Carmelo Anthony Trade: 10 Reasons NY Knicks Still Are Not NBA Title Contenders

Everybody take a deep breath and relax. The Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes have, at long last, come to an end.

In case you haven't yet heard the news, Melo has been traded to the New York Knicks in an absolute blockbuster of a deal. According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, heading to New York is Melo, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Corey Brewer. Going the other way to Denver is Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks' 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors' 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors' 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash.

In addition, the Knicks are also sending Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

You got all that? Good. There will be a quiz.

Now then, the question naturally becomes just how much better the Knicks are now that they finally have their man. Or, if you want to be more specific, whether or not they are now title contenders with Melo in the fold.

As you may have already noticed, we think the answer is no. And ahead of you are 10 reasons why we think so.

Happy arguing, everybody!

10. Can Carmelo Handle The Spotlight?

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 19: TV personality Lala Vazquez and NBA player Carmelo Anthony arrive to the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) All-Star Gala on February 19, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Im

I know what you're thinking and, truth be told, I'm not much of a fan of speculating over whether or not a small-market player will be able to withstand the pressure of a big market like New York either. But alas, it must be done, so we may as well get it out of the way.

Carmelo Anthony is no stranger to pressure situations. We are, after all, talking about a guy who led the Syracuse Orangemen to their first NCAA title, and he's played in the postseason every year he's been in the NBA.

Nevertheless, New York is a different animal and exactly how well Melo will adapt to the immense expectations that this trade will, and already has, precipitated is very much an unresolved question

If his play does sag, then expecting an NBA title this season is asking a bit much.

9. We Don't Know How Melo and Amar'e Will Play Together

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Amare Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks and the Eastern Conference talks with Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets and the Western Conference in the first half of the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on Febr

On paper, there is no doubt that the combination of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire makes for quite the formidable duo.

But, as many pundits both wiser and dumber than myself have said over the years, the games are not played on paper.

I'm willing to accept the idea that Melo and Amar'e will be able to coexist, but I'm not so sure that this is going to happen right away. For good or ill, there is a learning curve that new teammates have to conquer before they can take off. Just ask the Miami Heat.

Is there enough time for Melo and Amar'e to get used to each other? Absolutely. But that's no guarantee that they will.

8. They're Going To Miss Timofey Mozgov

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: Timofey Mozgov #25 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden on February 9, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloadi

As far as centers go, Timofey Mozgov obviously isn't the most valuable asset in the NBA. But still, there are only so many true seven-footers in the league, and Mosgov is hardly the worst of the bunch.

With Mozgov gone, there is now a notable lack of depth at the five spot for the Knicks. One suspects that Mike D'Antoni will solve this by simply letting Amar'e handle the bulk of the duties. And because Amar'e has actually averaged more points when he starts at the five than he does at the four (28.3 to 23.8), I suppose one could come up with worse strategies.

Still, there's a reason the Knicks were hesitant to include Mozgov in the deal, and me thinks his absence will be felt.

7. Raymond Felton > Chauncey Billups

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 16: Raymond Felton #2 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on February 16, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and

Is Chauncey Billups a more accomplished player than Raymond Felton? Without a doubt.

Is Billups still the better player at this point in his career? No way.

On the one hand, Felton bests Billups in all the major stats that you look for in a point guard. Felton averages more minutes (38.4), points (17.1), and assists (9.0) than Billups (32.2/16.5/5.3). But more important than that is the fact that Billups has always been more of a scoring point guard than an offensive facilitator, which is the kind of player that would work better with the new-found Melo-Amar'e duo.

In the parlance of our times, I'm just saying...

6. Melo Doesn't Bring That Much Postseason Success

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 07: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets watches on against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on December 7, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and

Thanks to his one great year at Syracuse, Melo does indeed know what it's like to win. And true, he has been in the playoffs every year he's been in the NBA.

However, getting to the playoffs and doing something once you get there are two different things. To this point, Melo's career has consisted almost entirely of the former.

In his seven-plus years as a pro, Melo and the Nuggets advanced past the first round exactly once, so it's not like he's the kind of guy who can put a team on his back and will them to overachieve (i.e. LeBron and the Cavs).

Obviously, having Amar'e around to share the load will help. But like I said, we don't know if that's going to work as well in reality as it does in theory.

5. History

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 11: Film director Spike Lee watches the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 11, 2011 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downl

I would love nothing more than to write: "Come on, this is the Knicks we're talking about" and to just leave it at that. Thankfully, it's slightly more complicated than that.

As I'm sure we're all well aware, the NBA's playoff system is deeply flawed. The first problem is that eight teams per conference is way too many. The second is that we really don't need every series to be a best of seven.

But hey, don't take my word for it. The fact of the matter is that lower seeded teams rarely make it very far. As of right now, the Knicks are the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and as I recall only one No. 6 seed has gone on to win the NBA Finals (the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets).

That being said, come on, this is the Knicks we're talking about here.

4. Not Better Than The Chicago Bulls

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CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 17: Derrick Rose #1 and Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls return to the court after a time-out against the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on February 17, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Spurs 109-99. NO

Of the five teams currently ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference, I think that the Knicks only stack up well against two of them. I'm pretty sure they could beat the Hawks if it came to it, and I think they could take the Magic too.

But when it comes to the top three teams, I'm not so sure. And that starts with Chicago.

For starters, the Bulls are the second-best defensive team in the league, as they allow just 92.4 points a game. They also limit opponents to a 42.9 field goal percentage, which is just barely behind the Miami Heat for tops in the league.

Secondly, I just think that, provided Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah stay healthy for the stretch run, the Bulls are a more complete team than the Knicks. Simple as that.

3. Not Better Than The Miami Heat

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Dwyane Wade #3, LeBron James #6, and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat look on during their 113-91 win against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 17, 2010 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackn

Moving on to the East's second-best team, I'm also of the opinion that the Knicks don't stack up well against the Miami Heat either.

Yes, the Knicks do have an advantage in the paint against the Heat. But most teams do, and the Heat still have the third-best record in the NBA.

Moreover, adding Melo doesn't give the Knicks any kind of perimeter advantage against the Heat, who can score on and run circles around anyone they damn well please.

So if the Knicks aren't getting through the Bulls and they're not getting through the Heat, I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this...

2. Not Better Than The Boston Celtics

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PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 28: Assistant coach Lawrence Frank of the Boston Celtics walks Paul Pierce #34, Ray Allen #20 and Kevin Garnett #5 back to the bench after an altercation against the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at US Airways Center on January 2

Let's not kid ourselves: Any Eastern Conference team that aims to make it to the Finals is going to have to get through the Celtics. They're the defending conference champs and they're just as good this year as they were last year, if not better.

As per usual, the C's are getting it done with defense, allowing a league-best 91.1 points per game. They also match up well against the Knicks at every position on the floor, and the Knicks just don't have enough weapons to make a legitimate push at dethroning the Celtics (only Miami does).

In summary, the only way the Knicks are getting to the Finals is if they find a way to dodge the Bulls, Heat and Celtics.

In other words, they're not.

1. This Trade Isn't Meant To Get It Done This Year

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Amare Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks and the Eastern Conference stands with Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets and the Western Conference after the Western Conference won 148-143 victory in the 2011 NBA All-Sta

We come at last to reason numero uno, which is by far the most obvious one.

The reason this new Knicks team is not going to be able to contend for the Finals is simple: it's not a complete team yet.

When will it be complete?

Why, when Chris Paul joins the mix, of course. After all, that's the plan, am I right?

If and when he does, you can expect a slideshow of 10 reasons why the Knicks are title contenders. Until then, I hope you'll join me in enjoying the stretch run of this NBA season for what it is.

Cheers.