New York Knicks: 10 Most Important Games for the 2011-2012 Season

Whether or not the New York Knicks or the rest of the NBA will even play in the 2011-2012 NBA season is a question by itself. However, I still think it's important to review the most important games which they will play if the NBA is able to come to an agreement to salvage the entire season.

While elite teams like the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are obviously important match-ups for the New York Knicks, they will also have to be prepared for up-and-coming young teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers to be gunning for them as well, especially now that they are considered by many to be in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

After making the first round of the playoffs in over a decade, Knicks fans are highly anticipating watching the duo of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire try and take the Knicks even further into the playoffs in the 2011-2012 NBA season after being swept in a close series with their long-time division rival, the Boston Celtics.

November 2: Miami Heat at New York Knicks (Opening Night)

Although opening night is always exciting, the fact that the Knicks are playing LeBron James and the Miami Heat makes it even more special.

While the Knicks are still trying to form a "Big Three" of their own, the scoring punch of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony will still give the Miami Heat all they can handle. Throw in the savvy veteran leadership of Chauncey Billups, and it makes for quite a game.

This game holds particular importance for the Knicks because the Miami Heat are the team that they will likely have to get through in the East in order to make it to the NBA Finals. While they will most likely not reach that threshold this season, they will still want to defeat LeBron James and Co. and start the 2011-2012 season off with an edge against one of their long-time rivals.

Keep in mind that even though the Knicks played the Boston Celtics in the first round of the2010-2011 NBA Playoffs last season, they were very close to playing the Miami Heat. The Garden will be rocking for this match-up since both teams are not short on big names to make for an entertaining game.  

December 13: New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers

After making the playoffs last season, many believed that the Chicago Bulls would blow the Indiana Pacers off the floor. However, the Pacers showed up in a big way and gave the Bulls an early warning that they would have to fight with all their energy to defeat them and that they would not go down easily.

If the Knicks happen to catch fire and crack into the top three seeding in the Eastern Conference, they could possibly find themselves matched up against a young yet confident Pacers team. The fact that they were able to add Brian Shaw as the lead assistant to Frank Vogel's coaching staff, while also adding Kevin Pritchard to their front office brass, makes them that much more dangerous.

On the flip side, also keep in mind that if the Knicks finish in the lower seeding of the Eastern Conference, they could find themselves jockeying for seeding position down the final stretch of the regular season.

With the underrated play of Tyler Hansbrough coupled with the elite scoring prowess of Danny Granger protecting Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse for this game, the Knicks will have to come prepared to play, as the Pacers are a team the has a collectively high motor and plays with energy and big time effort on both ends of the floor.

December 15: Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks

This match-up is particularly intriguing because the Knicks will be facing an ever improving division rival in the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bringing in Doug Collins did two important things for the young Sixers. It gave them confidence and a coach who knows the right way to utilize the myriad of skills which Andre Iguodala has had for so long.

Utilizing Iguodala as a point forward, the team can get out and run and has plenty of young talent to keep up with such a torrent pace. Throw in the fact that they are playing against an opponent that is coached by Mike D'Antoni, and we've got ourselves a game of serious up-tempo basketball for sure.

The main match-up in this particular game will be that of Carmelo Anthony and Andre Iguodala. With Carmelo's ability to score in a variety of ways and Iguodala's ability to initiate the offense and defend as well as anyone in the NBA, it will certainly make for an interesting game.

Whichever team gets the better of this match-up will likely be the one that comes out with the victory for their respective team.

December 22 at Boston Celtics, December 25 at New York Knicks

OK, so I lied; this article is about the 11 most important games on the 2011-2012 schedule for the New York Knicks, but how can you possibly split these two games up? A home and home match-up against the Boston Celtics is the best match-up a Knicks fan can ask for on Christmas Day.

Even though the history behind the rivalry, along with the marquis in game match-ups this one has to offer, make this a must-watch on the schedule for Knicks fans everywhere. The fact that the Knicks got beaten by the Celtics every single time they played them last season is what makes this two games set even more important than any of the others on the list.

The Knicks went 0-4 against the Celtics in the regular season and then replicated that same goose egg against them in the playoffs as well getting swept in four exciting, yet disappointing, games against the Celtics.

The important thing the Knicks need to focus on isn't that they lost to the Celtics eight times, but how close most of the games were. If the Knicks are able to make some minor adjustments, they can play with the Boston Celtics. In the end it ultimately comes down to effort and more consistent defense, which will surely be a lot to ask for, especially coming from a team coached by Mike D'Antoni.

However, another season together should help develop team chemistry, and the addition of rookie Iman Shumpert should help improve the Knicks defense against the crafty Rajon Rondo. If they are able to develop in both of these areas and not get out-hustled down the stretch of games by the older and wiser Boston Celtics, they have a chance at winning both games against them.

March 16: New Jersey Nets at New York Knicks

When the Knicks played the New Jersey Nets last season, they defeated them all four times they played them. However, they only had to face Deron Williams one time out of all four match-ups. The other two times, Devin Harris and Jordan Farmar played the point for the Nets.

In the one game where Williams played, the Nets lost by four points. In the other three games, where Harris or Farmar lead the Nets into battle, they lost by a minimum of 10 each time. Call me crazy, but this is more than likely not a coincidence.

The teams will square off four times again in the 2011-2012 regular season. If the Knicks are able to keep Deron Williams and Brook Lopez under control, they should be able to take at least three out of the four games in which they go up against their cross-town rivals.

The games the Knicks play against the Nets will be even more important, since they will both likely be in the market for Dwight Howard when he becomes a free agent in 2012. If the Knicks are able to sweep the Nets in the regular season, it may not guarantee that Howard comes to the Knicks, but it certainly couldn't hurt their chances.

March 30: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks

The Knicks won two out of their four meetings with the Atlanta Hawks last season, which, although that isn't bad, it would be better if they are able to take three out of four or even sweep them in the regular season series in the 2011-2012 regular season.

While many people were highly against the pick of Iman Shumpert, I think the Knicks could have done a lot worse, since Shumpert does at least address the need to improve defensively. He brings athleticism and size to the point guard position, and although he has a ways to improve in this area, D'Antoni's system has a way of making stars out of role players on offense because of it's fast pace.

What this has to do with the Knicks match-up against the Hawks is simple. Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson are the two biggest offensive threats on the Hawks, and the Knicks now have some different options they can use to guard them. With Shumpert, Landry Fields and Toney Douglas all solid defenders, they can use any combination of these three to guard the aforementioned offensive pair for the Hawks.

Although it would be asking a lot out of Shumpert to lock down Crawford or Johnson, who are two of the NBA's most gifted scorers, he can't do any worse than what the Knicks have already done, since D'Antoni doesn't emphasize defense at all. If he's able to at least help to shut down one of the two previously mentioned dynamic scorers, the Knicks have a chance to come out on top of a team they will likely be fighting for playoff seeding with.

April 5: New York Knicks at Orlando Magic

Not surprisingly, the Knicks only defeated the Orlando Magic one out of four times last season, since the Knicks are sorely lacking an interior defensive presence (sorry, Ronny Turiaf).

Going up against the burly beast of the Eastern Conference in Dwight Howard, the Knicks have absolutely no answer to control him since he is just too strong, athletic and gigantic for their centers by committee.

Although Amar'e can play the center position, his natural position is power forward, and he is not sound enough defensively to contain a juggernaut like Howard in the paint.

After seeing the Knicks parade onto the court with the likes of Turiaf, Shawne Williams, Sheldon Williams and even Jared Jeffries, it's time for the Knicks to land a true big man to take the pressure off of Amar'e Stoudemire defensively and allow him to slide over to play at power forward where he is more comfortable.

Obviously much the same as when they play Chris Paul, it is important that they make a statement and show Howard that they have improved significantly enough to entice him to sign with the Knicks in 2012, new CBA permitting.

April 8: New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls

Although the Bulls' weakness of not having a second player that can create his own shot was exploited in the playoffs last season, I have a feeling the Bulls are going to address that need and come back even more dangerous, most likely acquiring someone like O.J. Mayo or if they are lucky Nick Young from the Washington Wizards if they are able to sign him outright.

With all that being said, the Knicks split with the Bulls last season, and the likely reason is because the first game the Knicks won, they shot 50 percent from the field, 67 percent from downtown and hit 88 percent of their free throws. The second time the Knicks won, Joakim Noah was injured and was replaced by former Knickerbocker and elder statesman Kurt Thomas.

It is highly unlikely that the Knicks get this lucky again, since shooting nights like the one previously mentioned happen once in a blue moon for a player, never-mind an entire team.

The only answer for the Knicks is to improve defensively and sign a true center to take some of the pressure off of Stoudemire in the paint, especially when he is faced with going up against Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah on the same night.

If the Knicks are able to get some help in the middle and improve defensively, they have a solid chance of running with the Bulls and defeating them in Chicago. The Bulls will be one of the teams the Knicks will likely have to go through to reach the NBA Finals, so figuring out how to beat them during the regular season, rather than later on in the postseason, would definitely work in their favor.

April 11: New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks seem to be a thorn in the side of the New York Knicks, as they lost three out of four times to them last season, and it's easy to see why. They are fundamentally sound defensively.

The Bucks are basically the polar opposite of the Knicks. They don't score a lot of points, their coach focuses primarily on defense and they don't have any true superstar on their roster right now, although Brandon Jennings is almost sure to develop into one.

After acquiring Stephen Jackson right before the 2011 NBA Draft, I think they will be even more dangerous now that they have a versatile scorer who should combine with Jennings to make a lethal one two punch at both guard positions.

If Andrew Bogut stays healthy (and that's a big if), the Bucks could throttle the Knicks the majority of times they play each other again this season. However, if the Knicks are able to sign someone to protect the paint next to Amar'e Stoudemire, then the shot-blocking prowess of Bogut may not seem so imposing after all.

The Knicks will have to surely improve defensively against the Bucks, since Jennings is sure to only get better, and Stephen Jackson will add a scoring dimension to the Bucks they haven't had at all since Scott Skiles has become their head coach. The Bucks are likely going to be one of the teams vying for a final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, so depending on where the Knicks finish in the standings, these two teams could possibly meet up in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

April 13: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks

This choice will surprise a lot of people, since many were probably expecting to see the Cleveland Cavaliers on the list since the Knicks lost three out of four times to them last season, and defeated the Wizards all three times that they played each other. Trust me, though, my reasoning will make sense soon enough.

Although the Cavaliers seemed to own us last season for whatever reason, they only got worse this offseason, giving away J.J. Hickson for Omri Casspi, which, in my opinion, was a very foolish trade. I like Omri Casspi and was happy to see him do well as a rookie with the Sacramento Kings.

However, talented big men are much more valuable these days than three point shooting small forwards, because there simply aren't as many of them.

While Anderson Varejao coming back healthy would certainly help the Cavaliers, I don't think it will be enough to give them the same luck they had against the Knicks this season.

When weighing in the results of the 2011 NBA Draft, the Wizards did a better job improving their team than the Cavaliers did, and that's saying a lot, considering the Cavaliers had the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the draft.

While Kyrie Irving will likely make an impact, I don't think it will be a big enough one to make the Cavaliers a more important match-up than the Wizards. Tristan Thompson seemed to surprise everyone, and it should have. Jonas Valenciunas should have been their pick for the same reason they shouldn't have traded away J.J. Hickson; talented big men are not that easy to find. 

Sure, they probably would've had to wait a year for Valenciunas to come over from Europe, but the way he has dominated in the under 19 tournament has shown that waiting a year for him would more than likely be worth it.

As far as the Wizards draft goes, they addressed all of their needs acquiring a back-up point guard with Shelvon Mack, a solid defender and three shooter in Chris Singleton and acquiring a very talented and lanky wing player in Jan Vesely.

Acquiring Vesely gives them the ability to trade Andray Blatche for someone who is equally or a little less talented and a lot more motivated than he is. Since Blatche has all the talent in the world, there is certainly a coach out there in the NBA who thinks they can motivate him to reach his potential.

Throw in that the team has arguably the best young big man outside of Dwight Howard in JaVale McGee, has a deadly scorer in Nick Young and is led by the dynamic rising superstar John Wall at point guard, and it is entirely possible to see this team fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

For that reason, the Knicks must be on their toes when going up against the Wizards and all of the other teams previously mentioned in the article, since they are all improving and getting more dangerous to compete against.

However, the Knicks are not short on talent either, with Carmelo and Amar'e leading the way and some young talent in Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams, Derrick Brown and Iman Shumpert surrounding them. If they are able to get a defensive minded assistant coach to complement Mike D'Antoni's offensive style and a big man to do the dirty work and allow Amar'e to go to work offensively, their is no reason they can't be equally as lethal as any of the other teams they could run into come playoff time.