The Knicks Aim to Bring Respect Back to New York

Long gone are the days when an opponent would drive to basket and was greeted by a tree...an Oak tree that is. Or someone drove the baseline and was greeted with Mase in the Face. Or when a certain number 33 would either dunk or shoot in the opponents face and carry an entire city on his broad shoulders. The Knicks spoiled New York fans for a long time, but little did we know that not going all the way wasn't that bad. In a city that took on the Yankee motto that if you don't win it all, you shouldn't win at all, some things were taken for granted. Our Knicks were in the playoffs EVERY year from 1990 up until 2000. We were a game and a John Starks 3 pointer from winning it all in 94. I still get into my bath tub time machine whenever they replay those games on the MSG Network.We expected to make the playoffs all the time. It was a foregone conclusion. I laughed back then when I saw fans of less fortunate teams begging to make the playoffs. Well folks, the New York Knickerbockers are that team now. They need all the help they can get. Mr. James and Bosh didn't make the task any easier. The Celtics added a much slower and lethargic Shaquille O'Neal, but something tells me that he'll be motivated this season as he stares across the U.S. coast after Kobe sports that 5th ring. The Orlando Magic are still potent. Atlanta can still cause trouble, so to say the Knicks have their work cut out for them is a huge understatement. The chances of Miss America becoming president of the United States is more likely than the Knicks winning the championship anytime soon. Amare Stoudmire was not, by any means, the savior of the Knicks franchise. Many thought (including myself) that he would be the Robin to the super hero that would rescue the team. That never happened. There are still rumors and whispers that Carmelo Anthony might join the Knicks Fire Department and help extinguish the Miami Heat. But for now, Amare is the main guy. A seasoned Danilo Gallinari proves to be a scoring threat and poised to breakout and become an opponents coachs' nightmare.Wilson Chandler is probably one of the most underrated but effective players in the game both offensively and defensively. The addition of Raymond Felton may prove to be a key factor in the Knicks success. It's well documented that an effective point guard is needed to run Mike D'Antoni's system and will help Stoudmire dominate (Google Steve Nash). Anthony Randolph was a great chip they received from Golden State in the David Lee trade. He reminds people of a young and more athletic Marcus Camby. Ronny Turiaf provides a tough presence and will be good off the bench. The Knicks must play with a chip on their shoulder every game to rekindle the aura of the old teams. They must prove that they are who we think they are (as I wrote that I conjured images of Denny Carter flipping out and still decided to leave it). A good and tough team. Although D'Antoni's system is more offense-based, toughness should never leave the New York Knicks. You can score alot and still be tough. We'll see what happens. That being said, I still have some money in my bank account for a Carmelo Anthony Knicks jersey...I'm just saying.