Players who are online betting for Kentucky Derby odds are always looking for a horse that is going to emerge as a good longshot bet, and many thought that New York would be that team after their trade-deadline acquisition of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. But as Miami has been proving all season, it takes time for chemistry to be built, and the Knicks will now head into the offseason looking to bolster their roster and join the likes of the Heat and Boston as contenders to come out of the East. The Knicks were swept by Boston, but they had an eventful first round as they probably should have won the first two games on the road, they were hit with an injury to Amare Stoudemire in Game 3, and they dug too deep of a hole in the final game. Anthony averaged 26.0 points, 10.3 boards and 4.8 assists, including a massive performance in Game 3 in which he notched 42 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, but Anthony’s age-old problem popped up a number of times in this series. While Anthony may be the best pure scorer in the NBA, he is a ball-stopper a lot of the time and coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense is based on the ability to move the ball. Those watching NBA scores have also noticed that Stoudemire, who was stricken with back spasms in Game 3, isn’t a big part of the offense with Anthony dominating the ball, and the Knicks have to figure out how to get the two superstars going in the same game. Billups also played one game in the series before a knee problem put him on the sidelines, but he has stated already that he wants to come back to New York next season. Still, there is more drama surrounding the Knicks than an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, as we don’t know if general manager Donnie Walsh is going to be back next season. If Walsh isn’t back, then it’s safe to assume that D’Antoni won’t return, and that adds a whole new set of problems for the Knicks, who need some sort of continuity if they want to continue their ascent through the East. The Knicks failed to make the key stops they needed to make against Boston, and they have to bring in someone to help their team improve defensively, although the real factor is getting Anthony and Stoudemire to buy into a system. As their series with Boston shows, the game slows down in the playoffs, and the Knicks are a run-and-gun team who depend on their ability to score. The Knicks failed to reach 100 points in any of their four games against the Celtics, and if they’re not able to score, they have to defend. Until they sort out that aspect of their team, New York won’t move up the ranks at your favorite online betting sites.
