NY Knicks: Bold Predictions for Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony and Playoff Chances

The New York Knicks are going to extend their "Linsane" ride to the Eastern Conference finals. This Knicks madness will come crashing to an abrupt end just short of their ultimate goal 

While that certainly isn't the outcome fans are hoping for, it is still an amazing prospect for a team that less than three weeks ago seemed destined to miss the playoffs altogether. 

Expectations have dramatically turned around for the Knicks. Jeremy Lin has turned this team around, and New York has now won nine of its last 12. 

Here is how the rest of the season will play out. 

Jeremy Lin

In his first six games taking over as the team's primary point guard, Lin broke the 20-point barrier each time. Since then, he has done it in just three of six games. 

That is still a fine number. It is only highlighted because it is more indicative of what we can expect going forward. And Lin is actually going to have a hard time hitting those numbers. 

With Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony back in the lineup, Lin isn't going to need to score at the level he was initially. 

This will help his assists, though, and with time you have to believe he will begin to limit his turnovers. 

Lin's Projected Per-Game Average for Remainder of Season: 15.2 points, 9.4 assists, 4.7 turnovers

Carmelo Anthony 

Anthony has played three games since returning from his groin injury. In those three games, his points have increased from 11 to 15 to 19. 

Lin's points have dropped in each of those three. I think it is pretty clear who is going to be the primary scorer. 

On the season, Melo is averaging just 21.7 points per game. That is his lowest number since the second year of his career. 

He will improve on that number. As he and Lin learn how to play together and build up their chemistry, Anthony's production will increase. 

Anthony's Projected Per Game Average for Remainder of Season: 25.6 points, 2.9 assists, 7.1 rebounds

What to Expect

The Knicks are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference and are just five games out of the third-place position. 

New York can make an aggressive run up the standings. They will end up as the fourth seed, win their first-round series against fifth-seeded Atlanta and then pull off the upset against a Chicago team that will win the first seed. 

Come playoff time, the Knicks will have built up their chemistry. They will be peaking, and the three-headed Lin-Anthony-Stoudemire monster will be too much for even the Bulls' defense to stop. 

That is where their upsets will stop, though, as they will fall to the Miami Heat. As we saw their last time on the court, the Heat are a terrible matchup for the Knicks, and New York won't improve enough to overcome that deficit.