The Knicks latest acquisition will suit up in front of his new home fans at Madison Square Garden tonight. Al Dannity says Carmelo Anthony’s chemistry with Amare Stoudemire will be crucial in the Knicks’ push for the playoffs.
The big question No prizes for guessing what this is. After giving up four players and three future draft picks to Denver, as well as Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract to Minnesota, the Knicks must prove that Carmelo Anthony was worth the hefty price they paid. Mike D’Antoni wasn’t crazy about the move, largely because of how much New York had to give up to acquire their new star. Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton had become key contributors while Timofey Mozgov had shown substantial potential. None can match Melo in terms of star power or individual contribution. The test now is to see if he can prove he is worth more than the ransom the Knicks sent to Denver for his release.
Fitting in In addition to Melo, New York also have the services of Chauncey Billups, Corey Brewer, Renardo Balkman, and Shelden Williams at their disposal as a result of the trade. Along with the presence of Stoudemire, this is a line-up that should be able to trouble most teams in the Eastern Conference. Troubling teams isn’t enough for the Knicks’ fans. They want a serious run at the NBA Finals.
NBA betting fans know that isn’t a realistic prospect this season. Winning their first playoff series of the post-season might prove a much more attainable goal. Assuming the Knicks avoid the Heat and the Celtics, New York could be in position to make it out of round one if the new pieces fit together. Billups will be crucial to this. His style is much slower than is suited to the up-tempo approach the Knicks currently use. If New York can find a way to adapt to his approach, then they could go deep in the post-season.
The immediate matter Speculating about what Carmelo Anthony could do with the Knicks gets boring pretty quickly. It’s just as well that will get to see him actually play a game in a Knicks’ uniform tonight. New York welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to town in a game that is tougher than it looks. Milwaukee easily handled New York in their only previous meeting this season and remain in playoff contention. I can’t see them spoiling the party for Melo on his first night back in his hometown. Bet on the New York Knicks to win as -7.5 favorites with Sports Interaction.
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