Tyson Chandler never thought a trade to the NY Knicks was a possibility but now that he is here he couldn't be happier to be part of a new young NY Knicks Big 3. In order to get Chandler by trade from the Dallas Mavericks the Knicks had to send Ronny Turiaf and a 2013 second-round pick to Washington plus some cash. This was a three way trade so the NY Knicks also sent second-year guard Andy Rautins to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas also traded to the Knicks Ahmad Nivins and Giorgos Printezis. In order to create cap space to add Chandler the NY Knicks did unfortunately have to cut veteran gaurd Chauncey Billups and his 14.2 million dollar contract. There was some other players and picks moving between the Mavs and Wizards but who cares we get Tyson Chandler, good things are happening for the NY Knicks.
Watch this video where Chandler talks about becoming a member of the NY Knicks and let us know in the comments section how Chandler will fit in with the Knicks.
2011 NBA Playoffs: A Comprehensive Knicks-Celtics Series Preview
By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5
These 2 teams, THIS YEAR, have had some out and out battles.
Two of those games obviously came before the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and the Celtics swapped out Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. The Knicks lost those 2 games by 6 points combined.
The second, a throwback back-and-forth battle at Madison Square Garden, ended with a step-back dagger through the Knicks’ collective hearts from Paul Pierce (and a just-too-late 3 pointer from Amar’e Stoudemire).
There have been 2 more games since the trades, but let’s all just pretend Wednesday’s season-finale JV matchup in Boston didn’t actually happen, and concentrate on the March 21 matchup in MSG. It was a hyper-physical game (Troy Murphy, Ray Allen, and Carmelo Anthony all shed blood) in which the Knicks blew a huge lead, but at the same time proved that they could absolutely, positively hang with these guys.
I don’t really buy all the talk about how Knicks vs. Celtics is a rivalry. New York vs. Boston generally evokes the feel of a rivalry game. Yankees vs. Red Sox is a rivalry. Jets vs. Patriots is a rivalry. Rangers vs. Bruins is a rivalry. But not Knicks vs. Celtics.
The teams just haven’t been good at the same time in too long. The Knicks have been dreadful during the Celtics’ most recent stretch of good teams, just as the Celtics weren’t that great during the late 90’s run of Knicks teams.
But because the games this year were so great; and because the Celtics are seen to be nearing the end of their run just as the Knicks are starting theirs; and because these two teams seem to have been going in opposite directions for the last few weeks (New York went 7-2 down the stretch while Boston was 6-7 in their last 13 games); and because it is New York vs. Boston and The Garden vs. the Garden; this series will absolutely FEEL like a rivalry.
It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be close. It’s going to be bloody. And it’s going to be so much damn fun.
Which is why I’m going to break the series down right here in every way I can possibly think of: position by position, strengths and weaknesses, x-factors, and storylines, and I’ll throw in a prediction at the end too.
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups vs. Rajon Rondo
This should be a huge advantage for the Celtics. Chauncey Billups is old and slower, and he’s not getting any younger or quicker. And Rondo is maybe the league’s quickest point guards, and one of the craftiest as well. Rondo should win this in a landslide.
But Chauncey has been playing great lately for the Knicks, and Rondo has been downright dreadful at times since the Celtics traded his good buddy Kendrick Perkins. So it’s closer than it might look.
Still, though, I have to give the Celtics the advantage here. Rondo was so good in last season’s playoffs (he pretty much outplayed LeBron in the Cleveland series), and the physical advantages he has on Billups are so glaring, that I just can’t see Chauncey winning this individual matchup.
Shooting Guard: Landry Fields vs. Jesus Shuttlesworth Ray Allen
Chalk up another one for the Celtics. Allen is still the league’s best sharpshooter, no matter what the percentages say. I’m still shocked when he misses a shot, and so is he, and you probably are too.
Fields has had as good of a season as you could have possibly asked for from a 2nd round pick who almost nobody had heard of before his game was called on draft night. (I literally had never heard of him, and I follow college basketball pretty closely)
For most of the season, he led all NBA guards in rebounding, and all NBA players in 4th quarter 3 point percentages. But his play has really tapered off down the stretch, especially since the Knicks traded for Carmelo.
Meanwhile, Jesus Shuttlesworth quietly had maybe the most efficient season of his career. He shot 49% from the field and 44% from 3 and for the most part played very good defense.
Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce
A few years ago, before the Celtics ever traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Paul Pierce was seen as a selfish, shoot-first-ask-questions-later “superstar” who had a bad attitude and didn’t care enough about winning. Eventually though, a light went on for Pierce, and he subjugated his game to accommodate 2 new teammates, started caring on the defensive end of the court, and became one of the best late-game closers in the league. Sound familiar?
It should. Because that’s pretty much what seems to have happened to Carmelo Anthony this season, in the span of just the time since he’s been traded to the Knicks. After initially winning 6 of their first 9 games after the trade, the Knicks endured a horrible 1-9 stretch, during which Melo shouldered a lot of the blame. But right after that, the Knicks won 7 in a row, and Carmelo has never looked better (He averaged almost 30 and 10 during the streak).
To me, the winner of this matchup could be the winner of the series. They’re very similar players at different stages of their career.
They are both very physical small-forwards who can take you off the dribble, raise up for a quick jumper, or back you down in the post. And they’ve both really stepped up their defense.
Pierce has the championship experience. Carmelo has the youth, athleticism, and the better all-around right now.
This one is almost too close to call, but I’m giving a slight advantage to Carmelo. Slight.
Power Forward: Amar’e Stoudemire vs. Kevin Garnett
KG is all about defense, rebounding, mid-range jumpers, and woofing and hollering like a maniac. Stoudemire is partial to rim rattling dunks and smiles, and only occasionally cares on the defensive end of the court (although more this year than ever before).
But both are the emotional leader of their respective teams. Garnett changed the Celtics culture immediately upon coming over in a trade from the Timberwolves, and immediately instilled a passion that was absent on the defensive end of the court. They won a championship in their first season, literally going from worst to first.
Amar’e boldly declared “The Knicks are back” in front of Madison Square Garden before he had even officially signed his 5 year, $100 million dollar deal and took all the weight of a city on his shoulders. He delivered as promised, tantalizing fans with a stretch of 9 consecutive 30-point games early in the year, and teaming with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to lead the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time since Stephon Marbury was running the point.
Stoudemire is the better offensive player. Garnett is the better defensive player. Overall? I’ve got to give another slight edge to Amare and the Knicks.
Center: Ronny Turiaf/Shelden Williams/Jared Jeffries vs. Nenad Kristic/Jermaine O’Neal/Shaquille O’Neal
Ugly situations going on here for both teams. The Knicks’ size, rebounding and defense problem at the center position is well chronicled.
The Celtics problems at this position really only came up recently. They used to own one of the biggest size advantages of any team in the league, and they traded it away. They shipped off Kendrick Perkins, the league’s best post defender, to Oklahoma City, and sent Semih Erden, and underrated backup big man, to Cleveland.
None of Turiaf, Williams or Jeffries can be counted on to provide anything resembling offense, and their defense isn’t a big enough factor to garner an advantage for New York.
If either of the O’Neals can stay on the court for significant minutes, you’ve got to give this one to the Celtics.
Bench: Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries vs. Glen Davis, Jeff Green, Delonte West (maybe), Carlos Arroyo, Troy Murphy
The Celtics are certainly deeper here in terms of quantity of quality (yes, I used those words that way) contributors, but the Knicks probably have the best bench player in Douglas.
Since he went to Florida State, I’m extremely reluctant to give him any compliments, but when a guy leads the NBA in 3-pointers after the All-Star break, you have to give credit where credit is due.
But after that, the Knicks’ bench is too hit-or-miss for me to declare it a win for them. Shawne Williams is really only a positive when he’s knocking down corner 3s, which he did much more often in the first half of the season than the second half. Shelden Williams and Jeffries are negatives on the offense end. And Walker is the most enigmatic of the bunch.
Glen Davis was one of the better 6th men in the league for much of the year, and has stepped up his defense this year from the past. Green can play the 3 and the 4, but hasn’t fit in that well yet since coming over from OKC. West and Arroyo backup at the guard spots, but since Rondo and Allen play so many minutes, aren’t counted on too heavily. Still, they both have playoff experience and are solid.
Biggest Strengths: Knicks offensive firepower vs. Celtics lockdown defense
This is obviously the big battle of the series, and whoever controls the tempo and style of play will in all likelihood be able to win the series.
If the Knicks are able to push the pace, get out in transition and make their 3s, they will be very tough to beat. If the Celtics can make it a grind-it-out, half-court, defensive battle, they’ll likely be able to frustrate the Knicks into bad shots on one end of the court while unleashing their trademark efficiency on the other.
With Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony leading the charge, the Knicks have averaged 107 points per game since the trade. Chauncey Billups has been solid but not spectacular since coming over. Toney Douglas has been absolutely on fire, and has become a more important player to the Knicks’ offensive success than Landry Fields. Fields is very efficient, but has struggled late in the season.
These new Knicks can attack you in a lot of different ways, whether it’s a Billups-Stoudemire of Billups-Anthony pick and roll with the other waiting for a 15 foot jumper on the weak side, or getting out in transition, or letting Amar’e or Melo taking their man one on one in isolation.
The Knicks are definitely tough to stop, but the Celtics are even tougher to score on. Their ability to cut off both the paint and the passing lanes if unparalleled.
Their general focus will be to turn both Amar’e and Carmelo into jump shooters, not letting them get to either the rim or the free throw line. Rondo will apply a lot of ball pressure on Billups, and try not to allow him to hit the roll man or the pop man in screen-roll and pick-and-pop situations.
Not letting the Knicks get out and run will be huge too. Expect the Celtics to hit the offensive boards hard, since the Knicks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.
Biggest Weakness: Knicks rebounding vs. Celtics loss of identity Post-Perk
All you need to know about the Knicks’ rebounding woes is that Carmelo Anthony leads the team in rebounding since his arrival. Barring a shocking commitment to the boards from Amar’e Stoudemire during this series, you can expect the Knicks to get spanked on the glass.
The post-Kendrick Perkins Celtics have without a doubt been one of the most interesting stories in the league. In the days following the trade, there was a barrage of stories about how many members of the team, as well as coach Doc Rivers, were literally moved to tears when they heard about the trade.
Rajon Rondo in particular has completely fallen off a cliff without his best friend. Garnett’s woofing and hollering no longer has the physicality of Perkins to back it up. Allen and Pierce’s gambling (at times) on the perimeter no longer has the imposing presence behind it to thwart drives to the hoop.
These guys have looked like they’re old and slow and they’re pissed off that their teammate was traded. They look like they thought they deserved one more shot at a ring with their original group, and Danny Ainge took it away from them. This particular Celtics group had never lost a series in which their starting 5 was in tact (remembers Perkins was injured in Game 6 of last year’s Finals, and they beat the Lakers in ’08 when healthy). Ainge robbing them of that chance has thrown them into a funk.
Whether or not they can snap out of it will determine whether the Celtics can dispatch of the Knicks in quiet fashion or whether they’ll be given a run for their money.
Storylines: The Knicks are Back! vs. The Celtics Last Stand?
When Amar’e Stoudemire stood in front of Madison Square Garden and proudly declared, “The Knicks are back,” many laughed at him. How could a guy who had never played without Steve Nash, who was joining a team that had been one of the worst in basketball over the previous few years, and who had no teammates with any kind of experience to speak of, be so bold?
But Stoudemire took one of the youngest teams in the league on his shoulders, carried a huge load for the first half of the season, and looked like an MVP candidate in the early going. He still gets those chants at home games, even though he long dropped out of serious consideration for the award.
Then in February, the Knicks truly arrived, at least as far as being a relevant team in the national zeitgeist. Carmelo Anthony came aboard, Madison Square Garden absolutely exploded (in the good way), and many fans instantly had dreams of multiple championships.
This team is not at that point yet, but they are on their way. They have 2 important building blocks, and the cap space to potentially bring in a 3rd a la the Miami Heat in the summer of 2012 in the form of Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard. If not one of them, they will certainly be able to improve the team markedly in that span. Things are looking up for the Knicks, certainly when you consider where they were just a year ago.
The Celtics seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Coming into the season, it was expected that this would be sort of a last stand for this particular group in Boston.
Doc Rivers isn’t expected back next year. The since-jettisoned Kendrick Perkins wasn’t expected to resign in Boston after his contract ended. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are not getting any younger. Other than Rajon Rondo, there isn’t a super-star caliber player in the pipeline for the Celtics either.
And they’ve kind of validated all of that this season, especially with the way they’ve looked down the stretch. Is there anyone who could have watched the last 20 games that can seriously say that the Cs look like title contenders for NEXT year and beyond? I don’t think so.
The question for them will be whether they can put it back together for one last go at it. This group won a championship in their first year together, and they came oh so close last year. The veterans will not want their lasting legacy to be last year’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers.
Prediction
As much as it pains me to say, I have to take the Celtics to win the series. It’ll be a hard fought battle, and the Knicks will surely learn from and grow from it, but in the end the Celtics experience, playoff-tested mettle and defense will wear them out.
Celtics in 7 games
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5
These 2 teams, THIS YEAR, have had some out and out battles.
Two of those games obviously came before the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and the Celtics swapped out Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. The Knicks lost those 2 games by 6 points combined.
The second, a throwback back-and-forth battle at Madison Square Garden, ended with a step-back dagger through the Knicks’ collective hearts from Paul Pierce (and a just-too-late 3 pointer from Amar’e Stoudemire).
There have been 2 more games since the trades, but let’s all just pretend Wednesday’s season-finale JV matchup in Boston didn’t actually happen, and concentrate on the March 21 matchup in MSG. It was a hyper-physical game (Troy Murphy, Ray Allen, and Carmelo Anthony all shed blood) in which the Knicks blew a huge lead, but at the same time proved that they could absolutely, positively hang with these guys.
I don’t really buy all the talk about how Knicks vs. Celtics is a rivalry. New York vs. Boston generally evokes the feel of a rivalry game. Yankees vs. Red Sox is a rivalry. Jets vs. Patriots is a rivalry. Rangers vs. Bruins is a rivalry. But not Knicks vs. Celtics.
The teams just haven’t been good at the same time in too long. The Knicks have been dreadful during the Celtics’ most recent stretch of good teams, just as the Celtics weren’t that great during the late 90’s run of Knicks teams.
But because the games this year were so great; and because the Celtics are seen to be nearing the end of their run just as the Knicks are starting theirs; and because these two teams seem to have been going in opposite directions for the last few weeks (New York went 7-2 down the stretch while Boston was 6-7 in their last 13 games); and because it is New York vs. Boston and The Garden vs. the Garden; this series will absolutely FEEL like a rivalry.
It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be close. It’s going to be bloody. And it’s going to be so much damn fun.
Which is why I’m going to break the series down right here in every way I can possibly think of: position by position, strengths and weaknesses, x-factors, and storylines, and I’ll throw in a prediction at the end too.
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups vs. Rajon Rondo
This should be a huge advantage for the Celtics. Chauncey Billups is old and slower, and he’s not getting any younger or quicker. And Rondo is maybe the league’s quickest point guards, and one of the craftiest as well. Rondo should win this in a landslide.
But Chauncey has been playing great lately for the Knicks, and Rondo has been downright dreadful at times since the Celtics traded his good buddy Kendrick Perkins. So it’s closer than it might look.
Still, though, I have to give the Celtics the advantage here. Rondo was so good in last season’s playoffs (he pretty much outplayed LeBron in the Cleveland series), and the physical advantages he has on Billups are so glaring, that I just can’t see Chauncey winning this individual matchup.
Shooting Guard: Landry Fields vs. Jesus Shuttlesworth Ray Allen
Chalk up another one for the Celtics. Allen is still the league’s best sharpshooter, no matter what the percentages say. I’m still shocked when he misses a shot, and so is he, and you probably are too.
Fields has had as good of a season as you could have possibly asked for from a 2nd round pick who almost nobody had heard of before his game was called on draft night. (I literally had never heard of him, and I follow college basketball pretty closely)
For most of the season, he led all NBA guards in rebounding, and all NBA players in 4th quarter 3 point percentages. But his play has really tapered off down the stretch, especially since the Knicks traded for Carmelo.
Meanwhile, Jesus Shuttlesworth quietly had maybe the most efficient season of his career. He shot 49% from the field and 44% from 3 and for the most part played very good defense.
Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce
A few years ago, before the Celtics ever traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Paul Pierce was seen as a selfish, shoot-first-ask-questions-later “superstar” who had a bad attitude and didn’t care enough about winning. Eventually though, a light went on for Pierce, and he subjugated his game to accommodate 2 new teammates, started caring on the defensive end of the court, and became one of the best late-game closers in the league. Sound familiar?
It should. Because that’s pretty much what seems to have happened to Carmelo Anthony this season, in the span of just the time since he’s been traded to the Knicks. After initially winning 6 of their first 9 games after the trade, the Knicks endured a horrible 1-9 stretch, during which Melo shouldered a lot of the blame. But right after that, the Knicks won 7 in a row, and Carmelo has never looked better (He averaged almost 30 and 10 during the streak).
To me, the winner of this matchup could be the winner of the series. They’re very similar players at different stages of their career.
They are both very physical small-forwards who can take you off the dribble, raise up for a quick jumper, or back you down in the post. And they’ve both really stepped up their defense.
Pierce has the championship experience. Carmelo has the youth, athleticism, and the better all-around right now.
This one is almost too close to call, but I’m giving a slight advantage to Carmelo. Slight.
Power Forward: Amar’e Stoudemire vs. Kevin Garnett
KG is all about defense, rebounding, mid-range jumpers, and woofing and hollering like a maniac. Stoudemire is partial to rim rattling dunks and smiles, and only occasionally cares on the defensive end of the court (although more this year than ever before).
But both are the emotional leader of their respective teams. Garnett changed the Celtics culture immediately upon coming over in a trade from the Timberwolves, and immediately instilled a passion that was absent on the defensive end of the court. They won a championship in their first season, literally going from worst to first.
Amar’e boldly declared “The Knicks are back” in front of Madison Square Garden before he had even officially signed his 5 year, $100 million dollar deal and took all the weight of a city on his shoulders. He delivered as promised, tantalizing fans with a stretch of 9 consecutive 30-point games early in the year, and teaming with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to lead the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time since Stephon Marbury was running the point.
Stoudemire is the better offensive player. Garnett is the better defensive player. Overall? I’ve got to give another slight edge to Amare and the Knicks.
Center: Ronny Turiaf/Shelden Williams/Jared Jeffries vs. Nenad Kristic/Jermaine O’Neal/Shaquille O’Neal
Ugly situations going on here for both teams. The Knicks’ size, rebounding and defense problem at the center position is well chronicled.
The Celtics problems at this position really only came up recently. They used to own one of the biggest size advantages of any team in the league, and they traded it away. They shipped off Kendrick Perkins, the league’s best post defender, to Oklahoma City, and sent Semih Erden, and underrated backup big man, to Cleveland.
None of Turiaf, Williams or Jeffries can be counted on to provide anything resembling offense, and their defense isn’t a big enough factor to garner an advantage for New York.
If either of the O’Neals can stay on the court for significant minutes, you’ve got to give this one to the Celtics.
Bench: Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries vs. Glen Davis, Jeff Green, Delonte West (maybe), Carlos Arroyo, Troy Murphy
The Celtics are certainly deeper here in terms of quantity of quality (yes, I used those words that way) contributors, but the Knicks probably have the best bench player in Douglas.
Since he went to Florida State, I’m extremely reluctant to give him any compliments, but when a guy leads the NBA in 3-pointers after the All-Star break, you have to give credit where credit is due.
But after that, the Knicks’ bench is too hit-or-miss for me to declare it a win for them. Shawne Williams is really only a positive when he’s knocking down corner 3s, which he did much more often in the first half of the season than the second half. Shelden Williams and Jeffries are negatives on the offense end. And Walker is the most enigmatic of the bunch.
Glen Davis was one of the better 6th men in the league for much of the year, and has stepped up his defense this year from the past. Green can play the 3 and the 4, but hasn’t fit in that well yet since coming over from OKC. West and Arroyo backup at the guard spots, but since Rondo and Allen play so many minutes, aren’t counted on too heavily. Still, they both have playoff experience and are solid.
Biggest Strengths: Knicks offensive firepower vs. Celtics lockdown defense
This is obviously the big battle of the series, and whoever controls the tempo and style of play will in all likelihood be able to win the series.
If the Knicks are able to push the pace, get out in transition and make their 3s, they will be very tough to beat. If the Celtics can make it a grind-it-out, half-court, defensive battle, they’ll likely be able to frustrate the Knicks into bad shots on one end of the court while unleashing their trademark efficiency on the other.
With Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony leading the charge, the Knicks have averaged 107 points per game since the trade. Chauncey Billups has been solid but not spectacular since coming over. Toney Douglas has been absolutely on fire, and has become a more important player to the Knicks’ offensive success than Landry Fields. Fields is very efficient, but has struggled late in the season.
These new Knicks can attack you in a lot of different ways, whether it’s a Billups-Stoudemire of Billups-Anthony pick and roll with the other waiting for a 15 foot jumper on the weak side, or getting out in transition, or letting Amar’e or Melo taking their man one on one in isolation.
The Knicks are definitely tough to stop, but the Celtics are even tougher to score on. Their ability to cut off both the paint and the passing lanes if unparalleled.
Their general focus will be to turn both Amar’e and Carmelo into jump shooters, not letting them get to either the rim or the free throw line. Rondo will apply a lot of ball pressure on Billups, and try not to allow him to hit the roll man or the pop man in screen-roll and pick-and-pop situations.
Not letting the Knicks get out and run will be huge too. Expect the Celtics to hit the offensive boards hard, since the Knicks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.
Biggest Weakness: Knicks rebounding vs. Celtics loss of identity Post-Perk
All you need to know about the Knicks’ rebounding woes is that Carmelo Anthony leads the team in rebounding since his arrival. Barring a shocking commitment to the boards from Amar’e Stoudemire during this series, you can expect the Knicks to get spanked on the glass.
The post-Kendrick Perkins Celtics have without a doubt been one of the most interesting stories in the league. In the days following the trade, there was a barrage of stories about how many members of the team, as well as coach Doc Rivers, were literally moved to tears when they heard about the trade.
Rajon Rondo in particular has completely fallen off a cliff without his best friend. Garnett’s woofing and hollering no longer has the physicality of Perkins to back it up. Allen and Pierce’s gambling (at times) on the perimeter no longer has the imposing presence behind it to thwart drives to the hoop.
These guys have looked like they’re old and slow and they’re pissed off that their teammate was traded. They look like they thought they deserved one more shot at a ring with their original group, and Danny Ainge took it away from them. This particular Celtics group had never lost a series in which their starting 5 was in tact (remembers Perkins was injured in Game 6 of last year’s Finals, and they beat the Lakers in ’08 when healthy). Ainge robbing them of that chance has thrown them into a funk.
Whether or not they can snap out of it will determine whether the Celtics can dispatch of the Knicks in quiet fashion or whether they’ll be given a run for their money.
Storylines: The Knicks are Back! vs. The Celtics Last Stand?
When Amar’e Stoudemire stood in front of Madison Square Garden and proudly declared, “The Knicks are back,” many laughed at him. How could a guy who had never played without Steve Nash, who was joining a team that had been one of the worst in basketball over the previous few years, and who had no teammates with any kind of experience to speak of, be so bold?
But Stoudemire took one of the youngest teams in the league on his shoulders, carried a huge load for the first half of the season, and looked like an MVP candidate in the early going. He still gets those chants at home games, even though he long dropped out of serious consideration for the award.
Then in February, the Knicks truly arrived, at least as far as being a relevant team in the national zeitgeist. Carmelo Anthony came aboard, Madison Square Garden absolutely exploded (in the good way), and many fans instantly had dreams of multiple championships.
This team is not at that point yet, but they are on their way. They have 2 important building blocks, and the cap space to potentially bring in a 3rd a la the Miami Heat in the summer of 2012 in the form of Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard. If not one of them, they will certainly be able to improve the team markedly in that span. Things are looking up for the Knicks, certainly when you consider where they were just a year ago.
The Celtics seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Coming into the season, it was expected that this would be sort of a last stand for this particular group in Boston.
Doc Rivers isn’t expected back next year. The since-jettisoned Kendrick Perkins wasn’t expected to resign in Boston after his contract ended. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are not getting any younger. Other than Rajon Rondo, there isn’t a super-star caliber player in the pipeline for the Celtics either.
And they’ve kind of validated all of that this season, especially with the way they’ve looked down the stretch. Is there anyone who could have watched the last 20 games that can seriously say that the Cs look like title contenders for NEXT year and beyond? I don’t think so.
The question for them will be whether they can put it back together for one last go at it. This group won a championship in their first year together, and they came oh so close last year. The veterans will not want their lasting legacy to be last year’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers.
Prediction
As much as it pains me to say, I have to take the Celtics to win the series. It’ll be a hard fought battle, and the Knicks will surely learn from and grow from it, but in the end the Celtics experience, playoff-tested mettle and defense will wear them out.
Celtics in 7 games
Carmelo Trade Post-Mortem: Did We Win?
By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5
I want to declare the Knicks winners. I really, really do. And before I attended last night's Knicks/Bucks game, I was going to. I was going to write this (in bold):
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5
I want to declare the Knicks winners. I really, really do. And before I attended last night's Knicks/Bucks game, I was going to. I was going to write this (in bold):
The Knicks' struggles since the blockbuster trade that brought Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and the since-jettisoned Corey Brewer to New York have been well documented.
They are owners of a record of just 7-11 since the deal.
They can't seem to play any semblance of defense.
They REALLY struggle to find their offense in the 4th quarter.
Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups have shown little to no chemistry on the pick-and-roll, the axis from which all else in Coach Mike D'Antoni's offense flows.
But I can't, just CAN'T call a trade in which the Knicks wound up with Anthony, a top 15-20 player in the NBA at worst, and Chauncey Billups, an NBA Finals MVP, a loss. Just can't do it.
Eventually, these guys will figure it out. Just like the Miami Thrice did. Remember, the Heat started the season just 9-8 before they reeled off a super-impressive 21-1 stretch immediately after. Now, I'm not suggesting the Knicks are about to win 21 of 22 games, but I am suggesting that we all might be overreacting just a bit when declaring this trade a loss for New York.
But after that game last night, you can't help but think this...
The Knicks roster, as constructed, is flawed. For one, they don't have a true center on the team. When you're trying to guard Dwight Howard or Andrew Bogut with the combination of Jared Jeffries, Ronny Turiaf, and Shawne Williams, something is seriously wrong. And when you resort to playing Shelden Williams in crunch time, something is even more wrong.
Secondly, they don't really have a backup point guard. Toney Douglas has flashed some serious range a few times since the trade, but his play-making abilities leave a lot to be desired.
It doesn't help that Chauncey Billups has looked old and slow since getting kneed in the thigh by Dwight Howard a few weeks back. He's either just old, done, or both. I legitimately texted my friend who was also at the game, "Chauncey is killing us. He can't guard anyone so we have to play Douglas or Carter with him when Jennings is in the game. He should just sit down the stretch." And I meant it. Not a good sign.
At this point, it seems like the Knicks should be past the point of "growing pains" and "we need time to jell." It really does. You can't be making those kinds of excuses when you're losing to the Bucks, Pacers, and Cavaliers twice each in a span of 18 games.
Let's remember though, the Knicks do have wins over Miami, Memphis (twice), Atlanta, Utah, and New Orleans since the day. This deal will ultimately be judged into the future, and who Carmelo and Amare are able to recruit to join them in the summer of 2011 or 2012. This trade was as much about getting more guys to join up as it was about getting Carmelo.
Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire WILL be on the New York Knicks for the next 4 years. Only time will tell if they can bring a championship back to Madison Square Garden.
5 Things the Knicks Need to Have Success in NBA Playoffs
By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5
Barring an epic collapse in the last few weeks of the season, the New York Knicks will be in the playoffs. They stand 4.5 games ahead of 8th place Indiana as of today and would see the Chicago Bulls in the first round in a throwback to classic series of the 1990s. The Knicks are likely to finish in 6th or 7th place and face one of the three best teams in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, or Miami Heat in a first round series. Here are some things the Knicks need to do in order to have success against these teams.
5. Get Carmelo and Amar’e on the same page
Individually, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire are obviously great players and prolific scorers. However, the Knicks big guns have yet to really gel together so far. More time on the same team will help, but they also both need to subjugate their games to accommodate the others’ strengths.
The reason the Boston Celtics Big Three was able to win a championship in their first season together was because they all put ego and numbers aside for the betterment of the team concept. Until Carmelo and Amar’e do the same, they won’t be able to consistently beat the better teams in the East.
In my opinion, working Carmelo and Amar’e on the same side of the floor more often and forcing defenses to choose who they want to get beat by on a given possession is the way to do it. Carmelo likes to post on the right block, and Amar’e is pretty deadly with the 15-18 foot free throw line extended jumper, so working in sets where the two of them and Chauncey Billups form a triangle on one side of the floor would put even more pressure on opposing defenses.
4. Decide on a rotation and stick with it
Mike D’Antoni has used 5 different starting lineups since the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony. Players such as Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Bill Walker have been yanked in and out of the rotation at a moment’s notice. Ronny Turiaf, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries, Shawne Williams, and Toney Douglas have started some games and come off the bench in others.
Until D’Antoni settles on a starting lineup and subsequently a rotation, people will be confused about their roles on the team. This obviously breeds a lack of chemistry, which is one of the main complaints about the Knicks right now. Once it is settled, everyone can find their niche on the team and figure out the ways that they will be able to contribute positive minutes.
I think a starting lineup of Billups, Landry Fields, Carmelo, Amar’e and Turiaf with Douglas, Shawne Williams, Jeffries, and Roger Mason Jr. off the bench is the most effective for this current Knicks team. It’s an undersized lineup to be sure, but the Knicks need to go with what works; spreading teams out and attacking with ball movement and the three pointer.
3. Figure out their 4th quarter offense
The game against the Celtics perfectly encapsulated one of the Knicks major problems right now. They were ultra-efficient on offense and defense in the first half, and in the second half, they fell apart, especially in the 4th quarter.
The Celtics clamped down on defense and the Knicks ended the game on a 1-11 shooting streak. You’re not going to win games that way.
Too often in the 4th quarter, the offense consists of one of three plays: throw it in to Carmelo and everyone else stands and watches; throw it in to Amar’e and everyone else stands and watches; or Chauncey takes a jumper while trying to draw contact. I’m not sure what it is that gets to the Knicks in the 4th quarter, but it needs to be solved.
Chauncey and Amar’e gaining chemistry on the pick-and-roll like Amar’e did with Raymond Felton is the easiest way to solve this problem. The pick-and-roll is the one play from which all else flows in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Once they get this play rolling, everything else will flow from there. Landry Fields, Shawne Williams and Roger Mason will have open threes, Carmelo will have room to operate in the pinch post, and Jared Jeffries will have room to miss layups (just kidding).
2. Push the pace
The Knicks have played significantly slower since the arrival of Carmelo, Chauncey and company. This is partly because the types of sets Melo excels in: isolations and post-ups, require the ball to be slowed down. But Denver was the 5th highest paced offense in the league and Melo and Chauncey played there, so the Knicks would be wise to speed it up again.
The Knicks, obviously, are not very good defensively, and maximizing their amount of possessions in order to outscore teams just might be the best way for them to win come playoff time.
Mike D’Antoni has proven that he can win basketball games at that pace, so has Amar’e Stoudemire, and really, so have Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. It’s time for the Knicks to start moving the ball up and down the floor quickly, and getting into their offensive sets quicker too.
Some of this will come with more familiarity with each other and with the playbook, but a conscious effort needs to be made to get out and run.
1. BUY IN DEFENSIVELY
The previous four keys I listed for Knicks success had to do with offense and continuity, but everyone knows you cannot win in the playoffs without defense. This team has shown the potential to be a good defensive team at times (see: wins against Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, and a close loss to Boston).
Until they bring defensive effort and intensity nightly, however, they may be stuck in that 5-8 seed range and going on the road to a better team’s stadium in the playoffs. It all starts with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.
If those two buy in and put forth maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor night in and night out, the rest of the team will have no choice but to follow suit. They need only to look at the Boston Celtics for an example of how this can work. Right from the get-go, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen worked on the defensive end of the floor, and Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins then emerged as premier defenders at their positions.
Working hard, being held accountable, and putting forth maximum effort on every possession defensively is the only way the Knicks can have a sustained playoff run. No matter what happens with the offense, no matter how much firepower the Knicks have on the court, if they don’t play D, they wont be making a run this June.
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