NBA Playoffs 2011: Power Ranking the Key Players in New York Knicks' Rotation

Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups. They're all here.

But who else? Who are the other key players for the Knicks postseason run? What part will they play?

The Big Three will perform as expected, but it just may be the other actors that will tip the difference in the Knicks' favor.

All year long the new-look Knicks have been rehearsing their lines. There was a change in casting halfway through the season and everyone had to relearn their roles. But the New York Knicks are ready now for opening night.

Here's the rundown of the key players in the Knicks rotation for Round 1 against the Boston Celtics, and hopefully beyond.

Included are blocking, dunking and top play videos along the way to get you PUMPED UP!

Jared Jeffries: The Defender

Jared Jeffries has his solid moments. He's also an important center substitute, clock-eater and occasional satisfactory defender for the Knicks. Whether you like it or not, he is going to be a key player for New York this postseason.

Jeffries is surely one of the more maligned Knicks. More than any other player it seems, he is the one fans complain about or mock the most, as this "Coming Home" spoof, one of a number on YouTube, shows.

But don't kid yourself, he's a necessary evil on this size-lacking team, and has his moments as the video here shows.

Jeffries' Knick and career numbers are, to put it mildly, woeful, but there have been some bright spots this season, particularly on defense.

While Jeffries has been out-of-step offensively (less than two PPG in 20 MPG), his defensive numbers have been respectable enough with 3.4 rebounds and a steal in the same amount of playing time.

And defense is all the Knicks need from Jeffries right now.

He can still contribute on offense without scoring, by focusing on throwing some picks and grabbing some offensive rebounds. They don't need him to score at all really, and he is not going to be much of a distraction to the opposing defense anyway.

If Jeffries simply focuses on defense in the playoffs, with a pitch-in bucket and assist here and there when defenders are not paying attention, it would be a major contribution to any Knicks' playoff run.

Shawne Williams: The Threat

Shawne Williams is afraid of no one. Not on offense. Not on defense. In this video he takes it to the hoop and slams it over Dwight Howard.

He didn't back down from the aggressive Ron Artest either, who, in another unstable display, put his hands on Williams' neck.

In summary, Williams will dish it, and he 'ain't gonna' take it. Let it be known, Shawne Williams is on the court.

And not just on the inside. From the outside and free throw line, too—he averages over 40 percent from three and sunk 40-of-48 from the line. Dangerous and respectable numbers.

It's the same on the other side of the ball, where Williams crashes the boards for 6.5 rebounds and over a steal per 36 minutes.

In the best year of his young (four-year) career, Williams is also more than double-figures in points (12.3) per 36, rounding out his role: the threat.

The Knicks have a few candidates for sixth man, and Shawne Williams is one, but perhaps their true sixth man is...

Toney Douglas: The Sixth Man

Douglas, another non-starter to clock at least 20 minutes a game, is the best man off the bench.

He's quietly even a bigger scorer than starter and supposed shooting guard, Landry Fields. It's true. Per game, it's Douglas over Fields 10.6 to 9.7. The gap widens if you look at the playing time: 15.6(!) to 11.3 for 36 minutes.

And like Williams, he's efficient from both sides of the ball, with 1.6 steals and, get this, 4.5 rebounds every 36 for the 6'2" point guard. Good stuff.

Everyone remembers Douglas' wicked, record-setting three-point game, shown here. He's got 143 treys on the season and at 37 percent, is legit from behind the arc.

All of his numbers are even crazier in games when he's played more than 30 minutes, where he routinely scores 20 and sometimes more than 25.

Douglas is a major security blanket for the Knicks going into the playoffs. If Billups or Fields needs to rest or if one of them tweaks something, he can get the job done for a short or long spell. A true sixth man.

Ronny Turiaf: The Center

Say it out loud: "Ronny Turiaf, the Center." Yeah, feels good, doesn't it?

No? Well, it's all the Knicks got.

Turiaf is going to be a key player for the Knicks in the postseason, especially against the bigger Celtics. It is important he stays on the floor for longer stretches and remains healthy if the Knicks advance.

He's the center and that's where he needs to be, too.

Clog up the key, Ronny. And, save those many fouls for the fourth quarter. They'll come in handy. Turiaf is also the second-best blocker on the team, behind Stoudemire. That will come in handy, too.

In this video, Turiaf blocks Jeff Green when Green was still a Thunder. That could come in handy against the Celtics, you know.

Landry Fields: The X-Factor

Landry Fields can tip the balance in the Knicks' favor. He's the X-Factor.

We know how everyone else is going to play, give or take, but Fields is a bit of a question.

He's a rookie in the playoffs and that's usually a question mark right there. His numbers have been inconsistent and sub-par for a starter. He's mispositioned, in a way.

Despite all that, Fields has overachieved this year and looks to do so in the playoffs.

To begin, Fields will likely handle his first postseason the way he handled the transition from college to the Big Apple: no concerns. It's the opposite of what you might expect for a rookie. Fields, a quick fan favorite, feeds off the crowds and the intensity, rather than shunning it.

The Knicks have a deep bench and should rest Fields more to get the most out of him.  His numbers tailed off precipitously as the season wound down, a consequence not just of yielding playing time to others, but probably fatigue.

Fields had some great moments for the first two-thirds of the season, though, and continues to hone his specialty: rebounds. Stick to those, throw in some points and move the ball around and the Knicks will be good to go.

Chauncey Billups: The Champion

Mr. Big Shot is so important, especially now, it makes you wonder what the Knicks would do without him.  They might be lost.

But Chauncey Billups knows the way. He's traveled the road no less than 10 times, laid eyes on the
Holy Grail twice and even absconded with the treasure once.

It's preposterous now, looking back, that he was considered a throw-in. What is more valuable in the playoffs than playoff experience?

How about playoff production? Check.

Leadership? Check.

Floor direction? Check. Scoring ability? Check. Endurance? Check. Smarts? Check. Selflessness? Check.

The big shot? The important pass? The game winner? Check. Check. Check.

Felton's scorecard had less checkmarks.

There's something else invaluable about Billups, too: His influence on the younger guards. School's in session for young apprentices Fields and Douglas.

Amar'e Stoudemire: The Enforcer

Stoudemire is the best blocker and defender on the team, and keeps getting better now that he is not the exhausting sole focus of D'Antoni's offense. Not only that, he keeps defenses honest.

The video shows Amar'e's best block of the year, a game-sealer against LeBron James and the Heat. If Stoudemire can do that against the King, no one is safe.

What makes Stoudemire lethal on the offensive end is that mid-ranger which opens up the floor for both him and the whole team. When you see Amar'e hovering around 12-15 feet, count it.

When the Celtics are too busy defending the sometimes erratic and possessive Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e will be able to steal away some open space for that open jumper.

He may no longer be New York's No. 1 option on the floor, but he still is No. 1 in Knicks' fans' hearts and minds. He'll single-handedly whip the Garden crowd into a frenzy. If he takes control of a playoff game at home, expect to hear those "MVP" chants again, just for kicks, even though STAT is no longer in the running. Who doesn't love The Enforcer?

And like the next, and final, key player, Amar'e can win a game all by himself.

Carmelo Anthony: The Closer

The nickname says it all. Amar'e has stepped aside—just a bit. Carmelo will be the guy with the ball for the last shot, at least expectedly.

Why not, by the way? Carmelo Anthony is one of the best in the NBA at sinking the game-winner. Sure, your heart's in your throat when he's frantically and demandingly looking to get open as the seconds tick down, but it's going to happen. Accept it. Embrace it. He can do it.

Everyone knows the numbers already: Melo does everything and specializes in scoring. Anthony will not be stopped from putting up double figures in points every night.  It's nice to know this will be a given, a luxury many teams, even in the playoffs, don't have.

And he's a better defender than you think, partially due to his determination to be "the guy," and will break up a play and steal a ball or two.

And if the Knicks really want to throw a wrench in their opponents plans, they could use Carmelo as a decoy and draw up some last-minute surprise plays for other players.  That would keep opponents scratching their heads.

Until further notice though, Carmelo Anthony is The Closer. He even closes out this slideshow. Hopefully, he can shut the door on the Celtics' season, too.