New York Knicks: 5 Reasons a Lockout-Shortened Season Can Help the Knicks

Knicks fans finally had reasons to be excited this past season for the first time in years. It was the first season in the playoffs since 2004 and the first winning season since 2001. 

It started off during last offseason, when the Knicks signed star power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. Stoudemire proclaimed that "the Knicks are back" and backed up his statement with stellar play on the basketball court.

Then after months of rumors and speculation, the Knicks finally traded for star small forward Carmelo Anthony and also acquired veteran point guard Chauncey Billups in the deal.

While the season ended with the Knicks getting swept by the Celtics, Knicks fans knew it would take time for Stoudemire and Anthony to learn how to play with each other.

They also knew Stoudemire was playing with an injured back and that Billups missed the last three playoff games due to a strained knee ligament. With those two guys healthy, the series could have gone a much different way.

Knicks fans have waited and waited for the Knicks to become a good team again. This is why the lockout causes many of them stress as they believe that it came at the wrong time. They want to go to Madison Square Garden to cheer on their team.

The NBA lockout is awful. Nobody is debating that. But let's try to look at things positively. Here are some reasons why a lockout-shortened season can actually help the Knicks.

Offseason Injuries

Many Knicks have injuries that they have been dealing with during this offseason. So the extended offseason due to the lockout can do nothing but help.

Carmelo Anthony went through elbow and knee procedures this offseason. He said he needed the surgery on his elbow for a long time, which was hard to tell with some of the dominant games he had in his short time with the Knicks. Anthony's three-point prowess was outstanding in his 31 games as a member of the Knicks. Doing it with an injured elbow is even more incredible.

Amar'e Stoudemire injured his back in the playoffs, and it showed as his play was nowhere near what he normally was able to provide when healthy. The injury has lingered throughout the offseason, so it could be a good thing for him that the start of the season is delayed so he has more time to heal.

Toney Douglas had surgery on his right shoulder shortly after the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs and was expected to miss about four months. With the season being delayed, it should allow him to be fully healed and able to get all the strength back in his shoulder, which is important for a three-point shooter such as himself.

Ronny Turiaf broke his hand while playing for France against Great Britain in EuroBasket and was expected to miss the beginning of training camp. Now his hand has fully healed, so he will be ready to provide his defensive toughness when the season begins.

Mike D'Antoni Feeling the Pressure

Now, I have never been a fan of Mike D'Antoni. I always believed the Knicks would need a coach who is a little more defensive minded, but nobody can question that the man is an innovator when it comes to offense.

The Knicks were second in the NBA last season at 106.5 points per game, and this season will feature Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups on the team all season.

With the lockout going on, one would have to think D'Antoni is constantly watching videos and figuring out new ways to get the offense working like a well-oiled machine. A coach who is so offensive minded has to love knowing he has two players, Stoudemire and Anthony, who can each drop 30 points any given night.

A positive is that he hired Mike Woodson, former Atlanta Hawks coach, as an assistant coach. Many people see Woodson in a "defensive coordinator" role, so hopefully the two are talking on a daily basis while the lockout is continuing, implementing defensive schemes they will use during the season.

He is in the last year of his contract, and he knows that if the Knicks don't make progress, he could be looking for a job once the season ends.

Landry Fields

Landry Fields exceeded all expectations as a second-round draft pick last season.

But his season tailed off after the All-Star break. His season ended with a complete dud as he only averaged two points per game, grabbed 1.3 rebounds per game and shot a dismal 20 percent in the Knicks' first-round exit against the Celtics.

Many people believe his game disappeared due to the addition of Carmelo Anthony and that he was struggling to learn how to play with him.

While this may be partly true, one has to remember that Fields never played more than 34 games in any of his four seasons at Stanford. There is a big difference between 34 games and the 86 games that Fields played last season as a rookie.

A shortened season may allow Fields to stay fresh all season and not go through the second-half slump he endured last season. For much of the season, Fields was leading all shooting guards in rebounding and was seen by many as the second-or-third-best rookie behind Blake Griffin and John Wall.

It is vital that Fields shows the abilities he showed early on, because he can be one of those important role players that all good teams need.

Chauncey Billups

The Knicks picked up Chauncey Billups' $14.3 million team option for this season, meaning he will have at least this season to man the Knicks at point guard.

Of course, there will be plenty of Chris Paul-to-the-Knicks rumors going on during the season, but unless the Knicks can make the deal happen, Billups is their point guard.

Billups has already played 14 seasons, 982 regular season games and 140 postseason games. It is safe to say his body has gone through a lot of bumps and bruises over all that time.

He missed the last three postseason games against the Celtics due to a strained knee ligament and also sat out some games during the regular season while with the Knicks due to thigh issues. 

With all the mileage he has accumulated in the NBA, an extended offseason can only be helpful for him to rest up and be fully healthy.

It is absolutely necessary for Billups to stay on the court, because the way the current roster is setup, the Knicks don't have a true backup point guard. Anthony Carter is a free agent, Toney Douglas plays more like a shooting guard at times and Iman Shumpert will be an inexperienced rookie who will also play more like a shooting guard than a point guard.

History Repeating Itself

Now this isn't necessarily a reason on how a lockout-shortened season helps the Knicks. But all Knicks fans know that the last time a lockout forced a shortened season was 1999, and the Knicks made it all the way to the NBA Finals that year.

It looked like the basketball gods were on their side during the playoffs, as they were the No. 8 and final seed in the Eastern Conference. Allan Houston's runner which hit the front of the rim, then the backboard, then went in, was the game winner in the deciding game against the Heat in the opening round.

Then Larry Johnson had an unbelievable four-point play in the Eastern Conference Finals which helped the Knicks escape past the Pacers.

They lost in the NBA Finals to the Spurs, 4-1, but myself and many others believe if Patrick Ewing wasn't hurt and unable to play, they would have had a much greater chance of winning, as they did not have enough size to stop David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

So is there something wrong with believing and hoping history may repeat itself?