But maybe it wasn’t a mistake?

Either way, I’m kind of turned on by it all.

Less Amar’e, more Josho, please.

I probably should have started this daily recap post 9 days ago, but I was to intrigued by the playoffs to even pull myself away from the television just to tweet let alone blog. (Translation: L.A.Z.Y.) But here I am and here we are, just past the halfway point in more of the first round match-ups and the playoffs feel as alive as ever. Although some of these series seem to be a bit lopsided, they have been as close as possible. Even the 4-0 sweep of the Knicks by the Celtics came down to two buzzer beating shots in the first two games. Sunday’s action was no different.

Miami Heat 82 - Philadelphia 76ers 86

A lot of fuss was made (again…) about how LeBron missed another potential game winner. but I got to chalk that up to Elton Brand and the Sixers defense. They came up with a huge stop when Brand came over from the weakside to stamp LeBron’s layup with a return to sender. Speaking of defense,  someone rewind the game tape and take a look at the suspect defense by Dwyane Wade on Sweet Lou down the stretch of that game.  Williams dropped a cool 17 off the bench including the game winner in Wade’s eye. Phily gets to take their talents back to South Beach on Wednesday for Game 5 as Miami leads the series 3-1.

Boston Celtics 101 – New York Knicks 89

Knicks head coach, Mike O‘Antoni, had no clue on how to stop the bleeding. Let me give him a hint: “Defense”. Until he figures that part out, New York will not matter come playoff time.  Some how the Celtics feel asleep at the wheel up 20+ points in the middle of the 3rd and the Knicks found their savior in Anthony Carter. (No, I didn’t mean Carmelo Anthony. ) But even Carter’s inspired play wasn’t enough to give the Knicks their first home playoff win in nearly a decade as the Celtics pushed the lead back to double digits and swept the Knicks and their win-starved fan base back into depression.

Orlando Magic 85 – Atlanta Hawks 88

I have to admit, I used to view Jamal Crawford as an immature, black hole. Sure he had the sweetest crossover I had ever seen and the kid could score in bunches but he wasn’t exactly pragmatic to winning.  There was a reason this guy had scored 50-points for three different teams and there was a reason he had never been to the playoffs despite being a well traveled player. But that perception of him has been erased from my mind since he won the 6th Man award last year. This is one dude, much like Zach Randolph, that’s grown up and now he’s carrying a team to the second round instead of sinking a them into the early lottery. He was electric last night, dropping 25 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds on 10-18 shooting. Quick, someone change the name on Joe Johnson’s contract.

As for Dwight Howard, he had 29 and 17 last night on 9 of 14 shooting and is averaging 32 points, 17.5 rebounds and 2 blocks a game yet his team is down 3 games to 1 to the Atlanta Hawks. The HAWKS! Each loss shovels in more coal to the burning fire in Orlando. If you’re a Magic fan, you’ve got to be concerned with how fast the Magic’s chances of keeping Howard around long term are burning up in these playoffs.

Is it hot in here or am I just sitting on Otis Smith’s chair?

Los Angeles Lakers 88 – Chris Paul 93

Not, that’s not a typo. This game was all Chris Paul or as Phillip from Forum Blue & Gold calls him, the Point God.  Between dicing up Bynum’s knees and abusing Kobe’s bum ankles, CP3 somehow found time to drop a historic triple-double. Just so you don’t think I’m garnishing this dish with too much spice, Paul’s 27 point, 15 assist, 13 rebound foray last night was the first 25+/15+/10+ performance since the gods created basketball (at least not since 1986-87).

On the flip side of this game, Gasol, Bynum and Odom were nearly out rebounded by Chris Paul and they were most certainly outplayed by him. Kobe scored ZERO points in the first half (first time since 2004) and finished the game with 17 points on 5 of 18 shooting. People are worried about Mamba’s hurt ankle but they should really worry about the Lakers overall defense. Fisher can’t check CP3, Kobe can’t check CP3, and the Lakers bigs were abused by CP3. Maybe it’s time to instill the Matt Barnes defense onto Paul. Whatever the Lakers do, they need to figure it out and quick as the series is tied up at 2-2 heading back to Los Angeles.

Tonight’s Games:

San Antonio Spurs@ Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM EST on TNT: Memphis leads the Spurs 2-1 and they still have another home game remaining. Tony Allen is calling Manu out, Mike Conley is outplaying Tony Parker and Spurs fans might seriously consider a Zach Randolph for Tim Duncan trade (if Chris Wallace was dumb enough to offer it). Not sure what world we are living in but can any of you confidently tell me the Spurs will win this series?

Portland Trailblazers @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 PM EST on NBAtv: Just as Dallas was removing their “Mr. Choke” name tags, they suffered another classic come-from-ahead-loss to the Blazers to even things up at 2 games each. A lot of NBA blogheads picked the Blazers to upset Dallas is Brandon Roy could put things together. Looks like that might actually happen here. This is by far my favorite series of the playoffs as both teams have stacked rosters, good coaching, strong narratives and incredible fans. Wish this game was on TNT but I’m thankful that it’s on somewhere.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets – 10:30 PM EST on TNT: The Nuggets might be in denial, but this series is all but over. With that said, this is still a crucial game for the Thunder. Can they show some championship heart and deliver the death blow to the desperate Nuggets or will they lallygag through this close-out game knowing they can go back home and finish the series off. There is still a lot to learn about this young Thunder team and tonight we could get a glimpse of exactly what this team is capable of.

See y’all on tonight.

Shane is a contributor to Stacheketball.com, LarryBrownSports.com & NBAoffseason.com. You can find him babbling about basketball all over the net or tune in as he tweets nonsense on twitter @Suga_Shane.

The playoffs are FINALLY here. Listen in on the Double Dribble Podcast as Ben Swanson joins Erroll and Shane as they breakdown playoff match ups, highlight advantages and give you their first round series predictions. A lot of interesting takes including some shocking upset predictions. Who? Tune in to find out!

Ep 002 – FINALLY! 2011 First Round Playoffs Review by Shane Baker

I’m imagining it’s the morning of Wednesday, April 27. It could be a beautiful day, it could be snowing, who knows. The night before, the Knicks lost the sixth and final game of their first-round playoff series against the Heat. It went something like:

Amar’e and Melo combine for 67 points in a Game One win on the road.

Miami wins the next two.

Knicks go up 20 at half, Miami comes back, Toney Douglas hits seven threes in the second half to preserve the Game Four win and tie the series.

Miami wins the next two, series over.

The offseason has now fully dawned on the New York metropolitan area (which of course includes Newark, New Jersey, home of the long-since-eliminated Nets). It’s been an action-packed year for the hometown teams, from high-profile to high-volume free agent signings, but for both the season, and most importantly, the near future, will be defined by their big splash, in-season acquisitions of Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams. If the offseason symbolized the initial ante for two franchises looking to step into NBA relevance, both went all-in by gutting their rosters in pursuit of the marquee names that their fan bases craved and their owners deemed necessary to move closer to contention.

On this day, with the season in the rear-view mirror, it’s now time to look toward the future. And to do so, one might wonder, which team is better equipped for the long haul? The short term? If you were an aspiring G.M. — and let’s be honest, who isn’t? — which organization would you prefer to work for? Which mix of players and contracts would you choose to give you the best opportunity to mold it into a true contender?

On its face, the answer would have to lean towards the Knicks, the playoff team and the one with not one, but two All-Stars. Simple math and prevailing wisdom would say two BIG names is better than one, and that, coupled with the history and geographical location of the team that plays at Madison Square Garden would understandably lead some to assume the Knicks would be the pick. But with the fourth and final matchup of the two coming tonight, I’m not so sure I’d be comfortable going along for that ride in logic.

Superstars

If you don’t know anything about basketball and find yourself in the position of needing to pretend you do, it’s likely you could say “you win with superstars,” and find little-to-no argument. (If you want to cover yourself, expect to note the most popular exception to this “rule,” the 2004 Pistons). While history supports this NBA truth, it remains difficult to execute for a few reasons, the most significant is the actual definition of a “superstar.”

What makes a player a superstar? I have some theories, and most of them involve scoring (points per game), marketing (and subsequently, All-Star appearances and individual honors), and team success. By these standards, you could argue that,between the two teams, the Knicks have double the star power of their cross-river counterpart.

But upon further review, I tend to believe that Williams is the only true superstar (or whatever you choose to call it) of the bunch, the only one capable of living up to a maximum contract and all that comes with it.  As even the staunchest Knicks fans would tell you by now, the deficiencies that Melo and Amar’e exhibit in other areas of the game such as defensive and rebounding are so glaring that it’s difficult to figure them as true franchise cornerstones.  Williams, on the other hand, contributes in all facets of the game and plays a far more valuable position than the others.  Even if all else were equal (which is not the case), I’d rather have an elite point guard than a one-dimensional power forward that doesn’t rebound or play defense or a volume scoring wing with a knack for losing his cool when things don’t go his way.

You could certainly argue that Anthony and Staudemire are worthy of maximum contracts under the league’s current salary structure, but it’s also difficult to conceive of these two leading a winning team based on their styles of play and inconvenient weaknesses.  Considering the likelihood of the cap going down, the situation becomes even more precarious.  With two guys making such a significant portion of the salary allotment, it sure looks like a lot of holes to fill with limited funds.

Perhaps the most important obstacle in the way of choosing the Nets on the strength of Williams is his uncertain contract status. Whereas the Knicks are committed to two guys to whom I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving max deals, New Jersey faces the very real possibility of Williams declining his player option after next season and becoming a free agent.  Or, even worse, doing what Anthony did this year and forcing a trade.

That seems unlikely for two reasons: 1) contracts signed before the new C.B.A. are almost certainly going to be more player-freindly, and thus there is incentive for him to not only play out next year with the Nets, but maybe even consider accepting his player option for 2012-13 (for nearly $18 million) and 2) because, contrary to what you may be hearing from the media, players forcing trades just isn’t all that common.  And besides, all he has to do is look at the team across the river to see that teaming up with other “stars” doesn’t always lead to more winning.

Supporting Casts

Basketball is unlike baseball or football. It is far more difficult to predict the results of a roster shakeup in an NBA rotation than it is to patch a few holes in a batting order. Player A doesn’t hit lefties well? Platoon him. You have a running back who isn’t all that skilled at blitz pickups? Find him a backup to bring in on passing downs.

As we have seen in the aftermath of the Knicks-Nuggets trade (but not solely because of the aftermath of the trade), the primary reason for their divergent paths is a stark difference in fit. The Nuggets traded a pure scorer in Anthony, the player many deemed the most indispensable part of the team, and without question its public face. In return they got a 6’10″ wing with a sweet shooting stroke and feel for the game (Danilo Gallinari), a backup point guard (Raymond Felton), another capable rotation wing prone to ups and downs (Wilson Chandler) and a Russian rookie center that can only be considered “a project” (Timofey Mosgov). The result? The Nuggets lead the league in offensive rating (119 points per 100 possessions) despite the loss of their supposed game-changer in that area.

Few would have argued that Anthony was not the best player in the trade, and while that may be true (though I’m not sure if it is — Gallinari may very well be a better player now or in the future), we have since seen the impact that two ball-dominating players can have on the floor. Staudemire and Anthony both take about 20 shots per game, and do so in a fashion that does little to facilitate the success of their teammates — in the last 13 games, Anthony has had more than three assists just twice.

The Knicks don’t have many good players on their team, but the few who do provide value, like rookie Landry Fields, have found it increasingly difficult to contribute since the structure of the offense changed with the trade. He is likely the best player on the team aside from the two max guys, yet in the last 17 games he has broken double figures in scoring just seven times. What’s more disappointing is that during that same span, he has only attempted double digits in shots attempted four times. They feature a trio of interesting rotation pieces, led by 6’9″ Shawne Williams and his 42% three-point shooting, but neither he nor Toney Douglas nor Bill Walker strike me as guys you can’t find during any given offseason.

On the other hand, Williams’ skills as a distributor and scorer when necessary portend very real possibilities for success in New Jersey. Despite his puzzling inability to rebound the ball, Brook Lopez is for the Nets what the Knicks and most teams can only wish they had: a legitimately skilled seven-footer capable of dominating on the offensive end. It’s possible that he is suffering from a perception that he may never be an elite big man (and the rebounding issue that has taken on a life of its own), but there aren’t many who score 20 points per game on nearly 50% shooting and a repertoire that suggests he will continue to grow alongside one of the game’s premier point men. At 22 and only about to finish his third season, I have to wonder if we may be sleeping on this guy.

Along with Lopez, the Nets feature two of the most underrated players in the league, both so adept at doing what they do well, that it’s difficult to imagine any situation in which they wouldn’t thrive. One is Anthony Morrow. He is one of, if not the best shooter in the league (47% FG, 45% 3-point and 89% FT for his career). A specialist only in that he does one thing so exceptionally well, but, at 25 years old, is not limited like many of the designated shooters in the league. The other is Kris Humphries. No, he isn’t the Most Improved Player, but boy can he rebound. He’s third in the league in Total Rebounding Rate among those who qualify, and that comes with a respectable dose of efficient scoring (10 PPG on over 52% shooting).  As far as fit, there may be no better frontcourt complement for Lopez than this.

As for the aforementioned spending spree they went on last summer? Well, they definitely threw away some money. In particular, Travis Outlaw should not get five years and $35 million. But the rest of the questionable contracts they gave out were either not too long (Jordan Farmar 3/12) or not too much money (Johan Petro 3/10). And let’s be honest, are any of those deals that difficult to move?

Cap Space

Once at the forefront of the Knicks’ master plan, cap flexibility has all but left the building. Again, we don’t know what the new C.B.A. will entail, but it’s hard to imagine it allowing teams more money to spend on players. What does that mean for this Knicks? For one, it means that they will spend the duration of Amare’s contract with the task of finding a starting point guard and center and filling a rotation with difference makers on defense with an extremely limited budget. Last time I checked, that’s not easy to do.

The cap situation for the Nets, of course, comes down to Williams and his willingness to stick around. Really, this whole exercise comes down to Deron. There are few players more worthy of a max deal, so if he does decide to stick around after next year, they are instantly in better shape than a handful of teams. Some smart management (and remember, you’re the one calling the shots) and development of the current core and you might have yourself a playoff team next season (if there is a next season) without doing much. Consider the cap space and the alleged appeal of playing for a billionaire owner and hip-hop mogul in a brand new arena in a cool neighborhood…I think I have made up my mind.

Charlie Widdoes contributes to ClipperBlog as well as Stacheketball and would like to wish his mom and sister a happy birthday!  Follow him on twitter: @charliewiddoes.

Last week, Knicks great and current Madison Square Garden Network color commentator Walt Frazier turned 66. It was brought to my attention that Clyde’s 1974 book, Rockin’ Steady: A Guide to Basketball & Cool, was being re-released nearly 40 years later. So I got my local bookstore to order it and picked it up a few days later.

To be frank, I loved it. Written by Frazier with the help of Ira Berkow, the book is very conversational. Throughout his account, Clyde delves into his past and current life, his instructional on how to play basketball, how he prepares for games and how he maintains his style. But above all, this basketball book is about the essence of cool. In fact, it practically oozes it.

Punctuated by charming and humorous anecdotes, it’s an easy and quick read. But that’s not to say it isn’t rewarding. Frazier certainly has a unique and refreshing perspective that makes you wonder about why anyone has insecurity.

Cool I think is reactions, reflexes, and attitude. You got to feel out the situation, You can’t be out of control.

The basketball parts focus on the fundamentals and it also includes a section analyzing the game of guards at the time it was written. While some parts don’t hold up well through the test of time (“Oscar is great, though he is getting old…”), generally, most of it does. Some parts are amazingly accurate, like this tidbit:

Hardly anybody blocks out that well anymore. I find that in the pros that guys don’t block out, especially on the Knicks.

Clyde is well-known for his fashion. He has a unique taste, noted by an array of suits, some more eccentric than others. We’ve seen the cow-print blazer and the leopard-skin suit. And though I’ve yet to come across what he calls “orgy belts,” just the idea that he has these clothing accessories is fantastic (and of course his “Clyde” hats). And even though most will consider his fashion choices absurd and wild, his confidence in how he looks allows him to wear just about anything well. The overarching theme of it all is to just be yourself, confidently.

The photographs and custom artwork are outstanding, too.

If you want more Clyde, my friend Megan Wilson interviewed him and wrote a more fashion-focused piece. It’s definitely worth a read.

Cardboard Gerald is the manager at the Bobcats SB Nation blog, Rufus on Fire. He’s also a little twerp that’s into not just the NBA, but also doodling, hip-hop, TV and sneakers as well. You can follow him on Twitter @CardboardGerald.

Let’s step into my what-if machine. What if the rosters for New York and Miami were switched?

Obviously, this dude looks like less of an idiot (though not by much, Mr. Kriss Kross fan). But there’s more to it.

The Miami Heat are roundly despised around the country (and probably the world, too). Most people’s reasons are LeBron James for “The Decision” or leaving Cleveland or just generally being a big bag of douche (even though much of the NBA and professional sports are fulls of such bags). Other reasons include the idea of superstar-mongering, Chris Bosh being a wuss, Chris Bosh looking like an ostrich, Chris Bosh being Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade whining about no-calls, Pat Riley’s hair, the spelling of Dwyane Wade’s name and finally, Mike Bibby. That’s quite the list – and most of that stuff is pretty trivial. Behind most of these reasons is basic jealousy, which is perfectly normal. Every time I see a nationally televised game in Miami and see dozens of lower level seats empty, I think “they have three of the best players in the NBA — and they can’t even fill an arena to see them play!?!” Jealousy may be seen as a weakness, but it’s perfectly common in sports. I can’t lie; I’m jealous of the Lakers winning ways, Portland’s fanbase, Miami’s talent, the Clippers’ youth, Oklahoma City’s management. It’s just natural as sports fans, even though saying you’re jealous of another sports club may bring you heat from other fans.

But remember when there was a chance for LeBron to go to New York? I wonder if the same team that’s in Miami were on the Knicks instead, would the Knicks be as loathed as Miami is?

Why shouldn’t they be? LeBron would still be a douche, Chris Bosh a wuss/ostrich, Mike Bibby a Mike Bibby, etc. After all, it’s still a group of the same guys. They’re still talented and other fans would still be jealous, right?

But I still think they wouldn’t be hated, at least as much. Perhaps the main thing going for the Knicks in this situation is that they’ve had to deal with nearly a decade of awfulness and irrelevance. People will have sympathy and give them the benefit of the doubt, as opposed to Miami, who won a championship about five years ago, has some of the best weather, has no income tax and great nightlife to boot. Yeah, jealousy may have a big part of the hate for Miami. But then again, Spike Lee’s shtick can get old. Thank god he wears silly hats.

Instead, LeBron et al. will be in Amar’e's shoes, seen as bringing the Knickerbockers back into relevance and prominence, redeeming a franchise that’s been a punchline since the early 2000′s. I know I was rooting for a big name to go to New York last summer, just to see the Garden alive again. Plus, that place would be sold out or close to it for every night.

What do you think? If the Knicks had the Heat’s roster, would you hate them as much as you hate the Heat?

Cardboard Gerald is the manager at the Bobcats SB Nation blog, Rufus on Fire. He’s also a little twerp that’s into not just the NBA, but also doodling, hip-hop, TV and sneakers as well. You can follow him on Twitter @CardboardGerald.

So as you all know, Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks. Yup where Amar’e Stoudamire plays, that New York Knicks team that is on its way to a playoff spot in the east. You know what else? Some dude by the name of Judge wrote his version of Whiz Khalifa’s song Black and Yellow.

Stat and Melo:

Doesn’t that make you feel excited about upcoming Knicks games? No? No? Yeah, me, neither.

(H/T – Dime Magazine)

Al is a contributor to Stacheketball. If you have any tips on ways to cook Bacon, and tips on how to get Jessica Alba and Keira Knightley to go on a date with him, then you should tweet him at @ahmong. Oh, and he now just realized Britney Spears is pretty.

Even though the game is an exhibition and the rosters aren’t perfect and the whole thing is incredibly – perhaps obnoxiously – over-produced, the talent on display on Sunday was truly remarkable. As usual, defense was at a premium, but even in an All-Star game, the true greatness of NBA stars can still stand out. You have to keep everything in perspective, but when the best in the world compete, it’s pretty special. Jason Frazier already recapped the game, but here are a few more thoughts on what turned out to be a pretty entertaining night:

-Kobe. The most significant development in the game had to be Kobe’s stunning Black Mamba performance. Whatever his superhero alter ego claims to be, he was that good. Energized from the beginning, he seized his fourth All-Star MVP award from among a worthy pool of younger challengers. He finished drives to the hoop with emphatic dunks and put on displays of technical mastery with the precision of his offensive attack. In a game that showcased athleticism, Kobe was as explosive as anyone, a terrifying sight for the rest of the league. He had 37 points on 26 shots, ahead of Kevin Durant (34 on 23) for game highs in both categories. Probably the two most dangerous scorers in the game, and neither came to mess around.

-Chris Paul. As good as Chris Paul is, it really gets scary when you watch him go against the best in the league, where his handle and passing ability set him apart. Starting at about the six-minute mark of the second quarter, he just took control of the game. He got in the lane at will (impressive how easily he did so even against halfhearted defense) and hit teammates in perfect position to score. Some highlights from the last six minutes of the first half:

A one-handed bounce pass across his body to Pau for a perfectly in rhythm, mid-range jumper. Then he takes an outlet at half court and hits Manu Ginobili in stride for an easy dunk. A perfect lob to Durant only missed because Pau unintentionally jumped into him. A long offensive rebound, dribbles behind his back then whips a one-handed pass right into KD’s hands cutting down the lane. Maybe his best play, with about a minute left, he steals the inbound pass drives and lobs to a KD jam from under the hoop, while falling to the floor. He then steals another inbound pass, drives through the lane, hits Westbrook in perfect position for corner three (miss). 10 seconds left, takes inbounds, bounce pass right on the money to Kobe for layup. Finishes off the half with a Kevin Love half court outlet pass (more on that in a minute) and buzzer-beating runner, all in 1.4 seconds. He finished the game with seven assists, but, by my count, that’s seven perfect passes in a six-minute span that served to remind everyone why he is probably the top point guard in the game.

-Blake Griffin. For a Clipper fan, it may never get old, continually reaffirming that Blake not only belongs in the game, but is most likely an “inner circle” All-Star for years to come. Physically, he is as imposing as anyone, and brings the all-around package that maybe only LeBron James can match. Along with his athleticism, it was his passing and poise that continued to show in his first All-Star appearance. He comes in at with 4:21 left in the first to cheering from the hometown crowd (although not as loud as I would have expected. When he entered the game for the second time it actually sounded louder) he made his impact felt immediately with an assist to Dirk. Then he runs floor for easy dunk. With 50 seconds remaining, he hits cutting Deron in stride (miss), then on the next play he takes outlet at half court, makes a cross-court bounce pass on the run between defenders to Deron and flies in for the alley-oop.

At the beginning of the second, he grabs a one-handed rebound and in the same motion, flips to Westbrook for layup. At (10:26, Q2) he skies in to a forest of All-Stars to tip a long rebound out to Manu. At (9:33), he squares up Amar’e, on the elbow and hits Westbook cutting under for layup. At (8:36) he contests a Derrick Rose layup, pulls down a monster board pinned up against the glass, with Horford, LeBron and Amar’e jumping over his back, dribbles out to the free throw line, hits Westbrook across half court in stride for a jam. He separates himself on defense against Amar’e, when the East’s starting power forward tries to back him down on the block, Blake is so strong Amar’e has to fall away and misses short. In his first All-Star game, he made a strong claim to being the best power forward in the league, and on the short list of players around whom you would hope to build a franchise.

-Kevin Love. Along with Blake, Love was my favorite story of the game. His inclusion came with some resistance, but seeing him on the floor with the rest of the best was a nice visual representation that he belongs. And it being an exhibition game, of course, gave us the one-of-a-kind opportunity to marvel at the phenomenon that is his outlet passing. I counted at least two that went to half court or further, my favorite being the one after a made shot where you can hear Westbrook (Love’s UCLA teammate) calling for the outlet, then Love hitting him in stride at the other free throw line. His skill set is unique and deadly, and we can only hope to see him playing relevant games before too long.

-A true All-Star moment: About 3 minutes left in the first quarter, Deron Williams picks Rajon Rondo’s pocket on a sloppy behind-the-back move, then drives the length of the floor, finds himself under the hoop and looks to throw it to the trailer, which happens to be Ginobili, who is not yet across half court. In Manu’s defense, Blake didn’t even enter the frame until a few seconds later.

-Living in New York, and with plenty of friends who are Knicks fans, I find it a delicate situation whenever I suggest that he lacks something that the top NBA stars have. You could call it “defense” or “rebounding,” but the fact remains that he is 6’10” and can score the ball. He’s a deserving All-Star, without a doubt in the East, but his one-dinensional-ness is really apparent to me when surrounded by so many players who do so much more than score. Two moments stood out to me (yes, in a game where he scored 29 on 20 shots), that illustrate the “it” that I believe Amar’e lacks. On one play, he tries to back down Blake on the block, but when Griffin uses his strength to body Amar’e, he is unable to keep his balance, falls back and leaves his shot way short. Later in the game, a little further from the hoop, he gets a little resistance from Durant – who is not the strongest player in the league, as we know – and instead of continuing to attack, he settles for an off-balance fadeaway jumper that doesn’t go near the hoop. Now we find out that he will team with ‘Melo on the Knicks, and I’m fascinated to see how two players like them will be able to lead a team without many other weapons to speak of.

-LeBron. In a game of stars, LeBron stood above all as the perfect blend of size, athleticism and skill, with that killer instinct that only a few players are capable of showing when they realize their team is going to lose in a meaningless game. He should be the league MVP, the player you would take over any other if starting a team.

-Joe Johnson. He is the type of player who gets into the game because he scores a lot and plays in the Eastern Conference. There just isn’t that much depth to choose from (see: four Celtics in the game), and he has a recognizable name, if not the production to match (23rd in the league with 19.6 points per game). In the game, he scored 11 points on 11 shots (including nine threes), and it just struck me that he could really be helpful on a team with a top-flight point guard. That, of course, is the opposite of the case for him in Atlanta, playing with Mike Bibby, but wouldn’t it be fun to see him play off of a guy like Paul, Williams, Rondo, or Rose?

-Melo/Sager. For the first time during this whole ‘Melo trade speculation, I actually felt bad for him having to answer questions (questions that, for the most part, I believe he brought upon himself with his trade demands). He should be able to sit on the bench and enjoy his time during the game, and I thought it was cool to see Kobe come to his defense when Craig Sager kept hounding him with the same speculative questions. Now that the trade has gone through, I’ll be glad to see all the talking stop, and it’ll be up to Amar’e and ‘Melo to show if they can lead (carry) a team to real playoff success.

Charlie Widdoes contributes to ClipperBlog as well as Stacheketball.  Follow him on twitter: @charliewiddoes.

The Carmelo Anthony-to-the-Knicks took about 3 months to long to complete. But it’s finally done. We are all probably going to remember this trade as  one of the most annoying and drawn out processes in NBA history. But that’s all in the past now. Time for the Knicks to look forward and contemplate their next move. Because they are going to have to make a ‘next move’ if they actually want see the full value of this trade and become contenders.

While Carmelo is a very good scorer and a superstar by name, he isn’t the greatest player in the NBA. I’m not so sure he is even in the Top 10. His place is probably more along the lines of a Top 15-ish or 20-ish player. Some might not agree with that statement but I believe it to be absolutely true. And I love ‘Melo’s game. The man can get just about any shot he wants. And while that jab-step, jab-step, jab-step repertoire is borderline annoying for some teammates, he is rather quick for his 6’9″ frame and he can step around most defenders. Or beat them to a stop. Because that’s what Carmelo likes to do, beat guys to spots on the perimiter and crank up some shots.

19.3 shots per game, to be exact. And not a single one is efficient.

But that jumper looks so buttery, even when it doesn’t hit the toast.  Despite shooting just 45% from the field & 33.3% from three, every one of those jumpers look like they are going in. And the fans buy into that. A lot of the media buys into that. New York bought into that. But that’s okay, because New York needed to buy into that. We are talking about the media capital of the world. One where image and looks can take you a long way. This years Knicks are 2-games above .500 but the media addresses this team like they are a lock for a three-peat. In the Big Apple, it’s all about perception and Melo’s beautiful stroke has everyone seeing cross-eyed.

His TS% and eFG% say that he is a high volume low results type of guy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win a ring with a guy like that. The Lakers have done it 5 times with Kobe Bryant, who’s offensive numbers aren’t that far off from Anthony’s. But Kobe had Shaq and Gasol chipping in super-efficient efforts on a nightly basis to help balance out the attack. Melo will have Amar’e Stoudemire, who is an efficient player. But this team still lacks defense and depth as well as many other things.

Lets take a look at the top 15 things the KNicks will have to address for the future:

1. Shots: Carmelo is one of the best “Clutch” performers in the game but Amar’e went to New York to be “the man”. Who will win that battle? Ultimately, it will come down to whoever Billups wants to pass the ball to and if we learned anything from the Denver experiment, Mr. Big Shot doesn’t like to pass to anyone in the ‘clutch’ despite the fact that he isn’t exactly Mr. Big Shot anymore.

2. Defense: New York is currently ranked 21st in defense with a Defensive Efficiency Rating of 109.4 (league avg. is 107.0). Carmelo is a terrible defender — not because he can’t play defense but because he refuses to play defense. See 2009 playoffs vs. 2010 playoffs — and New York just traded one of their best defenders in Wilson Chandler.  The Nuggets were ranked 23rd in the NBA. At best, I expect these teams to switch places. At worst, I can see New York dropping to the bottom five in the NBA.

3. Super Star By Name Or By Game: Carmelo’s numbers don’t exactly stack up to the ‘superstar’ persona that the media has labeled him with. He is 59th in Win Shares (4.4), 72nd in DefEffRtg (109.0), 22nd in PER (21.4), 69th in TS% (54.7%), and 6th in Points Per Game (25.2 PPG). Melo also shoots a ton of 16-23 foot jumpers (6.3 FGA/GM) but only connects on 435 of those. In fact, everywhere outside of at-the-rim shots, Anthony is shooting well below 43%.  For such a high usage player, he doesn’t score efficiently,  pass well or play a lick of defense. Not so sure I want to put him in the same class as LeBron, Kobe, Dwyane, Dwight, Durant, Paul, or even Dirk. If anything, Melo is a 2nd tier superstar, on the same level as Bosh, Boozer, Noah and Horford. An excellent piece that will absolutely help you win a title but won’t be the main reason you won a title.

4. Chauncey Billups: Billups had said that if he leaves Denver, he would look for a buyout and try to sign with the Miami Heat. But that was when he was New Jersey bound. NO ONE wants to play in New Jersey and I understand that. But what is his take now that he is in the real New York? Chances are Billups stays with the Knicks but this whole deal could be toxic if Billups isn’t happy with the move.

5. Raymond Felton: This is one man you have to feel disheartened for. Felton took a much smaller deal (2-years, $14 million) so he can play in a large market with a superstar like Amar’e. But that same deal made him a delicious trade chip and now he’s once again stuck in a small market team who happens to be in rebuild mode. This must be what purgatory feels like.

6. Win Shares: On a Win Shares basis, New York just gave up three of their top-5 players — who totaled 12.8 win shares — and got back a total of 10.9 Win Shares from Denver. Not exactly a great trade off. With Brewer’s net worth being 0.7 WS, New York didn’t really trade up in this deal. If anything, they just moved sideways.

7. Kelenna Azubuike: One guy no one has really talked about is Kelenna Azubuike. He was brilliant for Golden State last season before going down with a horrific knee injury. Many questions still linger around his return. If he can come back and play at least 80% of what he was, he will be a great piece for the Knicks. If not, his deal ends this season and the Knicks will get nothing for him in return if they don’t resign him.

8. What About Brewer: In addition to the massive trade with Denver, New York also traded away Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota for Corey Brewer. There might not be much of a debate here because Landry Fields has been so great this season, but where does Brewer fit in on this team? 6th man? Behind Toney Douglas? Behind Bill Walker? I feel like New York could have gotten so much more for Curry’s expiring deal and Randolph’s mythical never-going-to-happen potential.

9. Franchise Player Tag: This deal will leave it’s mark on more than just the Knicks season. This will become a major topic of discussion at this years CBA negotiations. So many small-market teams lost superstars this season and they aren’t to thrilled with the idea. If the new CBA doesn’t bring about a Franchise Tag, like the NFL’s, look for it to make it much more difficult for players to leave the teams that drafted them.

10. Who’s Next In Denver: Now that Denver has dumped Melo and Billups, who’s next to depart the Rockie Mountains? A fair share of teams would love to get their hands on Nene. And J.R. Smith would look great in Chicago or Dallas — two teams who missed out on ‘Melo and could use the offensive spark.

11. Dolan and Walsh: Dolan got exactly what he wanted out of this season, two superstars to sell to the fans, media and future prospects. If Donnie Walsh doesn’t get a contract extension out of this, something is wrong.

12. Dolan and Isiah: And this is exactly what is wrong. If Dolan decides to drop Walsh and side with Isiah after everything this franchise has been through in the past half decade, New York is doomed. This Carmelo deal is just the second step — first being Amar’e — in a long tedious process of building a championship contender. New York isn’t done yet, hopefully, and Walsh seems to be the man who can finish the job.

13. Not Contenders Yet: While many Knicks fans are overjoyed by this trade, I’m going to have to be the party pooper here. This deal doesn’t make New York a contender this year in any way, shape or form. If anything, the overall team might have gotten worse. But It was the right move for New York to make. They now have two legit stars and All-Star starters on their roster. If nothing else, they can use that image to sell role players on signing smaller deals for a chance to win in the biggest city in the world. Like I said, perception is everything.

14. What’s next for New York: The Knicks cannot stand pat after this deal. This has to be a stepping stone for them. Their next few moves have to be for legit role-players to fill in the gapping holes around Melo and Amar’e. Mainly on defense and rebounding, two things their new superstar tandem does not excel at.

15. What’s in a number: Seems like a minor technicality but twitter is dying to know what number Melo is going to wear. #15 has been retired by the Knicks. In fact, it’s been retired twice — Earl Monre & Dick McGuire. There have been reports that Melo will wear #13 and ESPN is guessing #30.  But two months ago I said he would wear #9 and I’m sticking with it. **UPDATE** According to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, Carmelo will wear #7 — what about Azubuike!?!?!? — Billups will wear #4.

This isn’t a bad move by the Knicks. It’s a good move. It can turn out to be a great move.

Melo just became your second option. He was a somewhat deadly first option, but as the second guy? Someone who no longer will get the automatic double team? Melo might become a ridiculous steal when all is said and done.

You traded away a few good-not-great role players for a PG who knows how to win and a player who knows how to score. To top it off, you go yourself a superstar by name (if not by game).

This will attract both fans and free agents and that’s the key. New York needs to attract free agents. They NEED those role players to come in by the dozens and come in cheap. Just like how Miami, LA, and Boston pulled in players. But, this needs to be just a step. New York can’t afford to stand pat and throw a victory parade now. Nothing has been won. In fact, very little has been accomplish. But something has been accomplished and that alone is worth cheering about.

As for the New Jersey Nets? Losers once again.

Shane is a full-time contributor for Stacheketball & NBAOffseason.com and a part-time lover of fresh socks. Find him tweeting nonsense at @Suga_Shane

The drama is finally over. The Denver Nuggets sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter to the New York Knicks for Ray Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, their 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks the Knicks acquired from the Golden State Warriors (in 2012 and 2013), and $3 million.

Update: The Knicks are also sending Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Corey Brewer.

Information courtesy the Denver Post.

Erroll specializes on This Day In NBA History for Stacheketball, and buying a lot of kicks. You can follow him on Twitter: @EAbra.