In case there was any doubt about the backbone and focus of the 2012-2013 Knicks, they were put to rest on Thursday night in South Beach when a Carmelo-less New York team completely outplayed and dominated the world-champion Miami Heat.
It was a repeat of the NBA opening season game when these same Knicks, albeit WITH Carmelo Anthony on the floor, blew out the Heat at Madison Square Garden by the same 20 points that did Miami in last night. And this was made even harder as it was the second game in a back-back following a toughly contested one the night before won by the Knicks thanks to J.R. Smith’s buzzer beater with time expiring.
#* J.R. Smith taking the game-winning shot over the head of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as time expired. Photo: Chris Keane/reuters
They seemed to have a swagger about them during this game that was reminiscent of the team which had Allan Houston and Patrick Ewing back in the 90’s, a time when we were treated to many a competitve contest between the two teams.
These Knicks have been playing with reckless abandon this season opening up a 1 1/2 game lead over LeBron James and the rival Miami Heat and boasting a 14-4 record after winning their last five in a row. They currently are the only NBA team unbeaten (8-0) at home.
With the Bulls on tap for tomorrow in Chicago and the Nuggets at home at the Garden on Sunday, it will have completed a stretch of four games in five days and unlike Greg Popovitch in San Antonio, Mike Woodson has no plans of sending any players home…
The Knicks’ formula this season has been to bombard their opponents with three-pointers and play swarming defense. Case in point, they score an average of 103 points a game, 4th in the league, while giving up 95 points a contest which ranks them 8th; an almost perfect balance of offense & defense. They lead the league in three-pointers attempted, three-pointers made, and are third in the NBA in three-point percentage.
#2 PG Raymond Felton went off scoring 27 points, 7 assits, and a career high six 3-pointers in the win over the Heat. Photo: Greg Shamus/NBAE/Getty Images
What makes these Knicks so dangerous this season, and what is most scary, is that they’re still not playing with Amare Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, or a healthy Marcus Camby! If they were able to beat the previously unbeaten-at-home Heat in their building without these three and with no Carmelo Anthony on the floor, then maybe it’s time for the rest of the league to stand up and take notice that these Knicks ARE for real…
FANTASY FURNACE 
Yep, they are! Go NY, Go NY, Go!
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Hope they keep it going…
Thanks for checking in!
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You know, these Knicks remind me of a crummy baseball movie team. Everyone keeps dumping on them for being a rag tag bunch of over the hill miscreants, and somehow…they throw it back in everyone’s faces at the end. But, pardon me for interjecting a wee bit of reality into this space. It IS still December, and the Heat look about as interested in the regular season as Kim Kardashian does in her next husband.
Hey, no offense, hermano. You know I love you.
PS- If the Knicks win it all this year. I’m buying you a drink. In the real time of things.
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You’re on my man!
The problem I see with the Heat is:
1. They won a title last season so their incentive has taken a small dip you have to say. The Knicks haven’t won a thing in 40 years. They’re hungry. No, they’re starving!
2. I don’t think Dwayne Wade is gonna last the whole season. He’s on the backside of great career and the oft injured star can only put out so much.
3. The Heat is one player injury away from staying elite. The Knicks beat up on them without their leading scorer. Do you think the Heat could beat the Knicks or any top team without LeBron? And compare the two benches and let me know who has they deeper one.
It might be only the regular season but winning two games by 20 points has made me a believer!
Now where is that bartender….
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Would you say they’re playing solid defense at present ? Because to my mind, long-term , that will be the determining factor , as to how well the team will fare . beyond the aging and weary legs of Kidd, Camby , ‘sheed and Kurt Thomas, down the stretch of their schedule . Your thoughts ?
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Kobe has aging legs. Dwayne Wade has aging legs, Nash, etc.. The Knicks are not immuned to that. But their bench is too deep to have that problem plus the older players do not play 30+ minutes a night like Wade & Bryant.
Defense? Yeah it’s solid. 8th in the league in points allowed per game.
Finally, they’re playing ‘smart’ basketball. they lead the league in fewest turnovers per game at 11.
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What they’re doing in regular season is not a clear expectation of what they actually do in the postseason , . do remember that before jumping on that bandwagon .
So Bonds , Clemens and Sosa are on the ballot for the Hall of Fame , having met the eligibility requirements ? Let me pose this question , if Selig’s intent is to clean up the game, then why submit the trio’s names to the BBWAA for consideration in the adjudication process ? Does that make any sense to you, from an image standpoint ? Consider also , almost 200 players at the MLB and Minor League Level have been caught in terms of using illicit substances in the past 24 months . Yet we’re to believe Butt-head Bud , when he says they (MLB) have a lid on things ?
Tophatal /……….
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Legally, until and/or unless a new edict is handed down stating that users or suspected users of PED’s can no longer have their names ‘appear’ on HOF ballots then they WILL make the ballot.
As for regular season vs post season, of course there is a major difference and as only 22% of the regular season is in the books, I can appreciate your point- there still is a ways to go. What I AM saying is “Yes”, I am jumping on ‘that’ bandwagon because so far, this is the best N.Y. Knicks team I have seen since the -93-’94 season. Period. For so many reasons which, if things stay the way they have, I just might have to write about the differences between the two teams…
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You’re going with the legal mode what about the integrity of the game or doesn’t that matter in this day and age as far a s you’re concerned ? Apathy is in full swing concerning the vast majority of baseball fans . Buy into the bull#hit concerning the feats of Sosa , Bonds and Clemens while being defrauded and they simply didn’t give a ##it . How much do you think that teams players and the league hierarchy made during that time or do you just go with the flow ?
I’l go with a team’s body of work and only seventeen games into the season has not proved anything to me at all . The Knicks’ teams during the nineties , coached by Riley were truly teams worth watching , but this team is good but beyond ‘melo and JR Smith and Shumpert , there’s not really that much there beyond a bunch of aging geriatrics .
Tophatal …………
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So as far as you’re concerned, while the integrity of the baseball gets further tarnished and the fact that the fans were defrauded doesn’t phase you concerning this idiocy ? Or should the fans remain apathetic , and accept Selig’s bull#hit that he has a handle on the rampant widespread use of PED’s . And over the past eighteen months over 185 players at the MLB and Minor League Level have been caught and are still being caught . So tell me again why don’t you believe that there’s anything wrong here other than as you say ” the rule of law ” . Bud Selig and the MLB hierarchy simply do not understand the rule of law .
This Knicks’ team hasn’t proven anything as of yet , and but for ‘melo and Smith no one would be taking notice of them at all . Let’s see how they’re doing and where they stand by late January , and then we can perhaps have a true assessment of where they really are and the direction they’re said to be heading in .
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I never said that “I don’t believe that there’s anything wrong here.” I just said whoever committed any improprieties, legally, unless there’s a rule change , can have their name on a HOF ballot. That does NOT mean that I condone the use of PEDs which would be totally presumptuous on your part Alan.
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How is someone suppose to view that when you were somewhat ambivalent in the first place merely suggesting the rule of law ? Since when was the rule of law written in stone when it came MLB in the first place ? Bud Selig has skirted this issue while this charade has continued because his lame a#s would rather fill the fans’ heads with falsehoods . Close to 200 players have been embroiled in this mess and it still hasn’t negated the use of PED’s . So now what ? The fans , rely on Selig to tell them what’s best for the game , while a bunch of ingrates from the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Assoc. of America ) a wax on lyrically with their continued idiocy ? These being the very same idiot journalists who chose to look the other way when the stories first came to the fore concerning the misuse of PED’s .
Tophatal ……
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The ’93-’94 team which won 57 games and went to game 7 of the NBA Finals, had one of the highest turnover rates in the league. As for their offense that Knicks team ranked 3rd from the bottom in the NBA. They played hard and had an incredible defensive minded bunch of talented players. That’s all they had and back then that’s all they needed.
In today’s game, you need to score as well and this version of the Knicks does that as I had mentioned. Oh ye of little faith….
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The Knicks haven’t proved anything as of yet , they have come out fast out of the gate and that’s it . Nothing more , nothing less ! It’s like seeing an old guy discovering Viagra and its use for the first time . Four hours later if that “boner” is still there what’s he meant to do ? Beyond ‘melo Smith at present who really is there put up the points , much less name one player on this current that team that you view as a consistent defensive presence other than Chandler ?
There’s no body of work from this team as of yet .
Tophatal ……………..
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A ” mercy rule “ should have been in place , in the game between the Seahawks and Cardinals ! Why must the fans have to endure this diatribe ?
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No doubt the Knicks are for real. How do I know? Charles Barkley noted Knick hated had to complain about the Heat and not give the Knicks any credit.I am liking this current team because they play as a team including the mn everyone said couldn’t play team ball…Carmelo Anthony. See everyone in the playoffs
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