Saturday, April 5, 2014

Knicks

As the season unwinds, here's how the Eastern Conference stacks up.

Miami1se52230.6930.032-1412-2


Indiana2c53240.6880.036-1211-4



Toronto3x45320.5848.029-1810-3



Chicago4x45320.5848.033-1510-5



Brooklyn5x42340.55310.524-229-6



Washington6x40370.51913.029-188-5



Charlotte7x39380.50614.026-214-10



Atlanta833420.44019.023-227-7


New York33440.42920.022-257-6

By the end of February, it seemed like it was impossible for the Knicks to make the playoffs, but a recent change in the tide put the Knicks in a 10-4 record since they snapped their 9 game skid. Since the Knicks are in an abysmal Eastern conference, they still have a chance. Seriously, the West is twice as powerful: they have a 50 win team (Phoenix/Memphis/Dallas) not making the playoffs while the East has a below 40 win team in the playoffs.  

Anyway, the recent success could be due to a few things: the appointing of Phil Jackson, their ridiculously-should-be-but-isn't schedule, or the realization that they traded away their lottery pick. But I think that it's the resurgence of Amar'e Stoudemire. Earlier this year, I was mad that the Knicks didn't play him more. They gave him around 15 minutes, and who got his starting role? Oh yeah Andrea Bargnani! (refer to last post).
 
In games where Amar'e played over 30 minutes since the All-Star Break, he's averaged 17.13 points. This isn't like the numbers he's put up in his Phoenix days (that seems ages ago, like it was 1901), but it's definitely a start. Amar'e will never, and I say this with 90% assurance, return to his former glory. James Dolan made one of his many huge mistakes signing Amar'e back in 2010 to a max deal, butt now they have to work with what they have. This is the type of play Melo needs surrounding him and not major defensive lapses and a  YOLO mentality of J.R. Smith.

So unless Phil Jackson can do something and bring the Knicks back to supremacy, the Knicks will have no Melo, no lottery pick, and Amar'e's fat contract (would you do that? Amare'e's?). If Melo was smart he would leave. He has options to go join Harden and Dwight in Houston, Rose (if healthy) and Noah in Chicago, the Showtime Lakers with Kobe, or Bledsoe and Dragic in Phoenix. 

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