Carmelo Anthony Trade: Can the New-Look Knicks Top the Heat or the Celtics?
Carmelo Anthony Trade: For a second there, I thought it would never happen. I was beginning to think the Knicks would wait until the free-agency period and pick up Carmelo Anthony for free, minus his exorbitant salary of course.
Instead, the Knicks pulled the trigger. For better or worse, the team that is centered in the basketball mecca has its marquee player. Carmelo will now play alongside Amar'e Stoudemire.
The two will feature in the run-and-gun style that Mike D'Antoni loves to employ. The big question now is, will it be enough? Can the Knicks, with one of the best scorers in the world, in a system that is geared for offensive production, take down the mighty Heat or Celtics?
I have the answer for you.
5. Yes: Offensive Prowess
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The Knicks were one of the best teams in the East for the first half of the season. That is a fact that cannot be ignored. They accomplished this feat by scoring a boat load of points. Their offensive production was astounding considering they had just one formidable scorer on the team.
Some of you might state that there was a bevy of young talent that allowed this team to score at an unbelievable clip. It is more likely that the Mike D'Antoni style of basketball had more to do with it than anything else.
The Knicks were throwing down 106 points a game with their only All-Star being Amar'e Stoudemire. Consider what they can do now with two guys that can consistently throw up 25-plus points a night.
5. No: Growing Pains
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The Miami Heat were supposed to win 72 games this year. Hell, some Heat fans believed the Miami squad could win 83 if given the chance.
But the Big Three came out and laid a big fat egg to start the season. There was talk of firing head coach Erik Spoelstra and panic almost set in. Yes, it is safe to say that a team that completely guts its roster is bound to undergo some growing pains.
The Knicks could feel them immediately or 20 games from now. Make no mistake, they will feel them.
4. Yes: Determination
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There is nothing like an intangible emotion to lean on. Carmelo Anthony has a great many things to prove. He has to prove he was worth the money, the players and the adoration. The second era of his career starts now.
The Knicks have been proving all year that they are once again a relevant franchise. The entire roster, including Carmelo, has a huge chip resting uncomfortably on their shoulders. That is always a great motivator in sports.
The team with something to prove always gets a little extra push in the end.
4. No: Chemistry
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Talent only rarely trumps chemistry. The Boston Celtics have shown that you can be old and creaky, but if you trust in your fellow teammate, magic happens.
The Celtics have years of mileage with each other. It will take a tremendous amount of games for the Knicks just to feel comfortable with one another. Even the Heat have a head start on them.
The NBA is one of the most team-oriented leagues in sports. Chemistry cannot be discounted.
3. Yes: Chauncey Billups
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The one facet that goes missing in this trade is Chauncey Billups. Chauncey's stats are near identical to last season's. His scoring might be down a bit, but the Nuggets were a cursed team for most of the year.
More than anything, Billups is a leader. The man won with Detroit. He then showed the Nuggets he was worth more than Allen Iverson. Now, he has the chance to prove he is not yet over-the-hill.
Some guys just make their teams better. Chauncey is that guy. The Knicks will be much better served with his running the floor. He may not have the scoring acumen that Felton started to show, but the Knicks have Melo for that.
3. No: Depth
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The Celtics have it, the Heat want it and the Knicks can only hope to gain some in free agency. I am talking about bench help. These are the guys that carry you in the second and third quarters.
These are the guys that give you a boost when you are down and steady the ship when the starters get a breather. The Knicks of the Carmelo Anthony era are very thin on talent. They have bodies to accomplish little other than collect fouls.
Other than that, they have no low-post defender after Turiaf. They lack scoring in the second unit. And their defense is well, we might just cover that shortly.
The Heat were lambasted for their lack of depth. An issue that will still haunt them in the playoffs. But the thin Heat are stocked to the brim with talent compared to the new-look Knicks.
2. Yes: A Dynamic Duo
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Before Monday, if a team wanted to stop the Knicks, they would target Amar'e Stoudemire first. He would be the victim of double teams and lock-down defenders. Now, the opposition has to split its efforts.
All great teams have at least two phenomenal players. A quick count of the Knicks new roster yields exactly that amount. The key now is to get these two young studs to gel together in a way detrimental to the top teams in the East.
2. No: Two Is Cute and All...
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The Knicks now have two superstars on their team. Congratulations, here is a cookie. Try having three, no four All-Stars represented on your squad.
The Celtics just sent four of the starters to the midseason classic. I shouldn't have to remind you, but I will. The Heat happen to have a fairly competent squad of their own.
They match the Knicks Amar'e and Melo with their very own Wade and LeBron. You can then add the Heat role players of Chris Bosh, another All-Star, and James Jones, the 2011 winner of the three-point shootout.
1. Yes: Carmelo Anthony
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This has to be the biggest reason the Knicks get to the promised land. Carmelo Anthony is simply one of the best players in the world.
He is a player that you sell half the team off for and don't ask why. He can score with the game on the line. He also nets you a consistent 25-plus points a game. Most importantly, he is a pest to the opposition.
Every championship team needs a killer, an assassin. If you plan on winning a title, you need a player with one name to lead the charge; Kobe, Jordan, Magic, Russell. The formula is simple. Can Carmelo be that guy?
He has the talent. Only time will tell us if he has exactly what it takes.
1. No: Defense
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The Knicks got more scoring in the trade. They even got a great deal more star power. The one thing they did not get was defense. One of the worst defensive teams in the Association will remain so, at least for this season.
There is a cliche that is stated so often that my lunch starts to lurch forward when I hear it. Defense wins championships. There goes the McNuggets.
As trite as it may be, it's pretty spot on. You cannot rely on offense to carry you through the playoffs. That is why head coach Mike D'Antoni will never, ever, win a title. He is a great regular season coach with a poor postseason system.
Offenses go through slumps. That is why it is essential to have a stout defense to carry you through games where you go cold. That is why the Celtics would easily outlast the Knicks in seven games.
Conclusion: No, the Heat and Celtics Are Still Better
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If you want to win the title, you still have to go through the Heat or the Celtics. The Knicks made a huge change tonight, but their station in life is static.
You can bet that the Knicks will contend for a title. It will not however, be this year. The Heat and Celtics best the current roster of the Knicks in every possible way, on paper, on the floor, in the locker room, intangible, tangible and otherwise.
The Knicks will one day be contenders with Carmelo Anthony. It will just take a tad bit more patience from you New Yorkers.
