The Mecca Of Basketball: 6 Reasons the New York Knicks Will Win a Playoff Series
The Knicks are back!
The 2010-11 season has been a turnaround for New York basketball, to say the least. The Knicks have become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and are becoming a tough matchup on a nightly basis. Madison Square Garden is having no trouble selling out games, and it seems like the Knicks are a lock for the playoffs.
Of course there's Amar'e, but here's a closer look at some of the driving factors in the Knicks success this season.
Explosive Offense
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A huge part of the Knicks turnaround has been their incredible offense. Mike D'antoni has always been known for his offensive-minded style, but it wasn't until this year in New York that the Knicks were able to put it all together. New York currently ranks first in the NBA in points per game and fifth in offensive efficiency.
On Janurary 4th, the Knicks dismantled the San Antonio Spurs and earned one of the biggest Knick wins in years. New York was able to shoot a fantastic 54.9 percent from the field, which led to the surprising upset.
Christmas Day in the Big Apple was the same story. In their win over the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks shot 53.2 percent from the field and 12-22 (54.5 percent) from the 3-point line. In a win over the Denver Nuggets a few weeks earlier, the Knicks made 52.3 percent of their shots and 92.3 percent of their free throws.
All of these stats show that not only can the Knicks beat the best teams in the NBA when they're shooting well, but they are able to do it consistently.
More Than Amar'e
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Raymond Felton has been an integral part of the Knicks success. He's averaging career highs in his three best categories (points, 18.2; assists, 8.7 and steals, 1.9).
Whenever the Knicks need a bucket, Felton drives the lane and scores with his quickness or draws the foul and sinks both free throws (he's shooting 87 percent from the line this season).
Now that he's learned to effectively run the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire, Raymond's been tough to stop. Not only can he feed Amar'e inside, but if the defenders give him space to double Stoudemire, Felton can knock down the open jump shot.
More Than Amar'e (Part 2)
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With the 23rd pick in the 2007 draft, the Knicks chose Wilson Chandler. During his first three years in New York, Chandler showed flashes of potential, but was never consistent enough to be considered a top NBA player. Now, with the additions of Felton and Stoudemire, Chandler has been able to comfortably settle into his role as a scoring forward.
In addition to averaging nearly 18 points this season, Chandler has brought some newfound defensive prowess to the Knicks. He's leading all NBA small forwards with 1.5 blocks per game. Wilson is also shooting his three-pointers at a career clip, connecting on 37.1 percent of his attempts.
Chandler's consistent scoring has helped place the Knicks at sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Matchups
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New York will probably end up as the sixth seed in the East, so they have a good chance of playing the Chicago Bulls in the first round. The Knicks are 2-0 against Chicago this season, including a win at the United Center. They match up fairly well with the Bulls at all the positions.
At center, it's Joakim Noah against Stoudemire. This would be tough for Amar'e because of Noah's defensive and rebounding abilities, but clearly Stoudemire is the superior of the two on the offensive end. The advantage here goes to New York.
At PF, it's Wilson Chandler against Carlos Boozer. The last time Boozer played the Knicks, he dropped 26 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as he abused Chandler in the post. Although Wilson has become a much better player, the advantage here would go to Chicago.
The SF position is equal for both Chicago and New York. Luol Deng and Danilo Gallinari can light it up at times, but disappear during games at other times. At SG, you have Keith Bogans against the rookie Landry Fields. Both players are good defenders who can hit the occasional jump shot. Again, their abilities about equal each other.
Derrick Rose is clearly a better player than the borderline All-Star Raymond Felton. Rose is having an MVP season and has never had trouble making big plays in the postseason.
If the Knicks are able to get one or two wins away from the Garden, they could advance to the next round.
Home and Road Wins
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The Knicks are currently 10-7 at home and 11-8 on the road. They had a run of eight consecutive road wins earlier this season. Some of their players, especially Felton and Amar'e, enjoy playing on the road where they can hit big shots and silence the crowd. This will, of course, come into play during the '11 NBA playoffs.
Amar'e Stoudemire
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Finally, the Knicks possess one of the premiere big men in the NBA. Stoudemire has been a force on the offensive end this year and proved it by stringing together nine straight games of 30+ points. Although he could improve on his rebounding, his mark of nine isn't terrible.
Never known for his defense, Amar'e has tried to change his reputation this year by averaging 2.4 blocks per game and ranking third in the NBA in that category.
But the biggest addition to Stoudemire's repertoire has been his jump shot. He's been consistently knocking down the 15-18 footer and keeps opposing defenses on their heels with his new skill. He's even shooting 54.5 percent on 3s this year (6-11).
