The NEW New York Knicks

By Christopher Ortiz

Close friend, sports enthusiast, & die-hard Knicks fan. 

Has anybody seen the New York Knicks this year? If not you must be living under a rock! Let’s take a brief moment and look back at the 2012 season for a moment shall we? The Knicks were a sub-par team playing in the MECCA of the basketball world and with an abysmal record of 9-15, they weren’t making any plans to be in the big dance come June. Granted the team had 2 perennial All-stars in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, but due to bad chemistry and the injury bug; the Knicks fell short in the first round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat. Ok fast forward to the 2013 season, New York Knicks fans are on their feet, Madison Avenue is buzzing and the Garden is packed night in and night out with the emergence of the New "Look" Knicks.  With Carmelo taking the reigns as the true leader of this team and Tyson Chandler controlling the painted area with his defensive prowess; the Knicks look better than ever. 

Currently they are the 2^nd seed in the east with 31-15 record and are just a ½ game back behind the heat for the top spot. The Knicks are clicking on all cylinders and are currently riding a 5 game winning streak. The biggest contribution outside of Carmelo is the role Amare has taken over since coming back from injury. Taking a role off the bench, Amare provides a fire the team needs along with JR Smith and Steve “Novocain” Novak. With Iman Shumpert back from a knee injury that he suffered in last year’s playoffs, and the arrival of Father Time himself Jason Kidd; the Knicks have put themselves in prime position to make a run deep into June to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy and dethrone the Miami Heat.  

As a die-hard knick fan, I can only hope the Knicks continue this route and get better defensively as this may be their only Achilles heel. So I guess time will be our true judge… is this a phase or are these truly the NEW New York Knicks…… #KnicksTape