Carmelo Anthony To New York Will Not Make the Knicks Title Contenders

The New York Knicks may land Carmelo Anthony as a consolation prize after failing to sign LeBron James in free agency, but the Knicks shouldn't plan for any championship parades in the near future.

If a deal can be worked out between Denver and New York, then the Knicks will take a major step towards the postseason, but still fall short of joining the Eastern Conference's elite teams.

No knock on Anthony or recent free agency signee Amare Stoudemire, but neither player really has a defensive reputation which is necessary in a conference that will be defined by that concept.

A Knicks' team featuring Anthony and Stoudemire will definitely score plenty of points, but with Mike D'Antoni as the head coach, New York is only an East coast version of the Phoenix Suns.

And, it's doubtful that style can prevail against the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, or the Orlando Magic.

To be honest, I'm not convinced an Anthony-led Knicks team could beat the Milwaukee Bucks or Chicago Bulls over the course of a seven-game playoff series.

D'Antoni's Phoenix teams always scored a ton of points and allowed the opposition to do the same, and his defenseless tactics followed him on his journey to New York.

Phoenix never made it to the NBA Finals during D'Antoni's tenure, and it's hard to picture New York accomplishing the feat regardless of who populates the roster.

Not to mention, any Anthony trade will likely require the Knicks to part with Danillo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph, which will certainly limit New York's offensive capabilities.

The Knicks with Anthony would be an exciting team to watch, but the team's ceiling would forever be capped unless the culture of the team changes, and the focus shifts to defense.

Unfortunately D'Antoni has put forth years of evidence to prove that he has no real interest in defensive concepts, and that's not likely to change this late in the game.

So, where would an Anthony-led Knicks team likely finish at the end of the regular season?

Somewhere behind Boston, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta is my guess, which would lock the Knicks in a struggle with Milwaukee, Chicago, and Charlotte for the final spots.

Milwaukee and Chicago are arguably just as talented as the Knicks would be, and both teams have the benefit of a defensive identity and strong play in the interior.

Point guards Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are superior to Knicks' point guard Raymond Felton, and whatever advantage Stoudemire and Anthony may have on offense is lost on the defensive side.

Lost in all the hoopla over Anthony's potential defection to New York is the fact that there is a very real possibility the Knicks would still be no better than a seventh or eighth seed in the postseason.

Of course that's better than where New York finished last season, but is it really that much cause for excitement?

I guess after suffering the torment Knicks' fans have been forced to endure, the potential arrival of Anthony and a shot at the playoffs is a reason to be overjoyed.

Even if the Knicks still finish the season in their customary position as a NBA Finals' spectator.