New York Knicks basketball is (finally) back

Commentary

The New York Knicks may have been swept in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs but for a team that had not made the playoffs since 2002, just making the postseason should be viewed as a success. Although just making the playoffs should be viewed as an accomplishment for any team, getting swept in the first round can leave a bad taste in the mouths of players, coaches and fans. The Knicks had substantial chances to win the first two games of their series against the Boston Celtics. If they had been able to seal the deal they would have gone up on Boston 2-0 which would have drastically changed the complexion of the series.    

The NBA is a league in which the superstar thrives. If an NBA team has a lack of star power, chances are they find themselves at the bottom of the standings. In the past decade the Knicks had a lack of superstar ability on their roster but that all changed this season with the signing of Amar'e Stoudemire last July and the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to New York this past February. Sure, Billups is not what he used to be but he has a Finals MVP under his belt and provides veteran leadership for the young Knicks.

The trade for Billups and Anthony was good in the sense that it got Knicks fans thinking that the franchise was finally going to turn around but it may have been somewhat unnecessary. It was well known that Anthony wanted to play in New York. The Knicks may have been better served keeping youngsters Danilo Gallanari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and their 2014 first round pick. Since Anthony was bound to be a free agent this summer, signing him two months from now while keeping those four players plus a pick would have been best for Knicks teams five years down the road. The problem with this trade is that the players the Knicks gave up had some legitimate talent. The Knicks' lack of depth came into play in the 2011 playoffs.

After injuries to Billups and Stoudemire, the Knicks were basically Anthony and a bunch of scrubs instead of a fundamentally sound team. It was apparent at the end of game two that the Knicks were trying to get the ball to Anthony more than they were trying to make a play that would win the game. Anthony is a superstar but he should not always have to be the hero. The Celtics knew the Knicks would be looking to Anthony, somebody else needed to step up and make a play. Another issue was the Knicks inability to play defense after the trade. Stoudemire, Billups and Anthony are definitely going to provide some serious fire power but if you can't stop the other team from scoring, you become one dimensional. It is hard to win playing well on only one side of the ball. Anthony could have been easily had as a free agent in the offseason and general manager Donnie Walsh could have kept the majority of the team that had performed well before Anthony's arrival.

All that being said, the New York Knicks are in a good position to become one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have decided to bring Billups back for the 2011-12 season, they will have Stoudemire through 2015 and Anthony will most likely be a Knickerbocker for a number of seasons. If the Knicks can develop their bench by signing some competent basketball players they should be able to go deeper in the playoffs the next couple of years.