Do New York Knicks Have Any Chance of Winning a Title with Carmelo and Amar'e?

Regardless of whether you attribute it to the current NBA lockout or the fact the New York Knicks now boast two superstars, optimism has never been quite as prevalent within the newly renovated Garden walls as it is now.

Amar'e Stoudemire proved to be worth—knock on wood—every cent the Knicks laid out last summer, Carmelo Anthony has finally "come" home, and the hiring of defensive specialist Mike Woodson has somewhat silenced the "Fire D'Antoni" cries that were starting to gain momentum. 

And now we can add an authenticated Spike Lee prediction to the pot.

Prior to the release of his new sneaker, Lee, in an interview at Footaction, stated that "one day, very soon, the Knicks will have an NBA championship." While Lee's opinion is unmistakably clear, his proclamation does beg the question: Do the Knicks have any chance of winning a title with Anthony and Stoudemire?

New York has not had the privilege of being home to a star-caliber talent—let alone two—for quite some time, and one cannot deny the wonders in terms of relevancy Anthony and Stoudemire have done for the Knicks. Again, however, have they made them title contenders?

Expectations are high for this group, and not just because the New York fan base is one of the most critical in the world. It's because, for the first time in nearly a decade, the outlook for this organization is positive.

Not to burst the bubble of optimism, but none of this guarantees the Knicks have a shot at winning a title. Right now, anyway.

Anthony and Stoudemire bring have brought this team to a whole new level of relevancy, but have also brought them to a whole new level depth-ridden. The Anthony trade decimated the Knicks roster, and whether or not he was worth it in the long run is irrelevant because, either way, New York chose a superstar over a supporting cast.

Is this the formula for success? The Miami Heat would seem to indicate so, as they reached the NBA Finals in only their first season under the big three experiment. That being said, they eventually fell to a deep Dallas Mavericks team.

What the Heat's loss indicates is that the team is missing something; Miami needs that added kick who won't drop off the face of the earth like Mike Miller. And if Miami is missing something, the Knicks certainly are as well.

New York is a team with two superstars and a thin supporting cast—barer than that of the Heat's—shrouded in uncertainty.

Was Landry Fields a one-season wonder? Will Toney Douglas continue to improve? Is Iman Shumpert going to make a major impact? Can Chauncey Billups stay healthy?

The Knicks' recipe for contention is premature; plenty of preparation is still needed. Stoudemire and Anthony are merely the beginning, not a completion of the puzzle.

New York is going to pursue a big three just like Miami. Whether that involves Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams or Steve Nash is unknown, but what is certain is until the Knicks get that third piece, they are more an interesting team to watch than true championship contender.

This is not to say that New York cannot make some noise in the playoffs, but as long as teams like the Heat, Chicago Bulls and even Boston Celtics remain obstacles, the Knicks are not the favorites to come out of the East.

Even if the Knicks find a way to come out of the Eastern Conference, do they really match up well against teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers or the reigning champion Mavericks? Perhaps on any given night they could, but over a seven game series? Not so much.

Fans and analysts can make cases that Anthony is in fact better than Kevin Durant and that Amar'e Stoudemire is the best power forward in the league until they are blue in the face, but as a collective, the Knicks barely scratch the surface of a championship hopeful team.

Is this to say they will never get there with Anthony and Stoudemire? Not at all. But until they get that capable floor general and powerful force to anchor the low-post, optimism is the closest the team will come to attaining a title.

Yes, Billups—when healthy—is an adequate option to balance a star-studded offense, but this fulfillment and a true center fulfillment are not mutually exclusive; the Knicks need both a suitable center and savvy point guard, not either or.

Currently, New York has a premiere power forward masquerading as center and an aging floor general who should have came packaged with a fragile sticker.

Is Stoudemire effective at center? Yes, but he's taking an unnecessary beating going up against the Dwight Howards, who are better built for the rigors of the position, night in and night out.

Is Billups effective at the point? Yes, but if the back end of last season was any indication, the Knicks are going to need Douglas and Shumpert more than even they know. 

If the lockout were to end to today and the Knicks were to trade for Paul, would they be title contenders? Paul's level of talent makes the answer a yes, but they would still be far from a lock to dominate the East without an actual center to withstand the abuse Stoudemire took all of last year.

The same goes if the Knicks were to acquire Howard. He makes them contenders, but without a proven point guard to direct the plethora of talent in the front court, certainty would not be a luxury New York possesses.

Championships are about a balanced attacks, not just headlining latent rosters. Superstars can skew the numbers in a team's favor, but when it really comes down to it, championships are all about a group of players working in harmony, complimenting each other's styles from the top of the depth chart down to the very bottom.

So, yet again we are left with this article old question of can the Knicks win a title with Anthony and Stoudemire?

Yes, but not with them alone.

"People might think I've been smoking something but we're going to have a championship," Lee admitted, thus concluding his profound prediction.

Given the Knicks current set of circumstances, Lee's proclamation indicates he knows something regarding the team's future acquisitions the rest of us don't  or he truly is smoking something.

A very strong something.

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.