New York Knicks: 5 Fixes to Bring Back Linsanity Mojo

A month ago, New York City couldn't get enough of Jeremy Lin.  In just one game against the New Jersey Nets, one that saw star player Carmelo Anthony get hurt, the Harvard grad was called upon to run the offense for a team that was already without Amare Stoudemire.  Sure enough, the Knicks went on a seven-game winning streak and the season appeared to turn around.

Yet, once Anthony returned, his ball-hogging ways upset the apple cart and now the Knicks are in the midst of a five-game skid that has brought the boo-birds out of hibernation.  Simply put, something has to change—and fast.

Thus, here are five ways to break the five-game skid and bring back the Linsanity.

No. 5: Get Amar'e Stoudemire Involved More

Last season, Stoudemire was the big man on campus for the Knicks.  Even after the trade for Anthony, he kept his scoring up and finished the season averaging 25.3 points per game.  The former first-round pick also shot 50 percent from the field while taking 19 shots per game.

This year, however has been different.  Without a top point guard getting him the ball, Stoudemire is averaging just 17.6 points on 46 percent shooting in taking just under 15 shots a contest.

Lin has proven that he can have a good on-court relationship with the man known as "Stat," so he needs to make a greater effort to get the talented big man the ball more in hopes that he'll break out of his funk.

Once Amar'e gets rolling, there'll be no stopping him.

No. 4: Teach 'Melo That Less Is More

Though I've been a fan of Carmelo Anthony since his days at Syracuse, I'll be the first to admit that he's the primary reason the Knicks have struggled this year.  Sure, he's averaging 21.3 points per game, but let's dig a little deeper.

Over the course of the Knicks' five-game skid, Anthony has averaged 20.1 points on 39 percent shooting.  He has taken 17.4 shots per game.  For the season, he has shot 40 percent from the field while taking just over 18 shots.  See what's wrong with this picture?

Long story short, Anthony needs to stop being so excited about being the top dog on the Knicks and learn how to share the ball.  Clutch distribution is the key to coach Mike D'Antoni's system being successful and right now, Anthony is trying to be like Kobe Bryant when he should be playing more like Shawn Marion did during his days in Phoenix.

If he can make that transition effectively, then the Knicks might just be able to close out the season on a high note.

No. 3: Lob City: East Coast Edition?

The Los Angeles Clippers are back on the map thanks to the acquisition of Chris Paul, who has gelled well with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form a deadly alley-oop team that has come to be known as "Lob City."

Seeing as how the Knicks have two sick dunkers in Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire, why not get Jeremy Lin involved in a similar approach?

No. 2: Less Three-Pointers

Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni's system is extremely offense-oriented, featuring lots of passing and tons of shooting.  Sure enough, the three-pointer is a big part of it as the "seven seconds or less" offense has had D'Antoni-coached teams among the top scoring units in the NBA.

Enter Knicks assistant coach Mike Woodson, who turned the Atlanta Hawks from the laughingstock of the league into legitimate contenders by using a balanced scoring attack, from the inside to the perimeter to beyond the arc.

Given how talented the stars on the Knicks are, it's a wonder a similar, slower approach has not been used since Woodson was hired.  Once everyone slows down and isn't so trigger-happy with the ball, fewer turnovers will happen and more fluidity will help lead to wins.

No. 1: Defense, Defense and More Defense!

The fact of the matter is simple: the Knicks need to play better defense on both ends of the court.  The high turnover count is unacceptable, as is the fact that a team with two of the best players in the NBA is struggling this badly.

On top of that, everyone has looked sluggish in shutting down the opposition.  All players from Lin to bench shooter Steve Novak need to step up and make a commitment to making sure that nothing is made easy for the other team.

Once as much focus is put on defense and winning as there is on offense and scoring, then the Knicks could finally find themselves out of the forest and into the light.