I think the Knicks could rip through the East

[jimmy77x]

pretty much, I wouldn't be surprised if the heat swept the knicks in the ecf. Knicks have already peaked 2 months into the regular season lol, everyone knows heat peak post all star break going into the post season.

So the heat go from getting blown out by a 50-60% knicks roster twice to sweep a most like fully healthy knicks roster? Man drugs are good. You bron/heat fans are hilarious.You like to bring up how chicago beat them in regular season games but all of those games were close,the bulls did not completely embarrass them like the knicks have.

No ones saying their a lock to beat the heat but some of you stans are giving them no chance at all when this is a different knicks roster, Only setting your selves up to look stupid if your ridiculous expectations dont come true example dallas beatin that @ss in the finals.

[BlueandGold]

The Knicks are looking more and more complete every day.

They have a wide range of floor/locker-room veterans in Kidd, Felton, Sheed and Kurt Thomas.

They have explosive and athletic talents in Amare, Chandler and Melo.

And finally they have a solid coach that can put it all together in Woodson, will be a scary team for the east come playoff time.

This Knicks team is finally reminding me why I was a Knicks fan in the late 90s: because they aren't in the west.

[PJR]

You would think followers of a team that has won exactly one single solitary playoff game in 13 years would be a little humble.

I guess not.

We can exchange these grand claims all day, but we all know what the end result will ultimately be.

[Y2Gezee]

This ...

Knicks going Thibs Bulls style and busting their nut prematurely in the regular season.

Relax you silly ass New Yorkers, the Heat got the Eastern Conference on lock. They always elevate their game to another gear in the playoffs.

Everyone plays at another level in the playoffs. This logic is ridiculous. And the Heat aren't playing that badly, their only problem is that their defense has suffered due to playing too small. But even then, I see how they can play better in a series with the ability to truly game plan, that's the difference in playoffs, the preparation aspect.

But the reality is, I came into this season thinking the Heat were overrated. They aren't unbeatable. They've never appeared unbeatable. Their weaknesses always show in the postseason, the competition just hasn't been as good as this Knicks team, and some of the other teams in the West this year.

The fact is, their first 2 years they went through a weak Eastern conference. Year 1, the Celtics were old and Wade broke Rondo's damn arm, and well the Bulls didn't have enough scoring, still lost to the Mavs. Year 2, the lockout and lack of free agency ( the underrated aspect of the lockout) killed the competition in the East, and rosters were incomplete. They then matched up with a Thunder team that their small style they switched to in the postseason, matches up with, they took Perkins out of the game, and when OKC goes small...they simply can't do it as well as the Heat because of Durant. Still if Harden didn't simply disappear, it could've been a series.

The type of team they really don't fit well with are the Bulls, but Derrick Rose was their only reliable offense. We never saw how it would look really with Rip and Rose. And the Knicks can play very much like the Bulls as they get their big man rotation back. They can play big, with good defense, and good 3pt shooting and ball movement. The difference is their main scorer is Melo not D Rose (there is a considerable difference) and the Knicks also have more scoring options. They can also play very Mavs 2011 like, only they do that better than them too. In fact they have played very Mavs 2011 like, with Melo in the Dirk role. They're crazy versatile though with their big man rotation, which is what I think their strength ultimately will be. Believe it or not, watching Marcus Camby yesterday and the past few games is what made me want to make this thread. When they get healthy and can either play Sheed or Camby next to Chandler more, I see great things defensively.

Heat have been weak at Center since the Big 3 joined together, but it could be managed better with defensive minded guys like Joel Anthony playing their role, but it killed them offensively. This year as they've decided to go without it, I don't see it being a good thing for them. They've decided to become an offensive team that can get stops when it counts late, and verse teams that actually have a 4 that can take advantage down low, they have no answer. Furthermore, they are weak at pg...struggle to defend them and struggle to make them work on the other end. The Thunder pg killed them last year, the Thunder C got taken out of the game and didn't fit. The Knicks have big advantages at both positions, and at all other positions, they have the talent to compare with the Heat. Last year the Knicks didn't have a pg.


I just think people have this mindset that Lebron (who truly is an all time great talent) is set to go on a tear through the league that will resemble what Magic, Bird, Jordan, Shaq did, where they had teams that if they went in relatively healthy they're going to breeze through the playoffs no matter what. Well this situation doesn't read that way to me in the least bit... this Heat team has obvious flaws, and Lebron isn't that much better if at all better than guys like Melo/Chris Paul/Durant/and potentially Derrick Rose (maybe next year) as players...who also have championship caliber teams to bring to the table. And overall Melo's team outmatches Lebron's, and these regular season games aren't what I base it off of.

[Y2Gezee]

So the heat go from getting blown out by a 50-60% knicks roster twice to sweep a most like fully healthy knicks roster? Man drugs are good. You bron/heat fans are hilarious.You like to bring up how chicago beat them in regular season games but all of those games were close,the bulls did not completely embarrass them like the knicks have.

No ones saying their a lock to beat the heat but some of you stans are giving them no chance at all when this is a different knicks roster, Only setting your selves up to look stupid if your ridiculous expectations dont come true example dallas beatin that @ss in the finals.

I'm pretty close to saying that.

[Y2Gezee]

You would think followers of a team that has won exactly one single solitary playoff game in 13 years would be a little humble.

I guess not.

We can exchange these grand claims all day, but we all know what the end result will ultimately be.

I'm a basketball fan, not necessarily a Knicks fan, but I am pulling for them to do it this year.

I just know a good thing when I see one. This team is loaded, and Melo is an assassin.

[tpols]

Everyone plays at another level in the playoffs. f.

The heat turn it up in ways new york already have or can't control. The heat during the playoffs play much better defense than they do now. In a series where they play the same team over and over they're able to adjust their double teams and on ball pressure to perfection and lock teams down. Every shot becomes contested and they wear you down.

Lebron and Wade also Start attacking the rim more aggressively playing harder than they are now. They wear you down with that shit and it is something you can control.. Aggressively attacking the paint. It's the surest way of getting points.

The knicks on the other hand already are playing defense at their hardest.. They don't have that extra gear or have yet to display it. And the Knicks are a jump shooting team.. You can't turn up your jump showing ability. Shots are either falling or they're not. So they aren't a lock for anything.

This is coming from someone who hates the heat more than the Knicks and would love to see them beat Miami. I like how they're built like the mavs a few years back but even the mavs shouldn't have beat the heat.. They were so fortunate to win. Can't see the Knicks winning unless their three ball is dropping like crazy.

[NuggetsFan]

I'm a basketball fan, not necessarily a Knicks fan, but I am pulling for them to do it this year.

I just know a good thing when I see one. This team is loaded, and Melo is an assassin.

You have always been a Carmelo fan. Granted you're not Joyner or 'Bundo. You followed the Nuggets and than now the Knicks, you woulda been following the Nets backing them had Carmelo landed there.

Atleast be honest and call things like they are.

[tpols]

And you can't compare Dirk to Melo vs the heat because lebron can guard Melo very well and he couldn't guard Dirk. Dirk had Miami's weakest players defending him and he was playing like bird in the clutch. The knicks best offensive weapons are going to have Miami's strongest defenders on them. They'll have a shot but it's gonna be crazy tough

[Y2Gezee]

The heat turn it up in ways new york already have or can't control. The heat during the playoffs play much better defense than they do now. In a series where they play the same team over and over they're able to adjust their double teams and on ball pressure to perfection and lock teams down. Every shot becomes contested and they wear you down.

Lebron and Wade also Start attacking the rim more aggressively playing harder than they are now. They wear you down with that shit and it is something you can control.. Aggressively attacking the paint. It's the surest way of getting points.

The knicks on the other hand already are playing defense at their hardest.. They don't have that extra gear or have yet to display it. And the Knicks are a jump shooting team.. You can't turn up your jump showing ability. Shots are either falling or they're not. So they aren't a lock for anything.

This is coming from someone who hates the heat more than the Knicks and would love to see them beat Miami. I like how they're built like the mavs a few years back but even the mavs shouldn't have beat the heat.. They were so fortunate to win. Can't see the Knicks winning unless their three ball is dropping like crazy.

The Knicks are as much a jump shooting team as the Heat. Well almost. Chandler and Melo are the Knicks current post offense and they both do it very well...Melo happens to also be a great jumpshooter. Felton attacks the paint and creates for his roll guys off the pick and roll. When Amare comes back, talk to me about interior scoring. They're going to have more of it than the Heat.

The Knicks aren't playing defense at their hardest...they're playing it about as hard as the Heat are right now. They coast through the first 3 quarters, HOWEVER, they are the best 4 quarter defensive team in the league.


And I haven't seen the Heat play at a different level defensively than they have in the regular season too much. Like I said, preparation is the only difference and all teams get to do that. The Heat WERE great defensively in the regular season the past 2 years, and they continued it in the postseason. They've always struggled rebounding to an extent vs bigger teams, but now that they've decided to stay small...their defense has become inconsistent and their rebounding has sucked.

That's the problem with people. Message boarders, Analysts, Columnists alike. People like to think that history simply repeats itself...even when things are very different.

People like to think that the Celtics who were on their last legs playing for a last stance through a weak East were simply going to walk to the ECF. Instead of realizing that 3 of their 4 best players are old, and their best player doesn't play like he wants to be a go to guy. They lack size and their defense has slowed down, and these young guys that aren't stars aren't going to carry them.

People like to think that the Knicks couldn't make it work, and that Amare/Melo combo is the problem. Instead of realizing they turned it around last year when they got healthy, found some guard play, and some outside shooting after Woodson took over. Except this year they have excellent guard play, and excellent outside shooting, the reason they struggled to begin last year.

If you think the Heat have a chance of making a series this year look like the Knicks/Heat series last year, then you just aren't paying attention. A million dynamics have changed in those matchups. They didn't have to defend the ball, didn't have to defend the 3pt line, didn't have to defend the drive from guards. They just had to keep Melo from isolating inside and making guys better.

[jimmy77x]

The Knicks are as much a jump shooting team as the Heat. Well almost. Chandler and Melo are the Knicks current post offense and they both do it very well...Melo happens to also be a great jumpshooter. Felton attacks the paint and creates for his roll guys off the pick and roll. When Amare comes back, talk to me about interior scoring. They're going to have more of it than the Heat.

The Knicks aren't playing defense at their hardest...they're playing it about as hard as the Heat are right now. They coast through the first 3 quarters, HOWEVER, they are the best 4 quarter defensive team in the league.


And I haven't seen the Heat play at a different level defensively than they have in the regular season too much. Like I said, preparation is the only difference and all teams get to do that. The Heat WERE great defensively in the regular season the past 2 years, and they continued it in the postseason. They've always struggled rebounding to an extent vs bigger teams, but now that they've decided to stay small...their defense has become inconsistent and their rebounding has sucked.

That's the problem with people. Message boarders, Analysts, Columnists alike. People like to think that history simply repeats itself...even when things are very different.

People like to think that the Celtics who were on their last legs playing for a last stance through a weak East were simply going to walk to the ECF. Instead of realizing that 3 of their 4 best players are old, and their best player doesn't play like he wants to be a go to guy. They lack size and their defense has slowed down, and these young guys that aren't stars aren't going to carry them.

People like to think that the Knicks couldn't make it work, and that Amare/Melo combo is the problem. Instead of realizing they turned it around last year when they got healthy, found some guard play, and some outside shooting after Woodson took over. Except this year they have excellent guard play, and excellent outside shooting, the reason they struggled to begin last year.

If you think the Heat have a chance of making a series this year look like the Knicks/Heat series last year, then you just aren't paying attention. A million dynamics have changed in those matchups. They didn't have to defend the ball, didn't have to defend the 3pt line, didn't have to defend the drive from guards. They just had to keep Melo from isolating inside and making guys better.

[Y2Gezee]

You have always been a Carmelo fan. Granted you're not Joyner or 'Bundo. You followed the Nuggets and than now the Knicks, you woulda been following the Nets backing them had Carmelo landed there.

Atleast be honest and call things like they are.

True. But at the same time I followed Kidd's Nets, before then the Portland Blazers and Sac Kings. Before then Jordan/Pippen's Bulls and Barkley where ever. Then the Big 3 Celtics. I'm originally from Alabama, I have no allegiances to any team.

But while I was following the Nuggets or hoping they won...find one time when I didn't say how incomplete their roster was, and please find another time when I said they'd win anything. I only just started to believe in the 2008-9 squad after they cockslapped the Mavs.

I can follow teams, but I still tell it like it is. And the Knicks are the most dynamic team in the league (when healthy at least). They're still pretty bad ass when they're not though.

[RRR3]

[Y2Gezee]

Lebron and the entire Heat team. Bron can't stop Melo, ****outtahere.

[Teanett]

. They'll have a shot but it's gonna be crazy tough

well... it's not going to be easy but it's not as hopeless as it was for a decade.