Guest Post: Four Things We Learned From The Heat’s Win Over the Knicks

As the New York Knicks continue to improve, the more fans want to jump on the bandwagon. But our guest blogger this week has been rooting for the Knicks throughout--through the good times...and the Isiah Thomas times. He was at Madison Square Garden when there was no one there and he's seen the building slowly fill up as the Knicks have gained traction in 2010. He was also there last night to witness LeBron take apart the Knicks defense and he brings us some insight of what we learned last night. Without further ado, let's turn it over to Russell Simon for a guest post on four things we learned last night:
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LeBron was too much for a "mere" 24-point, 14-board Amare (The Record)

1. When Amare Isn’t Playing At An MVP Level, The Knicks Can’t Beat The Best.
Stoudamire has been one of the best players in the league throughout the Knicks 8-game win streak, averaging 26.6 points per game and 9.3 rebounds. He had 39 against the Celtics and almost single-handedly got people talking about the Knicks again. Unfortunately for the Knicks, when STATS not on, the Knicks aren’t either. He had 24 points, but was 11 for 28 shooting, and missed five free throws. It seems like it will take 30 points and 10 rebounds from Amare for the Knicks to win, and for them to go far the have to find ways to win when he has a mere 24 point 14 rebound day.

2. If The Knicks Starters Keep Playing This Much, They Won’t Make It To March Much Less Into The Playoffs
Mike D’Antoni has a problem: Rest Amare, Felton and Gallo and watch the team implode, or play them for a consistent 35 minutes a game. Amare is second in the NBA in minutes played with 37.6 minutes per game. Stoudamire had micro fracture surgery on his left knee in 2005, and like Raymond Felton, is playing more then he ever has in his career. This also shows just how horrible the Knicks bench is as they added only 12 points last night, with 8 coming from Toney Douglas and 4 coming in garbage time. The Knicks have to get their bench more involved, if only to give some of the starters a break, but can’t do that without the risk of falling behind, as they did in the second quarter against the Heat.

3. It Will Take Perfect Execution, and Lots of Points to Beat The Heat
Miami is easily the best offensive team I have seen in a long time. The big 3 combined for 84 points last night, and watching them run is a thing of beauty. James had 32 and provided flashbacks of his 50 point outburst at the Garden last year. Wade and Bosh ad 26 a piece and helped put the game away from the beginning of the second half. This is a team that can score at will and offensively the Knicks didn’t execute well enough to make it a game. No team stands a chance of beating Miami if they go 13-23 from the free throw line, and the Knicks didn’t execute well enough to stand a chance in the second half.

4. The Knicks Aren’t Back Yet, But They’re Close
Sure I probably wouldn’t be writing this if Amare’s shot on Wednesday had gotten of in .04 seconds instead of .06, but it didn’t and the Knicks have to start beating teams that will easily contend for a championship. During the 8 game streak the Knicks beat New Orleans, New Jersey, Minnesota, Toronto, and Denver, among other mostly mediocre, if not bad teams. The Knicks have to start beating the Celtics--and the other top teams--and not just go on streaks of dominant play against lottery bound teams.
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Thank you Russell. Some very good points there. I think one of the biggest issues against the Celtics were that his starting 5 were gassed during the game. Toney Douglas is the only bench player that D'Antoni seems to have any faith in and you can't get by on a 6-man rotation. Some great analysis there from Russell and hopefully we'll hear from him later in the season to do a Knicks playoff preview post...