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. 

5 Questions Going into the Season - Part 2

Is James Dolan the Problem?

Dolan looking sad and confused...

After a long and somewhat confusing offseason the curtains will soon be raising on the upcoming season for the Knicks. The Knicks were very busy during this offseason with the additions of such names as Metta World Peace and Andrea Bargnani along with Beno Udrih and Tim Hardaway Jr., who look to bolster NY’s bench. However, James Dolan continues to fly by the seat of his pants when it comes to the managing of his front office when he reassigned Steve Mills to the GM/President position.  This seemed to be somewhat of a panic move as Brooklyn stole many of the offseason headlines with their acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. However, it’s tough to blame former GM Glenn Grunwald for seemingly ‘losing’ the offseason to the Nets. The mobility in terms of salary cap limits until they can get out from underneath Amar’e’s behemoth of a contract in the summer of 2015. Patience is a virtue and Dolan needs to start showing patience when it comes to the managing of his front office. The only time we saw Dolan display any type of patience was during the Isaiah years and it is still unclear what kind of spell Isaiah put Dolan under.

There seemed to be patience under Donnie Walsh when the Knicks went all in on trying to lure LeBron three years ago. It is unfortunate that Dolan essentially forced out Walsh, who is now working for the Pacers front office, because again there seems to be little in terms of a long term plan for the Knicks.  The one long term plan that there is for the Knicks is to resign Carmelo Anthony but as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out;

“if the Knicks sign Anthony to that five-year max deal, they'll have about $41 million committed in salary for 2015-16 once you factor in player options for Smith and Felton, the ballpark cost of New York's 2015 first-round pick, and roster charges for empty spots. That figure does not include cap holds for any of New York's outgoing free agents that summer, a group that includes two valuable players: Chandler and Shumpert. Their holds alone would vault New York over the cap.”

The Knicks are going to be in the playoffs this year no doubt about it. But will they will be able to repeat as a two seed again as Derrick Rose is back, the Pacers continue to improve and the Nets look to make a leap up? The Knicks cannot become the Joe Johnson led Hawks who had decent regular seasons, got mid-level playoff seedings, only to be knocked out in the second round. All us Knick fans are desperate for a championship, however I am beginning to feel that Dolan has no long term plan in mind. Let’s hope Mills attempts to implement a plan – which I believe he will – that has the Knicks set up for long term success, and that championship trophy. 

5 Knickstape Questions going into the season - Part 1

Training camp has begun and everyone in New York City can feel the NBA in the air as the 2013-2014 season quickly approaches. This year is definitely shaping up to be a great one for both the Knicks, and I hate to admit it but the Nets as well, as both squads will benefit from each other’s revamped rosters. Finally, a city that was deprived of good basketball for most of the millennium, will see what is shaping up to be one of the most heated cross-town rivalries Gotham has ever been apart of.

With that, today begins a new blogging year for Knickstape and it’s going to be a good one. Over the next couple of weeks as we approach the home opener vs. the Bucks we’ll try to answer the burning questions that are most likely on all of our Knick fan minds. Let’s get to the first one…it’s quiet smokey.

JR’s 3-year deal. A guaranteed mess? 
Time will tell, but so far the 3-year $17.95 million extension the 27-year old signed over the summer isn’t looking so sweet. Swish has already endured off-season knee surgery and Stern threw 5 game suspension at him for violating the league’s substance abuse policy after a third positive drug test…Do you think he at least tried the medical marijuana defense?? Maybe it was helping his knee heal quicker?? Anyway, they say there is no hope in dope, which was a sentiment that Coach Woody Johnson reiterated to JR early this week when he told the 6th man of the year “to grow up”. Fortunately, Woody has his ear and according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Swish apologized to all of his teammates, coaches and even Dolan – Dolan, that CRAZY Dolan – and promised to shape up.

I think, and hope for the sake of all of us, that JR realizes the positive impact he can have on this team and has learned from his past mistakes. When he’s on, he is on and could be the X factor that brings us back to the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe even further. I’m envisioning a lot of #JRING occuring this year….

Knicks 2013-2014 Schedule Released

Official NBA regular season schedules were released last night, and the excitement is already building around the Knicks who lead the NBA with 25 nationally televised games (ESPN/ABC/TNT)!

Unlike last year where all Knick-Nets games were finished in the first half of the season, these fierce rivals will battle it out twice in the first half and twice in April, which are shaping up to be some very pivotal affairs.

Other key games to look out for are our four matchups with the Heat and our January and March faceoffs with the Pacers. All are sure to be must wins. As basketball fans we all have to be excited to see our team face the new look Rockets in November and January, as well as the Thunder on Christmas Day and our four games against Derrick Rose's Bulls. Can't wait for the season to start, its only 83 days away - that's less than three months! Let's go #KNICKSTAPE!!!!

2013-14 New York Knicks Regular Season Schedule
Nationally televised games are noted in BOLD.

October

Wednesday 30.. vs. Milwaukee....... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 31.. at Chicago............. 8:00 p.m.

November

Sunday 3.. vs. Minnesota....... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 5.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 10.. vs. San Antonio............ noon
Wednesday 13.. at Atlanta............... 8:00 p.m. 
Thursday 14.. vs. Houston........... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 16.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 19.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 20.. vs. Indiana............ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 23.. at Washington....... 7:00 p.m.
Monday 25.. at Portland........... 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday 27.. at L.A. Clippers.... 10:30 p.m.
Friday 29.. at Denver.............. 9:00 p.m.

December

Sunday 1.. vs. New Orleans... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 5.. at Brooklyn............ 7:00 p.m.
Friday 6.. vs. Orlando............ 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 8.. vs. Boston..................... noon
Tuesday 10.. at Cleveland........... 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 11.. vs. Chicago............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 13.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 14.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Monday 16.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 18.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 21 vs. Memphis.................. noon
Monday 23 at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 25.. vs. Oklahoma City 2:30 p.m.
Friday 27.. vs. Toronto............ 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 28.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.

January

Thursday 2.. at San Antonio....... 8:30 p.m.
Friday 3.. at Houston............ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 5.. at Dallas................. 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7.. vs. Detroit............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 9.. vs. Miami............... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 11.. at Philadelphia....... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 13.. vs. Phoenix........... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 14.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 16.. at Indiana.............. 7:00 p.m. 
Friday 17.. vs. L.A. Clippers.... 7:00 p.m. 
Monday 20.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday 22.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Friday. 24.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 26.. vs. L.A. Lakers...... 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday 28.. vs. Boston............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 30.. vs. Cleveland........ 8:00 p.m.

February

Saturday 1.. vs. Miami............... 8:30 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. vs. Portland.......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Denver............. 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 9.. at Oklahoma City... 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. vs. Sacramento.... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 18.. at Memphis........... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 19.. at New Orleans...... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 22.. at Atlanta............... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 24.. vs. Dallas............... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 27.. at Miami................. 8:00 p.m. 
Friday 28.. vs. Golden State... 8:00 p.m.

March

Sunday 2.. at Chicago............. 1:00 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. at Minnesota.......... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Utah................. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 8.. at Cleveland........... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 10.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 15.. vs. Milwaukee............... noon
Wednesday 19.. vs. Indiana............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Philadelphia....... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 23.. vs. Cleveland........ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 25.. at L.A. Lakers....... 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday 26.. at Sacramento..... 10:00 p.m.
Friday 28.. at Phoenix........... 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 30.. at Golden State..... 9:00 p.m.
Monday 31.. at Utah.................. 9:00 p.m.

April

Wednesday 2.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 7:00 p.m.
Friday 4.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 6.. at Miami................. 1:00 p.m.
Friday 11.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 13.. vs. Chicago............ 1:00 p.m. 
Tuesday 15.. at Brooklyn............ 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 16.. vs. Toronto............ 8:00 p.m.

First Knickstape Poll Ever, Take Part

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Who's Been the Knicks Playoff MVP Thus Far:?

• Melo #Tape7
• Shump #Tape21
• Felton #Tape2
• Prigioni #Tape9
• The Whole #Knickstape

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