New York Knicks with the Knack: Glimmers of Hope in Two Dark Seasons

That's right. Believe it or not, your New York Knicks are in the eighth playoff seed, tied with Milwaukee. 

Milwaukee technically is ahead of New York by a few percentage points, but do not expect this slim lead to last very long. A few days ago, perennial All-Star, member of gold-winning Team USA and three-point killer Michael Redd injured himself during a game and is expected to miss the rest of the season. 

Without their superstar, the Bucks will not be able to keep up in the playoff race. While they have talented players, such as Sessions, Bogut, Villanueva and Jefferson, these players will not be able to produce enough wins for a competitive Eastern Conference.

No, the rubble is cleared, the path is paved, the Knicks have their yellow brick road. In a season that included more "Starbury Scandals", sexual harassment suits (Eddy Curry), injuries (Jeffries, Robinson, Curry), misfortunes (Cuttino Mobley's heart condition), the New York Knicks have managed to stay afloat.

In the same season that they traded Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph (their best two scorers, their most "clutch" player and their best rebounder) for a man who will never play basketball again (Mobley), an underproductive former Knicks (Tim Thomas) and then-declining forward who had a feud with his formal coach (Al Harrington), the Knicks have righted the ship, and set their sights directly on the golden land of the playoffs. 

The Knicks have now won five out of their last six games, and against quality teams (Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta). They have won their past five games at MSG. "Nate the Great" has finally come out of his month-long slump. Chandler has come out of his mini-slump as well.

David Lee is playing at an all-star level. Duhon is coordinating the offense effectively. All of last year, the Knicks had a player record 10+ assists ONCE in 82 games: Stephon Marbury. Duhon has now done it several times, including a 22-assist gem, setting a new franchise record. 

Think back to two seasons ago. The Knicks came off a dramatic, buzzer-beating win in Washington, thanks to the heroics of Steve "The Franchise" Francis. They were officially all alone in the eighth seed and hopes hadn't been so high in years. What followed as an Isiah Thomas contract extension. We all know what followed that. The Knicks fell off the map, and were unwatchable last season. 

This time around, there are no contract extensions to be given, no "pat on the back prizes." These Knicks have been there and seen that the season is long; we're barely past the halfway mark.

But they know that if they keep working night in and night out, out-hustling the opponents, taking smart shots, playing team defense, and just bringing the energy every time. Dantoni's offense is effectively a good fit for the young, athletic Knicks, and Chandler has developed into a defensive stopper.

This season and next season were supposed to be give-aways, seasons to survive until the 2010 Summer of Lebron. An immediate slump after the big trades confirmed these original impressions. But there are twinkling stars of white light, the hope of a postseason berth when nothing was expected. 

Let's not blow this one.