New York State of Mind: Why the Knicks Will Win the Atlantic

It's crazy but in just a matter of weeks, the Knicks have gone from a heartbreak loser to a potential perennial power house. Now just three games back of the Philadelphia 76ers, they went from an offense without a clue, to one that can compete with the best in the NBA.

The thanks can be attributed to one man.

Jeremy Lin's astounding play and his out-of-nowhere story has grabbed the attention of the players, the media and the fanbases of not just the Knicks, but of the NBA and the rest of the world. When the Knicks fully invested themselves into Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, they held hopes of eventually swaying a Chris Paul-like third piece of the puzzle into New York City.

Well, Jeremy Lin is your third piece.

His play has changed the dynamic of this team, which now looks ready to take the Atlantic division by storm and battle for a top spot in the East. Here's why.

The Emergence of the Big Three

Their individual numbers might not be on par with their career averages when it's all said and done, but New York's version of the Big Three is about to become a cohesive unit and a force to be reckoned with.

Jeremy Lin has tremendous ability in driving to the basket and commanding the double team. When that happens, one of these three is going to be left unguarded. His ball skills and court vision to find and hit the open man is going to make the Knicks' offense more efficient and consistent.

Ball movement is key, and the success of the pick and roll is vital. Lin and Chandler have developed a great chemistry, where Chandler is constantly setting screens and getting wide-open looks under the basket. As the games progress on, Stoudemire and Anthony will also develop this cohesion.

Team Depth

With the late arrivals of shooting guard J.R. Smith and point guard Baron Davis, the Knicks will have one of the deepest teams coming out of the All-Star break, with rookies Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson both returning from injuries.

With defensive stability in Jeffries, Shumpert and Harrellson, offensive firepower in Steve Novak and J.R Smith and the savior before the savior in Baron Davis, the Knicks will round out a very formidable 11-man rotation.

D'Antoni has plenty of options here. He just needs to find out which players play best with who. Time will tell, but it would be wise to keep Carmelo and Amar'e's minutes at no more than 35 a night. Keep them fresh and healthy, ready to go come playoff time.

Resiliency

With the exception of the performances against the Hornets and the Nets, the Knicks have played with a don't-back-down attitude during the Jeremy Lin era.

In years past, if the Knicks weren't putting up 100 points they would hardly ever win. This season, when on the road facing Minnesota and Toronto, the Knicks were able to grind out wins with tough defense, ball movement and patience. Even though the offense struggled on both of those nights, they showed no quit and battled to the very end to earn those victories.

The resiliency and fight in this team must continue, especially coming out of the All-Star break where the Knicks will face seven opponents with winning records out of their next nine games. During the break in the schedule, the Knicks will get the much-needed rest and practice time in order to prepare themselves for a second-half push.

The Play of Landry Fields

Back to the way he was playing in the first half of last season, Landry Fields is once again making a difference.

He has regained his confidence and is doing the little things that are helping this team win. Over his last 10 games, Fields is averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He's going after loose balls, getting offensive rebounds and most importantly, driving to the basket instead of settling for the open jump shot.

Fields is also playing very good defense, and if D'Antoni can manage to split the playing time correctly between him and the sharp-shooting J.R. Smith, the Knicks can easily get 25-30 points a night between the two shooting guards, while also getting strong on-the-ball defense.

The division is within striking distance. A victory over the Miami Heat tonight will not only give this team tons of momentum heading into the break, it will also reassure their confidence that they can compete with the top teams in the East.