The Knickstape Podcast Episode 2 - The Aftermath (KP Injured / Trade Deadline Insanity)

Listen to "Knickstape Episode 2 - The Aftermath (KP Out / Trade Deadline)" on Spreaker.

- KP out, where do the Knicks go from here?

- Trade Deadline Insanity - Mudiay to Knicks, Cavs trade everyone not named Lebron or JR

- Luke recalls witnessing Kemba Walker ask for a bottle of Grey Goose at the divey-est bar in America

- Where in the world is Eddy Curry?

A Tough Pill to Swallow

If you’re a big believer in omens then the Knicks’ loss to the basement dwelling Milwaukee Bucks says one thing. It’s time to bottom out and start over. Last post we delved into the possible scenarios the Knicks can take to rebuild. The fork in the road is Carmelo Anthony. The team obviously wants him to be that franchise guy and have made that extremely clear. However sometimes you need to lie in the grave you dug. When the Knicks gutted their roster for Anthony they knew they were wagering their future on Anthony. While Anthony has been virtually the only Knick that has played well this year he is also the team’s most valuable asset. I would hate to see Melo go, but there’s not much wiggle room here.

via thesportsquotient.com

The front office has tried to hide this grim path by pitching yet another pipe dream of a big three of Rajon Rondo, Melo and Kevin Love. That’s not happening. Love will probably end up back home in Los Angeles donning Laker purple and gold. Rondo will most likely still be in Boston. That leaves Anthony and the Knicks in the same position they are in right now. With a Knick front office as out of touch with reality as the Grammy committee is with hip hop, holding onto that pipe dream might be what happens at the trade deadline.

The most logical choice for General Manager Steve Mills and company to do is sell. Everyone named Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert are for sale and you can even talk me into keeping Jeremy Tyler around. Everyone else, please exit stage left. We already know that teams have inquired about Tyson Chandler. The center will be a huge shot in the arm for a contender like Portland, Golden State or the Clippers. I doubt there would be a shortage of suitors for Anthony and maybe Mills can convince a team to take on either a J.R. Smith, Ray Felton or Andrea Bargnani in that deal. The focus for the Knicks should be draft picks and young talent.

The great teams in this league have reached that level through the draft and player development. Those two things are Chinese to James Dolan, but if he ever hopes of smelling the NBA Finals he has to learn 

Chinese. The Knicks have two very good backcourt youngsters in Hardaway Jr. and Shumpert. If developed correctly they can be a great platoon for years to come. Jeremy Tyler has shown some promise as a rotation player. It’s never easy to admit that you’re wrong and I never expect the Knicks to say they were wrong about any moves they made. What they could do is for once do the smart thing by bottoming out and rebuild the right way. They owe us that much.

New York...We Have a Problem.

In the midst of a four game losing streak it is time for the Knicks to change course. This team is not cut out to compete. The Tin Man has more heart than this team. It is time for the Knicks to realistically look ahead for once. No more pipe dreams please. They need to cut their losses early.  Selling a Rondo, Love and Melo nucleus is a dream, not a reality. To help make that a reality Steve Mills and company need to blow this thing up and go into all out reconstruction mode. There are two routes the Knicks can go at this: with Carmelo Anthony or without him. Let’s map out which ways the Knicks can take this. 

Route 1: Anthony on Board

Let us not forget that the reason the Knicks are in the predicament they are in is because Anthony was hell bent on getting his money sooner rather than later. Instead of waiting to sign in the offseason Anthony told the Knicks now or never. You know the rest of the story. If Anthony is still about his money the Knicks give him the max contract this summer. On the trade front every player not named Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. should be for sale. It was reported last week by Frank Isola of the Daily News that teams have inquired about Chandler, but the Knicks are not interested in dealing him. The team owes it to Chandler that he no longer has to suffer with being the lone defender and deal him to a contender.

A team like the Clippers or Trail Blazers would be nice trade partners for the Knicks. The ideal scenario would be for one of these teams to take Chandler and J.R. Smith’s contract in exchange for a young player or draft picks. However, getting any team to take on J.R.’s contract is as likely as someone taking Amar’e Stoudemire’s. This is where the team would have to part ways with a Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. Teams have already inquired about Shumpert and the Knicks have already shown they are willing to part ways with their best two way player. Shumpert will likely yield the greatest return, but they should make that trade only if there are no takers for Smith (a likely case). Mills can add Felton to any offer with the point guard making a paltry $3 million over 3 years. If Mills can somehow unload Bargnani he should get the key to the city and free up even more cap space to go after Love and maybe entice LeBron James to jump ship. It’s a stretch, but so is saying the Knicks are a playoff team.

Route 2: Anthony Flees

If Carmelo Anthony has finally had enough, which it looks like he has, then the Knicks need to start shopping their star. Anthony is easily their best asset and can flip him to a contender that is willing to roll the dice on him re-signing in the summer. In this scenario the Knicks objective is get young players and draft picks. The building blocks would be Shumpert, Hardaway Jr. and maybe even Jeremy Tyler and Toure’ Murry depending on how they perform down the stretch. The team has treated draft picks with little to no importance and its big reason why they are where they are right now. If the team can turn Melo into a draft pick for this year or next year’s draft (both expected to be deep drafts) then they have to pull the trigger. If Mills can make the team eat Smith’s contract then it’s an even bigger win. Chandler would be the second player traded, if not included in a deal with Anthony. Chandler’s contract is good enough for teams to make a trade with Felton attached. Shedding Bargnani and Stoudemire would likely happen in the summer or next season when they become expiring deals.

Best Route?

Whichever route the Knicks decide if they actually go into reconstruction mode will be dependent on how successful Mills is in the trade market. If Mills can’t wheel and deal then keeping Anthony is unlikely and will have to build with younger guys like Hardaway Jr. and Shumpert. If the Knicks bottom out and get a high pick next year they can run out a nucleus of Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid, two players who have been indecisive of whether they are going to declare for the NBA Draft. This may be another pipe dream, but Parker is more likely to stay at Duke another year giving the Knicks more incentive to bottom out and hope they strike gold.

If Mills is able to wheel and deal, shedding Smith’s contract in a Chandler deal then convincing Melo to stay is the best option. Kevin Love and LeBron James are free agents in 2015 and a core of Melo, Shumpert and Hardaway Jr. doesn’t sound bad. Lakers Nation reported that Love intends to become a free agent and his hometown Lakers and Knicks are two likeliest destinations. Stephen A. Smith said on First Take that if LeBron James leaves Miami the Knicks and Cavs are only places he would consider going. Whatever James Dolan ends up deciding let us pray he lets the basketball people do what he pays them to do.  It’s time he gives the loyal Knick fans a straight answer. We’re tired of dreaming.

JR Back for the Showdown in Indy

via vlsportysexycool.com

The Knicks were brought back down to reality Tuesday night, falling to the Charlotte Bobcats 108-98. This game could be categorized as a schedule loss as Gregg Poppovich would call it. The Knicks may have been looking ahead to Thursday night's match-up against the rival Indiana Pacers. The Knicks started out nice, but as the game progressed the lackadaisical effort kept getting stronger and stronger.  Coach Woodson’s team didn’t have much interest in defending, letting AlJefferson and Kemba Walker go off for a combined 60 points. Tyson Chandler played only 15 minutes scoring 5 points and pulled down 4 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony struggled from the floor scoring 20 points on 9-22 shooting.

There was not much to talk about from this one other than, you guessed it, J.R. "Tweeting Asses, Smoking Weed, Untying Shoes, Etc." Smith. To the surprise of many Smith got his second DNP in four games. According to Frank Isola of the Daily News Smith’s benching comes after he and Woodson got into a confrontation regarding Smith’s minutes or lack thereof in overtime verse the Suns the night before. Woodson has seemed to reach his end with Smith and has him on a leash shorter than his brother Chris’ basketball career. According to various sources, Smith will play on Thursday in Indiana, and it will be interesting. Will we get the J.R. who doesn’t shoot the ball at all? Will we get the efficient Smith we got in Philly? Either way, expect a lot more Tim Hardaway Jr. who has been proving himself as a legit player since the season began.

The Knicks passed their first home test of 2014 in flying colors. Tonight they get their first road test of 2014 going to Indiana where the Pacers are close to unbeatable. Chandler and Kenyon Martin need to play their toughest game of the season with Hibbert and West always looking to bang in the paint. Anthony will have Paul George on his case and Shumpert will have to fight off the pesky New Yorker Lance Stephenson. The match-up that will swing the game is Raymond Felton vs. George Hill. If Felton can recreate whathe did against Miami the Knicks will pass another big test and take a gigantic step in the right direction.

Knicks Hold Off Suns, Move Into Playoff Position

Tina informs Melo that he's in the middle of a back-to-back. Melo's reaction is priceless.

You can officially take your hand of the panic button if your heart is still beating after another nail-biter at The Garden. With last night’s win against the Phoenix Suns the Knicks are now 6-1 in 2014. They're on a season-high five game winning streak and have moved into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Carmelo Anthony continued his dominant play putting up 29 points and 16 rebounds in addition to 4 assists and a steal. Outside of Anthony scoring was hard to come by with Raymond Felton being the second leading scorer with 19 points. Felton got to the basket relentlessly and knocked down a huge corner three to give the Knicks a two-point lead late in regulation. The Suns were relentless all night, pulling down board after board and hitting big shots to keep them in the game.

Goran Dragic led the Suns with 28 points and 8 rebounds giving the Knicks all they could handle. Veteran guard Leandro Barbosa torched the Knicks for 21 points, putting up 14 in the fourth quarter alone. The bench did not have the stellar performance it has had of late, but provided some clutch buckets from the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith. Iman Shumpert and Andrea Bargnani shooting woes continued, but also provided some energy plays and big shots. Kenyon Martin did his best to hold down the defensive side of the ball without Tyson Chandler for a fourth straight game. Martin had 8 points and 9 rebounds with some nice tip-in slams. Chandler spoke with reporters yesterday and said he was optimistic that he will be back in the line-up Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

This hot streak could not have come at a more opportune time. After Tuesday’s game in Charlotte the Knicks will head for Indiana on Thursday to take on rising-star Paul George and the Pacers, seeking revenge for a memorable overtime loss at The Garden back in November.  The team then returns home on the back end of a back-to-back against the Clippers. With Chandler back and every one starting to buy in, these next couples of games will be crucial if the Knicks want to steal back the Atlantic crown from the first place Toronto Raptors.

The biggest difference from the 2013 Knicks to the 2014 Knicks has been their resiliency late in games. When the Suns fought back to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Anthony and company persevered and eked out another victory. The Knicks team from the end of 2013 seemed to always fold the tent and lose a close game (see the Washington Wizards game in December). The 2014 Knicks have more resolve and are finding ways to navigate the storm and get the job done. Maybe the team is tired of the trade rumors, coach firings and being the butt of every of joke. Maybe Coach Woodson and company have righted the ship. Only time will tell. 

Knicks Got Their Swagger Back...For Now That Is

“I guess I got my swagger back!”

Those are the words of New York’s resident mogul Jay-Z and the phrase the Knicks were saying after a colossal win over the reigning champion, Miami Heat, last night. Carmelo Anthony and his squad passed every test with flying colors. Matched up essentially one-on-one with LeBron James, Melo held his own and put up 29 points on 50 percent shooting from the field in addition to eight boards and five dimes. James outscored Melo by 3 putting up 32-5-6. Without their defensive captain on the floor for a second straight night the Knicks frontline came up huge. Amar’e Stoudemire had his best game of the season putting up 14 points and 11 boards to help out Melo and Kenyon Martin. Even Raymond Felton added 14 assist and continued his success against the Heat.

The most impressive performance of the night belonged to Mike Woodson. I’ve given the coach a lot of (well deserved) criticism the past few weeks. Last night Woodson ruled with an iron fist benching team clown J.R.Smith. The benching caught everyone off guard (even J.R. himself) and was Woodson’s first real stand against Smith. Woodson has had an equator-long leash on the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but it looks like Smith has finally reached the end of the road. In addition to the Smith benching Woodson gave his young guns those precious minutes we have all been hollering for. Toure’ Murry played well in his ten minutes of action, picking up two nice steals and slowing down those quick Miami guards. Tim Hardaway Jr. played 13 minutes and had the highlight of the night, baptizing Jesus himself: Jesus Shuttlesworth that is. The rook soured for a put-back slam that punctuated a 32-23 quarter for the Knicks.

The Knicks look to keep the momentum going Saturday in Philadelphia against a Sixers team that’s looking forward to the lottery more than a division crown. If Anthony and the Knicks continue to play like an actual team there is no way in hell they should lose in Philly. Anthony has taken a full leadership role and is navigating hiss team out of the abyss that they drove themselves into with a nonexistent end to 2013. Since coming back from injury the Knick captain has averaged 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and a whopping 53.8 percent from downtown. With the supporting cast starting to find their roles watch out...the Knicks may in fact be back (fingers crossed). 

Shump Hits Black Gold in Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas and the Knicks got two huge wins in their Texas road trip. They could’ve swept their Texas slate had it not been for late game mental errors. Nonetheless the Knicks have come into 2014 with a new attitude. Amid trade rumors and heavy criticism, Carmelo Anthony and company finally look like a basketball team. Iman Shumpert got his swagger back putting up a career-high 27 points in a win against the reigning Western Conference Champion Spurs. Following that with an equally impressive 26 points in a tough loss to H-Town.  In the finale against Dallas Shump hit big shots late to secure the game.

The team returns to The Garden for the first time in 2014 with hopes of changing their luck in the New Year. Coach Woodson is starting to mix it up giving younger guys like Toure’ Murry decent minutes and it has paid off. Murry’s defense in the second quarter in San Antonio helped the Knicks get going. With Kenyon Martin getting healthier by the day the second unit looks a lot better with Murry, Hardaway Jr. and STAT.  J.R. Smith and Beno Udrih continue to struggle finding their range, but both have had key hustle plays to help keep the Knicks alive. 

The question heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Pistons; was this Texas road trip a farce or the beginning of turn around the Knicks have been desperately looking for? Carmelo Anthony has had a rough year of criticism and trade rumors, but is starting to look like the leader his team has needed since the veteran presence of Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace left the locker room. Melo willed his soldiers to victory in Dallas and if this continues the Knicks can start climbing themselves out of the giant hole they dug. Detroit is coming off a mauling at the hands of the Grizzlies on their home floor. The Pistons do play better on the road going 8-8 compared to their 6-12 home record.

If the Knicks come out firing like they did in Dallas they can wrap this one up early. Coach Woodson has to continue riding his young guns. Their energy has changed the way the team comes out. If Shump remains hot and J.R. can start getting back to driving to the basket like he did last year he will start getting those open shots to hit. Expect Anthony to continue his good play and focus more on how he leads his squad during those tough moments. Those stretches of adversity will be where the Knicks will win or lose this game. So far the Knicks have given us no reason to doubt them in 2014; let's hope that does not change.