New York Knicks: There’s Nowhere to Go but Down for Carmelo Anthony and Company
Well New York Knicks fans, for better or worse, this is it.
These Knicks captivated us, bringing back magic to the Garden that hasn’t been seen since the Clinton administration. But they seemed to hit a wall against the Pacers—Indiana took them out of their game, pushed them around and got under their skin (so much for veteran leadership) and watched them unravel.
It’s hard to believe that this team underachieved, that the ceiling is significantly higher than what we saw this season.
New York is what we saw: a good team, a contending team, but not a championship team. It’s clearly a couple of pieces away, and those pieces don’t seem to be attainable in the near future.
Given the rapid decline of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony needs a supplementary star, a reliable second contributor. And as much as we’ve embraced him (and vice versa), that can’t be J.R. Smith. For all the talk of how he had proved his doubters wrong, he proved once again during these playoffs that he cannot be entirely trusted—probably ever.
As much as New York has grown to love Tyson Chandler (this past six-game aberration notwithstanding), the Knicks sacrificed a chance at signing another max contract player when they signed him. Now they find themselves hamstrung financially without any real movable assets.
The Knicks aren’t going to blow up their core—’Melo, Amar’e and Tyson aren’t going anywhere. And outside of that, what on this roster can serve as a bargaining chip? What will be the return for Steve Novak or Jason Kidd?
The only movable asset would seem to be Iman Shumpert, and after the strides he made this year and his importance to the team, is that something the Knicks would really be comfortable with?
New York will be a non-factor in free agency, and so all Glen Grunwald has to work with is the $3 million mid-level exception and a middling draft pick in a historically weak pool of players. Mike Woodson can talk about improvement all he wants, but that doesn’t seem very likely—not when you’re relying on a core of guys all 30 and up (Carmelo will be 29-and-a-half by the time next season starts).
Put simply, the Knicks are only getting older, and they don’t seem to be able to get much better.
This team gave us everything it had, taking us on one hell of a ride. Which is why it seemed like such a bittersweet symphony, the swansong of a group we’ve hardly gotten to know.
This team has definite holes—a lack of any inside scoring, youth on the wing, replacements at the point for Kidd and (probably) Pablo Prigioni—and lacks the means to remedy them. Grunwald has shown himself to be a quality front office mind; he just doesn’t have any bullets left in his chamber.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
New York Knicks JR Smith Has A Drug Addiction
We saw a crumble in the performance of New York Knicks “6th man” JR Smith during the 2013 NBA postseason. According to sources, who spoke with The Juicy Online, we may now understand why his performance tanked during the playoffs, as it’s being said that Smith developed a drug habit. Although an report, in early May, showed Smith partying hard in a New York nightclub with singer/girlfriend Rihanna during the playoffs, two sources are coming forward claiming that Smith is also using coke, claiming that Smith is hooked to the stuff.”My source is the connect for his coke dealer uptown and JR is cooping $1,200 worth of blow every two, three days when in town. Personal use… Dude was sick from it,” the source claims.The NBA, during the regular season, gives four drug test to its players. Most NBA players are giving the heads up when a drug test is coming their way. If JR is indeed hooked on coke, then the reality is that the coke would be present in his system fo…
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
Knicks unsure about Stoudemire’s role (Yahoo! Sports)
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Amare Stoudemire will go into next season with $45 million left on his contract and no guarantee of a starting job.
View full post on Yahoo! Sports – NBA News
What the NY Knicks Need To Do to Win an NBA Championship
As composed, the New York Knicks are not a championship-caliber basketball team. There are a few fatal flaws that led to their elimination in the second round of the playoffs that need to be fixed in order for them to win an NBA Championship.
They were exposed over and over again by the Indiana Pacers, as they forced them to realized that simply playing isolation basketball and chucking three-pointers wouldn’t work with Indiana’s lock-down defense.
New York shot just under 41 percent in the series against the Pacers and 35.3 percent from the three-point line.
Honestly, that’s all that’s really needed to know in order to understand why they lost. Never mind the fact that they turned the ball over nearly 11 times a game or that they had just 15 assists per game in the series.
It was Indiana’s defense that became an eye-opener for the Knicks.
Isolation basketball is fine when you have a few players capable of producing on their own. But, when they start to slow down, you better know that the rest of your team can help run the offense.
New York found out just that when Carmelo Anthony shot a few percentage points below his season average and J.R. Smtih completely laid an egg.
Smith and Anthony combined to account for 47 percent of New York’s points against the Pacers but shot a combined 38 percent from the field.
One of the biggest problems for the Knicks squad is that very little of what they planned on in the beginning of the season came to fruition.
Knicks 2013 postseason: K-Mart outplayed Chandler, Prigioni badly outplayed Kidd, & Copeland scored more than Amar’e, Novak & Camby combined
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) May 21, 2013
In essence, there never seemed to be confidence in the lineups that were used most often throughout the season, panic set in and drastic measures were taken.
What other excuse is there for a guy who was signed by the team in February taking minutes away from their starting center once the playoffs started?
Martin was playing well, but there has to be some confidence in Chandler to give him a bit of a boost along the way.
So what are the Knicks supposed to do this offseason in order to fix the fact that they are not on the same level as the Miami Heat and the elite teams in the NBA, or possibly even a notch below the Indiana Pacers?
Unfortunately for the Knicks, there’s not a ton of wiggle-room for them to do anything in free agency this summer beyond their mini mid-level exception.
The Knicks are going to have to improve from the inside more so than from the outside.
From there, they have to ask themselves questions about some key players.
Can J.R. Smith be a team’s No. 2 scoring option? Was Tyson Chandler simply having a down year? Is Amar’e Stoudemire going to fit into next season? How do the old folks factor in?
It seems that the most important question surrounds Smith, especially with the news that he will reportedly re-sign with the Knicks next season.
A sixth man generally shouldn’t be the second-best scorer on the team, especially when he is as streaky as Smith. His performance in the playoffs should be reason enough to understand the problems he can create.
What causes a problem is New York’s financial situation, which is basically forcing them to re-sign Smith or heap way too much responsibility on a player already in the lineup.
That’s the same situation they find themselves in when it comes to Stoudemire, only he’s even more complicated.
Stoudemire will make over $45 million in the next two seasons. That, combined with his injury history, makes him nearly immovable for the Knicks, at least in a situation where they would get any kind of value in return.
If they can somehow swing a trade that lands a player who can help the offense, then pull the trigger.
However, the most likely scenario seems to be New York letting him recuperate this summer and hopefully adding him for the entirety of next season.
Is he a perfect fit in New York’s heavy-isolation system? Absolutely not. However, it seems that he’s the best option they have.
As far as Chandler goes, it seems risky to make assumptions, but the neck injury that slowed him down near the end of the season was the biggest factor in his impact on the series.
If you’re New York, the best move possible given the cap situation is to assume that Chandler will be back and ready to lead the team’s defense next season.
New York’s old folks and expiring contracts are a pretty easy group to figure out. Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby are going to stay unless the Knicks find a way to trade them or persuade them to retire.
They both have two years (two!) left on their current deals paying out over $3 million in each season.
Martin, Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland should all be brought back, regardless of their price.
All three players either showed promise or were playing a solid role by the end of the season and are much more important to the team moving forward than the likes of any other player on an expiring contract.
Basically, it seems that the Knicks biggest step to become championship contenders will be to cross their fingers exceptionally hard.
Unless some trade suddenly appears that lets them get rid of Stoudemire while simultaneously picking up a guy who can score at least 15 points per game, then they’re going to have to hope for improvement from within.
That is the only way this team will become championship contenders.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Report: J.R. Smith Re-Signs With the New York Knicks
You can question J.R. Smith’s shot selection all you want, but the one thing that you cannot do is question Smith’s loyalty to his team. The reigning sixth man of the year has re-signed with the New York Knicks for much less than he probably deserves.
According to Marc Berman of the NYPost, J.R. Smith is expected to re-sign with the New York Knicks on a four-year deal starting at $5million.
Smith’s pay cut may come as a surprise to some, but it is totally consistent with what he told the New York Daily News recently. “I want to retire a Knick. I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Smith said. “I love my teammates, I love my coaches. I was standing in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game and just knowing that I don’t want to be anywhere else except in the orange and blue. We’ll see.”
There are a lot of changes that the New York Knicks need to make with their aged roster, however, re-signing Smith for a huge discount is a start to building upon wh
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim Rips Carmelo Anthony’s NY Knicks Teammates
Carmelo Anthony isn’t to blame for the New York Knicks‘ postseason failures. Everyone else is.
Or so says Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.
‘Melo’s former mentor wasn’t happy with the way New York’s playoff run ended. More specifically, he was irate at the general populous for putting the onus Anthony when really, it wasn’t his fault.
“Not on that team,” Boeheim responded when asked if ‘Melo could lead the Knicks to a title via Marc Berman of the New York Post. “He did what he can do. He played very well the final game.”
To Boeheim’s credit, Anthony had an outstanding Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers. He went for 39 points on 15-of-29 shooting and single-handedly kept the Knicks within striking distance for most of the game.
It was his three crucial fourth-quarter turnovers that we were left harping on, though. Two of which came off errant pass attempts to Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin. Those apparently weren‘t ‘Melo’s fault, though.
“[Tyson] was wide open,’’ Boeheim ranted. “He should have been looking for the ball right here. Kenyon Martin should have been looking for the ball. They both went like this [Boeheim dodged again]. Carmelo gets turnovers and the announcers aren’t smart enough to even think, ‘Well, the guy should try to catch the ball.’”
Boeheim wasn’t done reprimanding Chandler.
“Tyson Chandler claims he never gets the ball,’’ he added. “He doesn’t try to get the ball. He had two points and Hibbert had [21].’’
It wasn’t just New York’s big men Boeheim was disgusted with either. Raymond Felton also incurred some of his verbal wrath.
“What was the difference in the series?,’’ he said. “Raymond Felton was 0-for-7. Lance Stephenson had [25] points.”
Boeheim then said that Felton and J.R. Smith “weren’t great players where they were and now they’re asking them to be second and third options.” He also ripped Pablo Prigioni a new one for not shooting enough, while reinforcing his previous notion that the Knicks have no chance to win anything.
Most of what Boeheim raves about is built upon a foundation of truth. ‘Melo did do all he could and most of his teammates didn’t do enough. Anthony is also being held accountable for more of what went wrong than he deserves to be.
But that’s just New York. Superstars are blamed for a team’s transgressions. That’s how it works. And Boeheim would do well to remember ‘Melo struggled for most of the series, too. He’d do even better to remember Prigioni is off limits, because he’s a full-court pressing God.
Everyone in the Knicks’ locker room must answer for the letdown against Indiana, ‘Melo included. The entire team needed to play better against the Pacers. They didn’t, and so they lost.
“I told him when he went to New York, ‘They’re going to blame it on you,’” Boeheim admitted.
Fear not though, Carmelo. All of New York may hold you responsible for what goes wrong, but your pal Boeheim never will.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Knicks say they need time, not an overhaul (Yahoo! Sports)
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Some of the players were old, though the New York Knicks say their team is young in its development.
View full post on Yahoo! Sports – NBA News
New York Knicks Expected to Re-Sign J.R. Smith with a 4-Year Deal
Despite the early exit in the second round, sixth man of the year J.R. Smith has a reason to smile today. The spark off the bench for the New York Knicks is expected to opt out of the last year in his contract in order to re-sign with the New York Knicks for a long-term contract.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, J.R. Smith is expected to re-sign with the New York Knicks on a four-year deal starting at $5 million.
Five million is far less than most sixth men of the year command. However, with the Knicks severely over the luxury cap, Smith was willing to take a major pay-cut in order to remain in his beloved city of New York.
Smith recently told the New York Daily News,
I want to retire a Knick. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. I was standing in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game and just knowing that I don’t want to be anywhere else except in the orange and blue. We’ll see.
You can critique J.R. Smith’s game all you want, especially after his abysmal shooting performance in the second round of the playoffs, but the one thing that you cannot critique is his love for the New York Knicks.
There is no question that J.R. Smith could have commanded more money from another team, but Smith chose to restructure his contract in order to help the only team he wants to ever play for—the New York Knicks.
Perhaps some of his overpaid teammates can learn from his example if they are truly serious about winning a championship in the Big Apple.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Carmelo Anthony and New York Knicks Isolated Themselves out of NBA Playoffs
Isolate. The dictionary defines this word as “to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.” Let’s key in on that word “alone.” How many times have you seen one player win a series of games on a continual basis, especially in the playoffs? It didn’t work for Michael Jordan when he would face the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons in the postseason.
MJ would win a game here or there, but he couldn’t shoulder the entire weight by himself to win a series against Detroit. He knew he needed to play as a team to get passed that looming obstacle that was in Detroit. Eventually, Jordan and his teammates worked together by using each player’s strength to win six NBA titles.
So if the best player in NBA history couldn’t do it “alone,” why did head coach Mike Woodson and the New York Knicks feel that this would work for them? The Knicks had a win now mentality since most of the team was looking to sign up for AARP benefits after the end of this season.
The team started out red hot in the months of November and December with a combined record of 21-9. Madison Square Garden was all abuzz with the notion that this could be the Knicks year to return back to the glory days.
Yet it didn’t happen that way. This past weekend New York got booted from the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks are the ones only to blame. They lived and died by the Carmelo isolation play. Yes, a select few other players did score and contribute. Even with Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire being nonexistent in the playoffs, there should have been a better game plan instead of just relying on Anthony.
Michael Marot from the Huffington Post caught up with Mike Woodson after Game 6 to get his feelings on why the Knicks are out of the postseason.
“It’s tough to go out this way,” coach Mike Woodson said. “I didn‘t make it happen for us and that’s what’s disappointing.”
Even in the series against Boston, the Knicks kept going back to the isolation play with Carmelo. Other Knicks players are running around, and he holds onto the ball and finally shoots a highly-contested shot.
Carmelo did his best, but one player does not a team make. It is like when you are playing XBOX and using the same play over and over again. It might work in the beginning, but once your opponent stops that play, you will lose. The Knicks failed to switch up the offense and made it easier for teams like the Pacers to defend them.
Iman Shumpert told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling that they need to be more productive on the offensive side.
“We need some more continuity as far as running something that everybody knows we’re in it — just something with more pace,” he said. “We have a lot of dead possessions where we don’t really have any cohesiveness. We’re just sort of out there and it becomes watching whoever has the ball.”
Shumpert has the potential to be a great player for New York. If the Knicks want to be Eastern Conference contenders, they will have to get younger legs on the court. Players like Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler could contribute for New York, but in a limited role. Certain changes need to be made if Carmelo looks to lead the Knicks to win a title.
The biggest change is that they need to have role players on the team to give Carmelo much needed support. New York has a few players that will become free agents, most notably J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin.
If the Knicks still feel they have a win now team, they must change up their offensive strategy or New York will be sitting at Spike Lee’s house watching the Eastern Conference Finals on TV.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
JR Smith reportedly will sign four-year extension with Knicks
JR Smith said after the New York Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs on Saturday that he wants to retire as a Knick. We can’t say whether or not he’ll be able to fulfill that wish, but it does look like he’ll be able to remain with the team for a while.
The New York Post’s Marc Berman reports that Smith is expected to opt out of his current contract to sign a four-year extension with the team. Berman says that the team could offer Smith around $5 million per season because of their Early Bird rights to him, though we do not know if another team will be able to offer Smith more. Berman also says that Smith and his brother, Chris, who played at Louisville, will be a package deal. Chris Smith was undrafted but played on the Knicks’ Summer League team. He got hurt and was waived before training camp.
The Post also says that Chris Smith has changed agents to Carmelo Anthony’s agent, for what that’s worth.
Chris Smith seems pretty excited about the potential package deal:
I …
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
