Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire Will Never Bring an NBA Title To NY Knicks

New York basketball may be exciting to watch once again, but the Knicks have a long way to go before they are title contenders.

This past summer the Knicks hit the free-agency jackpot by signing Amar'e Stoudemire.  He is averaging just under 26 points per game, good for third in the league, and he is a legitimate MVP candidate.

Stoudemire was only the first step in the right direction for New York, though. The Knicks put together some solid role players around him, but the goal all along was to add another superstar.

Enter Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony and the Knicks finally found each other after an eight-month stint of rumors and broken egos, mainly on Denver's part.

In three games with the Knicks, Anthony is averaging 27.7 points and currently fifth in the league in points per game.

New York now has the second superstar they so desperately coveted to pair with Stoudemire, but it just isn't enough to push them to an NBA title.

The combination of Stoudemire and Anthony is sure to instill fear in opposing defenses, but the Knicks relinquished the majority of their depth in the Anthony trade.

Chauncey Billups has proved to be a great addition to New York's roster and Landry Fields continues to do all the things Landry Fields does.

But outside of these four, New York has a paper-thin supporting cast.

Shawne Williams, Ronny Turiaf and Bill Walker have been solid this season, but they are no Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.

In addition, New York has gaping holes at the center position. Stoudemire cannot go up against 7-foot guys night in and night out. It takes a toll on his body.

What does this matter, though? No one expected New York to win a title this season anyway. After all, aren't the Knicks one step closer to having their own "big three" next season or the year after?

Absolutely not.

You see, Anthony and Stoudemire will not only fail to bring an NBA championship to New York this season, but for seasons to come.

Seriously.

The Anthony trade not only decimated New York's abundance of assets, but it also restricts them in terms of cap space for years to come.  

Both Stoudemire and Anthony are on the books for about $20 million next season, which will account for two-thirds of the projected salary-cap after the new CBA goes into effect.

With this in mind, how does New York figure they can have the space to sign either Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard?  

The answer is that they won't have enough cap room to sign another superstar, or any other player that could make a significant contribution, for that matter.

Knicks president and general manager Donnie Walsh may be a cap-managing genius, but he cannot just will that kind of cap room into existence. Additionally, who knows if Walsh will even still be with the organization at that point?

What's that I'm hearing?

Oh, Paul, Williams and Howard will most likely be put on the trading block next season, making New York's lack of cap space irrelevant you say?

This is probably accurate, but what are the Knicks to do then? They simply do not have the assets to pull off another trade of that caliber.

Billups' expiring contract and Fields are really the only valuable assets the Knicks will be in possession of next season. And no way does New Jersey, New Orleans or Orlando relinquish one of their superstars for such a package after the one they all watched Denver receive for Anthony.

New York is completely restricted in regards to putting any more significant pieces around Anthony and Stoudemire.

Both are great players, but they cannot do it alone, and Fields and Billups are not enough to push them over that plateau.

As of right now, the Knicks are destined for a string of slightly better than average seasons, winning 45 to 50 games. Although 50 wins is quite a milestone, it will prove to be the pinnacle of achievements for these Knicks.

Unless New York can create some serious cap room or accumulate an abundance of assets over the next year, the future doesn't look too bright.

Stoudemire and Anthony have brought this organization to the point of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But that light is flickering and their window of opportunity is closing.

The Knicks may still be a young team, but at 28, Stoudemire isn't getting any younger. New York needs to get to the point where they are ready to make some serious noise soon.  

Time is running out, and Knicks fans' patience is wavering.

New York has waited nearly a decade for a championship caliber team to be put together.

And as right now, the only thing the Knicks are poised for is series of second-round playoff eliminations.