NBA Playoffs: 5 Reasons Why the New York Knicks Will Beat the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have been the team to beat in the East for the past three years. The New York Knicks have been stuck at the bottom. But now, after a nice summer and trade deadline, with the additions Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups, the team is a contender. Their first real test? A playoff series against the Boston Celtics. Will they win? Yes. Here's why.

Reason 1: Age: Sure, Boston has three stars, but look at their ages; 33, 34 and 35. Rajon Rondo is amazing, but he has only averaged 10.6 PPG  the entire year. If Rondo doesn't step up and play like he did during the 2010 Playoffs, Boston is toast. The Big Three's progress is rapidly declining and I think they are getting a little old to lead the Celtics back to the Finals. On the other hand, Carmelo, Amare, Toney Douglas and Landry Fields are all 28 or younger. The Knicks definitely have the edge there.

Reason 2: Supporting Cast: Other than the Big Four, the Celtics have two players who can do things–Glen Davis, and Jeff Green. You would want them on your team, but Davis makes too many dumb plays and sloppy mistakes and Green doesn't have enough playoff experience. You can say that about Fields and Douglas, but they have the potential to break out and dominate the C's. Billups is sort on the supporting cast as well and he has the shooting ability and the experience to get the Knicks far.

Reason 3: Shooting: All of the Knicks who I just mentioned and Anthony Carter can shoot and they can shoot well. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are great shooters for Boston and Rajon Rondo isn't bad, but KG, Davis, and Green aren't exactly the best shooters. On the other hand, Chauncey Billups guided Detroit to a championship with his shooting ability, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire kept Denver and Phoenix alive with theirs and Douglas and Fields have boosted New York's pride and joy by making key shots. Boston can force New York to take all 3's, but it won't stop the Knicks.

Reason 4: Bench: Like I said, the New York bench can make key contributions when needed. Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Anthony Carter, Ronny Turiaf and others have made key plays and although Turiaf has bounced around a lot of places, he could step up and make some key dunks, reject some shots, and haul in some boards. Carter can shoot the three well and Walker and Williams average 4.9+ and can score big. Williams scored 25 in one game, and Walker 23. If those two make contributions, the Knicks are looking great. Boston doesn't have a bad bench, but injuries have hurt the bench players.

Reason 5: Injuries: Injuries have wiped out a few Celtics, including Shaquille O'Neal and Delonte West. The Big Four are prone to injuries, with all of them having missed some time due to injuries. If the injury bug hits Boston during the first round, the C's are in trouble. Amare and Carmelo have missed no time due to injuries, and they most likely won't be on IR during the playoffs. New York will be looking even better if one of the Celtics' stars gets wiped out.