New York Sports Fan Blog

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.