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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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Welcome Home Marcus!
Ten years after leaving New York, Marcus Camby has finally come home. The 6’11”, 235 pound center will play his 17th season in a Knicks uniform under the bright lights of Manhattan. The 38 year old is a huge defensive presence in the paint and is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Dikembe Mutombo is the only other player to lead the League in blocks three years in a row.
After playing three seasons for the UMass Minutemen and breaking all sorts of school records, Camby was picked second in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Although Camby had some amazing moments in college and was named the College Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he also had some bad ones. While still a college student, he accepted money from agents hoping to represent him once he played in the NBA. He also accepted other forms of payment such as rental cars and jewelry.
But after being drafted by the Raptors, Camby was able to move forward in his career. Although he did not win Rookie of the Year, Marcus was one of the five players named to the All-Rookie 1st team. And in his second year in the NBA, Camby averaged 3.7 blocks, the most in the League that season, and his personal best.
After two solid years in Toronto, the Knicks were able to acquire Camby in a trade for the veteran, Charles Oakley. Camby was a part of the Knicks team that was the first #8 seed to make the NBA Finals. And when Patrick Ewing got injured, Camby even started three games in the playoffs.
The Knicks kept Camby until 2002 and then made one of the worst trades in Franchise history. They gave up Camby and in return got Antonio McDyess. That move didn’t quite pan out and a few years later in 2007, Marcus Camby won Defensive Player of the Year with the Denver Nuggets. Camby played in 70 games that year and was able to average 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and was the League leader with 3.3 blocks.
After another year of success in Denver, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus was not shy about voicing his opinion and was very vocal about his discontent with the Clippers organization. Camby still remained an elite rebounder and shot blocker throughout his two years in LA despite wishing that he was still in Denver.
In 2010, Camby was sent to Portland where his production began to drop. And last season, Camby was dealt to the Houston Rockets just before the Trade Deadline. Last season, Marcus averaged 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. These numbers are not terrible, but Camby is definitely not what he used to be. But the Knicks hope to get a blast from the past and a Marcus Camby that can help improve the 18th best rebounding team in the NBA and a group of All-Stars that have trouble on the defensive end of the court.
Marcus Camby has somehow been able to maintain career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. These are great stats for a 38 year old going into his 17th season.
The one major concern about Camby over the years has been his durability. Can he stay healthy? Marcus Camby has not played 82 games in a season ever in his career. He has only played 70 games four times in his long career and he is now more injury prone than ever at his age. But if Camby can stay healthy, he would be just about the best guy the Knicks could ask for to back up Tyson Chandler.
The last time Camby was in a Knicks uniform, he suffered a season ending right hip injury and New York decided to get rid of the big guy. Now his career has come full circle and New Yorkers throughout all the Boroughs (maybe not Brooklyn) will be hoping that he can help the Knicks win a championship, and prove to all Nets fans that the Knicks are still the best team in New York.
Posted in Brooklyn, Center, Championship, Charles Oakley, Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo, Houston Rockets, Knicks, LA Clippers, Marcus Camby, NBA, Nets, New York, Portland Trailblazers, Shot Blocker
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Welcome Home Marcus!
Ten years after leaving New York, Marcus Camby has finally come home. The 6’11”, 235 pound center will play his 17th season in a Knicks uniform under the bright lights of Manhattan. The 38 year old is a huge defensive presence in the paint and is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Dikembe Mutombo is the only other player to lead the League in blocks three years in a row.
After playing three seasons for the UMass Minutemen and breaking all sorts of school records, Camby was picked second in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Although Camby had some amazing moments in college and was named the College Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he also had some bad ones. While still a college student, he accepted money from agents hoping to represent him once he played in the NBA. He also accepted other forms of payment such as rental cars and jewelry.
But after being drafted by the Raptors, Camby was able to move forward in his career. Although he did not win Rookie of the Year, Marcus was one of the five players named to the All-Rookie 1st team. And in his second year in the NBA, Camby averaged 3.7 blocks, the most in the League that season, and his personal best.
After two solid years in Toronto, the Knicks were able to acquire Camby in a trade for the veteran, Charles Oakley. Camby was a part of the Knicks team that was the first #8 seed to make the NBA Finals. And when Patrick Ewing got injured, Camby even started three games in the playoffs.
The Knicks kept Camby until 2002 and then made one of the worst trades in Franchise history. They gave up Camby and in return got Antonio McDyess. That move didn’t quite pan out and a few years later in 2007, Marcus Camby won Defensive Player of the Year with the Denver Nuggets. Camby played in 70 games that year and was able to average 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and was the League leader with 3.3 blocks.
After another year of success in Denver, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus was not shy about voicing his opinion and was very vocal about his discontent with the Clippers organization. Camby still remained an elite rebounder and shot blocker throughout his two years in LA despite wishing that he was still in Denver.
In 2010, Camby was sent to Portland where his production began to drop. And last season, Camby was dealt to the Houston Rockets just before the Trade Deadline. Last season, Marcus averaged 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. These numbers are not terrible, but Camby is definitely not what he used to be. But the Knicks hope to get a blast from the past and a Marcus Camby that can help improve the 18th best rebounding team in the NBA and a group of All-Stars that have trouble on the defensive end of the court.
Marcus Camby has somehow been able to maintain career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. These are great stats for a 38 year old going into his 17th season.
The one major concern about Camby over the years has been his durability. Can he stay healthy? Marcus Camby has not played 82 games in a season ever in his career. He has only played 70 games four times in his long career and he is now more injury prone than ever at his age. But if Camby can stay healthy, he would be just about the best guy the Knicks could ask for to back up Tyson Chandler.
The last time Camby was in a Knicks uniform, he suffered a season ending right hip injury and New York decided to get rid of the big guy. Now his career has come full circle and New Yorkers throughout all the Boroughs (maybe not Brooklyn) will be hoping that he can help the Knicks win a championship, and prove to all Nets fans that the Knicks are still the best team in New York.
Posted in Brooklyn, Center, Championship, Charles Oakley, Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo, Houston Rockets, Knicks, LA Clippers, Marcus Camby, NBA, Nets, New York, Portland Trailblazers, Shot Blocker
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Under Pressure
Everyone knows that to be considered one of the greatest athletes, you have to win a championship. No matter what sport it is, you will never be a superstar if you have not won it all and proven that your team is the best in the world.
Prime example… LeBron James. LeBron James was/is the most scrutinized player in the history of sports. I used to make jokes about him only having 75 cents because he had no fourth quarter and that I put my phone on Lebron mode during class…Ringless. But all of LeBron’s haters (including myself) must now shut up and give credit where credit is due. He has finally won a ring. He is a champion. And he is one the greatest basketball players to ever play the game… still not as good as MJ though.
So now that the pressure is off of King James to win a championship, who has that pressure shifted to? Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard? Those are just a few names that come to mind. But I think the most pressure will be on Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks to win within the next two years.
Anthony can do it all on the offensive end of the court. He can drive, he can pass, he can pull up from the top of the key, and he can drain buckets from beyond the three point line. He has that attack mode instinct in him and he is extremely clutch. Yes, he has been criticized for his lackadaisical defense at times, but when he actually tries and with some coaching, he can be a great defender.
Carmelo is surrounded by talent and arguably has the best frontcourt in the league containing Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudamire, and Melo himself. The Knicks have made a lot of off-season moves in order to make a title run NOW. They have brought back Raymond Felton to run the point and re-signed J.R. Smith to start at the 2 guard until Iman Shumpert returns from his injury. They have brought in three veterans who know how to win such as J Kidd, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas. This team is built to win NOW.
No more excuses Melo! You have had enough time to get used to playing with Amare and Tyson. It might take a little bit to get on the same page with Felton, but this is it. This is your chance. You are 28 years old now and in the prime of your career. Win a championship or be just another under achiever in New York City. The pressure is on…
Posted in Amare, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Melo, NBA, New York, Off-Season, Raymond Felton, Shump, Tyson Chandler
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