New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni likes the direction his offence is heading. Even if Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t on the court demanding defensive attention.

The Knicks hope to have Stoudemire back as they try to build on their best offensive performance of the season Monday night against the struggling Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET).

Stoudemire, who is averaging 17.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in three games, is listed as day-to-day with a sprained left ankle. The six-time All-Star didn’t dress Saturday against Sacramento, but that didn’t seem to have much of an effect on New York’s offense.

All five starters had 14 points or more for the Knicks (2-2) in an easy 114-92 win. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 23 points, while Stoudemire’s replacement, rookie Josh Harrellson, finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for New York, which had averaged 80.0 points on 35.8 per cent shooting in losing its previous two games.

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

The Knicks finished with season highs of 26 assists and 46 points in the paint.

“When the ball is moving like that, you can see how successful we can be offensively,” Landry Fields said. “It’s a very nice win. Hopefully it brings us momentum going into our next game.”

New York had no trouble offensively against Toronto last season, averaging 114.5 points in sweeping the four-game series. Stoudemire averaged 26.8 points and 11.5 boards against the Raptors in 2010-11, while Anthony had 23 points and nine rebounds in the lone game he played in last season’s series, a 131-118 win at MSG on April 5.

The Raptors (1-3) were 26th in scoring defence last season (105.4), and although they’ve been more sound defensively in 2011-12, yielding an average of 96.8 points, it hasn’t translated to many wins.

Toronto’s defense played well through three quarters Sunday in Orlando but didn’t get many stops down the stretch. The Raptors led by as many as 13 in the fourth, but the Magic shot 70.6 per cent (12 for 17) in the final period to rally for a 102-96 win. It was the second consecutive second-half collapse by Toronto, which squandered a seven-point, third-quarter lead in Friday’s 99-86 loss to Dallas.

“I don’t really have an explanation as to why this game got away,” said Jose Calderon, who had 18 points and 13 assists. “It’s tough. It’s kind of like the same thing that happened with Dallas. They’re two veteran teams. They know how to play in those moments. We’ve got to learn from that.”

Andrea Bargnani paced the Raptors with 28 points Sunday, but only scored three in the fourth quarter. The 7-foot Italian, who is averaging 26.3 points on 53.6 percent shooting in his last three games, had a career-high 41 points in a 113-110 loss at MSG last December.

What do you guys think about this.

What do you guys think about this.

The New York Knicks may have to play without power forward Amare Stoudemire on Saturday night (Dec. 31). Stoudemire suffered a sprained ankle in the Thursday (Dec. 29) game against the Los Angeles Lakers and is officially listed as day-to-day. It means he could still play on Saturday, but that he would have limited mobility in his left ankle.

This injury has good and bad sides for the Knicks, especially as the team tries to find an identity in the early part of the season. The bad part is that Stoudemire is one of the two main offensive weapons that the Knicks have and it is hard to find offense when he or Carmelo Anthony is on the bench. The good part is actually the same situation, because it would force the lineup to figure things out with Stoudemire on the bench. Then, when he returns from the injury, the team will know what to do when he is taking a breather during games. Someone else has to step up to take pressure off of Stoudemire and Anthony, and this is the perfect opportunity to figure out who can do it.

In the first three games of the season, Stoudemire is averaging 17.3 points and 6 rebounds per game, but he has struggled to find his shooting stroke against the last two games. Against the Golden State Warriors he had just 16 points and against the Lakers he went just 4-for-17 from the field. Now the Knicks have to go up against the fast-paced Sacramento Kings next, a team that really likes to get out and run. That would certainly test Stoudemire’s ankle and it seems like the ideal week to simply rest him on the bench.

This game against the Kings is the last one on the West Coast road trip before the Knicks head back to Madison Square Garden for a Jan. 2 battle against the Toronto Raptors. If Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni plays it smart (like he should) and just gives Stoudemire some time off, his ankle should get a lot better by next Monday. Three games into the season, it just seems like too much of a risk to put him back on the court and risk the injury getting worse. It’s not like there is a break in the schedule, so getting him healthy for the Eastern Conference games has to become a priority.

The Knicks play the Sacramento Kings at Power Balance Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.

More From YCN :

Knicks Crushed By Warriors

No_Garnett_Suspension

New_York_Wins_Opener_Against_Boston

Knicks_Win_Second_Preseason_Game

Baron_Davis_Comes_To_Knicks

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.

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SB Nation New York will be running a five-part season preview of the 2011-12 New York Knicks, culminating right before the start of the season on Christmas Day.

Part I: The Stars

The New York Knicks finally have actual aspirations. For the past decade-plus, it hasn’t been about winning a championship. How could it have been? Years and years went by with Isiah Thomas souring the Knicks’ brand with gross mismanagement, truly the darkest days the franchise has ever seen. When Isiah was finally, mercifully gone, Donnie Walsh was brought in to clean up the disaster. He did an admirable job, hiring Mike D’Antoni as head coach and gutting the team of its’ awful contracts and giving it an actual direction.

But the Walsh/D’Antoni Era, from 2008-09 until the end of last year, was still not about about truly competing for a title. It started out as a plan for 2010 and LeBron James. When that failed but netted Amare Stoudemire, then it became about getting Stoudemire superstar help. Last year, when Carmelo Anthony joined the fray, it still didn’t seem enough. The Miami Heat had three stars, and a toast at Carmelo’s wedding in the summer by Chris Paul gave Knicks fans and the organization dreams of their own trifecta of superstars. They just had to have a third superstar. It was the new NBA blueprint, right?

Yet in early December of this year, when the lockout was lifted and teams could start building again, the Knicks seem to have made a philosophical shift away from Paul. It would be silly to say that they no longer wanted him, but when the trade offers for Paul were coming in, it became increasingly apparent that the Knicks no longer had a realistic chance at landing him. They had to try something else, and it’s a good thing they didn’t wait another year. The splash came in the form of Tyson Chandler, a move away from the flash of a Anthony/Stoudemire/Paul tandem and more in line with the Knicks of old. Chandler gives them the size and rugged attitude that The Garden faithful has always embraced.

In the NBA, you need stars, but you also need your stars to be themselves. The Chandler move allows Stoudemire and Anthony to remain themselves. Had the Knicks gotten Paul, either Stoudemire or Anthony would have had to take a huge backseat. It’s just the way it happens with the three-superstar mold. The casualty of the Heat’s version of this last year was Chris Bosh. Sure, Bosh is clearly the least talented out of LeBron and Dwyane Wade, so that should be the case. But what’s the point of paying Chris Bosh to be on your team if he’s not going to be, you know, Chris Bosh? If Paul was a Knick, the fall guy would have been Stoudemire. Whatever you think of Stoudemire’s play — his lack of defense and a general misuse of his size — he played at an MVP-level for long stretches last season. If he’s your second-best player, that’s a good thing.

Ask this question: would the Heat be better served with their current three, or with Tyson Chandler instead of Chris Bosh? The Knicks made the decision to go big, go defensive, and create maybe the best frontcourt in the entire league by signing Chandler. Sure, the Knicks did struggle last year after the trade, and Anthony and Stoudemire didn’t perfectly mesh. That will have to happen for the Knicks to really contend. But you can certainly make the case that they have a better chance of meshing with Tyson Chandler patrolling the paint than with Chris Paul running the point. Chandler isn’t the player Paul is — he might be the best point guard of his generation — but it’s difficult to imagine that Stoudemire and Anthony would have maxed out their potential with Paul as a teammate. All three of those players need the ball to be their most effective, especially Stoudemire and Anthony. Chandler doesn’t. He’ll rebound, defend, block shots and score on put-backs, and that will still allow the offense to run through Anthony and Stoudemire.

Now the Knicks have their stars, and they finally aren’t waiting for anything (except a coach maybe…but we’ll get to that later on in this season preview). Are they a true title contender this year? They’re probably a few pieces away. But if they get in the playoffs, they won’t be as easy an out as they were last year. They could win a round. They could win two rounds. And if that happens, who knows? It’s going to be an uncertain year with a whirlwind 66-game schedule in 120 days followed by a playoffs with a lot less off days than usual. What’s certain, though, is that the Knicks have a chance. They’re not just back to being relevant, they’re a force. And you can thank their stars for that. 

Feel free to leave your comments below.

New York Knicks fans waited a long time for 2011. It had been seven years since New York last made the NBA playoffs, and though they were swept by the Boston Celtics in four games, excitement returned to Madison Square Garden this year.

It started with the signing of Amar’e Stoudemire in July of 2010. Stoudemire brought instant credibility and a whole lot of offense to a team desperately in need of both. The Knicks still didn’t play defense and they were clearly not in the same league as the upper echelon teams, but on opening night – a 98-93 win over the Raptors – it was clear that this was the beginning of a new era of Knicks basketball. New York finished the season 42-40, but not before some memorable moments took place.

Here are the New York Knicks’ top five moments of 2011:

No. 5: Spurs at Knicks, January 4, 2011 – The modern-day Knicks are not known for their defense, but on this particular night it was their opponent’s defensive shortcomings that stood out. New York outscored San Antonio 128-115, prompting Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to bench his starters late in the fourth quarter. New York scored 72 points in the first half against a Spurs team that entered the game with a league-best 29-4 record. For the Knicks, Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 31 points and Stoudemire and Raymond Felton added 28 points apiece. Like old times, the Garden was rocking.

No. 4: Knicks at Heat, February 27, 2011 – Who says this doesn’t play any defense? It was a defensive play – maybe the most memorable play of the season for New York – that propelled the Knicks to a 91-86 victory over the Miami Heat. With seven seconds remaining, Stoudemire blocked LeBron James’ layup attempt to protect a one-point lead. Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his third game in a Knick uniform. New York fell behind by 15 in the first half and ended the game on a 13-2 run. But it was Stoudemire’s heroics that had people talking.

No. 3: Heat at Knicks, January 27, 2011 – Nothing seems to make NBA fans (except for those who root for the Heat) happier than seeing LeBron James fail. They had plenty of opportunity to celebrate on this night at the Garden. James shot 7-for-24 from the floor and finished with 24 points, a below-average performance for King James. The Knicks hadn’t beaten a LeBron James team since 2007. With TNT broadcasting from the Garden for the first time in five years, there was no better time to end that streak. The Knicks did just that with a 93-88 win after outscoring Miami 29-15 in the fourth quarter.

No. 2: Knicks Return to the Playoffs – Sweep or no sweep, what mattered was that the Knicks were back in the playoffs. Not since 2004 had they been there. For too many seasons, the Knicks were mediocre at best, with no real hope to get out from under the salary cap and begin the rebuilding process. Then came the summer of 2010 and the signing of Stoudemire, February 2011 with the trade for Carmelo Anthony, and then suddenly, the Knicks were in the playoffs where they went up against the Celtics. Boston was the better team and it showed. The Knicks lost the first two in Boston and the next two at home. They didn’t go down easy, but injuries to Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups didn’t help their chances against a team that even Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni admitted was the better squad. The franchise has now lost ten straight playoff games, but finally getting back to the playoffs seemed to matter most.

No 1: Carmelo Anthony Comes Home – The Knicks didn’t land James seven months earlier, but the team thought they got the next best thing when the Brooklyn-born Anthony joined them in a trade that sent Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov, along with some cash and draft picks, to the Denver Nuggets. (The Knicks also picked up Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter in the deal.) Anthony received a 3-year, $65 million extension that made New York his home for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, February 23, 2011, he scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his Knicks debut at the Garden, hitting big shots down the stretch of a 114-108 win over the Bucks. It was Melo Mania the rest of the way.

Charles Costello is a lifelong Knicks fan who was a beat reporter assigned to cover the team during the 1997-98 season.

Sources

Spurs at Knicks: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Knicks at Heat: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Heat at Knicks: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Knicks Return to Playoffs: New York Daily News

Anthony Comes Home: New York Daily News

Video: YouTube

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Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

Rumours of the New York Knicks wanting to create their own “Big Three” have long been reported, but under cover of the NBA lockout, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was able to officially give voice to them.

With a tampering gag order lifted during the lockout, Anthony told the New York Post he would be thrilled if New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul joined him and Amar’e Stoudemire in New York when he becomes a free agent in 2012.

“If it works out and he comes here and they allow him to come here, you’ll see a smile from ear to ear,” Anthony said. “It’s not just me. It’s everybody (in New York). If he decides to leave New Orleans and goes somewhere else, they’ll be feeling the same way I’m feeling.”

The thought of Paul joining Anthony and Stoudemire first came at Anthony’s wedding in 2010, when Paul made a toast that included a goal of the three players uniting in New York.

Anthony and Paul have since teamed up many times in exhibitions and might do so again in a New York area game.

“It’s fun (playing with Paul),” Anthony told the Post. “He’s such a competitor, even in games we play now. He wants the games to be NBA games — the intensity level. He wants everybody to go out and compete. It’s something I’ve really enjoyed.”

Gotta run!.

BY BRIAN A. GIUFFRA

What do you guys think about this.

It remains unclear what will happen with the NBA lockout, but New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) has an idea of what the players can do if it drags on: start their own league.

“If we don’t go to Europe then let’s start our own league,” Stoudemire said, HoopsWorld reports. “That’s how I see it. It’s very serious. Yeah. It’s very, very serious. It’s a matter of us coming up with a plan, blueprint and putting it together. So we’ll see how this lockout goes. If it goes one or two years, then we got to start our own league.”

When pressed for details, the six-time All-Star and 2003 Rookie of the Year, said that the players are focused on figuring out a way to end the lockout. “But if it doesn’t happen, what are we going to do? We can’t just sit around and not do anything,” he said, according to the site.

If a season does get underway, the 28-year-old Stoudemire is planning a training camp for his Knicks teammates.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: HoopsWorld

Related: New York Knicks

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What do you guys think about this.

Updated Oct 12, 2011 2:45 AM ET

New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire said Tuesday night if the NBA lockout wipes out the season, he believes the players will form their own league instead of trying to find a team in Europe.

“If we don’t go to Europe, we’re going to start our own league, that’s how I see it,” Stoudemire said. “It’s very serious. It’s a matter of us strategically coming up with a plan, a blueprint and putting it together. So we’ll see how this lockout goes. If it goes one or two years, we’ve got to start our own league.”

Stoudemire declined to say if there was financial backing in place.

“We want to play NBA basketball but if it doesn’t happen, what are we going to do?” he said. “We can’t just sit around and not do anything. We’ve got to figure out ways now to play basketball at a high level against top competition and have fun doing it, so that’s the next step.”

Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony took part in the South Florida Classic at Florida International University last Saturday — a quasi-NBA All-Star Game that included nine All-Stars. Anthony and Stoudemire are planning an NBA All-Star-fest in mid-November for New York.

Stoudemire says for now, he has ignored all inquiries from European teams.

“I haven’t entertained it yet, but as this lockout continues, I may entertain it more and more,” he said.

Read more here

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For as long as he’s been in the NBA, New York Knicks standout Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) has gone by the nickname “STAT,” an acronym for “Standing Tall And Talented.” The name is tattooed on his right arm and also happens to describe Amar’e pretty well. He’s proud, confident, and a positive role model. Not many professional athletes have enough of a sense of the world to get involved in the fashion industry and investigate family heritage in Israel.

In fact, Stoudemire has enough interests away from the court that he’s decided it’s time for a new nickname. He announced the change on Twitter this weekend:

I’ve been ordained the Renaissance Man. This is now my new nickname. Renaissance Man. You like it, I love it. Its not going to change @espn

So, did Amar’e just give himself a new nickname? Not quite, because chances are it came from Isiah Thomas. Here’s what Zeke told the New York Daily News at this last weekend’s FIU charity game (via PBT):

“I told (Stoudemire) the other day, the biggest thing he’s done for these kids down here is not spending two hours on the gym floor talking about jumpers and layups. He spent two hours in the classroom with them, then came back and spent another two hours in the classroom with them. He’s into learning more and being a true renaissance man.”

If you’re a Knicks fan, forget for a minute that Isiah is apparently chummy with one of the team’s marquee players. Instead, focus on how Stoudemire’s new nickname isn’t just a cute title, but a legitimate source of pride. In a league where most players are basketball obsessives, Amar’e's sense of the world is refreshing.

It’s also the kind of thing that might upset fans of the team he plays for. Both Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony(notes) seem to relish playing in New York for reasons not entirely related to basketball. (For instance, both are very into the fashion world.) Yet, as far as we’ve seen so far, they are both clearly committed to helping the Knicks work towards a championship, too. If they fail to reach that goal, it will likely have more to do with their deficiencies as basketball players (like playing defense) rather than a lack of focus.

Basketball weaknesses and disinterest sometimes look the same, depending on your point of view. But, for now, let’s celebrate Stoudemire instead of criticizing him for wanting to be a more complete person. Would we get mad at a tax attorney for learning to paint?

Related: Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks

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Of course former New York Knick GM Donnie Walsh thinks the team he just left could be a “championship-contender.” Technically, he brought the players in; though there is still some sort of consternation as to whether or not he would have given up as much as James Dolan gave up in the trade for Carmelo Anthony(notes).

And, technically, he’s still a Knick employee; paid as a team consultant.

And, technically? He didn’t actually say “championship-contender.”

From an interview with Marc Berman at the New York Post (via Pro Basketball Talk):

“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.”

What did he say within the brackets, there? The ones that hit the Post as “[championship-contending]“? I’m having a little fun here, Berman’s not going to fudge a quote, but it does leave Donnie a nice out for whenever the Knicks stop paying him.

And, technically again, he’s not wrong. All cores can be looked at as championship-contending if you toss in enough caveats. And Donnie tossed in quite a few. The difference is just how close to “championship-contending” your core is by itself, or if it’s merely a “[championship-contender].”

The Knicks, I’m sure you’d agree, have the former in the form of Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) and Carmelo Anthony. Stoudemire is the NBA’s premier scorer at the big forward position, sorry Dirk, and Carmelo is a solid second behind Kevin Durant(notes). The problem is that someone like Dirk Nowitzki(notes) does untold things that don’t show up in a typical box score (like creating brilliant spacing and working from spots that leave obvious passing angles, even if he doesn’t get the assist), and things that do show up in the box score (like those once-a-week turnovers).

And Durant? Like Carmelo, he’ll hardly be confused with T.R. Dunn anytime soon, but unlike Carmelo he’s also surrounded by a brilliant cast of lockdown defenders and role-players.

Because the Knicks are grandfathered into massive deals with Stoudemire and Anthony, they’ll hit next summer’s big free-agent offseason with over $44 million in salary tied up in just four players, with the [championship-contending] core combining for just over $40 million. We have no idea what the next collective bargaining agreement is going to look like, and no clue as to where the cap is going to be set. But it nearly goes without saying that the Knicks will have to be awfully creative to finagle a max-making third star into signing a deal with New York.

And doing so, at least under the old rules, would leave New York top-heavy as they struggled to fill out the rest of their roster; not unlike last year’s Miami Heat. The Miami Heat contended for a championship. Could a Knick team with an approximation of Miami’s trio do the same? Hard to tell. Hard to tell if they can even get a chance to, considering the next CBA.

What’s worst? Even if the NBA resolves its lockout in the next few weeks, Knick fans will have to wait at least another year before finding out if they can lose the brackets surrounding “[championship-contending].”

Related: Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Miami Heat

There is the quick update of the day.

New York Knicks star forward Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) hurt his back in April before Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics. The New York Daily News reports that the injury still has not healed all the way.

A Knicks source tells the paper that Stoudemire, who took most of the month of July off in order to rest his back, is 90 percent healthy.

Stoudemire “is scheduled to resume workouts in Florida within the next couple of weeks,” the Daily News reports, but the source wouldn’t guarantee that Stoudemire would be able to take the court if the season starts on time.

The Knicks, of course, really hope the injury heals because Stoudemire’s contract for five years and $100 million isn’t insured due to his previous health problems.

Find out before your friends. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: New York Daily News

Related: Boston Celtics, New York Knicks

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He’s only played half a season and one playoff series as a member of the New York Knicks, but All-Star scoring forward Carmelo Anthony(notes) has already jutted to the top of the heap when it comes to team leadership. At least on record, assuming he follows through. Giddy after a strong showing at an exhibition game in his hometown of Baltimore on Tuesday night, Anthony told ESPN New York that he would attempt to wrangle in his Knick teammates for unofficial workouts, should the NBA’s lockout cost its teams an orthodox, team-run training camp.

Here’s Melo:

“Most likely I think as the month goes on, probably early October, well start getting guys together,” Anthony said. “I’ll make it my duty to get guys together whether it’s in LA, New York or a neutral place.”

[…]

“I’m trying to find Amare man,” Anthony said with a laugh. “If anybody’s seen Amare just tell him [I'm looking for him]. I don’t know where he’s at man. I heard he’s in China, I heard he’s back. Maybe I’ll see him in New York next week for Fashion Week.”

Somehow I don’t think Willis Reed knew which week Fashion Week was. And I really don’t think Willis Reed knew that Fashion Week was his best chance to locate Dave DeBusschere, following a long offseason.

That’s the modern NBA athlete, though. Events like Fashion Week are why Carmelo and Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) wanted to become Knicks, and we heartily applaud Anthony attempting to get his team together, especially with all the roster upheaval the Knicks have undergone over the last few years. With the team capped out (no matter what sort of salary structure the new collective bargaining agreement dictates) and no first-round picks coming down the pike due to the Anthony trade, New York’s best chance at improving has to come from internal development.

This is where Anthony, and his unofficial team workouts, come in. Of course, the best remedy is just to enjoy a training camp unfettered by labor vs. ownership disagreements, but we might be past that point as September rolls around.

Related: Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks, NBA lockout

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