BalLIN!

My how the Knicks teams have changed over the last few years. Going from Marbury, Francis, and Edy Curry, to Zach Randolph, Quetin Richardson, Tracy Mcgrady, and David Lee, to Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallanari, to now, with Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, and Tyson Chandler. The Knicks have always had one of the most talented starting line-ups, on paper. It's a different story how they all play together.

With Jeremy Lin having considerably the story of the NBA season so far, the Knicks are still only a .500 team. Who's to blame for this? Is it Carmelo hogging the ball? Is Amare past his prime? Is Dantoni a misfit? Is Tyson Chandler over-paid? Well all of these things are true, but there's not one person to point out. I believe Amare is getting to the age where he is just not that explosive foward he once was. He is still a solid post-man, but not the superstar he once was. Carmelo needs to take the amount of shots he does, after all he is still in the top 10 in the league. Yes, the Knicks should have spent their money wiser in the off-season, by not giving Tyson Chandler for $58 million contract over 4 years. Lastly, coach Dantoni has failed so far to make this team play together. It is not all his fault however, this team has went through more transactions in the past year, than most teams have in 4-5 years. The only player that is still in the starting lineup from last year is SG Landry Fields.

The Knicks organization have always had perosnal issues off the court. From the Isiaih Thomas scandals, to the Stephon Marbury/Larry Brown fight, which lead to the termination of Larry Brown, to Donnie Walsh rebuilding the team, to trading for Carmelo. This team is always in the press, which turns into lots of off-court drama and makes a big problem on the court. We all wonder why when a certain player that goes to the Knicks, gets progressively worse. It's one of the hardest environments in all of sports to be a part of and to suceed.

We all need to understand this team needs time to figure out their teammates. They need a leadership role from Carmelo as well, he is responsible for making sure his teammates get enough shots, giving their team a chance to win even if the team has a bad night, and he is expected to be there when his team needs a clutch basket in the end to win. This team doesn't need to make a dramatic move to improve their team, they need time to play together. The best has yet to come for the Knicks bright future.