Daily Rant: 3/2/11

Another big test for the Knicks yesterday against the Orlando Magic and it proved once again that talented big men in the NBA are few and far between and are priceless. Dwight Howard dominated every defender that the Knicks threw at him and poured in 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.  The Knicks held a 12 point lead at half time after they were down by 12 early, but the Knicks "big 3" lack size and have not shown that they can defend the paint against the league's top centers. Which begs the question, can the Knicks go far against teams with dominant centers?? There is no doubt that acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups was the right move for the organization, but in the four games that they have played, Melo has under performed compared to Billups and Melo was the main target of the three team deal. It will take some getting used to for Amare Stoudemire to play alongside his two new teammates, but one thing that will not work itself out is the absence of a true center on the roster. The Knicks did not address their needs for a center when they traded for Melo and Billups. They even gave away the only player they had that could actually play the position, Timofey Mozgov. Not that Mozgov is Dwight Howard, but he is 7-1 and 250 pounds. Which does throw something at opposing centers by way of defense. It wasn't surprising to see the Knicks beat the Miami Heat on Sunday night because they match up well against them. The Heat also lack size and their defense is suspect as well. So for most fans, the big EAST test for the Knicks was really to beat the Magic. Could the Knicks contain the explosive Howard in the paint?? Obviously not. For this year going forward, the Knicks do have a very good chance of making the playoffs and winning some games in the first and second rounds. The Knicks can score as fast and as much as anyone in the Eastern Conference, they don't play a lot of defense, but that won't affect their scoring more then the other team. The problem will be when they face teams like the Magic, who have good, solid centers and a talented supporting cast around them. The Knicks are far from being a complete, balanced team and until they make it a priority to get bigger at the 5-spot, they won't achieve as much as they had hoped for after the Melo trade. The funny thing is, one year ago, the Knicks weren't even relevant in the NBA regular season discussions, let alone playoff talks. So cheers to Donnie Walsh for resurrecting the Garden once again!