New York Knicks: Even with Carmelo Anthony, They're Still an Average Team
When Carmelo Anthony arrived in New York after being traded from the Denver Nuggets, he brought with him a sense of excitement and anticipation that hadn't been associated with the Knicks for a very long time.
The Knicks went from a team with David Lee and not much else a year ago to now having two legitimate superstars in Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. With the two superstars have also come high expectations, as well as the notion that the Knicks are suddenly ready to compete for a conference championship.
Not so fast.
Even with 'Melo and Stoudemire, the Knicks still have a long way to go before they can become a real contender. The Knicks' current roster still has plenty of holes. Although there is plenty excitement now surrounding the franchise, they are far from a finished product.
For now, the Knicks are still a middle-of-the-road team. Here's why.
No Center
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For anyone who watched Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic, you probably noticed that the Knicks started off by having Shawne Williams guard Dwight Howard.
Uh, that's not going to work.
Although players like Jared Jeffries and Ronny Turiaf are nice role players, they are not starters on a good NBA team. In fact, neither one of them is really a true center, either.
For all the good things Stoudemire does offensively, defense has never really been one of his strengths. He often struggles when he has to guard the opposing team's center.
The Knicks will continue to struggle down low until they find a solution at the center position. They need a player with a big body who can play defense and rebound the basketball. He doesn't even need to have to much of an offensive game, because Amar'e and 'Melo will take care of most of the scoring.
Until then, Dwight Howard and the rest of the league's premier big men will continue to beat the Knicks up inside.
They Lack Chemistry
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It is unrealistic to think that a team can just throw a bunch of new parts together and expect results right away. The league just doesn't work that way.
Even LeBron James and the Heat got off to a relatively slow start this season, losing eight of their first 17 games.
Anthony and Stoudemire are going to need time to learn how to play with one another. These are two guys who are accustomed to being their respective teams' top scorer, getting the ball whenever they please. While playing alongside each other, it won't always work that way.
It will take a year or two before 'Melo, Stoudemire and the rest of the Knicks develop enough chemistry to compete for a championship.
They will struggle this year because they lack the chemistry that their other rivals, such as the Boston Celtics, have.
Not Enough Depth
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The Knicks now have one of the best "Big 3's" in the league in Stoudemire, Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who they also received in the deal with the Nuggets.
The problem for the Knicks is they have little else after that.
They don't have another true point guard after Billups, as Toney Douglas is probably better suited to play shooting guard.
Players such as Bill Walker and Shawne Williams are nice to have, but they really struggle to create their own shot. When they aren't being set up by their teammates, they don't really have another way to make an impact on offense.
Ronny Turiaf is purely a defensive specialist, regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench.
The Knicks' second unit is filled with players who struggle to create their own shot, and they can't be relied upon to play significant stretches of the game together.
The Knicks can't afford not to have either Amar'e or 'Melo on the floor at all times, which isn't a good sign. They need to make significant upgrades to their second unit.
Coaching
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Head coach Mike D'Antoni has one of the best offensive minds in basketball, but his teams are also known for having significant struggles on defense.
The simple fact of the matter is that if the Knicks ever want to become a truly elite team, they must learn how to play defense and make a commitment to play it at all times.
Whether Mike D'Antoni is the right coach for this current Knicks roster remains to be seen. His teams have shown flashes of playing defense, but were never able to play it on a consistent basis. There is a reason D'Antoni's teams never made it over the hump and reached the NBA Finals.
D'Antoni will be given every opportunity to work with this roster and make a group effort to commit to defense.
However, he won't have forever. If the team continues to struggle defensively, the organization will be forced to find a new leader.
The Knicks can score all of the points they want to, but at the end of the day, they must start to defend.
How Well Does 'Melo Fit the Knicks System?
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Carmelo is hands down one of the best players in the NBA today. Nobody has every questioned his ability to score.
However, when Anthony gets the ball on the offensive end, the ball stops moving.
'Melo is at his best when he sets up on the right hand side of the floor, calls for the ball and goes to work on a post-up. With his combination of size, strength and quickness, few people can stop him down there. But when he gets the ball, the movement stops and everyone else is usually left to stand and watch.
This style clashes with how the Knicks were playing before the trade. They liked to get out and run, have quick ball movement and find the open man. Even Amar'e Stoudemire was improving at seeing the floor and making good decisions as to where to pass the ball.
When 'Melo is at his best, the offense slows down so he can go to work. Mike D'Antoni and the rest of the Knicks aren't used to playing that style of basketball, so it will take a while for them to adjust to Anthony's game.
No Sense of Urgency
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Even when Anthony was introduced, he said this situation was going to take time.
He seemed content with the fact that the Knicks probably won't be competing for a championship this year, rather he talked about all of the great things they could achieve in the future. Amar'e Stoudemire also echoed those statements.
Both the Knicks and their two superstars are very excited about the future, but at the same time are hesitant about the present. They know that it isn't realistic to expect a championship just a few months after playing together for the first time.
So if the Knicks don't think they can contend for a title this year, why should we?
They seem to lack the sense of urgency that some of their other rivals have, knowing that their time will come in the next few years.
Schedule
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The schedule for the month of March will be doing no favors for the Knicks.
The team will play 18 games over the course of the month, including six back-to-backs.
Some of their opponents include the Mavericks, the Celtics, the Hawks and the Magic two more times.
Such a schedule would be a tough task for any team. It is an even bigger challenge for a team with little chemistry and even less depth.
