The Knicks as Challengers to the Heat's Eastern Supremacy

The summer of 2010 was also an eventful one for the New York Knicks. Yes they lost the race for LeBron, but they came away with somewhat of a consolation prize in Amar'e Stoudemire. They fielded a pretty solid playoff worthy line up before the Melo-drama came to an end. Felton, Fields, Gallinari, Stoudemire and Turiaf, with Wilson Chandler coming off the bench were good enough to be an above .500 team in the East. 

Knicks core in 2010-2011

Then it happened, the Knicks finally traded for Carmelo Anthony. Just the kind of superstar they were looking for, not to mention he was born in New York, the interest between both the Knicks and Melo was intensely mutual. But it came at a steep price, the Knicks had to cough up Gallinari, Chandler, Felton and Mozgov to acquire the scoring dynamo. They did however absorb 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. They then went on to fade out of the 1st round of the playoffs against the Celtics. 

The fury of Tyson Chandler

In the summer of 2011, the Knicks again made waves by signing brand new NBA Champion Tyson Chandler, a defensive force and offensively efficient center. From a leadership standpoint, it did hurt them to lose Billups to the Clippers. We all know how Linsanity started and ended in New York. And this upcoming season the New York Knicks will field a strong line up featuring their own version of a Big 3 in Carmelo, Amar'e and Tyson Chandler. Rounding out their triumvirate would be Felton, Iman Shumpert. With Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith and Steve Novak coming off the bench. Now that is firepower, few teams will be able to match what the Knicks will dish out next season. 

Now let's look at why they pose a threat to the newly crowned Kings of the NBA down in South Beach. Amar'e Stoudemire, let us forget the hand and the fire extinguisher incident all in all. This guy was once a beast on offense, the only player I knew of that could dunk over, around and through a shot blocker. That version of Amar'e is hidden somewhere and hopefully is once again ready to be unleashed unto the NBA. His defense is suspect at best but that is what Tyson Chandler was brought in for. And if there is anyone who knows how to beat the Heat, its Chandler. It is very important to note that Amar'e has two weeks to learn from Hakeem Olajuwon, when thats over and done with, Stoudemire should come out a more polished post-up player with a bevy of moves to use against unsuspecting forwards and centers. When we combine his new arsenal of moves with his physical gifts, the results on the court should be a combination of beauty and fury.

Then we have Tyson Chandler patrolling the middle. He is the reigning 2012 DPOY. He should be able to duplicate his performance from last season, probably to a greater extent since the Knicks will have the opportunity at a full training camp this upcoming season. He gave the Heat fits in the 2011 NBA Finals, his presence on defense forced the Heat to morph into a jump shooting team. He also served as a great deterrent whenever LeBron or Wade were able to get into the paint. His overall intensity and team oriented play always made him a winner, he proved it in 2011. As for this season, he should be able to lead the charge defensively for the Knicks, and help contain the Heat if and when they meet in May.  

Carmelo Anthony, this guy just gets BUCKETS. I am still a firm believer that he is the best and purest scorer that the NBA has to offer. What separates him from Kevin Durant is his underrated strength and his ability to post-up and finish at the rim. If he finds a way to score with more efficiency, watch out. One of the few things Melo needs to improve is picking his spots on offense, there are a few times wherein he goes on a shooting rampage a-la Kobe Bryant, he is far from being a defensive liability, but he isn't a lockdown defender either. So a little more commitment on that end will go a long way. Once he finds that harmony on the court with Amar'e (I still believe it will happen), the Knicks will be as dangerous a team as any in the league. 

The supporting cast is one that maybe 24 other teams would take in half a heartbeat. Felton and Kidd will be more than serviceable at the point, effectively getting the better of the Chalmers and Cole pairing. The Knicks have Iman Shumpert who I firmly believe is capable of giving Dwyane Wade fits due to his length and quickness on D. If Shumpert reaches his full potential early, the Heat will be in for quite a surprise. J.R. Smith is good for more than a couple of 20 to 25, maybe even 30 point outbursts OFF THE BENCH. Of course there is elite 3 point specialist Steve Novak, who is bound to light it up on a consistant basis. Then there is Marcus Camby, who is pretty much Tyson Chandler Senior. 

The future of the Knicks franchise

In reality, the Knicks hold an advantage over the Heat at the point and the pivot. If Amar'e, Melo and Iman are able to neutralize Miami's Big(ger) 3. Then I really like their chances in a 7 game series. Needless to say there is a lot of work to be done. We should be able to predict how far this version of the Knicks can go by the New Year. A lot will be riding on how Amar'e can utilize what he learns from Hakeem, what Carmelo Anthony would be willing to sacrifice for the advancement of the team and Tyson Chandler's sustained dominance on defense. Also, if Jason Kidd can help Felton bust out of last season's joke of a campaign, the Knicks should be good to go. I'll go ahead and pencil the Knicks in as the 2nd seed in the East. I personally think that they match the Heat blow for blow in almost every aspect of the game. It will be totally up to them to show the world what they can do if and when things fall into place. The KNICKS-HEAT rivalry is back, hopefully this season rather than the next.