Is criticism of the Knicks recent play warranted?

Amare Stoudmire / Wikimedia Commons

Along with the trade for Carmelo Anthony came increased media attention for the Knicks. Since acquiring Anthony, the Knicks have played poorly, going 7-11 and have received heavy criticism from the press. Many pundits are now skeptical that the Knicks gave up too much in the trade and that the new stars Chauncey Billups and Anthony will not be able to develop chemistry with Amare Stoudemire and the rest of the Knicks.

These questions are valid and the Knicks play has not provided any answers; however, this should have been expected when the trade was made. It would be unreasonable to expect a team with only two starters from prior to the trade to be able to play with the chemistry of a team that’s played all season long. Using the Maimi Heat as an example, when they acquired Lebron James and Chris Bosh they began the season an unspectacular 9-8 and they had the advantage of training camp and preseason to work on chemistry.

Overall, the Knicks offensive and defensive totals are similar before and after the trade. The problem for them has been holding leads and closing games. Being able to close out games should come in time when they learn what their most effective plays down the stretch are.


For those who expected the Knicks to raise their play to championship level after acquiring Anthony is slightly absurd. At last check few teams surrendering 105.5 points a game and have Jared Jeffries and Ronny Turiaf splitting time at center have recently won championships.


In the NBA, championship teams typically rely on multiple superstar caliber players; the Anthony trade gives the Knicks the second star that every championship team needs. Although the Knicks gave up very talented players in Reymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, all of these players are role players and likely would never give the Knicks a legitimate chance at a championship. However if the Knicks front office can surround Stoudemire and Anthony with a strong supporting cast who can play defense and rebound the can become serious contenders.

The Knicks may not be able to correct their flaws this season, but despite their struggles, the trade was necessary. The fans and media have to give the team time to develop into the elite team they fantasized about when the trade was made.

Big midseason trade leave the Knicks with no depth

Carmelo Anthony / Greg Ma / Wikimiedia Commons

The Knicks are faced with the fact that their superstar powered team lost six out of their last seven games. At the time of this article, they were seven and nine after Carmelo Anthony was traded to the team. The Knicks made a massive trade carrying away a large part of their team to the Nuggets.

The Knicks problems started with the fact their defense is playing poorly. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni preaches offense, but for the Knicks to start to win, they will need to play better defensively. Secondly, the Knicks do not have a center who can clear the paint and grab rebounds or simply help Amare Stoudemire . The Knicks have started three different centers in the past three games. The three starters can play defense but are easily out played by most of the league's centers. The rotating trio at center that the Knicks have been trotting out are being asked to play extended minutes for the first time in their careers.

Another thing is the ticking time bomb which is Chauncey Billups. Billups is 34 years old and injury prone, but when he is healthy he provides the team with scoring and assists. The Knicks will need a backup point guard who can take over if Billups is injured.

Overall, the Knicks are three superstars plus fillers; to get to the point where they can compete in the playoffs they are going to have to work on their defense and keeping the paint clean.

Trading for Carmelo ... bad decision?

The New York Knicks are not doing as well as they believed they would this current season. Trades, for the most part, are supposed to help both sides of the deal. But, after the mid-season trade for Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets went in completely opposite directions. The Knicks lost to Orlando Magic, dropping them below .500. On the other side, the Nuggets were able to rise to 43-29 after the trade. This brings up an important question. Were the Knicks smart in trading for Carmelo?

The Knicks believe themselves to be a dominant force, since the Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are together. They are the leading shooters on the Knicks. However, the team needs to get adjusted to playing with Anthony. Many people believe that the Knicks took a huge risk in trading for Anthony. Trading players mid-season is a risky, but Donnie Walsh was thinking about the Knicks future. Walsh was quoted, in an NBC Sports article, as saying, “I take more responsibility than the players or the coaches because I made a monumental trade in the middle of the season, and it appears to me they’re having a hard time getting together, which is understandable,” Walsh said "That's why I don’t like to do it in the middle of the season,” Walsh added. “We gave up a lot. We got back a lot. But I do think this trade is going to make us better in the future. In the long run, this trade will make us a better franchise.” The Nuggets are prospering now, but will that continue next season? 
Walsh is ensuring the Knicks prosperity farther in the future. Next season, when the Knicks' players improve their chemistry, they will be the dominant force they believe themselves to be. Trading for Carmelo Anthony was a great investment for the Knicks.