New York Knicks: Not Title Contenders Just Yet, but the Future Is Bright

On Sunday afternoon, Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks gave the Miami Heat all they could handle, but ultimately fell 93-85.

Anthony was absolutely brilliant, scoring 42 points on 14-of-27 shooting, nearly single-handedly keeping the Knicks in the game early on. However, with both Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin out with injuries, New York just did not have enough.

J.R. Smith provided Mike Woodson's club with some solid production off the bench, tallying 17 points and seven rebounds. Outside of Anthony, though, Smith was the only other New York player in double figures.

Iman Shumpert displayed his usual flashes of brilliance defensively, particularly in the fourth quarter when he stripped Dwyane Wade on back-to-back possessions, but he gave the Knicks nothing in the way of offense, mustering only three points. New York's third-leading scorer? Tyson Chandler with nine.

Clearly, with Stoudemire and Lin in street clothes, the Knicks do not have enough to beat the best. They proved that they can certainly put forth a valiant effort, but sometimes, you need to do more than just put up a fight, as seen today.

Stoudemire should be back for the first round of the playoffs, but I cannot imagine that he is going to be very effective having not played in several weeks. Plus, New York had gotten on a roll without him, as Anthony in particular stepped up his level of performance, so there is a chance that throwing him back into the mix in a seven-game series may actually end up doing more harm than good.

Lin? At best, he'll be back for the conference semifinals, but it doesn't look like the Knicks will be making it that far, anyway.

The 2011-12 campaign has really be a tumultuous one for New York, and it is one that will likely leave us wondering what the Knicks could have done had it not been for all of the drama that engulfed the team this season, from Linsanity to Mike D'Antoni's resignation to Anthony's injury/rumored trade demand to Stoudemire and Lin's ailments.

How good could New York have been if it were healthy all year? Well, we won't know until next season when it gets a fresh start, and early indications are that the trio of Anthony, Stoudemire and Lin doesn't mesh too well. However, it is not like those three have had ample playing time together, so we will have to reserve judgment until they get more floor time with one another.

What we do know for sure is that the Knicks are still a step or two behind the top contenders, their thrilling Easter Sunday victory over the Chicago Bulls notwithstanding. That being said, they undoubtedly have some pieces in place.

Anthony has undergone scrutiny for much of his professional career for failing to take his team to the next level, but one cannot be blinded by the torrid stretch he has gone on to all but lock up a playoff spot for New York. He has been otherworldly since both Stoudemire and Lin went down, putting the team on his back and leading it to several crucial wins along the way.

No one has ever denied Carmelo's talent. What they have questioned is his ability to win, and perhaps that is an unfair criticism given the fact that he took his Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 playoffs.

With the way he has played recently, it appears as if Anthony is erasing any doubts as to whether or not he can be a franchise player. If you watched the way he went toe-to-toe with LeBron James and Miami on Sunday afternoon and the way he put Chicago away the week before, you would err on the side of him being that guy.

The pieces do not just stop at Anthony, though. The Knicks also have a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Chandler, a player who has transformed New York's once laughingstock of a defense into a very respectable one. Yes, Shumpert has also played a significant role in the Knicks' defensive resurgence, but make no mistake: Chandler is the backbone.

Of course, there is also Stoudemire and Lin, two players who have not yet welded any kind of consistent chemistry with Anthony. Still, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will both be members of New York next season, and something tells me that when this trio gets more time to gel, it is going to be extremely dangerous.

If the season ended today, the Knicks would be the No. 8 seed and would meet the Bulls in the first round of the postseason. So, some advice for New York fans: don't put too many expectations on your team.

If the Knicks simply go out and give Chicago or Miami (their other potential first-round opponent) a fight (which I think they will), be happy, because your team will be playing with its second-best player hobbled and its third-best scorer on the sideline completely.

With the Boston Celtics likely on their last legs and the Heat possibly a playoff flameout away from breaking up their big three, the Eastern Conference landscape could look very different in 2012-13, and it could leave the door wide open for New York to swoop in and take control.

So Knicks fans, just sit back and enjoy what is likely to be a competitive but ultimately unsuccessful first-round series against either Chicago or Miami. You always have next year...and all of the years after that.