5 Reasons Why Knicks Could Upset Heat in First Round

Back in the day, Knicks-Heat was one of the fiercest rivalries in sports.

Games were always sold out. Both teams hated each other with a passion. And I don't mean the kind of hate that gradually evolves to mutual respect over time. I mean, "don't be surprised if someone gets shot" hate.

The series would almost always come down to the last bucket in the final game of the series. There were fights. No one on either team would shake hands with the other.

All in all, it truly marked one of the best periods in the NBA.

Since then, the Knicks have fallen into oblivion.

That is, until now.

Except, there is no feel of a rivalry here. Carmelo Anthony is close friends with LeBron and D-Wade. Meanwhile, these two teams are nowhere near as evenly matched, as the Miami Heat are expected to make quick work of New York.

Nevertheless, here are five reasons why New York may give Miami more problems than people assume, and why this series might live up to its history more than people realize. 

Mike Woodson Galvanized the Knicks Season More Than Linsanity Ever Did

The Knicks were 18-24 and coming off their sixth loss in a row when Mike D'Antoni decided to step down.

Under Mike Woodson, the Knicks finished with a record of 36-30, meaning the team went 18-6 in their final 24 games.

More impressive than that, meanwhile, is that Woodson accomplished what seemed at the heart of the Knicks' problems—getting Carmelo Anthony dialed in to the team.

From day one, Woodson changed the culture and mood of the team by gearing the team's offense through Anthony and Amar'e, and the team has been on the rise since.

For all he has done, Woodson may have stepped in a little too late to qualify for coach of the year, but he has the vote of his star player and the respect of his team's locker room. 

Phil Jackson hopes aside, he also appears to be the front runner to coach the team next season.

Not bad for a guy who only had 24 games to turn this team around.

The Ghost of NBA Finals Past

The Miami Heat are no stranger to what Tyson Chandler can do on a basketball court.

Among his accomplishments in last year's NBA Finals were: drawing the most fouls (25), grabbing the most offensive rebounds (20), and having the most second chance points (17).

Everyone knows the formula to disturbing Miami's offense is to limit turnovers and force them to play half court offense.

Between Dallas' offensive efficiency and Chandler's defensive tenacity, the Mavs were able to do just that.

Now on a team with another dominant scorer in Anthony, Chandler could be the biggest x-factor in this series.

And he has the confidence of knowing he was able to help stop Miami before.

Heat Have Had Problems Winning on the Road

While the Heat have a dominant record at home (28-5), they were exposed as a slightly above .500 team outside Miami (18-15).

Critics may be inclined to defend these lopsided numbers with the popular theory that Miami was just winging it in the regular season so they could preserve themselves for the playoffs.

Fair enough.

But with MSG being one of the more imposing arenas to play for road teams, don't be surprised if the Knicks gain momentum in the series by defending their home court and stealing a game or two in Miami. 

After that, it could just be a coin flip.

Curse of the Favorite

If both teams were a stock, the Knicks would be in the green and the Heat would be in the red.

Why?

Because if the Knicks win this series, they will have overachieved. If they lose, they have still given their fan base hope that they are not that far away from being title contenders.

Miami, meanwhile, is coming into the playoffs with more pressure than any other team.

If they win, the criticism will still be there. If they lose, LeBron James will go from being the sponsor of "Witness" to being sponsored in the witness protection program.

And if this Heat team proved anything in last year's finals, it's that they can succumb to pressure.

Stat and Melo

Everything starts and ends with talent in the NBA, and New York carries one of the few teams that have the talent to keep up with Miami.

Carmelo has been on a tear lately, while Amar'e is back in the lineup and has given the Knicks productive minutes since returning. 

At the end of the day, everything hinges on these two to determine how far the Knicks can go in this series, much less the playoffs.

And with a defensive anchor in the middle, a point guard who can change games at any moment, and a gunner like J.R. Smith who could make it rain from three, the Knicks are more than capable of bringing back the torment that Heat fans have long put to bed for years now. 

Prediction: Heat win in six games.