4 Reasons New York Knicks Can Make a Championship Run in 2012

After suffering a 100-67 beating at the hands of the Miami Heat and losing rookie stud Iman Shumpert to a torn ACL, it is easy for New York Knicks' fans to lose confidence in their team.

This is not a best-of-three or -five series, however, and the Knicks will have every opportunity to right the ship and turn the series around.

They still have a number of factors working in their favor and Game 1 can be forgotten if they can execute the way they have been, leading up to the playoffs.

Here are four reasons for the Knicks' fans to remain optimistic that the tumultuous season will have a happy ending.

Carmelo Anthony Will Perform Much Better the Remainder of the Series

Despite a rocky beginning to the season that included missing seven games due to injury, Carmelo Anthony completely turned his season around once Mike Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni.

Anthony averaged 24.5 points per game and led the Knicks to victories over playoff teams like Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Orlando after Woodson became the head coach.

The Knicks offense was less reliant on point guard play and allowed Anthony to return to his comfort zone of playing isolation basketball and shooting 20-plus times per game.

His efficiency and production increased as his workload did, and the Knicks reaped the benefits. While they have been unable to beat the Heat this season, their best chance will be if Anthony can put his 11-point, 3-of-15 performance in the past and return to prime form.

Madison Square Garden Factor

This season the Knicks were 22-11 at home, but really struggled on the road, going 14-19.

Obviously, they cannot afford to lose every road game this series, which would eliminate them, but if the Knicks are able to escape Miami with one win before heading back to New York, their chances increase dramatically.

The atmosphere at "The Garden" will make it extremely difficult for the Heat to perform to the best of their abilities. The Heat are 28-5 at home, but are barely over .500 on the road at 18-15.

The Knicks still have a fighter's chance, which lies in their home-court advantage.

Winning two of three would give the Knicks a tremendous boost of confidence and all the momentum entering Game 6.

Potential Return of Jeremy Lin

It almost seems like a lifetime ago when Jeremy Lin invigorated the Knicks franchise with several miraculous victories, catapulting the team to the center of attention.

Since playing his final game on March 24th before suffering a torn meniscus, the team has not played terribly. But they would certainly benefit from the return of the 6'3" undrafted point guard out of Harvard.

Lin started only 25 games for the Knicks, but the team was 15-10 during that time. He had the Knicks playing cohesive basketball and he was distributing the ball well as he averaged 6.2 assists per game.

Today ESPN reported that Lin will miss Games 2 and 3, but is aiming for a return in Game 4. At that point, the Knicks could be in position to take control of the series.

Whether Lin is at the top of his game or not, he will at least provide a fresh set of legs. Mike Woodson has the option rotate him in the backcourt with Baron Davis or Mike Bibby.

Mike Woodson Will Not Allow the Team to Lie Down

Mike Woodson has been a successful coach in his career dating back to his days as an assistant to Larry Brown on the 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons. He also took the Atlanta Hawks to three playoffs, highlighted by a 53-win regular season in 2010.

Woodson has enabled the Knicks to play much better defensively and will find a way to replace Iman Shumpert's production.

Since taking over the head coaching duties on March 14th, the Knicks went 18-6 to end the season, grabbing the seventh seed in the process.

The team has not lost consecutive games during that span, which would bode well in a playoff series.

He will certainly have a tough task shutting down the Miami Heat while they are firing on all cylinders. Woodson has faced adversity in his career and has his teams consistently overachieve.

The Knicks will not go down in this series without a whimper. If they are able to come out victorious they will have the inside track to the NBA Finals.