Knicks Left Standing as Last Undefeated Team

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The Knicks are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season and setting records in the process.  They are the first team in franchise history to win the first three games of the season by 15+ points and set an NBA record by knocking down 43 three points in those games.  The Knicks are also the last standing undefeated team in the NBA, as the Clippers beat the Spurs and the Bulls beat the Magic earlier in the week.

What makes this start so impressive, even though it is still early in the season, is that the Knicks are playing without three key rotation players in Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert and Marcus Camby.  Camby is expected to make his season debut Friday night against the Mavericks, but Stoudemire and Shumpert are out for multiple weeks.

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One reason for the great play is because the Knicks have three seasoned veterans at the point guard position that have the respect of their teammates and can run an offense.  Raymond Felton, on his second go-round with the Knicks, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni have been getting everyone involved in the offense and offer a calming influence when on the court.  The three players have combined for 42 assists compared to 17 turnovers, seemingly to always put their teammates in the easier position to score.

Kidd has been forced into the starting lineup with the injury to Stoudemire and ran with the role.  He starts at the 2 for the Knicks and the offense clicks with him on the court.  It’s another player willing to make an extra pass on the court in the starting lineup and the savvy-ness of Kidd cannot be measured as he is capable of hitting anyone cutting to the basket.  For at least one week, these three have combined to make Knick fans finally realize losing Jeremy Lin was not as bad as many people made it out to be.

Another positive to the three guards is that they can all handle the ball well as the lead guard or play off the ball.  Kidd has become an exceptional spot up shooter and Felton demands attention at the three point line; this enables the Knicks to play any three of the point guards on the guard together because they can adapt to different roles, something that is a vast improvement over the team from last season.  Last season, the Knicks were unable to even get one consistent ball handler on the court, leading to a bevy of turnovers and no cohesion on the offensive side of the ball. 

Another factor in the great start to the season is the play of J.R. Smith.  Throughout his career, Smith has been looked at as an enigma, someone with all the potential in the world but never mature enough to harness his ability.  Smith admittedly has said he has never missed a shot he has disliked, is known for outbursts and chucking up bad shots whenever he pleases, driving coaches nuts; thus far through this season none of those negatives are showing.

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Smith seems to have been harnessed by head coach Mike Woodson, as Woodson allows Smith to be himself but is very hard on him at the same time.  Smith respects Woodson and plays hard for him every night.  Smith is more under control this season and it has shown, as he is the second most efficient player on the Knicks with a Player Efficiency Rating, a metric used by ESPN’s John Hollinger to measure players efficiency on a per-minute basis, with a 20.3 behind only Carmelo Anthony’s 24.0.

Anthony is another player who has set the tone for the Knicks, as he finally looks comfortable in his role with the team.  Anthony has always been looked at as a one-dimensional player, only showing up on the offensive end of the court, but thus far this season that is not true.  He leads the Knicks in scoring, like he should, but he also leads the team in rebounding and blocks.  He has also shown an improved effort on defense, going toe-to-toe with Lebron James in the first game of the season and guarding Thaddeus Young both nights against Philadelphia. 

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Anthony also looks more comfortable as the whole burden of leading the team no longer falls upon only his shoulders as the veteran presence of Kidd, Camby, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas has really helped Anthony.  All of those players bring loads of experience and a wealth of knowledge for not only Anthony but the rest of the team to benefit from. 

The Knicks cannot get full of themselves though, as they are still only three games into the season with a long way to go. Felton put it in perspective saying, “We can’t be satisfied right now.  We’re not going to lay it down like ‘We’ve got everything figured out.’ We still got a long way to go.  We still got to get better on defense, we still got to execute better on offense.  We still got a lot of things we got to do.  We’ve got to rebound better.”

Felton is 100 percent right with what he said; the Knicks cannot get comfortable because they have had a successful first week.  They have a great opportunity to build on this early success though, as a banged up Mavericks squad visits Madison Square Garden Friday night and a game in Orlando against an inferior Magic team next Tuesday. No one will remember this start if the Knicks begin to struggle or they have another early exit in the playoffs, so it is imperative to just keep building off of this and make this into something special.

Knicks Sweep Home-and-Home in Blowout

Monday, November 6^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 110 Philadelphia 76ers: 88

Knicks Sweep Home-and-Home in Blowout

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Another night, another win for the Knicks as they blew out the 76ers 110-88 in the second game of the home-and-home series between the teams.  The blowouts the Knicks handed the 76ers made them only the fourth team since the 2000-2001 season defeat the same team on back-to-back nights by 16+ points each time. 

In the process, the Knicks moved to 3-0 for the first time since 1999-2000 season and re-wrote the record book in the process.  It was the first time in franchise history that the Knicks started the season 3-0 by winning all of their games by double digits.  They also set NBA records but winning their first three games of the season by 15+ points each and also making the most three pointers in three games to start a season with 43, knocking down another 13 Monday night. 

The Knicks got off to a slow start, but quickly put it behind them and went on to dismantle Doug Collins’ squad.  It was a balanced effort from the Knicks, as seven players scored in double figures, led by 21 from Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony paired with Raymond Felton to bring the Knicks out of the hole they fell into at the start, going down 9-0 before scoring.

Anthony and Felton combined for 25 points in the first half, with Anthony doing most of his damage inside, as he struggled from behind the arc going one for six.  Felton, obviously motivated in his second stint with the Knicks, scored 16 points for the game and added eight assists with only two turnovers.  With Anthony on the court, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 20 and Felton finished with a plus 12.

Felton was part of the three-pronged attack the Knicks use at point guard along with Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni.  Combined, the three combined for 16 assists and only four turnovers.  They are getting their teammates in position for easy baskets and running the offense fluidly; the ball is stopping less and ball movement has been outstanding thus far. 

J.R. Smith continued his spirited play to start the season, lighting up the 76ers for the second consecutive game.  Smith finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.  He also had a thunderous dunk off a pass from Prigioni that no one was stopping.

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Smith has been everything the Knicks wanted and more off the bench, providing the scoring punch they desperately need but also looking like a much more mature player than who ended last season.  If Smith keeps playing like this, the Knicks are that much more dangerous. 

Tyson Chandler also had a strong game even though he was hampered by flu-like symptoms that turned out to be strep throat.  Chandler played 29 minutes, scoring 14 points and grabbing six boards.  He also added a block to his stat sheet and was the usual presence in the paint for the Knicks.

The defense for the Knicks was once again stellar, as the 76ers shot only 33.7 percent for the game.  Jrue Holiday had another good game for the 76ers, scoring 17 points and handing out eight assists but was forced into four turnovers.  Evan Turner was once again shutdown by Ronnie Brewer, as Turner scored only 22 points in the two games combined.

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Rasheed Wallace stepped out of his victory cigar role he held the first two games a little bit, getting extended minutes in his hometown of Philadelphia.  Wallace entered halfway through the third quarter, to the excitement of the crowd, and played 14 minutes total.  Wallace played well in his time on the court, knocking down two three pointers, the second of which was a buzzer beater that sent the Knicks bench and crowd into a frenzy.  Wallace finished with 10 points on four of nine shooting with three rebounds and two blocks.

The Knicks will have three days off before welcoming the Dallas Mavericks to Madison Square Garden Friday night.  The Knicks will most likely get Tuesday off and get back to practice Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for the Mavericks.  The Mavericks will be without Dirk Nowitzki, but they are still not a team to take lightly with Darren Collison playing the best basketball of his career and O.J. Mayo leading the NBA in three-pointers made.  Marcus Camby is also tentatively scheduled to make his season debut in his second run with the Knicks.

Knicks Blown Out by Raptors in Montreal

Friday, October 19 2012

Final Score: New York Knicks: 88 Toronto Raptors: 107

Knicks Blown Out by Raptors in Montreal

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The Knicks struggled tonight against the Toronto Raptors, getting blown out most of the game after a very strong first quarter eventually falling 107-88 to the Raptors.  The Knicks struggled with continuity and had a lot of lapses on the defensive end, leading to easy baskets for the opposition.

Amar’e Stoudemire made his first appearance this preseason and played well in his return.  Stoudemire finished with 18 points and five rebounds and one block in 27 minutes. 

Stoudemire clearly needs to get his endurance up, as he had his shot blocked a few times as his left started to wane as the game went on but showed great burst when getting some rest as he had some monstrous dunks.  Stoudemire also had his jump shot working, scoring from multiple areas on the court.

Carmelo Anthony struggled with his shot tonight, going 0 for 7 from three point range and 8 for 20 overall.  Anthony was able to get to the line frequently, knocking down 8 of 11 free throws.  Anthony finished the game with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists. 

Anthony and Stoudemire need to step up on the defensive end, as offense is no longer the main problem with both of them on the court.  Anthony finished -18 tonight and Stoudemire -15, as the effort just was not where it needed to be tonight on the defensive end of the court. 

Raymond Felton really struggled tonight also; turning the ball over six times and being badly outplayed by Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry.  With the point guard struggling, the offense was never able to get into a rhythm and was off all night.  The Knicks need to get back to the pick-and-roll offense, as at times they were very stagnant tonight and just hoisted jump shots from the perimeter.

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Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd did have solid games in the backcourt off the bench, combining for nine assists and only two turnovers between them.  Prigioni also showed great effort on the defensive end, getting three steals.

James White was solid for the Knicks tonight too.  After a slow start, White got a talking to from the coaching staff and came back into the game with a sense of urgency and played with higher intensity.  White’s stats won’t jump off the stat sheet, as he scored six points and had two assists, but did play great on the defensive end.  If White can knock down the corner three point shot, he will have a valuable role on the second unit for the Knicks.

The glaring problem tonight for the Knicks was in the paint, as the Raptors outscored the Knicks 46-44 in the paint and out rebounded the Knicks 45-32.  The Knicks did not bring the intensity needed tonight, as the Raptors showed up and brought it to the Knicks.  The Knicks struggled to get second opportunities, as the Raptors attempted 19 more shots than the Knicks did.

Another big discrepancy in the game was in shooting percentages, as the Raptors shot 46.2 percent from the three point line, going 12 for 26 and the Knicks shot a putrid 5 for 27, good for 18.5 percent.  Perimeter defense is something that should be shored up once Ronnie Brewer and Iman Shumpert return from injury, but perimeter shooting can be a problem for the Knicks all season as Steve Novak is the only consistent threat the Knicks have from deep.

Next up for the Knicks is another game against the Celtics Saturday night at 7:30 P.M. in Albany, New York.  The Knicks lineup will have a different look to it, as many starters may not see the court at all.  Amar’e Stoudemire has already been ruled out of the game, as it is the second game of a back to back.

Knicks Drop Celtics in Second Preseason Game

Saturday, October 13 2012

Final Score: New York Knicks: 98 Boston Celtics: 95

Knicks Drop Celtics in Second Preseason Game

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If the preseason is any indication of how the regular season is going to go, the Knicks and Celtics are going to have some memorable match-ups this coming season.  For a preseason game, the competition was fierce and players were going at it with high intensity.  Like any time the Knicks and Celtics meet on the court, there was trash talking and tough play, as there was two technicals and flagrant fouls.  The Knicks were able to take this one against the Celtics 98-95, with fans hoping more of the same come the regular season.

The Knicks pick-and-roll offense once again was clicking tonight even without one of the main weapons on that scheme in Amar’e Stoudemire.  Tonight, Tyson Chandler and Chris Copeland took advantage as the screener. 

Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni all ran the pick-and-roll well tonight, rotating as the main ball handler while on the court.  They provided precise alley-oop passes to the rolling screeners and opened up great scoring opportunities with the lanes being created. 

The ability to play the pick-and-roll led the Knicks to 44 points in the paint, outscoring the Celtics who manage 34.  When Stoudemire returns from injury, he will add yet another dimension to the offense, as he can be the screener or set up at the wings prepared to take jump shots.

Defense tonight was a strong point for the Knicks, as the second unit really stepped it up in the fourth quarter.  Led by Kidd and Prigioni each getting two steals, the second unit played outstanding and was a big reason the Knicks came out on top tonight.  Copeland, who didn’t play in the first half, scored 21 points in the game and grabbed four rebounds, putting on his best Carmelo Anthony impersonation.  The performance tonight should give Mike Woodson and his staff a positive feeling of where the second unit is heading, even without top gun J.R. Smith, who sat out tonight with a sore left ankle.  

There were some negatives the Knicks need to work on tonight, with one glaring negative being transition defense.  The Knicks managed only two fast break points compared to the 12 the Celtics score; a number that could have been much higher for the Celtics.  Rajon Rondo presents a nightmare for any opposing defense, but the Knicks will need to limit these opportunities for their opponents as they are more geared towards grinding it out in the half-court.

The Knicks need to also continue to build continuity on the offensive side of the ball, as they became very stagnant at points tonight, with players just standing around the perimeter watching the play.  Anthony needs to continue his development of becoming more of a facilitator on the court and Woodson needs to keep working on schemes to get people into better positions to score.  The offense still is a work in progress right now, especially with a main cog like Stoudemire sidelined currently.

Back to Copeland, who played himself into a roster spot with tonight’s performance.  Copeland gave the Knicks spirited effort tonight, banging in the paint with the Celtics bigs and playing very physical down low.  He attacked the basket on the offensive end, scoring 21 points and attempting 13 free throws, making nine.  Copeland also looked very strong as the screener in the pick-and-roll with Kidd and Prigioni throughout the fourth quarter and overtime.

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Copeland gives the Knicks something they lack in a young inside presence.  With the age of Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby, who is already nursing a calf injury, it would not be the worst to have a young alternative in Copeland on the bench.  The health of Stoudemire isn’t a given either, so having as many able bodied options as possible is a must.

The Knicks will look to continue building on what has been a strong preseason thus far as they will travel north of the border Friday, October 19^th to play against the Toronto Raptors at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Knicks Take Preseason Opener in Washington

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Final Score: New York Knicks: 108 Washington Wizards: 101

Knicks Take Preseason Opener in Washington

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In what is out of character for a Mike Woodson led team, the Knicks did not have to rely on defense tonight as they scored at a ferocious pace in beating the Wizards 108-101.  The first preseason game saw the Knicks knock down 18 of 33 three point attempts, good for 54.5 percent.

The Knicks got off to a hot start tonight, as Raymond Felton was working the pick-and-roll game fluently with Tyson Chandler.  The Knicks scored 38 points off 11 assists, four of which were from Felton, in the first quarter which ended with the Knicks up 17. 

Felton, whose conditioning has been called into question, looked to be in great shape last night, running the offense well and pushing the tempo when needed.  He showed great explosion and looked like he could have played a full compliment of minutes. 

For as good as the first quarter went, the second quarter was bad.  The starting lineup in the second quarter was Felton, Pablo Prigioni, John Shurna, Steve Novak and Chris Copeland, an average lineup at best that has a very small likelihood of being on the court in regular season play.  The Wizards took advantage of the Knicks lineup, racking up a 22-0 run to start the quarter and get them back in the game. 

The pick-and-roll options were no where to be seen, as Chandler was getting a rest and Amar’e Stoudemire and Marcus Camby were both out with injuries.  The Knicks offense became very stagnant in the second quarter, as they settled for too many jump shots and allowed the Wizards to get into a rhythm and get back into the game. 

The game was close until the fourth quarter, when the Knicks, specifically Steve Novak, J.R. Smith and Prigioni started to heat up and light it up from distance.

Novak was a big difference maker in the game, as he continued right where he left off last season as the best 3 point shooter in the NBA, going 7 for 7 from downtown.  Novak led the Knicks in scoring tonight, totaling 21 points.  Carmelo Anthony, who rested for long portions of the game, totaled 17 points thanks mostly to a strong opening quarter ands taking the Knicks to an early lead.

Anthony will be someone to keep an eye on this season.  He is now the most prominent player in the NBA without a ring with Lebron James winning his first last season and has a lot of people to prove wrong.  Could that change this season?

Anthony is said to be in the best shape of his career, after winning another Olympic gold medal this summer.  Anthony is also healthy this season, as last year he battled through right thumb and left wrist injuries that played into him losing accuracy on his shot.  If Anthony can bring the perimeter shooting from the Olympics with him to the Knicks, he will be a major headache for opposing defenses.  It will be yet another weapon in the arsenal for the Knicks and Mike Woodson to put to use.

The injury report for the Knicks tonight was pretty lengthy, with Stoudemire sitting out with a bruised knee, Camby out with a left calf strain, James White with a sore right hamstring, Rasheed Wallace with a lack of conditioning and Ronnie Brewer, Iman Shumpert and Chris Smith all with knee-related injuries. 

Next up for the Knicks is a visit to the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut to take on the rival Boston Celtics on October 13 at 7:30 P.M.

Linsanity Officially Over in New York

Linsanity Official Ends in New York

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Just as quickly as Jeremy Lin became a sensation in New York, he has been shown the door from Madison Square Garden.  Midnight struck on the magic of Linsanity in New York as Jeremy Lin will be going back to the team that cut him, the Houston Rockets, with a big contract the New York Knicks felt was too much to match.  The Knicks had until midnight Tuesday, July 17 to make a decision, but it had been being reported since Sunday July 15^th that the Knicks were not going to match.

Lin signed a big three year, $25.1 million contract that included a “poison pill” third year in which his base salary would have skyrocketed to $14.8 million.  Lin got basically $1 million for every start he made last year, which is unheard of even in the NBA where bloated contracts are common.

One reason the Knicks decided against retaining Lin was the money he would have cost them.  As a tax paying team, the Knicks have to pay two and a half times every dollar they are over the salary cap, meaning in the third year of Lin’s contract, he would have effectively been costing the Knicks nearly $30 million.  That was something the Knicks management was unwilling to do after deliberations throughout the weekend and decided it was best to let him walk and go a different route.  Even with the massive amounts of money the Knicks could have made off Lin, it was not worth the money they would have to pay.  They will still reap tons of money as they sold-out their season tickets even before Lin came back.

That other route for the Knicks was to make acquisitions to replace Lin.  With Lin in limbo, the Knicks got going adding three veteran point guards.  The Knicks stole Jason Kidd for the mid-level exception at three years and $9 million from the Dallas Mavericks and signed Argentinean veteran Pablo Prigioni to the rookie minimum.

The sign and trade for point guard Raymond Felton is what really set off the end of Linsanity rumors that eventually came to fruition.  Felton was quoted as saying that Lin would be sent packing once the Knicks finalized the trade for him; Felton was right as Lin’s offer sheet was not matched.

The moves the Knicks made at point guard will more than make up for Lin in my opinion.  Lin had trouble meshing with Carmelo Anthony once he returned from injury, having his stats drop dramatically when on the court with Anthony.  Players will blame Anthony for such a drop off, but Lin should have some blame placed on him as well as his turnover rate was sky-high and he lost all aggressiveness with Anthony on the court.

Felton had an outstanding half of season with the Knicks before being shipped out in the Anthony trade two seasons ago.  His return people hope will rejuvenate Amar’e Stoudemire, who struggled last season no matter who was on the court. 

Kidd and Prigioni will also bring veteran leadership and experience that Lin just does not have yet. Kidd has experience against and beating the Miami Heat, while Prigioni has played competitively for nearly 17 seasons in the Olympics and overseas. 

Another thing these veterans bring is shooting ability.  With the offense undoubtedly going to be run through Anthony, the Knicks will need shooters on the court to space the floor.  Felton and Kidd are better spot up shooters than Lin, which will help in the long run.

One thing that has not been talked about but is a big reason for Lin not being brought back is James Dolan.  Everyone pokes fun at Dolan because of the ineptitude of the Knicks recently and some of his bone headed moves, but he is not someone to cross, which Jeremy Lin may have done.

Lin hag agreed to a contract with the Rockets at first thought to be worth four years and $28 million, which the Knicks responded with saying they would definitely match; Mike Woodson went as far as to call Lin his starting point guard for next season.  Within a day, the Rockets and Lin announced the signing of a three year $25 million contract, which included the $14.8 million third year instead of a third year of $9 million with a team option on the fourth year.

This move reportedly infuriated Dolan, as he felt slighted and betrayed by Lin, who had received his break with the Knicks and turned around and basically turned on them. 

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There was also word going around that some people within the Knicks organization and staff, namely head coach Mike Woodson and Anthony, was not happy with Lin.  Woodson secretly did not fully buy into the whole Linsanity thing, feeling Lin did not have as much potential as some fans thought he did, something many advanced NBA scouts share.  Woodson, along with Anthony, was also not happy that Lin was not more willing to play in the playoffs when the Knicks were in desperate need of players with Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis both going down with season-ending injuries.  The unwillingness to play rubbed them the wrong way, as it gives off and impression of putting yourself in front of the team because of looming free agency; especially when Lin deemed himself 85% ready.  No one is 100% healthy come playoff time, so someone considered 85% is a pretty healthy and expected to play.

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No one except the Knicks and possibly Lin will know the real reason as to why Lin will no longer be playing for the Knicks.  Money is usually not a problem with the Knicks, so do not always believe everything you hear in the media.  At the same time, maybe money was the issue, which would mean that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was put in because of the lockout may actually be working.  When a team as big time and rich as the Knicks are afraid of looming tax problems, it would seem the CBA is doing its job of making teams think twice about flying past the salary cap.

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Linsanity Coming to an End? Knicks Sign and Trade for Raymond Felton

Linsanity Over in New York? Knicks Acquire Raymond Felton

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In what is being considered a very surprising move, the New York Knicks have acquired point guard Raymond Felton from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a sign and trade.

As part of the deal, Felton and the Knicks agreed to a three year contract worth $10 million. 

To finish the sign and trade, the Knicks also received big man Kurt Thomas.  In exchange, the Knicks will send Dan Gadzuric, Jared Jeffries and a 2016 second round pick. Rumors are swirling there may also be rights to a European player exchanged.

This is a big surprise to some because it was widely considered that the Knicks would be matching the offer that restricted free agent point guard Jeremy Lin received from the Houston Rockets.  Lin and the Rockets agreed to a three year $25.1 million contract that would have ballooned to almost $15 million in the third year.

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Even with such an increase, it was thought that the Knicks would match any deal for Lin, who had become an overnight sensation this past basketball season.  Lin played a big part in the Knicks making the post-season, so it was considered that nothing would keep him from coming back. But, with the acquisition of Felton, matching Lin’s offer sheet is no longer a guarantee.

Matching Lin’s agreement with the Rockets would have put the Knicks into a catastrophic hole of luxury tax in the coming seasons.  This has never been a problem for the Knicks, as owner James Dolan has been willing to pay any amount of money to put the players on the court that he wants.  But with this hesitation, it would seem that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement may actually be working.

The new CBA was put in place to make teams think twice about handing out big contracts by increasing the luxury tax penalties for teams that went over the salary cap.  For once, the Knicks and their management are being cap conscious, hence why the decision to add Felton instead of matching Lin.  Felton will not cost them as much in luxury taxes and will give the Knicks more cap flexibility in the coming years.  If they matched and retained Lin, they would be stuck with very little money and virtually the same team for the next three seasons.

It has not been said yet what the Knicks will do with Lin’s offer sheet, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that they will match.  If the Knicks do match for Lin, you can except to see basically the same Knicks squad for the next three seasons with very little changes in terms of the roster.  You can also expect to see a lot of two point guard sets if Lin is retained, as the Knicks will have to find playing time for Jason Kidd, Felton, Lin and newly acquired Pablo Prigioni.