Carmelo Anthony Trade: What the New York Knicks Can Learn from the Miami Heat

Here we go again, just on another level.  

Another East Coast team finds itself jam-packed stacked as the Knicks traded four of their young starting five for the ultimate in talent and experience.

Landing the 26-year-old Carmelo Anthony and the getting-finer-with-age 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, the Knicks seemed to have put the pieces right in place in the last minute. 

Sure, they may have sacrificed some range and clutch play with the Hedo Turkoglu-esque Gallinari now shipped away, but the solid all-around games of 'Melo and Billups should more than make up for certain losses.

The question now is: Can this team gel in time to make a run at the 2011 NBA Title?

Looking at recent history, the Miami Heat, who at the beginning of the season had the scoring potential from two players that the Knicks now have, took 17 games to take off into the W's stratosphere.  By this measure the Knicks, who are 54 games into the season, could be at the 71-game mark before the winning ways ensue.  Let's hope for their sake that the cohesion takes place a little quicker.

New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni should be able to rein in his considerable talent pool, which in terms of maturity and poise seems light-years ahead of where Miami was at the beginning of the season.  Also, D'Antoni has a penchant for taking point guards in their later years and getting the absolute best out of them, a la Steve Nash.

With this considerable lineup change to both squads, let's also look at the records of squads left behind.  The Knicks and Nuggets are sixth and seventh in their respective conferences, with the Nuggets' record of 32-25 slightly better than the Knicks' 28-26 mark.

With slightly more parity in the NBA's Western Conference, it could be said the Nuggets were the better team at the time of the trade, but now the Knicks are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, in the same breath as the Celtics, Heat and Magic. But now, given Chicago's relative inexperience, the Knicks join the list of the East's Elite Four.

Stoudemire, no stranger to sacrifice for team's sake, should defer to Anthony on the scoring end, though both will get theirs. Then he can save his stamina and inside physicality for a long overdue playoff run.

With the increased size in the form of decent rebounder Shelden Williams and the experienced journeyman Anthony Carter, the Knicks have a youth-and-age combo that could fit real nicely.

Also, let's hope Knicks fans give Renaldo Balkman a big welcome back.