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It's been nearly a week since the New York Knicks season ended, which seems to be the right amount of time to ponder over and hand out yearly grades for each Knick. Any time sooner, and we let emotion get in the way (as in, Carmelo Anthony sucks get rid of him now!); any longer and we would have forgotten that Bill Walker was a 30 minute a game player for the Knicks at one point this year.

Tyson Chandler: A+

Chandler was everything the Knicks could have hoped for and more. He took home the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, which he probably got because "Holy crap the Knicks don't suck at defense anymore!" He was largely responsible for the Knicks' being in the top five in Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions). Chandler was incredibly consistent this season as you always knew what you were getting from him.

Jeremy Lin: A

How could I not give Jeremy Lin an A+? Yeah, it's an unfair grade, but it really would have been nice to see the kid stay healthy. Other than that, full marks. We all know the Linsanity story, as the little Asian dude from Harvard became an international superstar by dominating the NBA for a few weeks. The Knicks now have a young, talented point guard to run the show. It remains to be seen how Lin really fits in Mike Woodson's system, with Carmelo Anthony the main focal point of the offense (as it should be). The Knicks will need some balance going forward, a little bit more ball movement and shot-making from their backcourt, and Lin can help provide that.

Iman Shumpert: A-

Shumpert's health also prevented him from getting a higher grade. He'll be out for much of next year with a torn ACL and meniscus, suffered in the playoffs. But in his rookie year, Shumpert proved to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire league. He gives the Knicks something they've sorely lacked for a really long time. Shumpert looked more like a rookie on the offensive end, where his shot selection will need to improve quite a bit.

Steve Novak: A-

Novak showed during the regular season why he's a weapon. But during the playoffs he also showed how one-dimensional he is. When the Heat made it a point to close him down, he proved to be as useful on a basketball court as a three-ring binder. He led the NBA in 3-point percentage during the season though, and we all hope he comes back so we can watch more Discount Double Checking.

Jared Jeffries: B+

For what Jared Jeffries will give you, he did a pretty darn good job this season. Again, injuries hampered Jeffries down the stretch, and I think he would find a nice role on a Mike Woodson-coached team. If Jeffries returns, let's hope the NBA doesn't get TOO crazy in legislating flopping.

J.R. Smith: B

J.R. Smith's Evil Twin: F

If he returns next year, let's hope we see more of J.R. (Threes, dunks, decent defense) than Evil Twin (bricks, passes to the 12^th row, nut-shotting opponents on three-point attempts).

Josh Harrellson: B+

"Jorts" showed some nice promise as a second rounder in his rookie season. He's a very heady defender and can knock down the occasional three.

Mike Bibby: C+

The Knicks were dangerously thin at point guard this season, and one of the reasons was because we saw early in the season how little Bibby had left. Funny, though, how he ended up hitting probably the biggest shot in Game 4 against the Heat, the Knicks' lone playoff win in a decade.

Baron Davis: C

Remember that funny time before Linsanity where we all kept saying "We just have to wait and see what this team looks like with Baron Davis!"? Davis wasn't very good when he did come back but wasn't very good either, obviously slowed down and still hampered by injuries. We all hope that his garish knee injury suffered in the playoffs won't end his career, but it will likely end his Knicks tenure.

Bill Walker: C-

It's about time Bill Walker wasn't a Knick anymore.

Landry Fields: D

In today's NBA, it really hurts to have your starting shooting guard shoot 26 percent from behind the arc. Fields' points/rebounds per game were also down from last year. For some reason, Fields seems to play scared when Carmelo Anthony is on the floor, since Fields looked like the steal of the 2010 draft before the Knicks got ‘Melo, and also enjoyed his best span of the season in 2012 when ‘Melo was out. Unfortunately, ‘Melo ain't goin' anywhere, Landry.

Toney Douglas: F

From starter to Jerome Jordan and Josh Harrellson's bench buddy.

Jerome Jordan/Dan Gadzuric: Incomplete

And now, grading the Knicks' big guns:

Amare Stoudemire: C

Like Anthony, Amare Stoudemire hit numbers lows that we haven't seen from him since he was a teenager; 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 48 percent shooting. Stat had nagging injuries all season, and also underwent a personal tragedy when his brother passed away in the middle of the season. The Stoudemire that showed up in the Knicks' lone playoff win against the Heat, Game 4, is the one the Knicks need to see next year. Despite playing with his hand all bandaged up because of the fire extinguisher incident, Stoudemire played with a great amount of heart. He committed to rebounding the ball, used what's left of his athleticism to get easy baskets around the rim, and even showed a little bit of effort on defense. Stoudemire needs to bottle that up and play that way from now on. He has to find a way to become more of a scrappy player if this thing is going to work.

Carmelo Anthony: B

From an individual numbers standpoint, this was probably Carmelo Anthony's second or third worst season. His points, rebounds and shooting percentage were as low as they have been since his first few professional seasons. He did average a career second-best in assists at 3.6 per game, but who cares because ‘Melo is selfish gosh darnit!

‘Melo gets a B for his late season surge, since in the beginning of the season he was terrible and out of shape and likely helped getting Mike D'Antoni fired (wait, shouldn't that get him an A+?)

Anthony showed late in the season why it's possible to build around him and be a successful team. People (cough Harvey Araton cough) will read that and scoff, and that's fine. When we really think about how many players in the NBA could be absolute Alpha Males, guys who can take a team with little help and bring it to a truly elite level, how many are there? When did it become a crime to be a player like Anthony, a great player who simply needs some damn help? A guy I've recently come to compare Anthony to is someone who probably heard a lot of the same "not good enough" crap for a long time, Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk is an elite scorer, a decent at best defender, whose best characteristic is that he can get his team two points when they really need it. That, to me, sounds a lot like describing Carmelo Anthony. Before Nowitzki won a title in 2011, how were people ranking Dirk? How about after he helped the Mavs choke away a 2-0 Finals lead to the Heat in 2006, with four straight forgettable performances in games 3-6? Find me someone on Earth who right then thought Dirk would ever be the guy on a title winning team.

It's amazing what a title does for someone's legacy, and that's fair, but all top players need to be in favorable situations, on well-coached, well-balanced teams that compliment their skill set well in order to win. That simply hasn't been the case for Anthony since he put on a Knick uniform. Unfortunately with the way CAA the Knicks are running this ship, there's a good chance that never happens.

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The 2012 NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, with the marquee matchup of the first round being right here in our backyard. For four straight years from 1997-2000, the New York Knicks and Miami Heat waged four memorable playoff wars, creating one of the most intense rivalries the NBA has ever seen. Knicks fans still cringe to this day when they hear the name P.J. Brown, and Heat fans will always wonder how Allan Houston's famous last-second shot didn't rim out. Now, 12 years later, the players may have changed but the rivalry figures to ratchet back up.

However, the Knicks come into the series as sever underdogs. Despite a respectable 36-30 record in the truncated season, the Knicks were unable to finish above seventh, thus prompting the trip to South Beach. The Knicks were up and down all season, but do enter the playoffs 17-6 since Mike Woodson took over as interim head coach. Carmelo Anthony has responded to the coaching change by playing like a League MVP over the past six weeks or so, while Tyson Chandler marked his first season as a Knick by transforming them into a stout defensive side, to the tune of perhaps being named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. And despite ongoing chemistry issues, the Knicks do still employ Amare Stoudemire, who has battled injuries but seems to be rounding into shape and form at the right time.

The Heat have their sights set a lot higher than the first round of the playoffs. It's title or bust in Year 2 of the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Not 2, Not 3, Not 4, Not 5 Experiment. The urgency will likely be apparent from the get-go, as the longer this team goes without a title, the more the pressure mounts. While many Knicks fans were hoping that the team finished eighth and matched up with the Chicago Bulls, the match is now set and there's no going back. It's Knicks-Heat once more. Here are some things to keep a close eye on throughout the series:

1.The Carmelo-LeBron Matchup: Carmelo Anthony has kept no secret his enjoyment going head-to-head against LeBron. And why should he? Facing James always seems to bring out the best in 'Melo. All series they'll find themselves matched up with each other on both ends of the floor. Anthony has showed a renewed defensive prowess under Woodson, and he'll have to show that full effort every minute to help slow down James. The Heat like to play a half court game, and now that Woodson has taken control, so do the Knicks. They now run their offense through Anthony, isolating him in his favored spot on the wing about a quarter of the time. Anthony can help keep LeBron off his game by making him work hard on defense.

2. The Benches: If there's anything the Knicks have a clear advantage in in this series (other than center...and we'll get to that), it's the bench. Like last season, Miami is tentative when it has to rely on its bench. Mike Miller, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem are all long in the tooth, and neither is a scary offensive threat. The Knicks have two players in J.R. Smith and Steve Novak that can come off the bench and make a huge impact in the series. Both can get incredibly hot from three-point range (in Novak's case, he's infinitely on-fire) and the Heat allowed the second most three pointers in the league this season. The Knicks' bench will shoot often from the perimeter, and if they're on their game, the Knicks can shoot their way to a win.

3. Iman Shumpert's Defense on Dwyane Wade: This is rookie Iman Shumpert's first taste of playoff basketball, and he has a heck of a task. It's sink or swim for Shumpert, who will get the daunting assingment of having to shut down Wade. Wade has always performed well against the Knicks, and he's the Heat's top gun in crunch time situations. Shumpert has quickly become one of the league's top perimeter defenders, but Wade is in a class of his own. For the Knicks to have any chance whatsoever, Shumpert needs to give Wade fits. It will be a tall order.

4. Defending Chris Bosh: Bosh is the third "superstar" of Miami's Big Three, and often he falls under the radar with teams being so worried about James and Wade. It will be interesting to see how the Knicks play Bosh in this series from a defensive standpoint. Tyson Chandler can easily shut down Bosh, but Bosh likes to meander to the perimeter, and that would open up the paint for drives from Wade and James. Chandler will most likely matchup with Ronny Turiaf and/or Joel Anthony, leaving Stoudemire to contain Bosh. Stoudemire's usual less than pedestrian defense has hurt the Knicks in the past, and it could rear its ugly head again this series. The Knicks' best chance at slowing down Bosh might be Bosh slowing down himself by pulling a disappearing act, which isn't totally impossible.

5. The Tyson Chandler Factor: The news that Chandler has the flu and may be out or limited in Game 1 is terrible, unfortunate news for the Knicks, since Chandler is the best center in this series by a country mile. It's not a contest between Chandler and Joel Anthony/Haslem/Turiaf. Chandler also knows a thing or two about shutting down and defeating the Miami Heat, as he was instrumental in the Dallas Mavericks' Finals victory a year ago. He's been incredibly consistent all season, and the Knicks will expect, and need, more of the same.

Prediction: It's a shame the Knicks couldn't finish higher than seventh, because they're a talented team who has played playoff style ball under Woodson - with great results. The Heat are just a tough matchup for the Knicks. Anthony will carry the Knicks and help them make it interesting. The Knicks' bench may steal them a win along the way. But it will be too much LeBron, too much Wade for the Knicks, who will see their playoff series win drought extend to 12 years. Heat in six.

First Round Predictions:

East:

No.1 Chicago Bulls over No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers: Derrick Rose's health is an ongoing concern, but it won't affect the Bulls until later on. Bulls in five.

No. 3 Indiana Pacers over No. 6 Orlando Magic: No Dwight Howard, no chance for the Magic, who now look less like a playoff team than any of the 16 qualifiers. Pacers in five.

No. 4 Boston Celtics over No 5. Atlanta Hawks: The Celtics' age will catch up with them at some point, but Rajon Rondo will be a matchup nightmare in this one. Celtics in six.

West:

No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz: The Spurs won't let last year's disastrous early playoff exit repeat. The Jazz are a nice story, and should be proud to have made the playoffs. Spurs in five.

No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs won't successfully defend their title, but this will be a great series. Dallas can still bring it, and the Thunder have struggled a bit down the stretch. Oklahoma City gets through some adversity in a bit of a scare. Thunder in seven.

No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets have no closer. The Lakers have the best one in the game. Lakers in six.

No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers: In a close series, it always helps to have the best player on the floor. That guy in this one? Chris Paul. Clippers in seven.

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As we near to the conclusion of this wild 2011-12 NBA season, the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets are two teams hoping for totally different results. With six games left for the Knicks, winning half of them will probably secure a playoff spot. The Knicks and their fans had higher hopes entering the season, but after the longest 66-game season ever that felt like five different seasons in one (that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but work with me here), the Knicks will gladly sign up for a spot in the second season.

The Nets hope they can find a way into the top 3 in the NBA Draft lottery so that they can keep their draft pick. If not it goes to the TrailBlazers because of the Gerald Wallace trade. Enjoy your parting gift, New Jersey.

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Carmelo Anthony - Knicks

If you were putting together full-league player power rankings for the past month of so, you'd have to consider putting Anthony somewhere near the top. The shorthanded Knicks have needed him to be great, and he's been great. He's averaging nearly 33 points per game in his last five, going for 43 and 42 in a win against the Bulls and a loss to the Heat, respectively. He'll always have his detractors, like the New York Post's Peter Vecsey, who currently has a piece up with the headline "If New York Knicks offense goes through Carmelo Anthony, team can't win". So with the Knicks enduring the Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire injuries, it totally makes sense for them to run their offense through Landry Fields, Baron Davis, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Right.

2. Gerald Green - Nets

Not all has been lost for the Nets this season. Green, a first round pick in 2005, was out of the NBA when New Jersey came calling. He has responded by showing off the athleticism that got him to the league right out of high school to begin with. Over the last week he's averaged over 15 points a game in addition to one jaw-dropping slam a night.

3. J.R. Smith - Knicks

We've been through the whimsical experience that is watching J.R. Smith play basketball before, but he lands here almost solely on the heels of one shot. His late three-pointer to put the Knicks up over the Bucks last Wednesday was the Knicks' biggest make of the season. With the Knicks' current roster as is, they need Smith's offense.

4. Tyson Chandler - Knicks

The most consistent Knick all season keeps on churning, and last week was a monster on the boards. His rebound totals in the Knicks' past five games are 5, 15, 11, 15 and 16. Unfortunately, the five came on Sunday against the Heat, and you'll want to see more from Chandler against the big boys. But we're nitpicking - it's been near impossible to criticize him all season.

5. Kris Humphries - Nets

In the news once again because of things having nothing to do with basketball -- thanks, Kanye -- Humphries just kept on grinding out a career year. The forward put up an impressive double-double the last week of over 18 points and 10 rebounds. Not too bad for a guy that couldn't get a contract until just before the season started.


SB Nation New York Bottom Five

1. Sundiata Gaines - Nets

Perfect example of a guy that has a job simply because the Nets can't keep anyone healthy. Gaines played 12, 8 and 33 minutes in games this week and New Jersey's only win was the one that found him never getting off the bench. He showed some signs of life against the Heat, but not enough to get him off of this list.

2. Landry Fields - Knicks

At some point you have to start wondering whether Fields is even deserving of the "starting" shooting guard spot. Fields isn't the first option for Mike Woodson, as J.R. Smith has commandeered the fourth quarter shooting guard minutes from Fields, and with good reason. A very lackluster performance on Sunday vs. the Heat only further illustrated that Fields is in a bad way right now.

3. Johan Petro - Knicks

You won't believe me, but someone is going to take Petro off the Nets' hands during the offseason and not just because he's an expiring contract. Sure, he's a walking turnover that is constantly pushed around, but every so often he makes a move around the rim that makes you rewind the DVR to make sure the announcers got the name right. When you are seven feet and just 26 years old, there's always hope you can be salvaged.

4. DeShawn Stevenson - Nets

Another stellar week in what has been the worst season of Stevenson's career. He averaged three points in nearly 17 minutes and shot 4-for-17.

5. J.R. Smith's Evil Twin Brother - Knicks

Please stay away for the remainder of the season. Thanks.

Here's where SBNation's NBA guru Tom Ziller has the Knicks and Nets ranked in his latest weekly NBA Power Rankings:

14. New York Knicks: Peeling off one game in a playoff series has to be considered a win at this point, right? The thing is: this team should be better than the Knicks exactly one year ago. Those Knicks didn't have a tenable point guard (Chauncey Billups was injured) and Amar'e Stoudemire was banged up. But this version has Tyson Chandler. The Knicks should be a lot better than "flirting with .500."

23. New Jersey Nets: The Nets have two more games in New Jersey. Given that the opponents are the Knicks and Sixers, Nets fans will almost assuredly be outnumbered. Sounds about right. (It's kinda criminal how the Ratner and Prokhorov management teams treated Newark and north Jersey. We'll see if the league ever gives Newark another shot with a committed club that isn't just biding time.)

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There were times during the New York Knicks' visit to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday during which the Knicks looked the better, crisper, more motivated team. However, most of those moments came in the second and third quarters, and when the horn sounded, the Knicks found themselves on the losing end of a game that could be yet another huge turning point in this most tumultuous of seasons for New York. A 17-point lead wasn't enough as the Pacers poured in 40 fourth quarter points to knock off the Knicks and drop them back to the .500 mark at 27-27.

Carmelo Anthony had his best scoring game of the season, scoring 39 points on 17-of-31 shooting, but the offense wasn't the problem for the Knicks. Sure, they became stagnant in a fourth quarter in which they only scored 17 points, and the rest of the roster largely struggled from the field. But the Knicks seemed to lose their composure and defensive intensity in the final quarter, allowing Danny Granger to score 14 of his 27 overall points.

Both teams came out of the gate on fire as the first quarter ended 31 apiece. As the shooting tailed off on both sides, the Knicks were able to open up an eight point lead heading into halftime, finishing the second quarter on a 15- run. In the third quarter, the Knicks ran everything through Anthony and had success. He looked as good and as fluid as he has all season, posting up his defenders, making jumpshots over them or driving right past them for high-percentage shots. But the Knicks let their foot off the gas just a bit and weren't able to ratchet it back up, leading to the poor fourth quarter.

It seems to be an unpopular view among Knicks fans, but the type of offense the Knicks ran tonight - through Anthony, posting him up, isolating him with mismatches - is what will serve the Knicks best the rest of the way. As long as Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire are out injured, Anthony will be the unquestioned main guy. If the Knicks are to hold off the Milwaukee Bucks for the final spot in the playoffs, the offensive performance they showed tonight will likely do.

The defense? That will have to improve.

The volatile season for New York area basketball continued last week, with the New Jersey Nets surprisingly winning three straight while more injuries and controversy shrouded over the New York Knicks. After watching last night's NCAA National Championship game, it might be a good idea for the Nets to start losing some games, since the pick they sent to Portland in the Gerald Wallace deal is top-3 protected (meaning they'll keep it if the pick ends up being 1-3), and Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Thomas Robinson would all look pretty good in a Brooklyn Nets uniform next season. As for the beaten and battered Knicks, they're trying to keep the 8^th seed in the Eastern Conference and ward off the ever-charging Milwaukee Bucks, but will have to do so without Jeremy Lin. See how last week's performances shifted our SBNation New York Player Power Rankings:

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Gerald Wallace - Nets
For the first time all season, the Nets won three straight and Wallace was leading the charge. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds this week, including a monster 24 and 18 game against the Golden State Warriors. Wallace is giving Deron Williams the help on offense New Jersey thought they would have all season with Brook Lopez.

2. Carmelo Anthony - Knicks

The talk of this now being Carmelo's job to get done has heated up, and Anthony has responded by playing more akin to the perennial All-Star the Knicks acquired last February. Against the Magic last Wednesday, Anthony scored 25 points, doled out 6 assists and pulled down 5 boards, all while sitting out the entire 4^th quarter. In an ugly win over the Cavaliers on Saturday, Anthony shot 50% and collected 19 points. Making 27 out of 53 field goal attempts (a 51% clip) in the Knicks' past three games? New York will sign up for that the rest of the way.

3. Deron Williams - Nets
Being able to focus on distributing -- and not having to be a "one-man band" as Avery Johnson said this week -- has helped push New Jersey past the Pacers, Warriors and Kings. Sure, Williams still did plenty of scoring -- just over 19 points a game -- but averaged nearly 15 assists, including 20 at Golden State. He might not stay with the Nets when they make the move to Brooklyn, but you can't accuse him of doing anything but giving it his all down the stretch of these meaningless games.

4. Iman Shumpert - Knicks

Good luck figuring out Iman Shumpert. He looks like Dwyane Wade on some nights, Ricky Davis on others. He has two-straight 25-point efforts last week, against the Magic and Hawks, but then went just 3-of-12 against the Cavaliers. With Lin down, Baron Davis looking old and beaten and the ever-unreliable J.R. Smith getting serious minutes, the Knicks could use more of the Wade-like Shumpert the rest of the way.

5. Kris Humphries - Nets

The only person happier to have Wallace around other than Williams is Humphries. The forward no longer has to do all the dirty work on the glass and knows he has help above the rim from the high flying Wallace. No doubt Humphries will gladly "only" pull down 10 rebounds a game -- as he did this week -- if it means he doesn't have to take the beating that comes along with carrying the load.

SBNation New York Bottom 5

1. Jeremy Lin - Knicks

It's not Lin's play that ended him up in our Bottom 5, but that his meniscus tear and subsequent surgery couldn't have come at a worse possible time for the Knicks. With his absence severely hampering the Knicks' chances of getting into the Top 6 of the East, there's a good chance the next time we see Lin in a Knicks uniform will be in October.

2. Sundiata Gaines - Nets

The one thing that didn't change during the Nets winning streak was Avery Johnson holding his breath every time Deron Williams hit the bench. In the first two wins of the week, Williams had a +26 while Gaines could manage a -12. Certainly plus/minus can often be misleading, but with these two it's the perfect example of why New Jersey has trouble holding onto leads. Who knew losing Jordan Farmar would be such a blow to the Nets?

3. Baron Davis - Knicks

Davis looks old, slow and hurt - wait, he doesn't just look those things, he is those things...but the Knicks are going to need more from their point guard position if they want to safely secure a playoff spot. Davis averaged just 7 points and 5 assists last week, and more importantly, can't really crack the 30-minute plateau. It's not exactly Davis' fault, but remember when we all thought he'd be the savior? All we can say is thank goodness for Jeremy Lin.

4. Johan Petro - Nets

You know it's a good week when even Petro only ends up here because this section was created for him. He's actually looked like an NBA player during the Nets winning streak, averaging eight points and six rebounds. Even with a solid handful of games by his standards, few around the team would argue all parties are best served with Petro staying on the bench.

5. James Dolan/Mort Zuckerman/Cablevision/Daily News

You're all a bunch of clowns.

Here's where SBNation's Tim Ziller has the Knicks and Nets in his latest NBA Power Rankings:

18. New York Knicks - The loss of Jeremy Lin is incredibly unfortunate, not only because it makes Baron Davis a starter, but also because it makes Toney Douglas a rotation player.

23. New Jersey Nets - Deron Williams, 35 assists in a back-to-back this weekend, also ranks highly on the Bad Team MVP ladder, but I refuse to acknowledge that the Nets are even a team. The Nets are the NBA's version of a weird mid-career concept album.

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With two of the New York Knicks' top players down and out with injuries, it was time for Carmelo Anthony to step up.

Despite suffering a groin injury of his own, Anthony scored 28 points and hauled in 12 rebounds in his best scoring effort in quite some time to help the Knicks to a 89-80 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. The win got the Knicks back to .500 at 25-25 and put them 2.5 games ahead of the Bucks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It wasn't an offensive basketball fan's dream. The teams combined for 36 percent shooting from the field and 43 turnovers. Early on, however, it looked like the Bucks might run away with the game thanks to the white-hot shooting of Mike Dunleavy. Off the bench, Dunleavy had 24 first half points, helping the Bucks to a five-point advantage at the break. At one point in the second quarter, Dunleavy had 12 straight points and the Bucks led by nine, but the second half was a totally different story. The Bucks scored just 26 points in the third and fourth quarters, with Dunleavy scoring just two.

It wasn't a brilliant shooting night for Anthony, who made eight of his 20 shot attempts, but the Knicks' best scorer found his way to the free throw line 12 times and made each one. It was the type of game the Knicks needed from Anthony, with Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin both sidelined with injuries. Stoudemire is out indefinitely with a bulging disk in his back, and if he's out for a long period of time, more of the scoring load will fall on Anthony. Hopefully for the Knicks' sake, Anthony's groin doesn't become a bigger issue.

Free throw shooting in general was huge for the Knicks, as they scored just about a third of their points from the stripe. They needed it badly, given that most of the team struggled mightily from the field. Baron Davis started in place of Lin and played a season-high 34 minutes, finishing with 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting and seven assists. Davis also committed eight of the Knicks' 23 turnovers. Off the bench, J.R. Smith was only able to make three out of 13 shots, but found another way to contribute by pulling down 10 rebounds.

Just as the Knicks struggled, the Bucks (22-27) helped out with poor shooting of their own. Brandon Jennings, who usually gives the Knicks fits, attempted 22 shots but made just six. Newly acquired Monta Ellis was silent, finishing with just four points.

The Knicks can't afford to have any more of their key players miss time. Anthony figures to play through his groin injury as long as possible, just as he has all year through other nagging injuries. Whether or not the Knicks are at full strength, they'll have to win games the way they did on Monday, by grinding it out.

For more on the Knicks, head to Posting and Toasting, and for more on the Bucks, check out Brew Hoop. To follow the Knicks throughout the season, follow SB Nation New York's StoryStream.

On Monday, March 12, the New York Knicks dropped their sixth game in a row and fell to 18-24 on the season. That ended up being the last game Mike D'Antoni coached for the Knicks. Now, with Mike Woodson at the helm, the Knicks are a victory away from completely erasing the previous six-game slide, and inching closer to the above-.500 mark that this tumultuous season has been a struggle for. The Knicks can get back to even and win their sixth straight since the coaching chance on Friday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

In this wild and zany, truncated NBA and Knicks' season, perhaps what's more important than the Knicks' exact record is where they sit in relation to the playoff race. Currently, they are 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th and final playoff spot. But after beating the Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, the Knicks see a chance to snatch the division title, which would net home court advantage in the first round, and more importantly would avoid a first round matchup with the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat. The Knicks are an even three games behind the Sixers, who lead the Boston Celtics by just half a game for the division lead.

New York has turned its season around under Woodson. While who is coaching shouldn't be grounds for whether or not a professional athlete gives effort, it seems as though Woodson has prompted many of the Knicks to give more than they were under D'Antoni. Namely, the team's two star players Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire have a renewed energy, and while both still aren't scoring as they're capable, Anthony and Stoudemire are both chipping in in different ways to help the team win.

On Wednesday, Stoudemire looked like his old self, throwing down acrobatic dunks, hitting jumpshots from range. Most pleasantly surprising was his block of an Elton Brand layup attempt late in the fourth quarter, a glimpse of what Stoudemire can do defensively given his supreme athletic ability. Anthony might be injured, and could be feeling the ill effects of offseason surgery as he continues to struggle with his shooting, but he's still a focus of the opposing defense and has been solid in his rebounding and passing.

The place in the lineup of Jeremy Lin was thought to maybe be in question when Woodson took over, but that seemed to be merely a media creation. And it looks as though it might have sparked Lin, who has played his most balanced ball of the season in the past week or so. Lin certainly has the skill set to play any style of point guard, and he's still essentially a rookie. In the win over the Sixers, Lin poured in 16 fourth quarter points in perhaps the Knicks' biggest game of the season.

The Knicks visit a Raptors team who knows about Lin all too well. Linsanity hit a fever pitch in Toronto on Feb. 14, when he hit a last-second three to bury the Raptors. three days ago, Lin dished out 10 assists in a one-sided Knicks victory. At 15-32, the Raptors are on the clear wrong side of the playoff picture.

With a favorable schedule coming up, the Knicks have the chance to blow past the .500 mark and stay there. But again, the real prize is the division title. With new leadership, a new voice and a renewed sense of urgency, the Knicks are beginning to set different, loftier goals.

Since our last edition of the SBNation New York NBA Power Rankings, there was a seismic event in New York area basketball. Out went Mike D'Antoni as head coach of the Knicks, and in came Mike Woodson in the interim. The Knicks have responded by going 3-0 under Woodson.

As for the Nets, they acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland TrailBlazers, but unfortunately it looks as though he might be their marquee guy in the move to Brooklyn next year. With Dwight Howard re-upping in Orlando for another year, Deron Williams is expected to test the free agency waters this summer. For a week at least, it seems as if the two teams are going in opposite directions.

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Mike Woodson

With the resignation of Mike D'Antoni last Wednesday, in stepped Woodson as the interim coach. The immediate results? A renewed energy, a stiffer defense, and a 3-0 record. Sure, in just three games it's impossible to say that Woodson is a savior of any sort. But the Knicks have no doubt responded to the changing of the guard.

2. Carmelo Anthony

Anthony was going to come under some fire for D'Antoni's resignation, as most believe it was his unhappiness with the coach that led to the "mutual" parting of the ways. Now it's time for Anthony to put up or shut up, and while he hasn't put up gigantic numbers since D'Antoni left, he's been efficient. He's averaged 5 assists per game in the 3-game winning streak. The Knicks haven't been in a close game late in the fourth quarter under Woodson yet, and when that happens, you'll see Anthony get the lion's share of the touches. As he should.

3. Gerald Green
In what has been a disastrous final season in New Jersey, there have been few pleasant surprises. Green has been the rare exception, turning a couple 10-day contracts into a deal for the rest of the season thanks to another solid week. He started off with a 26 point effort against the Toronto Raptors in the Nets only win on Wednesday night and averaged over 15 points.

4. Deron Williams
He missed the Nets first two games of the week, but returned Saturday against the New Orleans Hornets and didn't miss a beat. Turning in performances of 20 and 28 points, Williams continues to be the only consistent option head coach Avery Johnson has on offense. The frustration is building with Williams, but it hasn't hurt his production.

5. J.R. Smith

Despite being a headache as expected (like tweeting a picture of his girlfriend's butt, and earning a technical for hanging on the rim late in a blowout against the Pacers) Smith has provided the Knicks with some hot shooting off the bench. After not scoring last Monday against the Bulls, Smith is averaging over 16 points per game in the Knicks' last three games. A lot of his points came in garbage time, but Smith finding his stroke is a good sign for the Knicks.

SBNation New York Bottom 5

1. Mike D'Antoni

The mutual parting of ways by D'Antoni and the Knicks last Wednesday proved that D'Antoni is a stubborn, one-dimensional coach. Him and Carmelo Anthony were never a good fit, but it's pretty tough to call yourself an "offensive genius" when you can't fashion a consistent offense with the likes of Anthony and Amare Stoudemire on your roster. D'Antoni is married to his ball movement, heavy-on-spacing offense where the focal point is the point guard. He's simply lost in any other scenario.

Think of this: Pat Riley successfully guided the "Showtime" Lakers of the 80s, a team that ran through Magic Johnson, its best player. When Riley came to the Knicks in the early 90s, he didn't force that same style on a roster that wasn't shaped for it. He knew better than to play run-and-gun through Derek Harper. He saw the roster (Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks) and ran a slow-down, drag it out style through its best player, Ewing. He adapted. Mike D'Antoni has just a bout proven that he can't. That's the last time D'Antoni and Riley should be mentioned in the same sentence.

2. Kris Humphries
A rare below average week for the power forward. In what has been a second fantastic season with New Jersey, Humphries didn't have any luck on offense, but at least he still managed to pull down nearly 13 rebounds per game.

3. MarShon Brooks
Along with Green, the rookie from Providence has been a bright spot for New Jersey. It would appear, however, Brooks has hit a wall. He struggled with his shot all week, headlined by an atrocious 1-for-11 against the Magic. Things didn't get much better as the week wrapped up with the Cleveland Cavaliers holding him to 3-for-10 from the field.

4. Baron Davis

This isn't for Davis' on-court performance, but rather his hard luck in getting injured last Friday against the Pacers. Davis needs to be healthy, because if not, Mike Bibby will be forced to play minutes.

5. Sundiata Gaines
It's never a good sign when you are immediately replaced in the rotation by a D-League call-up. That's exactly what happened this week with Gaines and Jerry Smith from the Springfield Armor.

Here is where SBNation's Tom Ziller has the Knicks and Nets ranked in his latest NBA Power Rankings:

15. New York Knicks: Mike Woodson hasn't inspired this much excitement since everyone noticed he burned off his eyebrows in a freak chemistry experiment.

26. New Jersey Nets: You make a trade to show Deron Williams that you're tired of losing and committed to winning. Two days later, you lose to the New Orleans Hornets. Is this a bad dream?

The New York Knicks couldn't have asked for a better start to the Mike Woodson era. Although it's an era that doesn't figure to last very long, the Knicks are 3-0 under their interim coach since he took over after the resignation of Mike D'Antoni. With 21 games remaining, the Knicks will need to keep their impressive run going if they plan on solidifying a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Heading into Tuesday's home clash with the Toronto Raptors, the Knicks own a half-game advantage over the Milwaukee Bucks for the final playoff spot. If the Knicks want to keep that spot or climb the standings, home games against teams below them in the standings have to end up as wins.

Since Woodson took over for D'Antoni, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by a total of 71 points in three games. The offense has been very balanced, as the highest single-game scoring output in the past three games was J.R. Smith's 23 mostly garbage-time points against the Portland Trail Blazers last Thursday. The Knicks have gotten production from all across the lineup, with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire shooting efficiently for the first time all season, the bench producing with the likes of Smith and Steve Novak, and the consistent presence of Tyson Chandler remaining.

There's also Jeremy Lin, who many thought would flounder with D'Antoni gone. However, Lin led the Knicks in Saturday's win over the Indiana Pacers with 19 points, and filled up the statsheet in one of the young guard's most impressive all-around performances of the season. The lineup likely would have remained unchanged anyway, but the recent hamstring in jury to Baron Davis all but ensures Lin will be the unquestioned starter the rest of the way.

At 21-24, the Knicks still have a ways to go if they plan on making any sort of deep playoff run. Any run would have to start with getting out of the seventh and eighth positions in the East, which would likely result in a first-round matchup with either the Miami Heat of Chicago Bulls. The newfound energy that Woodson's Knicks have employed should push them past teams like the Raptors, who enter the contest out of the playoff picture at 15-30. But, of course, the Knicks won't go undefeated the rest of the way. Unfortunately, their recent six-game slide that resulted in the resignation of D'Antoni put them behind the eight-ball. There isn't a lot of room for error.

Earlier this season, under D'Antoni, the Knicks lost a number of games against sub-par teams at home. Perhaps on Tuesday we'll see if the Knicks can keep the energy and effort level high when the stakes seem a bit lower.

Mike Woodson for mayor!

Not quite, but the interim coach of the New York Knicks has two blowout wins in his first two games at the helm. Two nights after pasting the Portland Trailblazers hours after Mike D’Antoni resigned from his coaching post, the Knicks responded with a 115-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks, who improved to 20-24 on the season, were boosted by Tyson Chandler, who co-led the team in scoring with 16 points, grabbing seven rebounds and playing at a +23 clip. But much like the win over the Blazers, this one was over early.

The Knicks jumped out to a 50-31 halftime lead, playing efficiently on offense and defending the way their fans hope they would under Woodson. Two games is not nearly a legitimate sample size, and the Knicks have faced two offensively-challenged teams since the coaching change, but the defensive effort in these first two games has been there. Offensively, the Knicks spread things around. Carmelo Anthony had just 12 points, but did chip in with seven rebounds and five assists despite making just four of his 12 shot attempts. Amare Stoudemire only notched 8 points.

There were reports earlier Friday that Woodson might soon replace Jeremy Lin at starting point guard. But in the two games under Woodson, Lin has been very efficient offensively. Tonight, he finished with 13 points and five assists, taking just seven field goal attempts and turning the ball over three times. Lin will have to continue his solid play, as Baron Davis left the game with a hamstring injury in perhaps the only negative for the Knicks all night.

The Knicks and Pacers get right back at it on Saturday, this time in Indianapolis.

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As fast as the New York Knicks seemed to rise when Jeremy Lin took over the team’s point guard duties, they’re falling even that much quicker since the All-Star break, and the return of Carmelo Anthony to the lineup from injury. New York is just 2-5 since Anthony rejoined the fray, including losing its last three games overall. The Knicks (18-21) will try and snap that streak on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team the Knicks generally struggle against.

Despite the Knicks’ poor record since he returned to the lineup, that isn’t to say that Anthony is solely to blame. The absence of difference-making Tyson Chandler on Tuesday against the Spurs was visible, and it showed that the Knicks simply aren’t the same defensive team without their starting center. Lin’s play has been more erratic (some will say that’s because Anthony is back) while Amare Stoudemire continues to find his way out of a shooting funk. The Knicks’ second unit, which looked so dangerous in the team’s last win — a blowout victory over the Cavaliers last week — has leveled off a bit.

Everything seems to start and end with Anthony, and that’s to be expected of the best player on every NBA team. While he isn’t totally at fault for the Knicks’ recent losses, there’s no doubt that the team’s record with and without him this season is one he probably isn’t too proud of. As dynamic an offensive player in the league when he want to be, Anthony simply hasn’t gotten going all season and is shooting a career-low from the field. The popular opinion is that Anthony and Lin don’t mesh, and that Anthony is a shoot-first player who doesn’t keep the ball moving. Those observations are fairly lazy at best, but when your team struggles with you and thrives without you, you’re going to hear some unfair and off-base criticisms. Simply, Anthony needs to be more efficient and start making more of the shots he does take. When that happens, the Knicks will all of a sudden look like a complete basketball team.

The Bucks (15-24) are currently three games behind the Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has won 11 of the past 13 meetings between the two teams. Point guard Brandon Jennings is averaging 20.1 points a game against New York and is 7-1 in his career against them. Many though the Knicks were wrong to draft Jordan Hill over Jennings in the 2008 NBA Draft, when they could have used a young talented point guard. Jennings doesn’t seem to have forgotten, and usually makes the Knicks pay.