New York Knicks: A Carmelo Type Player Away From Greatness

The New York Knicks have the pieces in place to be future title contenders. Just one thing is missing, another superstar player, specifically Carmelo Anthony. Trade rumors have, for now at least, quieted down a lot.

This doesn’t mean the Knicks won’t be front-runners when Melo is a free agent this coming summer. If Melo does indeed choose to come to the big apple, he could be the star on a title contender.

To be a great team, you need a good point guard. With the acquisition of Raymond Felton this past offseason, the Knicks now have that. Felton has quietly been a star on the team, averaging over 18 points and just under eight assists. He has proven he can be a great complement to a star player, as he has been for Amar’e this year.

Obviously, the best player on the Knicks is Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire has scored over 23 points a game this year, with just under nine rebounds per game. Amar’e could serve as a great Robin to Carmelo, and he has shown he’d be willing to do so.

Small forward Wilson Chandler is also a very solid asset to the Knicks. He has put up very good numbers, averaging over 16 points a game and just under six rebounds. Not bad for really a third option on offense.

Championship-caliber teams always seem to have that guy who can consistently knock down three-pointers, and Danilo Gallinari is that guy for the Knicks. Danilo has averaged 15.7 points per this season and knocked down 37 percent of three-pointers. This should go up, as his career average is 39 percent.

Guards Landry Fields and Tony Douglas also give a lot of support as role players.

The pieces are in place for Carmelo to join and make the Knicks a forced to be reckoned with. This team has already started to excite me this year, getting out to a decent 9-9 start and are looking like a playoff team (in the East at least). A starting lineup of Felton at the point, Landry Fields at the two guard, Carmelo at small forward, Wilson Chandler at the four, and Amar’e at center could match up against any starting five in the East.

They’d have to go straight into the talk with Orlando, Boston and Miami as the elite teams in the East, although the Heat haven’t been very impressive. For the first time in quite some time, New York basketball fans have reason to be excited. The Knicks could soon be back.