Why the New York Knicks are the Most Overrated Team in the East
Looking at the contenders in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks are talked about as one, but in fact they should probably have a different title.
Is it possible that the Knicks are the most overrated team in the East?
The answer to that is yes, because they are. At least for now.
A 6-5 start to the 2012 with losses already to the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats isn't exactly what Knicks fans had in mind with a full season of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony together and with the addition of Tyson Chandler.
The Knicks are a very inconsistent team and very sloppy at times. There's several factors that lead to this though, and until they are fixed, New York will continue to be an overrated team.
Guard Play
You have to have quality guard play to win and the Knicks simply don't have any. Moving Iman Shumpert to the point may make them better, but that doesn't solve the problem. He's not a point guard. They have to cross their fingers and hope Baron Davis is the answer and also hope he doesn't arrive after it's too late.
Offense Is Stagnant
Way too much isolation going on. The ball needs to move. It does when Carmelo Anthony is on the bench, but you can't have your best player on the bench very long. Anthony tends to hold the ball and play one-on-one way too much and it makes the Knicks an easy team to defend.
Coaching
Can they win consistently with Mike D'Antoni's perimeter-oriented offense and lack of commitment on the defensive end of the floor? They potentially have the best frontcourt in the NBA and don't use it in that fashion.
Defense
The Knicks have gotten much better on the defensive end, but still need to commit for four quarters a night to rebounding and getting stops. Chandler is beginning to have an impact in a Knicks uniform, but can't do it all by himself.
Until they find the answers to these questions and many more, the Knicks can't be considered legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference; they will just be the most overrated team in the East.
