Knick Knacks: Obi Wan Anthony, You Are My Only Hope

Article first published as Knick Knacks: Obi Wan Anthony, You Are My Only Hope on Blogcritics.


A holographic vision appears and tells Carmelo Anthony he is the only hope. Hope for the season, for the playoffs, for staving off the calls for "Wait until next year." The person speaking is Mike Woodson, interim head coach who has somehow lit a spark under these fledgling padawans that call themselves The New York Knicks. Yes, okay, enough of the Star Wars references, but you get the idea. The Knicks are in trouble, even if they have won seven of their last ten games.

One of the biggest problems is Amar'e Stoudemire, the 29 year old forward who has looked ancient at times this year. The history of bad knees were always a problem, but now he has a definitely more serious issue with the bulging disc in his back. No one around the Knicks is saying it, but Amar'e is done for the season. He has to be or he may risk being out for the rest of his career.

Now you can talk about Linsanity all you want, but down the stretch toward the playoffs Jeremy Lin is not going to be the most important factor. Neither are Tyson Chandler, Baron Davis, Steve Novak or any other Knick. It all falls to 'Melo, whether or not any of us like that or not. The equation is simple in the Mike Woodson era (its brevity not withstanding). Even before Amar'e's injury, it was clear Woodson's game plan was built around Anthony. Now there is no choice at all but to believe in this because nothing else will get the Knicks there.

Right now the Knicks are 25-25 and the playoffs loom a month from now. Some people around New York are talking about overtaking the Celtics and Sixers and taking first place, but those guys are dreaming up the wrong tree. They are looking up when they should be looking down at Milwaukee. Right now they lead the Bucks by two games in the playoff race. That is the number they should be concerned about because, like Obi Wan Anthony, it's their only hope.

Photo Credit: NBA.com

Knick Knacks: D'Antoni's Departure Means This Season Is Doomed

Article first published as Knick Knacks: D'Antoni's Departure Means This Season Is Doomed on Blogcritics.

If anyone thinks that the "resignation" of Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni is a good thing, he or she is living in an alternate universe where the Knicks lead the Celtics in the standings. In this real world things are getting ugly as they can get for the Knicks and their fans, and the writing was on the Madison Square Garden wall when fans were booing the team on Monday.

Whether or not D'Antoni actually resigned is not the point, even if Knicks owner Jim Dolan says he and the coach "mutually agreed" on this decision. The truth is that the whole thing came down to Carmelo Anthony or Mike D'Antoni. That's like saying it came down to a 1965 Chevy and 2012 Mustang (admittedly with a few dents). Obviously, there was only one way this thing could go.

Last year Dolan gave away some quality players to get Anthony, so if he had traded him before tomorrow's deadline, it would have been an admission that move was flawed. Anyone who has watched the Knicks knows that to be the case, but here we go trying to put spit and polish on the lackluster efforts of Anthony.

Make no mistake, he is not alone in this debacle. Amar'e Stoudemire has been doing his best Madame Tussaud impersonation all season. Watch him under the net and you may see birds resting on his head. Jeremy Lin, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, and all the other assorted Cratchits are to blame as well, but it is easier to just to say "Off with his head" and be done with D'Antoni than to address the deep trouble that exists on this team right now.

Assistant coach Mike Woodson will be the interim head for the remainder of the season. With the Knicks losing six in a row and eight of their last ten, I don't think anyone can seriously believe this change is going to do anything to stop the insanity (with the Linsanity almost all but forgotten now).
D'Antoni is gone but the problems remain. Look for the Knicks to be overtaken by the Milwaukee Bucks for the last playoff spot, and be realistic and thankful for this merciful exit out. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see this squad anywhere near any of the teams in the first round of the playoffs.

Go gentle into that good night, Knicks fans. It's over.

Photo Credit - NY Daily News

Knick Knacks: Linsanity Is Running Out of Gas

Article first published as Knick Knacks: Linsanity Is Running Out of Gas on Blogcritics.

The climate in New York is not good these days for Knicks fans, who are coming down off an artificial high created by Linsanity, the amazing celebratory crush of excitement that involved Jeremy Lin's shooting star. Alas, as with all shooting stars, they peter out, and you are left with the same dark sky filled with many other stars that are still shining.

We Knicks fans should have known better, but we were caught up in the tidal wave of Linmania, unable or unwilling to admit it would ever ebb. We didn't want to think about the fact that it was a short period of time, in the absence of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, and that when they returned and the team played more challenging opponents, that the Lin fire would die down.

Right now Lin looks like at best an average player. Other teams have been watching him, scouting him, and figuring out his game. He still fits into the Mike D'Antoni theory of things (outscore your opponents by taking as many shots as possible), but that doesn't solve the continuing defensive problems (magnified when Tyson Chandler is not in the lineup). Lin is clearly not a defensive player, and we can wonder if he ever will match the type of play that caused Linsanity in the first place, or if he will just settle down and be that average player - for the rest of his career.

I still keep thinking that Lin's talent and personality will win out, that he will rise to become a much better player again. He will never be a Kobe Bryant type talent (or even a Carmelo Anthony), but he could still surprise us and that is something to look forward to for Knicks fans.

All you have to do to know Linsanity is running out of gas is to watch the games, or you can ask some of my fellow Knicks fans, or better yet some of the kids who know what's going on. When my nephew was asked if he wanted a Lin jersey for his birthday, the reply was a firm "No thanks." He would take a Stoudemire or Anthony one though. Enough said about Linsanity, at least for now.

Photo Credit - NY Daily News

Knick Knacks: Lin and Knicks Face Reality Check Going Into All Star Break

Article first published as Knick Knacks: Lin and Knicks Face Reality Check Going Into All Star Break on Blogcritics.

LINsanity hit a major bump in the road in Miami against the Heat (27-7), and the team (Lin in particularly) looked less than up to the challenge of facing LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh (who led Miami with 25 points) and company on the road.

At times Lin looked like a junior varsity player thrown out on the hardwood with the big boys, but one can at least give him the benefit of the doubt, and as Knicks head coach Mike D'Anotni said afterwards, "It's one game." For now we can try to accept that.

So the Knicks go into the break 17-18 and face what is a reality check. They trail Philadelphia by 3 1/2 games in the Atlantic Division, but Miami looms large at the top of the Southeast leading Orlando by 5 1/2 games. If the Knicks can get into the first round (not playing Miami at that point), maybe they can get lucky and maybe they can up the ante as Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Lin, and the rest find a way to get this team to gel under D'Antoni's score more than the other guy game plan.

At this point we Knicks fans have been living in a bubble - a big, beautiful bubble with Jeremy Lin's face on it. I heard on sports radio the other day that James was a bit annoyed when members of the press kept asking him about Jeremy Lin. Finally, I heard James say something about noticing the commotion but being too involved in his own team to think much about Lin or the Knicks. Of course, a king is rarely concerned with members of some other prince's court, still with two Sports Illustrated covers under his belt, Lin is kind of hard to ignore no matter how much King James protests too much.

The All-Star Break does present an opportunity, especially in this shortened and condensed season, for the Knicks to take stock of what has happened over these first 35 games. It has been an incredible ride to be sure, but like any roller coaster, it's going to have its down moments, and this is one of them. Now it is up to D'Antoni and his players to find a way to harness the goodwill generated by Lin, bring everyone together on the court, and make sure there are more ups than downs the rest of the way.

Photo Credit - Getty Images

Knick Knacks: Jeremy Lin Makes Watching the Knicks Fun Again

Article first published as Knick Knacks: Jeremy Lin Makes Watching the Knicks Fun Again on Blogcritics.

At this point the New York Knicks are interesting again because of a young player named Jeremy Lin, the first American born player of Chinese descent (and only the fourth Chinese player in history) in the NBA. Coming over to the Knicks from the Golden State Warriors, Lin has come off the bench in the absence of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and lit up Madison Square Garden. I am happy to say I have a reason to watch Knicks games again.

In the past I would have turned last night's game off long before the fourth quarter because I would have just figured they would lose, but I kept watching and was not disappointed. With 4.9 seconds left in the game against Ricky Rubio (another sensation that has salvaged his team's season) and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lin hit a free throw and the Knicks won their fifth straight 100-98. If he keeps going like this, one day this kid will have his jersey hanging from the rafters at the Garden, at least it seems that way right now.

This enthusiastic and talented young player is 5-0 as a starter and has brought the Knicks up to 13-15. The team has won those five games without their big stars, and one can see a difference in the whole team. Certainly coach Mike D'Antoni looks like a different man (like someone with a reprieve from the gallows?), and he was not that long ago looking like New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin did after his Giants lost four in a row last year. Of course, we know things turned out quite well for Coughlin as he won the Super Bowl, and now there is light at the end of the tunnel for Knicks fans, and we have reason to watch or to even venture out into the cold and go to the Garden to see games again.

What does Lin have that has made the difference? I think if you look at all the reasons why the Knicks were doing poorly before Lin came off the bench to change things, it especially had to do with the two big guys looking weary out there, and that created a lethargy in the team as a whole. Now we know Anthony is hurting and feared the worst about Amar'e being able to make it through this condensed season without breaking down, and it seemed there was just no defense even with the welcome arrival of Tyson Chandler this year.

Jeremy Lin at point guard has scored 126 points in five games as a starter. He has also shown such determination, dedication, and has inspired his teammates and fans with his winning attitude. So people can say that "he came out of nowhere" or whatever else they want to say, but this young man may not only be the reason to watch the Knicks but actually to hope for a chance for the playoffs.

We have to wonder what will happen when Anthony and Stoudemire return, but they themselves must be invigorated by seeing what this kid can do, and you can rest assured that D'Antoni is going to have Lin in that lineup every night. He had better because Lin has saved the coach and the season. I can honestly say I can't wait to see the next game against Toronto, and I haven't had that feeling in a long, long time. Thank you, Jeremy Lin!

Photo Credits - NY Daily News

Knicks Are All Sound and No Fury in Loss to Heat

Article first published as Knicks Are All Sound and No Fury in Loss to Heat on Blogcritics.

The New York Knicks played the Mike D'Antoni way last night, but that proved to be their downfall in a 99-89 loss to the Miami Heat. The D'Antoni way is simple - continually try to score and score. In this philosophy defense is secondary and the goal is to simply outscore the opponent. Unfortunately for these Knicks, there is a great deal of sound but little fury in this practice, as was evident last night in Miami.

The Knicks (7-12), playing without Carmelo Anthony, were led by a still struggling Amar'e Stoudemire who scored 12 points and looks nothing like the player from last season who seemed to own the court (and to some extent the team itself). That was before he had to share the spotlight with Anthony, and since his arrival Stoudemire has not looked the same and that is one reason the team is faltering.

The other reason is the coach and his approach. He had the team trying to score 3-pointers all over the place last night, but the problem with this offensive strategy is when you miss the basket (making just 18 out of 43 field goals). D'Antoni should have known better, or maybe it didn't matter when you are up against the likes of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade (a combined 59 points).

So perhaps we can blame all this on Anthony being on the bench, or that D'Antoni is probably a lame duck, or the fact that the defense is sorely lacking (even with Tyson Chandler at center). Whatever the case, the Knicks are in what seems to be a downward spiral and there is no end in sight.

In this shortened and condensed season, the Knicks have fought against time and injury. It seemed that Stoudemire was going to need more time off with these back-to-back games, but with Anthony out they need him in there. The trouble is Stoudemire cannot do it all alone, and right now it seems like this team will barely play .500 ball and not make the playoffs.

Oh, and the Nets are just a half game behind them in the standings. If that doesn't shake these guys up, nothing will.

NBA Playoffs: Underdog Knicks Must Change Game Against Celtics

Article first published as NBA Playoffs: Underdog Knicks Must Change Game Plan Against Celtics on Blogcritics.

In baseball there is an old adage: "Good pitching beats good hitting." That has been proven true time and again, especially in a seven game playoff series. Now the New York Knicks should go into their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Celtics with this in mind: a good defense will beat a good offense. That is why the Knicks have to change their ways on the court; otherwise, the Celtics are going to win this series.

Make no mistake, coach Mike D'Antoni's team is much better than Knicks teams of the last few years. One can look to Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony as obvious reasons for that, and they have strengthened the play of Chauncey Billups and company with their presence. Still, the obvious thing one can gather since Anthony came to the Knicks is that this is an offense minded team. The problem is they are facing Kevin Garnett and the Celtics, and that solid defense is going to pose problems for them without a doubt.


The Knicks have to change their mindset starting tomorrow in that first game in Boston. With Ama're going head-to-head with Garnett, we will see a very physical match-up, and the Knicks are not at a disadvantage as they would have been a year ago. D'Antoni has got to get his players ready for a physical game - lots of contact and plenty of defending.

The Knicks have scored more points per game than the Celtics (106.5 - 96.5), and there is no disputing that superior offense, but they have also allowed more points (105.7 - 91.1) and the Celtics were number one in the league in that category. That superior defense is obviously capable of shutting down the Knicks machine. If the Apostrophe Duo - Amar'e and 'Melo - are held in check, this series will be quickly over.

Even before this series starts, we Knicks fans have to be thankful for being here. This season the games always seemed to matter (even before the Anthony trade), and that kept me watching and hopeful. Since that trade there has been a feeling of euphoria and pride as the team returned to the playoffs, but we also have to note that our bench is much weaker because of that trade, and the defense is a big question mark in this series.

Still, we are there and D'Antoni's team should know what it has to do. A good defense does shut down a good offense. Now it is up to the Knicks to change their attack plan; otherwise, they will be watching the finals at home.

Photo credits: NBA.com

Knicks Knack: Anthony Debuts in 114-108 Win Over Bucks

Article first published as Knicks Knack: Anthony Debuts in 114-108 Win Over Bucks on Blogcritics.


There are magic moments in sports; sometimes we get to experience them, and sometimes we wish that we did. Can you imagine seeing Don Larsen's perfect game during the World Series? My father saw that one. What about being there when Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest guy in the world? My great moments include when Cleon Jones caught that last ball of the 1969 World Series. Another was when Bill Buckner of the Boston Red Sox let a ball hit by Mookie Wilson roll through his legs. Those were the days.

Last night such a moment happened: Brooklyn-born Carmelo Anthony came home, and what a homecoming it was. He scored 27 points, had ten rebounds, and helped lead the New York Knicks to a 114-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. This was not a blowout, but that was not necessary. The Knicks are now 1-0 in the Carmelo Anthony era; let's hope there are many more wins to come in the weeks ahead.

Even if the Knicks win 20 of those last 27 games, they aren't going to catch the Celtics, but that is not why Anthony stepped on that court last night. It is all about perception and intention: team owner James Dolan wanted to let the fans know that he is committed to win, and nothing makes that more clear than seeing the new forward wearing that number 7 in a Knicks uniform.

Anthony got the welcome we would expect from New York fans. Madison Square Garden was rocking last night, and many fans have not heard that kind of thing for too long at MSG. I remember one other time in my life when a sports arena rocked like that; it was when Mike Piazza came to Shea Stadium for the first time. Old Shea rocked like it hadn't since the Beatles played their songs on a stage erected over second base. It was that wild and that loud and Piazza brought the same kind of hope to New York that Anthony brings now.

In the end we fans all want the same thing: a championship. It almost happened for Piazza in 2000, but the Yankees got in the way. Now it's Anthony's turn. He needs to do a lot more of what he did last night, but his stature and the confidence that he brings to the team is immeasurably important. Now the Apostrophe Boys ('Melo and Amar'e) can work together for the cause. We believe because in essence we see something that makes us do so.

This 114-108 victory is a great start. There are more wins coming, and fans can feel it. We know the playoffs are coming too, and that's something Knicks fans haven't been able to feel sure about for a long time now. Stoudemire started this whole thing. If he were not here, Anthony wouldn't be either. Now things have changed dramatically, and next year the Celtics will be on notice just as the Patriots will be. The Jets are for real and now so are the Knicks. That gives New York fans something to smile about this morning.

Photo Credit:
Theodorakis/News

Knicks Sell the Farm to Get Carmelo Anthony

Article first published as Knicks Sell the Farm to Get Carmelo Anthony on Blogcritics.


If you are a New York Knicks fan, you are probably smiling this morning. The Knicks finally made the big trade to get Carmelo Anthony, but to make the deal they had to give - and give a lot to be sure. I know, the sight of the Apostrophe Boys, 'Melo and Amar'e, together on the court at Madison Square Garden in their Knicks uniforms is enough to make our heads spin, but we should be a little worried about how Denver got a good deal more than anyone expected to give.

Consider if old McDonald wanted to get a certain famed milking cow to add to his herd, but in order to get it he had to give up all his chickens, pigs, and half his crops too. Would he give away most of his farm for that one cow? Well, the Knicks sent Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets to get the Brooklyn-born Anthony. They also gave Denver $3 million in cash plus a 2014 first-round pick and two second-round picks. His homecoming is coming at a very high price, and you wonder if the Knicks are letting the future slip away (especially with rookie Mozgov) in order to secure something right now.

Knicks fans need only to look to the standings for a reality check. The 28-26 Knicks are twelve games behind the Boston Celtics. Even with Anthony, there is no conceivable way that they are going to catch Boston. Of course, fans will say that was not the purpose of this trade. The idea is to get through the last twenty-eight games better than the first fifty-four, secure a spot in the first round of the playoffs, and give Knicks fans more than they have had to hope for in quite a long time.

Okay, I am all for that, but I am worried that the Knicks as an organization were played. What does that say not just about this year but the future. And, if the reports of Isiah Thomas acting as an "advisor" to owner James Dolan throughout the negotiations are true, then the writing is on the wall: Donnie Walsh, head of operations and against giving up too much in this trade, may be gone and Thomas may be back. That is bad news for the team and for the fans as well.

Tomorrow night at the Garden a new page in Knicks history begins. Anyone who has been there and heard the crowd will get a lump in his or her throat when the Knicks take the court against Milwaukee. The place will be shaking to the rafters, and visions of Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Dick Barnett running across the court will be dancing in our heads. Yes, that team was pieced together too from trades that resulted in that big championship season, and we can dare to dream a little and that's fine.

Still, when all the cheering is done, Anthony and Stoudemire then have to walk the walk. They have to fill some pretty big shoes out there if history is going to repeat itself. Maybe this year, but maybe not. I keep hearing Mets announcer Ralph Kiner saying what I have heard him say over and over again through the years, "The best trades are the ones you don't make." Let's hope that's not the case with Carmelo Anthony, but we'll start finding out tomorrow night at the Garden.