Just a few short years ago the New York Knicks seemed like they could do nothing right, going through disgruntled player after disgruntled player. The Knicks haven’t had a winning team since the days of Starbury! Now, not only are the Knicks an impressive 16-9 at 6th in the Eastern Conference, they are currently on an 8 game winning streak.
It was believed by many that Stoudemire would not be able to survive without Steve Nash and the Suns, especially in the spotlight of the Big Apple. Stoudemire has proven to be a natural leader of the Knicks. On their winning streak Stoudemire has posted over 30 points in all 8 games and the Knicks have only lost once this season when their leader has amassed more than 30. Stoudemire is not the only Knick that is experiencing success in the winning streak; Raymond Felton has over 10 assists in six of eight games and over 15 points in seven of eight games.
Unfortunately, the Knicks have the Celtics and Heat on their schedule this week which will be two almost impossible matchups seeing as how these teams are the top two in the East. Along with their current positioning, they are two of the three teams with an equal or longer winning streak as the Knicks. The Celtics are riding a 10 game streak and the Heat are experiencing an 8 game winning streak. The only team with a better current streak is the Mavericks at 12 games. The Celtics have been one of the best teams in the league for the past 4 seasons, winning the championship once and going to the finals two years later. This is a complete team with all five positions filled by strong players and a bench that can sustain injury. On the other hand, there is the Heat, who started out rough but eventually their big signings Wade, James, and that other guy stepped up and started winning basketball games.
If the Knicks can find a way to defeat these two opponents on Wednesday and Friday, they will be ready to continue their great season and could end up in the top four in the Eastern conference, leaving the Bulls and Hawks in the bottom half of the playoff picture.
What if Carmelo Anthony goes to the Knick next season? He has clearly shown interest in the Knicks and has shown interest in leaving the Nuggets. As well, the Knicks fans have shown that they are interested in the last member of the 2003 draft class to sign his big contract as well.