New York Knicks: 10 Moves That Would Bring Magic Back to MSG

With the addition of perennial All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire last season, the anticipation and excitement for this year was at as high a level as it could possibly be.

Unfortunately for the New York Knicks, things have not worked out so well, and they currently have a record of 11-15.

For a team that has only been to the playoffs twice in the last decade, this team needs a little excitement.

The Knicks are currently enjoying a three game winning streak that they are putting together without their superstars, but they have got to find a way to make it last.

The following are suggestions of how the Knicks can make that work. Some of these are more realistic than others, and it is not possible to have all of them happen.

The most important on the list is the last one as we have seen it bring back the magic faster than anything else the team can do. 

Ride the Lin-Sanity

Jeremy Lin is one of the best underdog stories that has occurred in the NBA in several years.

Lin, the undrafted point guard from Harvard has put up All-Star numbers in his last three games and has led the short-handed Knicks to a three game winning streak.

After scoring 25 points against the New Jersey Nets, Lin has gone on to score 28 and 23 points in his next two games. He also added 10 assists for a double-double against the Washington Wizards.

Lin, who is already drawing comparisons to Tim Tebow, has done all that he can to bring the magic back to New York, and the team must ride his success for as long as it lasts.

Hopefully for the Knicks, Lin can still put up these numbers and lead the offense when they have Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire back.

If Lin plays this way with them in the lineup, the Knicks will once again be a very exciting team to watch. 

Let Novak Shoot

Steve Novak is in the NBA for one reason—to hit three point shots. 

Novak showed that he can do this in a recent game against the Washington Wizards, where he hit five three-point shots and ended with 19 total points.

Of the 26 games the team has played, Novak has had 12 games this season where he did not play due to a coach's decision. 

If Novak can shoot the way that he has lately, he will bring an instant spark off the bench and help the team.  

If he keeps up the pace he is currently on, he will have more playing time on the floor.

Teach Carmelo to Share

Carmelo Anthony should have learned a valuable lesson a few weeks ago when he scored a career low of one point against the Charlotte Bobcats, and his team played to a 111-78 victory. 

Anthony, who was criticized for trying to do too much for the team, can bring the excitement back to New York by learning to play within the team system and spread the ball around more. 

In that game, the team shared the ball well, and Anthony got his teammates involved instead of just throwing up shots from all over the floor.

In the recent games that Anthony has missed with an injury, his teammates have played the same way and are in the middle of a three-game winning streak. 

With the stars the team has and the solid role players on the roster, it is team basketball that is going to lead to wins instead of Anthony being selfish and playing Melo basketball. 

It may be a bit of an adjustment for Anthony, but when he returns from injury he will need to play more of a role of facilitator than the role of a scorer. 

Acquire Dwight Howard

Like several other teams in the NBA have tried to do this season, the best way to bring the magic to New York is to acquire Dwight Howard, and bring Superman to the Big Apple. 

If this is at all possible, it would take the Knicks giving up either Carmelo Anthony or Amar'e Stoudemire, but it would be worth it to land the NBA superstar. 

The salaries of all three players are relatively close to matching up, and Howard would be an upgrade over any player the Knicks now have.

Imagine the duo or either Anthony and Howard or the front line of Stoudemire, Howard and Tyson Chandler. 

The addition of Howard would do more than nearly anything else to bring excitement and possibly a championship to the Knicks. 

Find a Point Guard

The New York Knicks have four point guards on the roster, and with the exception of the last three games from Jeremy Lin, none have done much for the season this year.

It is difficult to judge from only three games, but unless the team feels they have already found their point guard of the future in Lin, they must look for a point guard to consistently run the offense and distribute to his teammates.

The Knicks have already shown interest in acquiring Jonny Flynn, and could also go after Ramon Sessions.

If the team really wanted to bring some excitement they will find a way to add New Jersey Nets' point guard Deron Williams to the team.

This is a move that will likely not happen as they would have to give up either Carmelo Anthony or Amar'e Stoudemire to the Nets to pay for Williams.

If the Knicks can find a consistent playmaker at that position it would help the team to win which always leads to an exciting season. 

Replace Mike D'Antoni

Mike D'Antoni needs to go as the head coach of the New York Knicks.

It is difficult to believe that any coach would be losing this much with two future Hall of Famers and one of the leagues top centers who is fresh off of an NBA Championship playing together. 

This season, things are not working out as planned for the Knicks, as things seem to be backwards. 

With Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire together, one would think that the team would be better offensively than on the defensive end. 

Instead, the Knicks have an offensive rating of 100.6, which is good for 23rd place of 30 teams in the league. 

At the same time, the team's defensive rating is 100.5, which ranks 10th in the NBA.

This does not make sense for a coach known for his uptempo offense and lesser focus on defense. 

D'Antoni does not need to be fired before the end of the season, but the fact that he is working in the final year of his four year contract without an extension says a lot. 

Instead of bringing D'Antoni back to the team when his contract is up, the Knicks need to find a coach that can handle the stars on this team and get them to play team basketball.

Add J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith was known as a player who could bring an instant spark of offense with him off of the bench when he played for the Denver Nuggets.

The New York Knicks would be wise to pursue Smith when he is able to return to the NBA after playing in China.

Even if he returns late in the NBA season and the Knicks do end up with a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, he could be the type of player that would be a good scoring option and compliment to the other stars.

Part Ways with Baron Davis

So far this season in New York, the Baron Davis experiment has not worked out very well. 

Unfortunately for both parties, Davis has been out all season with a back injury and his return is not expected any time soon. 

The Knicks need to get rid of Davis as soon as they possibly can, but it will likely take until the end of the season until his contract expires that they will be able to do that. 

While he is not making much this season in salary, having Davis leave would open up another roster spot the Knicks can use in the future. 

Let the Fans Be the Fans

The quickest way for Mike D'Antoni to fall out of favor with his fan base and be out of a job is to do exactly what he did recently when he called out New York Knicks fans for booing Jared Jeffries.

D'Antoni was defending his player, but anytime a coach suggests to his fans that they need to "re-examine their life a little bit" is playing with fire.

New York fans will never hesitate to say whatever they want, but allowing them to say what they want without judgement will make things better, instead of worrying about what is going on in the stands.

The challenge facing the team is putting something to cheer about on the floor and keeping the fans happy like they were when they chanted "MVP, MVP" for Jeremy Lin as he had an amazing game against the Utah Jazz.

If the fans have good things to root for, the excitement around the team will only increase. 

Find a Way to Win

The single fastest way to bring the magic and excitement to the New York Knicks is to find a way to continue winning. 

One only needs to compare the feeling, energy and attitude surrounding the team when they were stuck in the middle of a six-game losing streak earlier this season with the excitement that is presently there after winning three games in a row.

The Knicks are no different than any sports team where all is good when the team wins and not so good when it looses.

If Mike D'Antoni and his players can find a way to put together the talent that they have on this team into a successful product that lives up to the potential that is there, the level of excitement will reach the level of anticipation that this team had at the beginning of the season. 

Winning heals everything.

If the Knicks can do that, it will be all of the excitement and magic that they need.