Can anybody catch the Knicks in the Atlantic?

[TheToothFairy]

Totally agree, the playoffs are all about match-ups and home court, well home-court is well kind of dimished and Nets match up fairly well. Couple that the knicks inability to get to the second round over the course of the last 10 years(1 game won), it's not that hard to see a tough well fought series but yeah no not a snow flakes chance in hell the nets catch the knicks for first in the atlantic.

Is this still being recognized as a legitimate argument? Does this also mean the Nyets will miss playoffs all together?

No because we are a brand new team and have nothing to go by.

You guys have the core of your team from the last two seasons which is 1-8 in the playoffs.

In fact you guys have Melo who I think has the lowest winning percentage in the playoffs of all time.. or right up there with McGrady as inefficient volume scorers tend not to do well in the playoffs... as those two have evidenced.

In fact, not knowing the match-ups, I would make an avy or sig bet that the Knicks don't make the ECF.
Any takers?

Core?

What? There are NINE new players.
Kidd
brewer
Camby
Felton
Prigioni
Copeland
White
Thomas
Sheed

The rest of the team has played 2 yrs or less

Shumpert hasn't even played this season

Amare 2 games

Smith less than a season

[Tron Carter]

^ Not to mention if your going to include Tyson in the core (like you should) then he only played in the previous playoff series against the Heat.

The one Deron Williams was watching at home.

[Trader_Joe]

Core?

What? There are NINE new players.
Kidd
brewer
Camby
Felton
Prigioni
Copeland
White
Thomas
Sheed

The rest of the team has played 2 yrs or less

Shumpert hasn't even played this season

Amare 2 games

Smith less than a season

Core = 2 best players (Melo + Chandler) + Amare + Shumpert + JR + Novak which was 4/5 of your starting line-up last season and your 6th + 7th men.

Many of those 9 player won't see minutes in the playoffs when healthy.

Kidd will determine who far these team goes as the main addition to the core.

[Trader_Joe]

I'll ask again.. you guys want to make Sig/Avy bet that the Knicks don't make the ECF?
I have no problem doing it now not even knowing the match-ups and am willing to take that chance.
Are you?

[Tron Carter]

Core?

What? There are NINE new players.
Kidd
brewer
Camby
Felton
Prigioni
Copeland
White
Thomas
Sheed

The rest of the team has played 2 yrs or less

Shumpert hasn't even played this season

Amare 2 games

Smith less than a season

Core = 2 best players (Melo + Chandler) + Amare + Shumpert + JR + Novak which was 4/5 of your starting line-up last season and your 6th + 7th men.

Many of those 9 player won't see minutes in the playoffs when healthy.

Kidd will determine who far these team goes as the main addition to the core.

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

[Tron Carter]

With 50 games left, it's possible, but unlikely. Although the Knicks have regressed to the mean from their insanely hot start and it remains to be seen how Amare will mesh with this team, I think they'll win the division. I think the better question to ask is if they can make a deep run in the playoffs.

So a 1/2 game out of the first in the East is considered the mean now?

[Trader_Joe]

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

Core of last season's team. I saw that team play and know what they look like and what they produce.

I'm standing behind my statements and willing to make a bet to defend them. Take me up on it if you are so confident they will succeed in the playoffs.

[devv83]

Yall nets fans are funny man. You guys keep trying to judge the knicks and melo by the past cpl of years. Everyone who watched the team play can tell you the knicks are a diff team, they have a three capable point guards, tremendous depth, not to mention a top 5 player who has made tons of adjustments to his game.

Judging the 2013 knicks based on the playoff play of the 2011and 2012 knicks who had a diff coach and no point guard is FOOLISH, its no difference then saying the nets are the same team from last its FOOLISH

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

[Tron Carter]

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

Core of last season's team. I saw that team play and know what they look like and what they produce.

I'm standing behind my statements and willing to make a bet to defend them. Take me up on it if you are so confident they will succeed in the playoffs.

I'd rather bet on which team makes it out of the first round as recent history has shown neither has the ability to do so.

[Trader_Joe]

Yall nets fans are funny man. You guys keep trying to judge the knicks and melo by the past cpl of years. Everyone who watched the team play can tell you the knicks are a diff team, they have a three capable point guards, tremendous depth, not to mention a top 5 player who has made tons of adjustments to his game.

Judging the 2013 knicks based on the playoff play of the 2011and 2012 knicks who had a diff coach and no point guard is FOOLISH, its no difference then saying the nets are the same team from last its FOOLISH

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

And yet no one is willing to take my bet that the Knicks won't make the ECF.

Perhaps it's because
-Age/minutes/conditioning will catch up to players like Kidd, Prigioni, Felton, Chandler and perhaps others
-Teams like Indy and Chicago are catching up.. without their best players
-They know the playoffs are different than the regular season
-Their defense has regressed

I agree the Knicks are a different team and Melo a different player.. and I credit Kidd for most of that.. I just don't know if they have the type of team that will succeed in the playoffs.

[omerome]

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

Core of last season's team. I saw that team play and know what they look like and what they produce.

I'm standing behind my statements and willing to make a bet to defend them. Take me up on it if you are so confident they will succeed in the playoffs.

This year's team and last year's team is different. If you're going by history and trends, the Knicks should have no business with a 22-10 record, but here we are. As a matter of fact, they should be where the Nets are right now - mediocre, but they are not.

I'll never understand arguments such as, well Melo has the worst playoff winning percentage in NBA history or that the Knicks have only won a playoff game in the last ten years so they will not do anything in the future. NBA rosters are not static, they are ever changing. Players come and go, coaches come and go. What you saw in that team was how they played last year but no one, not even Woodson knows what this team fully healthy can do this season.

I am not going to proclaim the Knicks will in fact make it to the ECF, not even a coach should make such a guarantee. They can set goals and do what they can to reach it but nothing is set in stone in the NBA. With that said, once everyone is healthy, the Knicks have a chance - and that's all a team needs, to reach the ECF. To say they won't because of past struggles based on what happened 2-3+ years ago is irrelevant today.

[Trader_Joe]

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

Core of last season's team. I saw that team play and know what they look like and what they produce.

I'm standing behind my statements and willing to make a bet to defend them. Take me up on it if you are so confident they will succeed in the playoffs.

I'd rather bet on which team makes it out of the first round as recent history has shown neither has the ability to do so.

I'm not making any claims about the Nets in the playoffs.. other than I think they match up well with NY and could take them in the playoffs. Otherwise, I don't think BK can beat Miami, Chicago (with Rose) or maybe Indy (if Granger is 100%). Atlanta I have no idea as we haven't played them yet.. we have a back to back coming up soon though.

I'm talking about NY's success in the playoffs..regardless of who they face.

[Ronito]

Hollinger's playoffs odds have it at 88% chance the Knicks win the division. So, no.

[Trader_Joe]

Why would you include Shumpert when he didn't even finish game 1?

Core of last season's team. I saw that team play and know what they look like and what they produce.

I'm standing behind my statements and willing to make a bet to defend them. Take me up on it if you are so confident they will succeed in the playoffs.

This year's team and last year's team is different. If you're going by history and trends, the Knicks should have no business with a 22-10 record, but here we are. As a matter of fact, they should be where the Nets are right now - mediocre, but they are not.

I'll never understand arguments such as, well Melo has the worst playoff winning percentage in NBA history or that the Knicks have only won a playoff game in the last ten years so they will not do anything in the future. NBA rosters are not static, they are ever changing. Players come and go, coaches come and go. What you saw in that team was how they played last year but no one, not even Woodson knows what this team fully healthy can do this season.

I am not going to proclaim the Knicks will in fact make it to the ECF, not even a coach should make such a guarantee. They can set goals and do what they can to reach it but nothing is set in stone in the NBA. With that said, once everyone is healthy, the Knicks have a chance - and that's all a team needs, to reach the ECF. To say they won't because of past struggles based on what happened 2-3+ years ago is irrelevant today.

I understand all of this. In fact I thought they would be #4 in the East going into the season (ahead of BK) and behind Miami, Boston and Indy. I thought they would be #6 prior to last season.. and they were #7. I think I have a good understanding of this team as I get to see them any time I want.

It's playoff basketball that I have my doubts about and always have. I think they are a great regular season team with their depth and shooting and don't think they lose the Atlantic. But considering many thought they were the best or second best team in the East, I figured most thought they were going to the ECF.

[infam0us]

Hollinger's playoffs odds have it at 88% chance the Knicks win the division. So, no.

Raptors have 5.1% chance of making the finals

[bigbreakfast]

With 50 games left, it's possible, but unlikely. Although the Knicks have regressed to the mean from their insanely hot start and it remains to be seen how Amare will mesh with this team, I think they'll win the division. I think the better question to ask is if they can make a deep run in the playoffs.

So a 1/2 game out of the first in the East is considered the mean now?

Let me copy/paste the rest of that sentence for you: "Regressed to the mean from their insanely hot start." Meaning they were not able to sustain their statistically aberrant great start. If you're going to bold a statement I made, at least bold the entire sentence. Either you really have reading comprehension problems or you are being dense on purpose. Which one is it?

[Muggsy Bogues]

With 50 games left, it's possible, but unlikely. Although the Knicks have regressed to the mean from their insanely hot start and it remains to be seen how Amare will mesh with this team, I think they'll win the division. I think the better question to ask is if they can make a deep run in the playoffs.

So a 1/2 game out of the first in the East is considered the mean now?

The East sorta sucks. The Warriors have an identical record and we're only 4th in the West (with Memphis like half a game behind).

[panthermark]

Raps locked up the division before the season even started.

[King_John]

As much as I dislike the NYK (mostly due to their annoying fanbase) I have to admit they are far in front of their opponents in the Atlantic division.The Brooklyn Nets may improve during the season but not enough to catch the Knicks.

[omerome]

I understand all of this. In fact I thought they would be #4 in the East going into the season (ahead of BK) and behind Miami, Boston and Indy. I thought they would be #6 prior to last season.. and they were #7. I think I have a good understanding of this team as I get to see them any time I want.

It's playoff basketball that I have my doubts about and always have. I think they are a great regular season team with their depth and shooting and don't think they lose the Atlantic. But considering many thought they were the best or second best team in the East, I figured most thought they were going to the ECF.

I don't believe many thought the Knicks would have the best or second best record in the East prior to the season starting. I am curious to see some proof on that.

The Knicks have yet to play at full strength and again, going back to the beginning of the season, they were called old and the barely improved with Raymond "Fatton" and two old PGs. I was hearing that Kidd was washed up because of his last season in Dallas and Melo won't be enough for this team to do anything.

What this Knicks roster does in the playoffs is a mystery. Using prior years results as evidence won't work.