KNICKS

When a team surpasses its previous years loss total by All Star break its safe to say your season is an utter disappointment.  This is the current state of affairs with the New York Knicks.  20-32 calls for change in New York.  If this were New Orleans or Minnesota the scrutiny wouldn't be half as magnetized.  But this is the big apple.  In New York we don't wait for next year.  That has never been acceptable in this city.  In a year in which the Eastern Conference is historically deprived of consistent basketball teams the fans still expect the Knicks to make the playoffs.

Crunch time began three weeks ago for the Knicks.  With 30 games remaining on the schedule every outing has to be viewed as a must win.  Carmelo Anthony has done his part this year.  He is second in the NBA at 27.3ppg, while posting a career high 8.6 rebounds per game.  Someone on the Knicks roster besides Anthony must step up.  Amar'e Stoudemire has shown flashes but still does not resemble the player the Knicks signed to a five year $100 million dollar deal.

The second half of the Knicks season begins with four road games in five nights.  A simple recipe to deliver a knock out blow to the Knicks season.  Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando and Atlanta.  These are four winnable games.  These are also four games the Knicks can easily lose.  The four games after that consist of home matchups against Dallas and Golden State as well as road games against Miami and Chicago. 

If the Knicks are going to have a real shot at resigning Carmelo Anthony losing is not an option over the next two weeks.  Carmelo has repeatedly expressed his intentions on testing the free agency market this summer.  He has every reason to.  This is a special time in every professional athletes life.  If you've ever dreamed of becoming an athlete, being pursued by multiple teams was likely involved in that dream.

The future of the Knicks franchise may very well be determined over the next few months.