SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Tyson Chandler had 18 of his 22 in the second half, and the New York Knicks assumed control early in beating the Sacramento Kings 114-92 on Saturday night.

The Knicks didn’t miss starting forward Amare Stoudemire, their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer who sat out with a sprained left ankle. They got an unexpected lift from replacement Josh Harrellson, a rookie from Kentucky who made his first NBA start and had career highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds, and hit four 3-pointers.

In the team’s first three games, Harrellson had three points and five rebounds in 29 minutes.

New York (2-2) used a 15-0 run in the opening quarter to take a 35-20 lead. Toney Douglas scored nine points and had three of the Knicks’ six 3-pointers.

Landry Fields had 21 points and Chandler added seven rebounds for the Knicks, who had struggled offensively in losing their previous two games, but had a season-high point total against the Kings. Douglas had 17 points and eight assists.

Marcus Thornton had 14 points for the struggling Kings (1-3), who have lost three straight after defeating the Lakers at home to start the season. Both Jason Thompson and Tyreke Evans had 13 points. The Kings shot 35 percent from the field and made only 26 of 41 free throws.

With the Knicks getting contributions from many different players, Anthony was quiet early in the game and his first basket didn’t come until he made a driving layup midway through the second quarter.

Yet he still had 17 at halftime and the Knicks had a 14-point lead.

With the Knicks ahead by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Chandler scored eight points in the opening three minutes, including two three-point plays. Chandler’s second one put New York ahead 88-70. The lead was 20 points or more for much of the fourth quarter.

Chandler was in foul trouble and barely a factor in the first half, playing four minutes. However, the veteran center made all six free throws and had eight points in the third quarter in helping the Knicks take a 78-65 lead into the fourth.

Anthony scored 15 points and Harrellson had 11 in the opening half, when the Knicks led 56-42. The Kings shot 33 percent as their offensive problems continued.

Notes: Knicks reserve forward Jared Jeffries missed his third straight game with a sore right calf. . The Chicago Bulls also had a 15-0 first-quarter run against the Kings in Thursday’s game. . Free throws continue to be a problem for Evans, who has made 13 of 27 this season. . Knicks rookie center Jerome Jordan committed four fouls in his first seven minutes.

Gotta run!.

Learning at a morning shootaround that he would be making his first NBA start because teammate Amare Stoudemire was injured, New York Knicks rookie Josh Harrellson didn’t have a lot of time to be nervous.

And the rookie from Kentucky didn’t show it, either.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and the Knicks got an unexpected 14 points and 12 rebounds from Harrellson in controlling the game early and cruising past the Sacramento Kings, 114-92 on Saturday night.

The Knicks didn’t miss starting forward Stoudemire, their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, who sat out with a sprained left ankle. All five starters had 14 points or more for New York, which took a 14-point lead into halftime and the lead never dipped below double digits in the second half as the Knicks snapped a two-game losing streak.

Tyson Chandler had 22 points and seven rebounds, and Landry Fields scored 21 points for the Knicks, who had struggled offensively in losing their previous two games, but had a season-high point total against the Kings. Toney Douglas had 17 points and eight assists, and Bill Walker added 11 points.

“When the ball is moving like that, you can see how successful we can be offensively,” said Fields, discussing the Knicks’ season-high 26 assists. “It’s a very nice win. Hopefully it brings us momentum going into our next game (Monday at home against Toronto).”

Harrellson connected on his first shot, a wide-open 3-pointer two minutes into the game. He added three more 3-pointers and clearly outplayed Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, his teammate for one season at Kentucky.

“I guarded him all season at practice, so I felt like I know DeMarcus’ game,” Harrelson said. “I thought I did a good job on my former teammate. I was trying to get him out of whack, get him out of his rhythm.”

There had been no rhythm offensively in the first three games for Harrellson, who had a combined three points and five rebounds in 29 minutes.

“It was very important for me to make that first shot and get my confidence going,” Harrellson said. “They had to come out and guard me and that opened things up and left other people open.”

New York (2-2) used a 15-0 run in the opening quarter to take a 35-20 lead. Douglas scored nine points and had three of the Knicks’ six 3-pointers.

“They were hitting big threes and executing and jumped on us and we were never able to crawl back in the game,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said.

Marcus Thornton had 14 points for the struggling Kings (1-3), who have lost three straight after defeating the Lakers at home to start the season. Both Jason Thompson and Tyreke Evans had 13 points. The Kings shot 35 percent from the field and made only 26 of 41 free throws.

Sacramento plays a home game against New Orleans on New Year’s night.

“This is a very disappointing loss because we had a very good practice (Friday), probably our best practice of the year,” Kings forward Chuck Hayes said. “But we came out like we don’t know how to carry it over. It’s discouraging.”

With the Knicks getting contributions from many different players, Anthony was quiet early in the game and his first basket didn’t come until he made a driving layup midway through the second quarter.

Yet he still had 17 at halftime and the Knicks had a 14-point lead. A rested Anthony finished with seven rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes, including just a two-plus minute stint in the fourth with the win secured.

“Our team is starting to pick up things in the offense that if we continue to do it, we can be successful,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “When you have a Carmelo with an Amare, it tends to open the floor even more. When the ball moves, our younger guys can get more involved.”

With the Knicks ahead by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Chandler scored eight points in the opening three minutes, including two three-point plays. Chandler’s second one put New York ahead 88-70. The lead was 20 points or more for much of the fourth quarter.

Chandler was in foul trouble and barely a factor in the first half, playing four minutes. However, the veteran center made all six free throws and had eight points in the third quarter in helping the Knicks take a 78-65 lead into the fourth.

“From the beginning of the game until the end, we just looked lost,” Evans said. “We just play off our natural talent and that’s how we get our points. It’s terrible right now and we’ve just got to figure something out.”

Anthony scored 15 points and Harrellson had 11 in the opening half, when the Knicks led 56-42. The Kings shot 33 percent as their offensive problems continued.

Notes: Knicks reserve forward Jared Jeffries missed his third straight game with a sore right calf. . The Chicago Bulls also had a 15-0 first-quarter run against the Kings in Thursday’s game. . Free throws continue to be a problem for Evans, who has made 13 of 27 this season. . Knicks rookie center Jerome Jordan committed four fouls in his first seven minutes.

That’s all the news for today.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Despite two losses in two days on the West Coast, Knicks fans do have a little something to cheer about here at home – if they’ve got a sweet tooth.

Magnolia Bakery is celebrating the return of the NBA with New York Knicks-themed cupcakes.

The sweets first became available at select locations on Christmas Day to coincide with the Knicks’ 106-104 victory over the Celtics.

Photos: Knicks Defeat Celtics In Christmas Day Thriller

“This is the first year that we’ve introduced Knicks cupcakes,” a representative from the bakery told CBSNewYork. “So far, the fans really seem to enjoy them.”

Related: The 5 Best Bars To Watch A Knicks Game

The cupcakes ($3.25 each) will only be available in the bakery for home games.

But if you’re looking to cater your gamewatch with something other than beer and pretzels, fans can pre-order the treats throughout the season at any time.

The store is also offering Bulls and Lakers cupcakes at our respective Chicago and L.A. locations.

That’s all for today.

By Jared Smith

– College Sports Writer

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Dec 28, 2011 – After earning a dramatic season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day the New York Knicks begin a three-game, West Coast road trip Wednesday, as the Knicks visit the Golden State Warriors (1-1) and the ORACLE Arena (10:30 p.m. ET on MSG). After the contest, the Knicks (1-0) will then play at the Los Angeles Lakers, Thursday (10:30 p.m. on TNT), and at the Sacramento Kings, Saturday (8 p.m. on MSG).

On Wednesday, New York will search for its second consecutive victory to start the season, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by the franchise since 1999. The game will be a reunion with former Knick Mark Jackson, who’s now the Warriors head coach, and could be the debut of newly-acquired guard Jeremy Lin, who was claimed off waivers Monday and will return to the Bay Area where he played last season.

On Thursday, the Knicks will travel to Staples Center to play the Lakers (1-2), who will be playing their fourth game in five days. On Tuesday, behind 26 points from Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles earned a 96-71 victory over the Utah Jazz and snapped a two-game losing streak.

The West Coast swing ends Saturday, when New York visits the always rowdy Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, CA. The Kings (1-1) will be coming off a Thursday match up with the visiting Chicago Bulls. As of Wednesday, guard Marcus Thorton is the squad’s leading scoring with 20.5 points per game.

Here’s the New York Knicks’ upcoming schedule:

For more on the New York Knicks visit the SB Nation blog Posting And Toasting.

Read More: Kobe Bryant (G – LAL), New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks at Golden State Warriors, Dec 28, 2011 10:30 PM EST

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The NBA season is about to begin and the New York Knicks are still not getting any respect around the NBA. ESPN put together a panel of “experts” that selected the Boston Celtics as the projected winners of the Atlantic division this season. Two even picked the Philadelphia 76ers to win the division ahead of both New York and Boston, raising serious questions about how ESPN can call these guys experts.

The voting on ESPN led to 17 people selecting the ancient Celtics, 11 selecting the improved Knicks and 2 selecting the 76ers. The two that picked Philadelphia are A. Kamenetzky of ESPN LA and Keith Lipscomb of ESPN Fantasy. That’s a bold choice to go with a 76ers team that doesn’t seem to have done much to improve for the 2011-12 season and especially bold to place them among the top four seeds coming out of the Eastern Conference. Those Knicks fans already frustrated with those predictions certainly don’t want to hear what John Hollinger had to say .

According to the Hollinger ratings for this year, New York will finish with a 35-31 record and the No. 7 seed in the East. That would put the Knicks behind both Philadelphia and Boston in the Atlantic division, but also behind a No. 6 seeded Indiana Pacers . Finishing behind the Pacers seems like a huge slap in the face to the Knicks , especially because the team gets a full season from Carmelo Anthony and has added Tyson Chandler for the next few years. Finishing No. 7 in the East isn’t going to cut it, especially because Hollinger predicts a first round loss to the Chicago Bulls.

It seems like some great rivalry games are going to take place in the East this year, especially with the Bulls, Celtics and Miami heat. Those are the three teams that New York has to beat in order to make it back to the NBA Finals, so it’s only fitting that the Knicks play the Celtics on the first day of the regular season. Beating the Celtics on Christmas Day could go a long ways toward helping the Knicks set the pace in the Atlantic division and try to accomplish the first division title since before Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett started wearing the Celtic green.

More From YCN :

Knicks_Win_Second_Preseason_Game

Knicks_Beat_Nets_In_Preseason

Baron_Davis_Comes_To_Knicks

Knicks_Trade_For_Chandler

Sources:

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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In a move that perplexed most NBA analysts and fans, the Knicks used the amnesty clause on point guard Chauncey Billups so that they could sign Tyson Chandler to a $15 M contract. The move meant the Knicks had some holes to address at point guard, and in typical Mike D’Antoni style, defense does not seem to be much a consideration in filling the void.

In addition to already having shoot first point guard Toney Douglas, D’Antoni can now choose to enter either the decrepit Mike Bibby or possibly the 5’11″ Barea, if they do indeed acquire him. The backcourt would be so vulnerable on defense, but that has seldom been a consideration for a coach who has never really put much consideration into that part of the game.

I’m not sure how much basketball Bibby has left in his sneakers, and Barea may be a flash in the pan. During the regular season, Barea averaged just under 10 points per game, and while impressive in the playoffs, he was inconsistent. He had some 20+ point games and then other nights where he barely sniffed the stat sheet. It’s hard to see the value in a guy like Barea when the Knicks aren’t having any trouble scoring anyway, but maybe it is just D’Antoni’s preference to have a guy like Barea whose primary thought when he gets the ball is what kind of shot he can find for himself.

The Knicks probably have made a huge mistake by letting Billups go. I don’t even know how Chandler and Amar’e will work together, but something tells me the Knicks are putting all their eggs in the “get Chris Paul” basket, and are shoving all in, and going with whatever they’re stuck with if they strike out. They realize ultimately that to contend with the likes of Miami, Chicago, and Boston, that they are going to have to get their own super trio, and just having Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony probably isn’t enough.

Even if the Knicks do land Paul, he’s going to have to find a way to get his teammates to tighten up late in games and play some defense. There haven’t been that many run ‘n’ gun teams that have made the Finals, and if you want to go ahead and mention the Lakers’ Showtime teams, I will counter that they actually played very good defense, at a fast pace. Don’t confuse the two. The Knicks need to pick it up defensively if they are going to get anywhere, and adding Barea and Bibby hardly will accomplish that at all.

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New York Knicks fans will get an early chance to enjoy the team this season. With the NBA lockout coming to an end, it looks like the season will begin on Dec. 25 (Christmas Day). There are three games on the current NBA schedule for that day, and one of them features the Knicks . If the league decides to keep the league schedule as it appears for that day, it will allow fans a very early (primetime) look at how the team stacks up this season.

If we believe indications from the league that the NBA is going to try for a 66-game schedule this year and that the lockout has come to an end, then it is finally time to get excited about the Knicks again. On Dec. 25, the Knicks are on the schedule to play the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are in the early game for NBA coverage on Christmas Day, and could stay the first game in a pretty big tripleheader .

The Knicks made pretty big strides in the 2010-11 season thanks to the free agent signing of Amare Stoudemire(notes) and then the trade for Carmelo Anthony(notes). The team won seven of their last 10 games in the regular season, clinching the No. 6 seed in the 2011 Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Knicks fell short against the Celtics in the first round though, and it turned into an early offseason for the club. Injuries took a toll on the Knicks though, as Stoudemire was hurt and point guard Chauncey Billups(notes) missed time in the playoffs.

Now all three stars are back for the new season, and hopefully they have kept in good shape during the lengthy offseason. If there are only 66 games in the 2011-12 schedule, then it raises how important each game is. As such, the new players that New York is able to sign will play a very significant role on the team.

Making it to the NBA Playoffs was a good goal for last year, but with two superstar players on the roster now, it’s time to make it deeper into the postseason. The Miami Heat appears like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Chicago Bulls are also retaining a roster that won 62 games last year. It will remain tough among the elite teams in the East, but New York looks good enough to compete. Winning it all will depend on how much the roster can improve in the next month.

More From YCN :

A Look at Knicks Roster

Salary Cap Impact on Knicks

Chris Paul to New York

Source:

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Gotta run!.

Former National Basketball
Association player Cuttino Mobley sued Madison Square Garden LP,
parent of the New York Knicks, alleging that the team
discriminated against him based on what it perceived to be a
disability.

Mobley, who hasn’t played since the 2008-09 season, says
the Knicks ended his career by having him declared medically
ineligible to play because of a heart ailment, according to the
complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The Knicks said in a statement that Mobley’s lawsuit has no
merit.

Mobley, 36, was diagnosed in 1999 with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart wall, according to the
complaint. He had been medically cleared every year, by every
team he played for, subject to his signing a waiver of
liability, according to the document.

The Knicks, who were aware of his condition, agreed to
waive a physical examination of Mobley prior to trading for the
shooting guard in 2008, according to the complaint.

Instead of sending Mobley to the cardiologist who had
treated him for many years, the Knicks selected Mark Estes and
then Barry Maron who, according to the suit, were well-known
opponents of allowing players with Mobley’s condition to play.
Both said Mobley shouldn’t play.

The Knicks saved about $19 million by having Mobley
declared medically ineligible to play because insurance paid the
player’s salary, according to the complaint. The salary also is
forgiven from luxury tax payments, which teams pay for being
over the roster spending limit.

“The Knicks’ actions effectively deprived Mobley of the
ability to play professional basketball, not only for the
Knicks, but for the rest of his career,” according to the
complaint.

Mobley hasn’t officially retired and several teams
expressed interest in signing him but backed out because he had
been medically disqualified from playing for the Knicks,
according to the complaint. The teams weren’t identified.

The Knicks said in their statement that on the day of his
retirement, “Cuttino publicly stated that he had no choice but
to follow the advice of the doctors and step away from the
league.”

“Although we understand Cuttino Mobley’s frustration with
the effects of his illness, we are extremely disappointed in his
recent actions,” according to the team statement.

Mobley seeks unspecified monetary damages, 25 percent of
which he said he would donate to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association.

The disease killed Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics and
Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount University. The Knicks acquired
Eddy Curry in a 2005 trade with the Chicago Bulls, who had asked
the player to take a DNA test to determine whether he was
susceptible to the condition. Curry had missed games due to an
irregular heartbeat.

The case is Mobley v. Madison Square Garden LP, 11-08290,
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story:
Scott Soshnick in New York at
ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net

What are your opinions.

Former National Basketball
Association player Cuttino Mobley sued Madison Square Garden LP,
parent of the New York Knicks, alleging that the team
discriminated against him based on what it perceived to be a
disability.

Mobley, who hasn’t played since the 2008-09 season, says
the Knicks ended his career by having him declared medically
ineligible to play because of a heart ailment, according to the
complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The Knicks said in a statement that Mobley’s lawsuit has no
merit.

Mobley, 36, was diagnosed in 1999 with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart wall, according to the
complaint. He had been medically cleared every year, by every
team he played for, subject to his signing a waiver of
liability, according to the document.

The Knicks, who were aware of his condition, agreed to
waive a physical examination of Mobley prior to trading for the
shooting guard in 2008, according to the complaint.

Instead of sending Mobley to the cardiologist who had
treated him for many years, the Knicks selected Mark Estes and
then Barry Maron who, according to the suit, were well-known
opponents of allowing players with Mobley’s condition to play.
Both said Mobley shouldn’t play.

The Knicks saved about $19 million by having Mobley
declared medically ineligible to play because insurance paid the
player’s salary, according to the complaint. The salary also is
forgiven from luxury tax payments, which teams pay for being
over the roster spending limit.

“The Knicks’ actions effectively deprived Mobley of the
ability to play professional basketball, not only for the
Knicks, but for the rest of his career,” according to the
complaint.

Mobley hasn’t officially retired and several teams
expressed interest in signing him but backed out because he had
been medically disqualified from playing for the Knicks,
according to the complaint. The teams weren’t identified.

The Knicks said in their statement that on the day of his
retirement, “Cuttino publicly stated that he had no choice but
to follow the advice of the doctors and step away from the
league.”

“Although we understand Cuttino Mobley’s frustration with
the effects of his illness, we are extremely disappointed in his
recent actions,” according to the team statement.

Mobley seeks unspecified monetary damages, 25 percent of
which he said he would donate to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association.

The disease killed Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics and
Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount University. The Knicks acquired
Eddy Curry in a 2005 trade with the Chicago Bulls, who had asked
the player to take a DNA test to determine whether he was
susceptible to the condition. Curry had missed games due to an
irregular heartbeat.

The case is Mobley v. Madison Square Garden LP, 11-08290,
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story:
Scott Soshnick in New York at
ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

MIAMI — Carmelo Anthony talked late Saturday night about playing a basketball game in New York City in mid-November, but not at the Garden and not in a Knicks uniform.

Anthony emerged from the FIU locker room at midnight Saturday pretty certain the NBA will cancel the first two weeks of the season today — no matter the last-hour meeting being arranged for last night between the two sides in the league’s labor dispute.

Nothing is set in stone, but Anthony believes he, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and friends will stage a big exhibition in the Big Apple.

Getty Images

COMIN’ HOME? Carmelo Anthony said he, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and friends are trying to stage an exhibition game in New York after a successful event in Florida on Saturday.

“We’re going to keep giving back,” Anthony said.

On his Twitter account yesterday, Anthony started banging the drums for his Big Apple charity-fest.

“Working on an epic exhibition charity game in NYC,” he wrote. “Showtime. I’m comin’ home.”

Anthony and several players who participated in the South Florida All-Star Classic at FIU’s gym met with a union official after the game and were told the Players Association is still not budging on its position of a 52 or 53-percent cut of revenue. (The owners want a 50-50 split).

“We had conversations,” Anthony told The Post. “It was just good to get everybody together.

“I don’t think anything is going to happen between now and Monday,” Anthony added. “So we’ve just got to be prepared for that, be prepared for the lockout for the first two weeks and see where all this is going.”

The Knicks’ season opener against Miami on Nov. 2 at the Garden and their first eight games total are expected to be scrapped today.

“It’s sad all the way across,” said Anthony, who scored 30 points for victorious Team Wade and hit the game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game into overtime. “It’s [sad] for us as players. It’s sad for the owners. It’s sad for the fans of the NBA.”

And so Anthony said he wants to keep the barnstorming tour going. Nobody appreciates these exhibitions more than Anthony. It’s clear how much he loves basketball, how much he loves being in the gym. He was the last player to leave the FIU arena Saturday, though a South Beach Saturday night awaited. He even stopped to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans in the pouring Miami rain before departing.

“If they want to lock us out [longer tan two weeks], we’re sticking together,” Anthony said. “It’s Saturday. Let’s be realistic. I don’t think anything is going to happen between now and Monday.”

Anthony enjoyed himself Saturday and his willingness to assert himself among a collection of star players (nine All-Stars participated) was telling. In the final minutes of regulation in a tight game, he posted up Kevin Durant repeatedly and called for the ball almost on every possession.

“It got real intense down there,” Anthony said. “We made it competitive and made it fun.”

Of course, defense is the concern with Anthony. Team Wade’s coach, comedian Kevin Hart, even started yelling at Anthony to “play on both ends,” and Anthony just ignored him.

Despite the elephant of the lockout in the room, it was a swell night at the packed, 4,000-seat FIU gym, with coach Isiah Thomas throwing a basketball party to benefit “Mary’s Court,” which funds kids in poverty in Chicago and is named after his mother.

For one night, Thomas promoted charity and not the false notion he secretly is running the Knicks, and he came across so much better in that role.

marc.berman@nypost.com

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The last time the New York Knicks were NBA champions, George Steinbrenner had just purchased the Yankees for $10 million, the World Trade Center towers opened in New York and Elvis Presley was doing a live concert from Hawaii. So it’s been a while.

But former GM and now team consultant — meaning they paid him to go away — Donnie Walsh thinks they’re close to another one. He says the core is there.

That is what he told Marc Berman of the New York Post.

“We have a core of players we can build around to build a [championship-contending] team,” Walsh said. “We’re not finished. There’s more pieces. But I think we got some really good players that can lead a team and form a core of that team. What we have are the most important things.”

They have some offensive firepower in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, that is for sure. They have the star power. But do they really have a team that can defend well enough to put them in the title conversation? They need some quality role players for that, but Walsh said he thinks bringing in assistant coach Mike Woodson will help.

“I think Mike will be good for Mike D’Antoni,” Walsh said. “I’ve heard good things about [Woodson] as a coach and guy. It’ll help them. It’s always good to have a guy come in from a different perspective. I know his mentors, Bobby Knight and Larry Brown, and [Woodson] can offer them [defensive] systems that will be good for them. I also think they may have better defensive personnel. Let’s hope so.”

I’m not sure what personnel Walsh is referring to, but it’s not Carmelo.

How the Knicks build around that core, and what they decide to do with Chauncey Billups in the last year of his contract will be fascinating. Especially in the condensed free agency frenzy that will follow the lockout. They do have a core, but the bigger question becomes is there core as good as the one in Miami? Or Chicago?

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.