Hotter than the Heat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wQ5_YKSl8s

Now that the mood has been set it's time to talk about one thing in Knicks basketball and one thing only: Playoffs.

With a 36-30 record the Knicks have finished with the seventh seed in the East. They will matchup against the defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat. That is without a doubt a tall task, but in a season that's been so erratic as this one the Knicks are not in the worst position.

Under Mike Woodson the Knicks went 19-6, and dominantly went 11-1 at home. The Knicks are very hot going into the playoffs, and with the exception of Lin, are fairly healthy. But it's Miami, this is a challenge. This series will be tough and come down to a lot of key matchups.

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony almost cancel each other out. Both of them will get their points and have their moments of NBA stardom. Chris Bosh's perimeter jumpshot has given the Knicks trouble in the past, but Stoudemire's return to the lineup is timely. He will have to play extremely well defensively against Bosh. As for guarding Dwayne Wade it certainly may be a mismatch for Baron Davis. But no mismatch can be too much with our prolific defender and leader in the paint Tyson Chandler. It's hard for anyone to get to the rack with Chandler in the middle, so for Baron Davis guarding Wade it is very important to not let him get the open jump shot. An attempted drive by Wade wont be the end of the world with Chandler playing the physical defense Knicks fans know and love.

The real key for defending Miami is transition defense. After a turnover, the Heat will run the floor. The ridiculous alley oops on the sportscenter top 10 are typically following a steal. Hopefully the Knicks will be smart with the basketball on offense but transition defense is by far a huge key for defending the Heat.

To conclude their regular season the Knicks had great results from their bench. If the Knicks want to win this series that must continue. If players like J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert play as well as they have lately that makes the Knicks much more dangerous. Players like Smith and Shump have been very up and down this season with their shooting. No one can question their defensive efforts, but their shot selection isn't always the smartest. Shump and Smith have to be very efficient for the Knicks. Quick shots that are forced up are what can lead Miami to go on a run.

Players like Smith and Shumpert are the question marks for the Knicks. The fans don't necessarily know what to expect from them offensively. Everybody knows what to expect from players like Anthony, Chandler, Stoudemire and Novak. Those players have been fairly consistent this year. Playoff basketball is all about who steps up at the right time. The good news for the Knicks is that to end the season they are red hot. Hotter than the Heat as a matter of fact. There is a strong team vibe thanks to Mike Woodson.

It is important that the Knicks do not become too dependent on Carmelo Anthony. Everyone knows he's a scorer and he's going to score, but the Knicks entire game does not revolve around one player. There's been games where Melo has over 40 points and the Knicks still lost. That tells you they played too one dimensionally, and other players didn't step up. Basketball is a team sport.

The Knicks will certainly be tough to beat at home, but they have to show some reseliency on the road. Keeping the series tied before coming home is almost a necessity. Falling behind 2-0 may be a repeat of the Knicks in the playoffs against Boston a year ago. The Knicks cannot let that happen. It has been 12 long years for the Garden faithful, and this has been a season that could not possibly have been scripted. The ups, the downs, the Linsanities, the firings, the buzzer beaters and the heartbreaks. The Garden crowd has seen it all this year.

But one thing the beloved Garden faithful has not seen in far too long is a playoff victory. In fact it's been a long, grueling twelve years since that's happened. The last time the Knicks had playoff success it happened to be the last time there was a lockout shortened season. And quite eerily, it was against a much higher seeded Miami Heat team in the first round. Ah yes the nostalgia of Allan Houston getting the role as the buzzer sounded in Game 5. History in sports can be kind of spooky sometimes.

Lets go Knicks. It's time to come together and believe. As a Knicks fan it's very easy to hate Miami.

Saturday. 3:30. Knicks. Heat. Playoffs....Go.