I don’t understand how the knicks would let the Celtics come back in the series. we could have just finshed them last night and move on to the next round. But no J.R. Smith had to decide to not show up, and didnt make a field point until the fourth with a three pointer. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith combined hit 11-38 shots last night. That is completely unacceptable by both players. Carmelo finished with 22 pts and 8-24 shooting with suffering a shoulder injury in the fourth because of Kevin Garnetts physical play.. J.R. Smith had 14 points and was 3-14.They need to come and show up for every game, this is the playoffs, they need to get there act together. To make matters worse the Celtics had five players who scored double digits last night. Almost forgot to add that Felton had 21 points last night.

Due to the loss in MSG now the Knicks have to go back to TD Garden in Boston. Hopefully going into game 6 sunday night i hope the knicks come ready to play.

The Knicks have obviously won the Atlantic division with Carmelo Anthony leading in points. Anthony has proved to be the best player on the floor. Averaging 35 points and shooting 45.3 percent from the field. Although he has been slacking because of the celtics defense, he’s been getting all the support he needs from J.R. Smithh with averaging 17 points a game. Smith was honored by receiving the 6th man award. He averaged 18.1 points a game off the bench. That is an awesome accomplishment for him as well as for the Knicks. Having a player as effective, skilled, and energetic as any starter coming off the bench gave the Knicks the ability so be as effective as coach Woodson wanted. Cant forget about our bull dog like player Raymond Felton averaging 14.5 points a game. Felton is a great player to have on your team, his feat are constantly moving, he takes the right shots, and his ability to find his way to basket makes him such a fun player to watch. Lastly but defiantly not least our 7.1 foot center Tyson Chandler. Lets be honest the man is a beast. Averaging 10.4 points a game in the regular season, as well as rebounding an average of 10.1 a game. That rebound percentage doesn’t even count how many he slaps the ball out to the field after a shot. Its great to see and extremely athletic.

The knicks clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference Championship behind the Miami Heat. The knicks have been playing against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Its been like a dog fight the whole time. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett aren’t going to go down without a fight. especially after the bombing in Boston. It kinda gives them more of an edge i would say, but our Knicks are gonna be alright. The Knicks just have to play smart around the Celtics defense. We have such an offensive threat the i believe we would be okay even if Carmelo has a bad game. He has the back up from the whole team. If one player isn’t playing to his potential his fellow Knicks brother will have his back. I’m not to worried about the series. The knicks got this!

While free-agency frenzy has made for an interesting off-season, the “Bluff Deal” seems to be an interesting side bar and strategy in full affect by many NBA teams. Many players like Jeremy Lin, Nicolas Batum, Eric Gordon, and Roy Hibbert entered this off-season as restricted free agents which mean any offer a team made on the player, the team the player has been under contract with can match that offer and keep the player, simple as that. But many teams seem to be using this as a key strategy in receiving players, and or making teams spend more money on players then they want to, and ultimately might screw over the teams cap space.

Two weeks ago it seemed hard to believe that Lin would be playing anywhere but for the Knicks, after coach Woodson made it clear that Lin was the teams starting point guard for the next season, and later team officials further backed this up by saying any offer on the player would be matched. But now after the Rockets offered Lin a 3-year $28 million deal, in which $14.8 million is offered in the third year of that contract, followed by the Knicks quickly reaching out to grab point guard Raymond Felton, it seems highly unlikely that the Knicks will match the Rocket’s the offer. But why after saying all of that, and making it clear that Lin would be their go to man, would they back away? While a lot points towards the hefty third year in the contract, you have to look a lot at the idea that the Knicks were just bluffing in hopes that teams like the Rockets wouldn’t even try and offer the guard anything.

This has also been seen by the Blazers max offer for Hibbert that put the Pacers in a tough decision-making scenario. The team eventually matched the offer, but it probably wasn’t the ideal amount they wanted to dish out to their young center. And the Blazers are currently in the middle of a tight battle with thee Wolves, who recently laid down a max contract for small forward Batum. The Blazers have constantly reiterated that they would match any offer, but now that the offer is a official will they back down? Its made for an interesting off-season so far, and a strategy that we will probably see a lot more of on both sides of the table in the future.

Against all odds Baron Davis left MSG to a standing ovation. It’s no coincidence that following the injury the Knicks won their first and probably only game of the series. Not only that, but Baron’s replacement Mike Bibby hit a clutch three with about a minute to go. Davis’s playing time was based more on desperation then ability. Mario Chalmers has destroyed Davis in the series averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 assists to Baron’s 7.8 points and 3.3 assists (and 3.3 turnovers). Every player on the Knicks roster not named Carmelo Anthony or Iman Shumpert (who’s lost for this series and probably part of next year) is a liability on either offense or defense. Baron found a way to be a liability on both.
Despite how much I despise Baron as a player it was hard not to feel bad watching his knee (or patella, whatever) dislocate. You know it’s bad when players on the court can’t even look at it. This will probably end the career of one of the most overrated players of the last decade (the guy made only two all star teams and advanced past the second round just twice). I guess that’s what happens when an old overweight man tries to play in the NBA. Now Baron can sit on his couch and gain weight this offseason. Only this time no one will care.

The first half of the season ended on somewhat of a down note for the Knicks, as they dropped 2 out of 3 contests heading into the all-star break. The Knicks went 8-1 before heading into the final stretch of the first half to get back into contention, but then sputtered a bit heading into the break.

Is it a coincidence that Carmelo Anthony returned to the starting lineup just before the skid began? The answer is unclear. But there is an entire second half to play, and we will learn what this team is made of very soon after play resumes.

The Knicks defeated the Hawks in impressive fashion before heading down to Miami to face the Heat in the first half finale, but stumbled down the stretch and often looked significantly inferior to the current number 1 seed in the east. They just didn’t look quite ready to take their play to the next level, but there is still a lot of time for them to do so, and they will have stiff competition to test them before the playoffs.

The Knicks open the second half of the season on Wednesday at home against the Cavaliers before going on the road to face the Celtics, the Mavericks, the Spurs, and the Bucks, a five game stretch that could really tell the world what this team brings to the table. They then return home for one game against the division leading 76ers before heading to Chicago to face the current number 2 seeded Bulls.

This 7 game stretch is important both for the Knicks’ record as well as the team’s confidence. If the Knicks can manage to win 4 out of these 7 games, they will have survived their toughest test so far this season and could gain a lot of confidence heading into the season’s final months.

The schedule does not get a whole lot easier after these 7 games, as the Knicks will have to face the Pacers twice, the Bulls two more times, the 76ers, Heat, Hawks, Clippers, Magic, and Celtics one more time each before the regular season ends.

The Knicks will have to win the games in between against inferior teams in order to have a chance at being considered a legitimate contender this season, and will also have to win several of these key match ups in order to feel confident at a chance to do some damage in the post season.

Overall, the Knicks are in a position to make a run. The All-Star break provided a much needed break for some of the Knicks’ key players, like Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert, who have looked out of sorts at times due to the condensed schedule and increased frequency of big games. That being said, we will finally be able to see what this team can do with a fresh slate, a healthy team, and a formidable schedule the rest of the way.

After a tough loss to the Nets on Monday night, the Knicks find themselves below .500 at 16-17 going into a pivotal match up tonight with the Atlanta Hawks. This is a must win game for the Knicks, as they have a very tough stretch of games ahead of them that could make or break the season.

The Hawks will be without star shooting guard Joe Johnson, so the Knicks will look to capitalize on his absence. Johnson’s injury is even more important because the Knicks will again be without rookie Iman Shumpert, who has established himself as the team’s best perimeter defender. The Knicks will be looking to avenge the bad loss to the Nets and get back to .500 before heading down to Miami on Thursday for a huge match up with the conference leading Heat to close out the first half of the season.

After the All Star break, the light at the end of the tunnel for the Knicks will still be nowhere in sight. After a home game against Cleveland on February 29, the Knicks will hit the road for a 4 game road trip against very stiff competition, and have 6 straight tough games overall.

They will begin the road trip in Boston, and then travel to Dallas where the Mavericks will certainly be looking to avenge their recent loss at Madison Square Garden. It doesn’t get any easier, as they will leave Dallas just to head to San Antonio, where the Spurs will surely be licking their chops before facing a Knick team that will surely be fatigued after facing the Celtics and Mavs consecutively, and all the travel time in between. After the Texas tour concludes, the Knicks will head to Milwaukee, where they always seem to have a tough time, even though the Bucks are currently 6 games under .500.

After the tough road trip, the Knicks will return home to face the division leading 76ers, who they did defeat earlier in the season, but this Sixer team looks like a force to be reckoned with coming down the stretch.

The tough 6 game stretch concludes with a road game in Chicago where the Bulls will most likely have Derrick Rose back from his injury.

This is certainly do or die time for the Knicks, and it is coming upon them very quickly. They will need to get the chemistry between Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and recent stud Jeremy Lin working immediately, and there is no time for excuses if mistakes occur.

The Knicks need to rack up as many W’s as possible in order to get a decent seed in the playoffs, and it all starts tonight against the Hawks.

So that wasn’t what we wanted to see. But have no fear, Knicks fans, this is only the beginning. The Nets clearly outplayed the Knicks last night, there’s no question about that, but despite Deron Williams’ 8 three-pointers and a 40% team shooting percentage, the Knicks only lost the game by 8.

That being said, there’s only one thing that cost the Knicks last night: hustle. The Nets went hard after every loose ball, and seemed to come up with big offensive rebounds when it mattered most, taking more time off the clock in the 4th quarter and not allowing the Knicks to set up their offense to get back into the game.

The Knicks cut the lead to single digits with about 7 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, but the Nets defense held up down the stretch, causing turnovers and confusion while the Knicks were desperate for points.

The Nets as a team shot almost 50% from three point range, a stunning statistic for a team with only 10 wins playing on the road in a hostile environment, but Deron Williams didn’t forget what Jeremy Lin did to him the last time they faced each other, and was out for revenge from the opening tip. Lin had 25 points and 7 assists in the game that sparked the “Linsanity” against New Jersey on February 4th. Lin did get his job done last night though, scoring 21 points with 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals.

To the delight of Knicks fans, Carmelo Anthony was unselfish, and did the best he could after a 7 game layoff due to injury, so this loss was not on him either. It simply comes down to defense for this team. The offense will be there; scoring 90-100 points per night should be customary for this group moving forward, so defensively the Knicks will have to bring a bit more intensity and will have to do a better job hustling for loose balls.

It also fits to mention that Iman Shumpert, the Knicks best perimeter defender, was out last night while fighting knee tendonitis. Low and behold, the Nets hit 15 threes.

So is it all over for the Knicks? Absolutely not. Even the best teams lose games to bad teams from time to time, so there is no way to judge this new look squad based on one game back together as a full unit.

The Knicks’ next game will be a tough test at home on Wednesday against the Hawks before flying down to Miami to face the Heat on Thursday.

So far, 2011-2012 has been the year of the emerging star in New York City both on the gridiron and the hardwood.

Victor Cruz, a Paterson, NJ native and undrafted free agent wide receiver from the University of Massachusetts, put himself on the map in the 2010 pre-season during a game against the New York Jets, when he dazzled the crowd for nearly 200 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. An injury landed the young receiver on IR for the remainder of the season, and he came into camp in 2011 as the fifth receiver behind Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Domenik Hixon.

Steve Smith departed for the Philadelphia Eagles before the start of spring training after an ugly contract battle with New York, leaving a gaping hole in the Giants receiving core. Hixon began the season promisingly, but suffered a season ending injury in Week 2 against the Rams after making a spectacular one handed touchdown catch. These injuries paved the way for Cruz, who certainly made the most of his opportunity.

In Week 3 against the Eagles, Cruz absolutely torched the Eagles’ prize free agent acquisition, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, for two touchdowns, and even wrestled one of them right out of the perennial pro-bowlers hands. Cruz became an instant sensation in New York for helping the Giants defeat one of their most bitter rivals, who had given them a lot of trouble in recent matchups. Cruz would go on to rack up over 1,500 yards, a single season record for any Giants receiver, while continuing to drop jaws at Metlife Stadium with unbelievable catches of 99 and 74 yards against the Jets and Cowboys respectively, helping the Giants find a way into the playoffs, and ultimately to their fourth Super Bowl championship.

Jeremy Lin, an undrafted free agent point guard from Harvard University must have seen Cruz play and said, “Hey, if he can do it so can I!” Lin bounced around from team to team last season and the beginning of this one, landing with the Knicks after rookie Iman Shumpert went down with an injury. Being an undrafted free agent, it was obvious that Lin would have to ride the pine unless a dire situation presented itself. It did. And since, the Knicks have lost only one game.

Jeremy Lin entered a must win game against the Nets with the Knicks struggling to move the ball, he finished with 25 points and 7 assists, leading the Knicks to a much needed victory and saving coach Mike D’Antoni’s job. That win made the Knicks 9-15, and they haven’t looked back. With only one bad loss to the lowly Hornets, the Knicks are 8-1 in their last 9 games with Lin getting a healthy number of minutes, and they have done so all without star forward Carmelo Anthony. After defeating the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in impressive fashion, it appears as though the Knicks are on the rise, and it is all thanks to Jeremy Lin.

So how did these two former no name athletes make it so big in the largest sports market in the country? The answer is unclear, but both Cruz and Lin have not only silenced critics, but have almost single handedly revolutionized the way teams will scout players moving forward. In other words, teams might look beyond Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s big board to find talent. More importantly, though, they have helped their teams win, and New York that is all that matters.

There is nothing better than an underdog story, and the city of New York is lucky enough to have been a part of two sensational stories within one year’s time. And the best is yet to come.

Yes. They can. This New York Knicks team, although sporting a measly .500 record as of today, is playing like a group who is starting to mesh at the right time, much like the Giants did in their magical Super Bowl run.

Although we will not have a clear indication as to how well the team will do until Carmelo Anthony returns to the starting lineup tonight against the Nets, it is reasonable for one to think that this team has a bright future, and that the sky is the limit starting right now.

The emergence of Jeremy Lin as a quality point guard has helped the team gel, as Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun offense is virtually useless without a point guard who can pass effectively and get the ball to the team’s primary scorers. Lin has certainly answered D’Antoni’s prayers to the ball movement gods as he has averaged over 20 points and 7 assists per game since his first start against the Jazz.

The popular question these days though, has been whether or not Carmelo Anthony will fit into the mix. My answer: why not? With a solid point guard now running the offense in New York, it will give Anthony a chance to play off the ball, and will give him a better opportunity to catch passes for open looks. As long as Anthony can play unselfishly, there is no reason why this team cannot be very dangerous come playoff time. The addition of J.R. Smith will also prove to be important, as he, like Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire is true scorer. At the end of the day, Jeremy Lin really couldn’t have asked for a better set of teammates to help him get his career started.

The most important thing for the Knicks, however, is depth. They have created their own depth from within with the emergence of Lin, as well as the stellar play of Steve Novak, who has averaged over 12 points per game since his minutes were increased. He has hit big three after big three, including one against Dallas late on Sunday which he celebrated by showing off his “discount double check” belt move made famous by Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Knicks also have valuable, young assets in Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert, who are only getting better and better game by game. The acquisition of J.R. Smith will also take pressure off of the young guards, especially come playoff time.

Another key ingredient to the recipe for success of this years Knicks team is veteran point guard Baron Davis, who has yet to see the court this year due to injury. Once he gets back on his feet, he will prove to be a valuable back up to Lin, even if it is only for this one season.

Defensively, Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries have been getting the job done. The Knicks are allowing around 11 fewer points per game than they did a year ago, and this is no coincidence. Jeffries has distinguished himself as one of the best in the league at drawing charges in the paint, and Chandler already has a ring to show for his defensive tenacity.

Overall, the Knicks appear to be heading in the right direction. With new star Jeremy Lin running the offense and passing to the likes of Stoudemire, Anthony, and J.R. Smith, the team should not have much trouble scoring close to a hundred points per game or more from here on out. Defensively, the team is much improved, and showed it with a win over the reigning NBA champions this past Sunday. If all goes well, the Knicks could have their own title to defend come 2013.

Donnie Walsh, the man responsible for almost single-handedly bringing the New York Knicks back from a decade of irrelevance and the nightmare that was Isiah Thomas’ tenure as team president and then head coach, is leaving the team, and will vacate his position as president and general manager shortly after this month’s 2011 NBA Draft. Team owner James Dolan called the decision to not renew Walsh’s contract — scheduled to end in one month — as “mutual,” although suspicions are strong that Dolan and Walsh did not see eye-to-eye on a number of key issues and decisions, including the future of head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Walsh was instrumental in freeing the cap space that allowed the Knicks to pursue Amare Stoudemire and later sign Carmelo Anthony, qualifying the Knicks for the post-season for the first time since 2004 and leading the team to their first winning season since 2000. Walsh’s departure leaves some very big, and important shoes to fill, especially with what should be a busy summer of free agency coming up in 2012. Alan Houston’s name has been already thrown around as a possible replacement, as has newly retired head coach Phil Jackson’s (not happening), but it is highly unlikely for a decision to be made anytime soon. It is also highly unlikely — let us all pray — that Isiah Thomas will be in the running for the position, again. I say this in the hopes that this hiring will not only be made with player personnel (and coaching) decisions in mind, but also with the best interests of the team’s fan base and the direction the franchise is trying to go in. In other words, and now that the Knicks are finally relevant again and have (somewhat) regained the loyalty and trust of their fans, owner James Dolan should be very careful in who he hires to replace Walsh, and hopefully is able to put his personal biases and friendships aside.

Personally, I would like to see Alan Houston take Walsh’s place. He doesn’t have a ton of experience, but clearly knows the Knicks franchise and strikes me as an extremely smart guy. Most importantly, I would love to see Walsh stick around the team as a consultant (it has been reported that he will do so next season, although how much he stays involved in the day-to-day team affairs is very unclear) for the next couple of years. The worst things Knicks management can do right now is take a complete U-turn and undo all the good work Walsh has done in the last couple of years. Despite the fact that the Knicks had their first successful season in quite a while this year, there is no doubt that they are in an extremely vulnerable situation in terms of cap space and player options. They gave up what seems like 20 draft picks to get Carmelo, so they will have to be extremely smart if they hope to attract players in the next couple of years to build around Stoudemire and Anthony.

No matter what happens, Knicks fans should do one thing: buckle their seat-belts. But then again, I probably don’t have to remind anyone to do that. This is the Knicks we are talking about after all. If Isiah Thomas doesn’t get hired in the next 2 weeks that will be a huge victory in itself…