partially torn labrum, and there is a good chance Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will also sit this one out. If that happens, there will be a lot of minutes to soak up for other players.

One player who stands to receive a ton of playing time is Cole Aldrich. Aldrich played 26 minutes last night, and will more than likely top that tonight. He performed well last night, and has throughout the season in spot duty, raising the question of should he have been playing all season.

Another player to keep an eye on is Toure’ Murry. The Knicks like the intangibles he brings defensively, but he has not been given constant minutes all season. He should be given the opportunity to shine tonight with Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni’s minutes being held to a minimum.

The last player to keep an eye on is Jeremy Tyler. He should be in line behind Aldrich for minutes tonight. He had been in the rotation for parts of the season, but fell out of favor for some reason, even with Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin missing big chunks of the season. Like Aldrich and Murry, he has a good chance tonight to make a lasting impression on new President Phil Jackson.

-Raptors Seeding

Unlike the Knicks, the Raptors do have something to play for tonight. Currently, they are sitting in the third seed, tied with the Chicago Bulls. If they win tonight, they will hold onto the third seed and more than likely face the Washington Wizards. If they lose, they will more than likely play against the Nets.

That means the Raptors will most likely be using their regulars full time tonight. Head coach Dwane Casey has said that his players would be monitored tonight, but they will play if need be. The Raptors are not as talented, or experienced, enough to turn the switch on and off nightly. They need to keep their foot on the gas and stay sharp for the playoffs.

-Woodson’s Last Game

This could very well be Mike Woodson’s last game as head coach of the Knicks. He had a successful tenure as coach before this season, but he seems to have worn out his welcome. Jackson very likely will name a new head coach this offseason to go with a new general manager, as he will bring his people into the organization. It has been a quick turn on Woodson, who the fans were behind just a season ago.

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Knicks Defeat Nets, Win Season Series 3-1

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, April 15^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets finished up their disappointing season series Tuesday night, as the Knicks defeated the Nets 109-98. It was the third win in the series for the Knicks, who defeated the Nets by 30 and 29 points earlier in the season, while the Nets lone victory came by 23. There was plenty of players not suiting up tonight, and veterans who did played very little as both teams had nothing to really play for. The play resulted in a game that looked more like a preseason game than a regular season meeting. Both teams will be playing their regular season finales Wednesday night, as the Knicks will take on the Toronto Raptors, and the Nets will be going against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks Perspective:

It was yet another solid performance for the Knicks tonight, even though they were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night. Tonight they were without Carmelo Anthony, who it turns out, is suffering from a torn labrum. Several other veterans, such as Tyson Chandler, Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith, Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire came nowhere near to their regular minutes, as head coach Mike Woodson rolled with the reserves and younger players.

The player who performed best tonight in the extended minutes once again was Cole Aldrich. Aldrich came down with a season-high 13 rebounds to go with 13 points, one steal and one block. Aldrich has shown all season that he is capable of producing when on the court, and tonight was no different. He definitely deserves a shot at being Chandler’s backup next season, as he has proved himself a capable backup and spot starter when needed.

Another player who looked good tonight was Iman Shumpert. The much maligned shooting guard has had his struggles this season, but has been coming on since being moved to the bench. His defense has started resembling more of the lockdown performer he was before the knee injury and what he showed during last season’s playoffs.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

He also had two highlight plays tonight, breaking Paul Pierce’s ankles with a crossover into a jump shot in the third quarter that he nailed, and finishing in transition with a dunk off a pass off the backboard from Toure’ Murry. Phil Jackson mentioned Shumpert as one of the players he was impressed with, and he has done nothing to change that thinking.

Tim Hardaway Jr. continued to score well off the bench for the Knicks. Tonight he scored a team high 16 points, making 5-12 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. Hardaway Jr. looks like he is going to be a great weapon off the bench for the Knicks as a wing scorer. It would not be shocking to see Hardaway Jr. push his per game scoring up to the 12-13 point range as he becomes more accustomed to the NBA game. Where he needs to improve still is on the defensive end, as he offers very little outside of a scoring punch at this time.

Nets Perspective:

It was a letdown of sorts for the Nets, who still had something to play for in the game, but did not look like it from how they played. The Nets still have not locked up the fifth seed, and do not look like they want to as it will result in a matchup with the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

Mason Plumlee was a bright spot for the Nets tonight. With Kevin Garnett missing so much action this season, Plumlee has really grown as a player. He now looks like an important piece for the Nets heading into the post season. He is a big that is active and can keep up with the talented front lines of teams like the Bulls and Raptors, something Garnett does not look like he will be able to do any longer. Tonight Plumlee finished with an impressive 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Marcus Thornton looks to have been a steal for the Nets and real weapon for them off the bench. Tonight he poured in 24 points, and has been much more successful and productive off the bench than Jason Terry was. He gave the Nets a little more youth, and at this stage of their careers, a more dangerous player. He may lack the experience Terry has, but he makes up for it with his explosiveness. It is possible he could lead the Nets in scoring any night off the bench, as he is capable of filling it up from beyond the three point line.

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Knicks Blow Out Nets To Reach 8th Seed in East

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

In what is a stretch of important games to finish the season that the New York Knicks need to win, they came out with the effort and passion of team fighting for a playoff spot, blowing out the Brooklyn Nets 110-81. It was a decisive win for the Knicks, who moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the victory over the Atlanta Hawks, who lost to the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks will look to continue their winning ways Friday night, when they take on the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

William Perlman-The Star-Ledger

Since calling out the team for the lack of heart and urgency that a playoff team shows, Smith has turned things on. His game has improved immensely, and he continued that strong play Wednesday against the Nets. Smith was on fire shooting the ball, making 9-16 shots overall and 6-12 from the three point line. He stuffed the stat sheet everywhere else as well, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out six assists. Smith is dynamic with the ball in his hands when his head is on straight, and is a capable distributor when he wants to be. With Smith playing this way the Knicks are a dangerous team not only finish out the season but possibly in the playoffs as well.

Match-Up of the Game Recap:

Much like the final score, this match-up was a blowout. Carmelo Anthony outplayed Paul Pierce throughout the night. They weren’t matched up as often throughout the night with the Nets playing so small, but overall production went the way of Anthony. Anthony finished the game with 23 points on 8-16 shooting from the field, including 7-8 from the free throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, recording his 22^nd double-double of the season. He also added three assists, two steals and one block. On the other hand, Pierce finished with eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal on the night.

-Positives

William Perlman-The Star-Ledger

It was a pretty light night for most of the Knicks players, but they were still able to produce in their shortened minutes. Amar’e Stoudemire played only 21 minutes, but still gave the Nets problems, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds. The Nets had no one capable of slowing down Stoudemire, as he took it to the Nets on the interior with ease.

Tim Hardaway Jr. was questionable coming into the game, but he showed no signs of a sprained ankle. Hardaway Jr. lit the Nets up in transition and from the perimeter en route to 17 points off the bench. Hardaway Jr. looked explosive and gave the Knicks exactly what they needed off the bench.

Iman Shumpert gave the Knicks an outstanding effort off the bench. He gave them a great all-around game, scoring and playing defense as exactly as they had hoped he would coming into the season. Shumpert’s defensive pressure resulted in easy baskets for himself in transition, raising his confidence as the game went on. He recorded five steals on the night, hounding Nets opposing guards with tenacity, making them look uncomfortable all night.

The Knicks dominated the inside, just as they needed to get an easy win. They outscored the Nets in the paint 38-26, and dominated the rebounding battle 41-23. The size advantage that the Knicks possessed came into play right from the start. They were able to get easy baskets and disrupt the Nets offensively.

-Negative

William Perlman-The Star-Ledger

The only negative to an otherwise successful night was the injury Raymond Felton suffered. He bruised his ribs and back, and was seen with a big wrap on the bench during the game. He vows that he will play Friday, which is a good thing for the Knicks. He has had his struggles throughout the season, but has finally started to turn things around recently and is a reason the Knicks have begun turning things around.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks; April 2nd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be facing off in a big game Wednesday night, as the Knick are fighting to get into the playoffs and the Nets are looking to move up in the standings. The Knicks are coming off their most successful west coast trip since 1999-2000 and will look to ride that momentum tonight against their cross-town rivals. For the Nets, they played last night and handled the Houston Rockets rather easily. Here are some things to look for tonight in the Battle of the Boroughs.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are staring at a big problem tonight, as Tim Hardaway Jr. is questionable with an ankle injury. Hardaway Jr. injured the ankle in the waning moments of the Knicks win Monday night over the Utah Jazz. If he is unable to go, Iman Shumpert will be in line for an increase in minutes and big role in the game plan. Amar’e Stoudemire should be back in the lineup for the Knicks tonight after sitting out Monday with a planned day of rest.

For the Nets, they will still be without Kevin Garnett. Garnett is not expected to make a return to the lineup until next week at the earliest. Andrei Kirilenko was not able to play last night for the Nets and his status is up in the air for the game tonight. Same goes for Marcus Thornton, who missed Tuesday’s game with back problems.

-Match-Up Of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

These two have matched up together since Anthony was traded to the Knicks from the Denver Nuggets and will continue to be the match-up to watch tonight as well. The Nets have begun using a smaller lineup with Garnett sidelined, with Pierce filling the role Anthony does with the Knicks in a smaller lineup. No matter what position they lineup at tonight, the two of them should be matched up together a majority of the night.

-Who Replaces Hardaway Jr.?

If Hardaway Jr. is unable to go tonight because of his ankle, the first player in line to take over his minutes will be Shumpert. Shumpert's struggles have been well documented this season, but the Knicks will need to him to look more like he did on the Texas Triangle trip tonight to overcome the Nets. Shumpert had a strong game offensively in the Knicks victory over the Nets this season, scoring 17 points, but struggled mightily in the loss to the Nets scoring only five points.

Where Shumpert will help the Knicks is the defensive end. Shumpert is far and away the better defender compared to Hardaway Jr., and that will be important tonight as the Knicks and Nets are both playing good basketball right now. Whichever team can get the timely stops will be able to come out ahead tonight.

-Front Court Battle

The Knicks will have a huge edge on the interior tonight and they must take advantage of it. Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler have combined to be quite a force on the inside recently for the Knicks, resulting in much better results in the win-loss column. Tonight they have to take advantage of the opportunities that will be given to them in Miles Plumlee and Andray Blatche.

With the Nets going small, the Knicks need to pound in the paint and attack the basket. The Nets do not have any rim protectors and should be able to make a living in the interior. If they are able to do that, it will open up the perimeter for players such as J.R. Smith and Anthony to knock down three pointers. 

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Knicks End West Coast Trip On High Note, Defeat Jazz

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 31^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Utah Jazz

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks were able to handle business Monday night, beating the Utah Jazz 92-83. The Knicks knew before halftime that they needed a victory tonight to keep pace with the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the night. The Knicks were able to do so, and will head back home with a 3-2 west coast trip and one game behind the Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. It was also only the second time this season the Knicks picked up a victory after trailing at halftime. Things will get difficult from here on out for the Knicks, as the remaining opponents on their schedule all hold records above .500. They will get back on the court Wednesday night to take on the cross town rival Brooklyn Nets.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

Amar’e Stoudemire was unable to go tonight because of a scheduled day off, so Anthony knew he had to carry the scoring load. Carry the load he did, as he poured in 34 points on 11-19 from the field. Anthony had his jump shot going throughout the evening, knocking down 4-7 from beyond the three point line and sinking all eight of his free throw attempts. Anthony also grabbed eight rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and one block.

-Positives

For the second consecutive night, the Knicks defense is what drove them to victory. Last night they were able to hold the high-scoring Golden State Warriors to only 18 points in the fourth quarter, tonight they one upped that, giving up only 14 to the Jazz. On the night the Jazz shot only 38.8 percent from the field, and 33.3 from the three point line. The scoring output for the Jazz declined in every quarter from the first on.

Without Stoudemire in the lineup, other players had to step up scoring tonight for the Knicks and that is exactly what they did. In addition to Anthony, the Knicks had four other players score in double-figures; Tyson Chandler had 15, Raymond Felton had 12, J.R. Smith had 13 and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 10 off the bench.

Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

The balanced scoring was huge for the Knicks tonight, as they were playing in the second night of a back-to-back. They were able to play efficiently on the offensive end, making 47.1 percent of their shots. They also turned the ball over only nine times, not allowing the Jazz to get into transition. The Knicks tonight looked like a team that wants to make the playoffs. With less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the game was tied at 67. From there, the Knicks took over, outscoring the Jazz 25-16 the remainder of the game.

-Negative

Hardaway Jr. appeared to injure his ankle in the waning seconds of the game. With the outcome already decided, he looked to land awkwardly and be in real pain. He was helped to the locker room by Anthony as he was unable to put any pressure on it. He will be taken for x-rays and tests, but was seen being taken out of the arena in a wheelchair. If Hardaway Jr. is unable to go Wednesday, it will be a big blow for the Knicks. Hardaway Jr. has emerged as the only scoring option off the bench with Smith and Stoudemire being inserted into the starting lineup. 

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Knicks Pull Off Big Upset In Golden State Over Warriors

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 30^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors

Post Game Recap

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks were able to grind out a tough, hard earned victory Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks finally looked like a team fighting for their playoff lives as they put the effort and energy in to beat a superior team. The Knicks were able to take control of the game in the second quarter, and would not relinquish it throughout the second half. They bended but did not break as the Knicks were able to pull out the victory. With the win, the Knicks are now one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will look to finish the road trip 3-2 Monday night against the Utah Jazz before heading back home.

Player of the Game: The Bench

The bench has been much maligned for the Knicks recently, but tonight they were the catalysts to get the lead in the second quarter. Pablo Prigioni was inserted into the game and brought a different mentality to the team on both ends of the court. He was extremely aggressive and showed leadership by getting into his teammates when they were not in the correct positions. Prigioni wasn’t alone, as Tim Hardaway Jr. delivered a much needed scoring punch off the bench with 15 points. Iman Shumpert may not have shot the ball well, but he was able to stymie the Warriors explosive backcourt when he was in the game. Shannon Brown even gave the Knicks something without playing much in the game, getting the game sealing steal and knocking down two free throws after a clear path foul was called.

-Positives

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

Amar’e Stoudemire has remained positive no matter how bleak the situation, and tonight he backed up his talk. Stoudemire was a monster on the boards tonight, grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, six of which were offensive. Stoudemire also delivered some timely baskets, scoring 15 points and knocking down two clutch free throws to give the Knicks a two point lead late in the fourth quarter.

With Carmelo Anthony in foul trouble throughout the first half, the Knicks needed someone to step up and that person was J.R. Smith. Smith poured in 19 points in the first half, carrying the Knicks with Anthony on the sidelines. Smith and Hardaway Jr. combined to score the last 15 points of the first half for the Knicks as they got in transition for easy baskets and knocked down perimeter jump shots.

Raymond Felton is picked apart nightly because of how poor his defense is, but credit needs to be given to him for forcing a turnover on the last possession of the game. Felton forced Stephen Curry to make a tough pass, which was stolen by Brown. Felton denied Curry the ball extremely well the final couple of possessions, and should be lauded for the defensive effort he put in tonight to seal the victory.

The Knicks struggles defensively have been well known, and where they struggle most nights is defending the perimeter. Teams have torched the Knicks from the three-point line, but tonight they defended it rather well. They lost Curry a couple of times, as he went 6-12 from deep but the rest of the Warriors combined for only 4-19. One player the Knicks held in check well was the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. Thompson struggled with his shot all night, making 3-11 from beyond the arc and 6-18 overall.

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

After allowing 32 points in the first quarter and looking to be well on their way to another blowout loss, the Knicks defense really stepped up. The remaining three quarters the Warriors scored only 52 points. This is a team that averages 103.4 points per game on the season, being held to what they normally would score in a half, the final three quarters of the game tonight.

-Negative

It was announced after the game that Anthony had x-rays on his left hand. There is no particular time announced of when he got hurt, but it something the Knicks cannot afford at this point in the season. The x-rays came back negative, but it is something to definitely keep an eye on for tomorrow as the Knicks will get right back at it against the Jazz.

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Knicks Routed By Suns in Phoenix

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 28^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Phoenix Suns

Post Game Recap

For the second time on this west coast trip, the New York Knicks inexplicably no showed. This time it was against a team that had something to play for still in the Phoenix Suns, and the end result was a 112-88 massacre. The game was never really close, as the Suns got off to a scorching start and never let up on a Knicks team who just didn’t have it tonight on either end of the court. The Knicks once again lost out on a golden opportunity to close the gap between them and the Atlanta Hawks, now sitting two games behind them for eighth place in the Eastern Conference once again. The Knicks will be back on the court Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Player of the Game: None

It is becoming a troubling trend that the Knicks are playing so poorly there is no player worth naming as the player of the game. It was a rough game for everyone on both ends of the court.

AP Photo/Matt York

-Positive

Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert shot 50-plus percent from the field. The game was that bad that the only positive that can be taken from it was that three players made at least half their shots. Anthony scored 21, Stoudemire scored 19 in his return to the first place he called home in his NBA career, and Shumpert scored seven. Shannon Brown was able to knock down three of his five shots in garbage time as well, scoring six points.

-Negatives

Raymond Felton was lit up once again without much effort being put towards it. It is has been such a regular throughout the season it is almost a waste giving him a section of the article every post game. Goran Dragic torched him, shooting 11-17 from the field en route to a game-high 32 points. His eyes lit up whenever Felton was across from him, scoring in a number of ways including transition and from beyond the three-point line.

How the Knicks played so poorly offensively against a team that doesn’t really want to play defense is unexplainable. The Suns defend the three-point line well, but they are easily attacked in the paint without a real rim protector. The Knicks must not have gotten that memo, scoring only 24 points in the paint for the game. Overall, they shot 40.2 percent and 32 percent from the three point line.

It was double-trouble for the Knicks tonight, as the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, destroyed them throughout the night. They took it to the Knicks, combining for 25 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. They dominated the Knicks big men, namely Tyson Chandler. Chandler got into with them during the game, which has become his MO when the Knicks get blown out. Chandler finished the game with one point and seven rebounds.

The Suns put on an aerial assault from the three point line and in transition, putting on a show for their fans. They knocked down 14 three pointers in the game, and 26 points in transition. The Suns also took advantage of the Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 points off of 13 turnovers. The Suns made the most of the opportunities given to them, while the Knicks watched as bystanders and were run off the court. 

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings; March 26th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 26^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will look to bounce back from possibly their most embarrassing performance of the season Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings tonight. The Knicks were handled with ease by the Los Angeles Lakers, and will look to get back on track with only 11 games remaining on the season and their playoff hopes on life support. The Knicks will have revenge on their mind tonight as well to help add fuel to the fire, as the Kings won the first meeting this season at Madison Square Garden. Here are some keys to the game tonight.

Match-Up of the Game: Tyson Chandler vs. DeMarcus Cousins

cowbellkingdom.com

Chandler was non-existent in the game Tuesday night and will have to step his game up against the Kings and Cousins or else he will get embarrassed. Cousins is one of, if not the most, talented center in the NBA. He leads the Kings in points, rebounds, steals and blocks on the season, showing how great he is on both ends of the court. In the first match-up this season Cousins went for 19 points and 14 rebounds, even though he was unable to finish the game because of injury. Chandler had a strong game as well, going for 17 and 11. Cousins is prone to fouling, so if the Knicks can get Chandler involved in the offense through the pick-and-roll it could frustrate Cousins and get him in foul trouble.

-Player News and Notes

It may have looked like some players were injured last night with how they played, but the Knicks will have the same players at their disposal to use tonight. Iman Shumpert had been battling a virus but was able to suit up last night and should be out there again tonight.

For the Kings, Quincy Acy could return tonight after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. Starting point guard Isaiah Thomas is questionable with a right quad contusion after not practicing Tuesday. Thomas has been dealing with sprained ligaments in his shooting wrist, and it has been hinted that head coach Mike Malone may look to start resting Thomas.

-Give Effort

Last night the Knicks looked defeated, playing frighteningly poor against quite possibly the worst Lakers team in franchise history. The Knicks embarrassed themselves with the loss Tuesday and made an appearance in the playoffs extremely unlikely. The Knicks need to come out with more effort tonight or the Kings will run them off the court. The Knicks already suffered a loss to the Kings this season, so it would be common sense to think they will try, but as we have seen throughout the season nothing is certain with this Knicks team.

-Small Forward Battle

This could have easily been the match-up of the game as well, as Carmelo Anthony will be facing off against Rudy Gay. Both players are dynamic scorers and will be matched up together throughout the night. Anthony started slow last night, missing his first six shots, but he finished the game making his next 10-15 and ending with 29 points. He needs to get off to a better start tonight as the Knicks go only as far as Anthony will take them.

Gay is a talented scorer and has looked much better as a second option behind Cousins on the Kings than as the go-to guy. Gay can knock down jumpers and is athletic enough to get to the rim, qualities that can give above average defenders fits. The match-up between the two small forwards will be worth keeping an eye on as well as the center match-up.

-Bench Play

With J.R. Smith and Amar’e Stoudemire being inserted into the starting lineup, the bench has been unable to pickup the slack. Tim Hardaway Jr. has become the go-to option off the bench and teams are focusing on him more defensively, making his life difficult on the offensive end. Where the real problem arises is defensively for the Knicks bench. Hardaway Jr. has become a player opponents gameplan to attack; when he is in the game whoever he is guarding is getting the ball. The bench has become a weak point for the Knicks, and it was never more evident than when they were unable to hold onto a 15 point lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter last weekend.

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