The New York Knicks are playing right now as if they will be
a legitimate threat to the Miami Heat’s quest for a second straight NBA title.
Last night was the first time since 1994 that the Knicks won the Atlantic
Division and they have also reached 50 wins for the first time since 1999.
Fast-forward to the present day where the Knicks have won 13 straight games.
Are the Knicks a legitimate threat to the Heat’s quest for a second title?
It looks as
if the Knicks will be facing the Boston Celtics in the first round of the
Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Knicks won the season series 3-1 and will look
to get revenge on the Celtics, who swept them in the first round in 2011.
Assuming the Knicks can get by the Celtics in what I think will be a tough six
game series, I think their semifinal matchup will be easier than the Celtics.
8 of the 13
Knick wins during their current streak have been by double digits. What is
scary about this streak is that the Knicks haven’t even been at full strength.
Tyson Chandler, last year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has played in
only 4 of the last 13 games as he recovers from a neck injury. Amar’e
Stoudemire who made his season debut on January 1st after recovering
from a knee injury, reinjured the same knee on March 7th and is not
expected back until the playoffs at the earliest. I actually think the Knicks
are better without Stoudemire.
It also
helps that the Knicks have perhaps the NBA MVP on their team. I believe Carmelo
Anthony should win over LeBron James and Kevin Durant. In his five games this
month, Anthony is averaging 40.6 points per game including a 50-point game on
the road against the Heat (The Heat were without LeBron and Wade for Anthony’s
50 point game). Anthony currently leads the league in scoring with 28.6 points
per game and is also shooting 45% from the field. 11 players average at least
6.0 points per game and if you factor in the perhaps the NBA Sixth Man of the
Year in J.R. Smith, than the Knicks have one of the best offenses in the
league.
The Knicks went
3-1 against the Heat this season with all of their wins being by double digits.
They match up extremely well against the Heat especially with a James-Anthony
matchup. I believe that the Knicks can take the Heat to seven games and even defeat them. The Knicks are looking to make it back to the finals for the first
time since 99 and Anthony and company look to bring a title back to New York.
images were used from nba.si.com and nba.com
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