New York Knicks: Can Carmelo and Co. Play Defense, Compete for Title?

The New York Knicks really opened my eyes last night in their 92-79 win last night against one of the top teams in the east, the Atlanta Hawks, on the road.

Now, the question is, was that the real "new look" Knicks, or are they still the run-and-gun team that will probably never win a championship?

Only time will tell what kind of team these Knicks will be, but I seem to think that they will not grind it out and get stops on the defensive end and they would rather just get the ball back and try to score again.

The Knicks are allowing 105.3 points per game, but since the trade for Carmelo and company they have allowed their opponents to score over 100 points four times and have held their opponents under 100 three times.

The thing that really caught my eye is that the three games where they have allowed less than 100 points are against good opponents (Hawks, Hornets and Heat) and when they allow over 100 points it is usually against inferior opponents (Cavaliers twice and the Bucks). This is telling me that this team has not yet glued together and tend to play down to their opponents level of talent.

Head coach Mike D'Antoni is not known for his defense and likes to get up and down the floor. I don't see him or the Knicks taking time out of practice to focus on defense, but what if they did?

Amar'e and Carmelo can flat out score the ball. They also have a great supporting cast in Chauncey Billups, Landry Fields and three point shooter Shawne Williams. The Knicks can score in many different ways—that has never been the problem for this team or any of D'Antoni's teams.

Imagine if they could play great help defense and get some stops like the Boston Celtics or the LA Lakers?

With the star power of Melo and Amar'e, they have the inside presence and the perimeter scorer that is needed to win a championship. They also have multiple three point shooters that can help stretch the floor and make it very difficult for teams to double team Melo and Amar'e.

There is no doubt that this team can do some damage but can they compete in a seven game series against the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics? The answer is simple: if they can't play defense, no chance.

However, look at that 91-86 win that the Knicks had in Miami where the Knicks shot just 38.8 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from behind the arc. They won that game with defense and by getting to the free throw line.

Anthony led the way with 29 points while making eight of nine at the line and really giving the Heat a lot of trouble with his slashing ability. The Heat shot just 43.2 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from beyond the three point line ,and the Knicks only allowed eight fast break points. This is the key to success.

So, can the Knicks play defense and compete for a championship?

Although I don't see them winning the Eastern Conference this year or beating the Heat or Celtics in a playoff series, I think that they will grow a lot on the defensive side of the ball and wouldn't be surprised if they went deep into the series and losing in a Game Six or Seven.

This team is a year or two away from being a serious contender in the East and with some dedication and hard work on the defensive side of the ball, the road to the NBA Finals might go through Madison Square Garden in 2012.