NBA Playoffs 2012: Knicks' Streaky Shooting Should Scare Eastern Conference

The New York Knicks' improved defense shouldn't obscure the fact this team is also scoring more under Mike Woodson than it did with Mike D'Antoni calling the shots.

After Carmelo Anthony's triple-double and 35 points in a 118-point outburst against the Boston Celtics, we know just how hot this team can get.

But Anthony wasn't the only one on fire.

Steve Novak and J.R. Smith combined for an absolutely obscene 50 points, hitting an even more obscene 15-20 from three-point range. 

When a team can drop 40 points a quarter against a defensively-solid Celtics team, that should speak volumes about its ability to upset contenders in the postseason.

The Knicks don't have to stay hot all season long—they just need to get hot at the right time, preferably for at least four games out of a series.

With New York's improved defense, it can afford to miss some shots from time to time and still hang in the game. When the marksmen are on point, however, these guys could be nearly impossible to stop.

Novak is hitting an other-worldly 47 percent of his three-pointers this season, and his ability to contribute a quick nine or 12 points in limited action off the bench is a rare luxury in the NBA. His length and quick release force opposing bigs to step out on defense and enable New York to spread the floor in what amounts to a shooter's paradise.

J.R. Smith seems to be coming along as well—he has hit 50 percent of his threes (20−40) over his last five games despite only shooting 35 percent from range on the season.

For their parts, Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields have also had their moments from behind the arc, giving New York a sometimes extensive cast of deep threats that can keep teams guessing.

Neither the physicality of the Miami Heat nor the first-rate team defense of the Chicago Bulls can stop a team when deep shots are falling.

That those shots will continue to fall is no guarantee, but could very well change the dynamic of an ostensibly lopsided first-round matchup.