Knicks Rant (again)

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

In sports journalism, one should typically shy away from allowing his emotions about a team to seep into the writing process. Being a Knicks fan, however, has driven me to the brink of insanity at times. Although the franchise was consistently a joke for a decade, Mike Woodson has infused a high level of intensity that Mike D'Antoni never could. The Knicks had their best season since 1994, and their explosive offense was the main reason. Carmelo Anthony was dominant, and proved it by winning the scoring title. There should be optimism for New York fans this year, but there is a huge issue that will hold them back.

I am a young aspiring journalist, so claiming to know more than the professionals would be irresponsible at this point. But I'm shocked that even the biggest Knicks homers on television do not talk about the Carmelo conundrum. I like to hear what Stephen A. Smith has to say on ESPN, and I'm a huge fan of Boomer and Carton on MSG. Neither ever focuses on how bad Carmelo is defensively. Everyone knows this, but the argument is made that his superior offense makes him worth it. I actually agree with this. I never questioned the move to acquire Anthony, because I knew the firepower he would bring. Though he was a defensive liability, I knew Woodson would use his defensive genius to find ways to lighten the load. A tweak has occurred, though, and it is negatively affecting the team is constituted. Last season, Anthony dominated in the offensive post due to his quickness and athleticism. He was able to drive through the lane easier, which played right into Woodson's isolation offense. This is not football though; everyone has to play both sides of the ball. The biggest need the Knicks have is a rugged power forward. Tyson Chandler is a fierce competitor, but he is usually on an island in the defensive low post. Kenyon Martin can fill this role, but I do not expect big minutes from him. Andrea Bargnani is a nice addition, but he adds little from a toughness perspective despite being seven feet.

Obviously the cap situation complicated any potential moves, but quite frankly they could have let J.R. Smith go. The fact that he got surgery right after signing the deal is quite unsettling, but I felt this way beforehand. The Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. and signed Metta World Peace, which are both key acquisitions. I would have much rather seen the team use that money on a big man. Big men do not grow on trees, but there were actually a few good ones available. Tyler Hansbrough left the Pacers to sign with the Raptors. He would have been a nice addition, primarily due to his continuous motor. Former Jazz power forward Paul Milsap signed with the Hawks for 2 years, $19 million, a move that would have made sense considering the Knicks' cap situation. Drew Gooden is currently available, and he is a very good rebounder despite not being an amazing defender. They could probably sign him to the veteran minimum. None of these guys are end-all solutions, but they would make an impact. There are still many who have no problem with Anthony playing the four. They are wowed by the fast paced style the Knicks can play. Unfortunately, this can only get a team so far. The Knicks are still a good matchup for guard-laden teams who lack size, but that's it. With other teams looking to replicate what Indiana and Memphis did last year, the Knicks will struggle come playoff time. Mike Woodson was brought to New York to implement a physical nature, but the current roster inhibits this philosophy. I hope the clueless front office eventually gets their act together, but who knows. I was teased as a Knicks fan earlier when I saw reports that LeBron James will strongly consider New York as a possibility next year. This is nice, except for the fact that the Knicks will not have cap space until the 2016 offseason when A'mare Stoudemire is a free agent. So I am not too optimistic to say the least.

Photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com