A Knicks Victory without Carmelo Anthony

The Knicks victory last night in Cleveland was big for many reasons. First, they erased a huge point deficit on the road. Secondly, they won in a place where they had a double digit losing streak over the past several years. Next, the Knicks got the victory without their star player, Carmelo Anthony, who left the game in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. Finally, they got contributions from their role players, which they will need in order to be successful down the stretch.

 

The Comeback

First, the comeback to win in adverse circumstances on the road was a big step at a critical point in time for this team. However, I am a bit concerned as a big fan of the team that they needed that much effort to beat Cleveland, which is not a playoff caliber team, on the road. This Knicks team has big playoff aspirations and it is going to be very tough for them to win in the postseason on the road if they are struggling to win in a place like Cleveland now.

 

A Knicks Win in the City by the Lake

While I mention Cleveland, it brings me to my second point about winning in the city by the lake. The Knicks have struggled there in recent years, and it can be a loud arena, they were tough to beat when LeBron was there. Now,  the Cavs and their fan base seem rejuvenated by the infusion of young talent like Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

I jumped out of my chair last night when Tyson Chandler blocked Kyrie Irving’s desperation 3 point attempt in the closing seconds of that game. The Knicks got a hard fought win, as I transition to my next point: without Carmelo Anthony.

Missing Carmelo and Taking Care of Business

 

Carmelo Anthony is the best player on the Knicks, no real dispute exists there, but some people would argue that he is not an elite NBA player. I disagree with that view point; I think that Carmelo Anthony is an elite NBA player with top tier skills particularly scoring the basketball. His defense this year has also been very good at points as well.

When he left this game in the first half with a knee injury, I like many Knicks fans felt that they might lose this game. I was surprised to be proven wrong by this team last night in the comeback and sealing the win with some gritty play and hustle in the closing minutes.

Amare Stoudemire really was terrific in this game, scoring 22 points in a little over 30 minutes of floor time. When used in the pick and roll, like he was in the Miami game on Sunday, he is tough to stop. It was a performance that made a lot of fans recall the days before Carmelo Anthony got to this team and Amare (aka “Stat”) was the main star of this team.

 

The Role Players Contributions

The role players really contributed to this win as well, with Novak hitting a couple of shots and Prigioni making contributions. They will need to get something out of Camby or Kenyon Martin down the stretch especially if Wallace is out for the rest of the season.

I am a bit concerned about the bench being able to provide enough scoring if this team is going to sustain a playoff run, that will be interesting to see who steps up.

I am also concerned as a fan with the way Woodson handles the rotations. I was in a waiting room last week for an appointment, it was a cold morning and I had my Knicks hat on, so a fellow fan approached me. We started talking about the team and some of the issues and he asked me if I liked the way Woodson does the rotation. I said no, and he agreed, and added “but I didn’t like the way D’Antoni handled the rotation either”.

It was nice to talk to a fellow fan who knew the team and the game very well. We both also could not help but dream that: maybe this was the year the Knicks would get all the way to a championship.

It was a great thought, we will see what happens.

 

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