If there was a team the New York Knicks needed to face in order to break their 3-game losing streak, it was the Phoenix Suns who came into Madison Square Garden Wednesday night with a 4-9 record and losers of 5 straight. The Knicks, playing the 2nd of 4 straight home games, were coming off their Monday matinee loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic. Both teams split the two games they played last year with each team winning on the road. Head coach Mike D' Antoni, who coached Suns guard Steve Nash for years, knew the team would have its hands full.

"He's one of the best players to ever play the game," said D' Antoni. He works exceptionally hard at what he does. He knows the game exceptionally well. He does everything well."

Steve Nash lived up to the praise D' Antoni heaped upon him as he led all scorers with 16 points and 4 assist in the first half as Phoenix took a 45-42 lead. With Carmelo Anthony still dealing with a sore wrist and ankle, the Knicks wanted to get Amar'e Stoudemire into the offensive flow right from the start. He took the team's first 3 shots, scoring 3 points finishing the quarter with 5 points along with Tyson Chandler. It was enough to give them a 1 point first quarter lead (20-19) even though they shot a paltry 37% from the floor missing 6 of 7 three-pointers.

The second quarter was slightly better for the Knicks as the shooting increased to 42% but they trailed by 3, as the Suns extended the lead to as many as 6 (43-37) after a Marcin Gortat (5-13, 11 points) jump shot. Anthony would miss 4 of 5 shot attempts with Stoudemire ending the quarter with 15 points. Two themes that stood out and would be a factor in the loss was New York's inability to convert free throws and take advantage of them dominating the boards. The final stats would show why.

The Knicks kept things close in the 3rd only trailing by as many as 4 points during any period. Landry Fields, (6-12, 17 points) who played his best game of the year, led all scorers with 10 points. Both teams only scored 19 points leaving the Suns in front (64-61) to begin what would be a back and forth last period. Neither team would trail by more than 3 points in the 4th until the Suns pushed the lead to 7 with 3:22 left after a Shannon Brown slam dunk.

New York battled back with rookie Iman Shumpert (8-14, 20 points) scoring 10 of the team's last 17 points. He hit 2 consecutive 3-pointers, the second bringing the team within 2 points 85-83. With the time running out and no timeouts left, New York was forced to foul sending Nash to the free throw line. He sank 6 in a row, as his team ended its 5-game losing streak. New York took 30 free throws (14 more than Phoenix) and missed 10. They also out-rebounded the Suns by 16 (15 more offensive) and could not take advantage, as they finished shooting 37%.

"It's killing us," stated D' Antoni after the game of the offensive futility. "We won almost every statistical category but couldn't put the ball in the basket." Dominating the boards would normally lead to the team getting out to more fast breaks but for whatever reason, the Knicks were not able to do that. "We tried and did a little better in the fourth quarter. Overall it was not good enough."

After the 91-88 loss, the New York Knicks record fell to 6-8. "We're in a little bit of a crisis," D 'Antoni admitted. "The good thing about it is that they're playing hard, they're playing good defense, they're rebounding."

They're just not winning games.

Brandon Jennings scored a game and season-high 36 points for the Bucks, and Carmelo Anthony finished with a team-high 35 points for the New York Knicks

With the New York Knicks offense struggling and the team on a 5-game losing streak, head coach Mike D 'Antoni can't wait until Baron Davis gets healthy enough to bring stability and veteran leadership to the backcourt. It may not happen for a couple of more weeks, but it's not because of a lack of effort on Davis' part.

Prior to the game against the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night, Davis talked about his health and the state of the team. It hasn't been easy watching the team go through the offensive funk that has them averaging only 88 points in their 8 losses. They have scored over 100 points only 3 times, winning 2 of those games. Defensively they have been better than in the past under D 'Antoni giving up 100 points or more in 4 out of the 14 games they've played. With Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the floor, points should not be hard to come by. Both have been in a funk evidenced by their poor performance in the Wednesday night loss to Phoenix. They combined for 35 points but needed 44 shots to do so. Only Stoudemire's free throws (9 out of 10) made his final line look respectable. Granted, Anthony has been hampered by a sore wrist and ankle and Stoudemire may still be dealing with a sore back, but as a team, they have not moved the ball well enough to give their teammates open looks and uncontested shots. That's where Davis is hoping to contribute when he's ready to play.

"I can shoot, dribble and a lot of spot shooting," said Davis sitting in front of his locker.

He basically does this alone with the help of the assistant coaches and watched closely by the training staff. He's doing things in moderation while working on conditioning drills.

"It's a process," he continued. "It's strength, it's conditioning, it's balance. It's being able to do that on a consistent basis day in and day out and wake up the next day and be ready to progress forward. I'm making leaps and bounds and huge strides to get myself on the court."

In the meantime, when the ball goes up in the air, Davis is relegated to being a cheerleader and teacher. When Toney Douglas' poor early season play forced D 'Antoni to bench him in favor of first-year guard Iman Shumpert, Davis had already been mentoring him while he was waiting to come off the bench. He was giving Shumpert advice and making sure he never lost confidence. Shumpert isn't his only pupil.

"We have a lot of young guys on the team," Davis continued. "If I see a weakness in a defender on the floor I will talk with Toney or Shumpert about it. I try and work with the younger guys to get them to hone in on the fundamentals. As we proceed thru the season, those are the things that are going to push us over the top."

As he watches his team from the bench, dressed to the nines, Baron Davis is learning the offense he will be running as soon as his back can handle the everyday pounding. As easy as it may look from his vantage point, putting it into action with a new group won't be easy. He doesn't think it will take that long to pick things up.

"I'm the type of person that I pick up things very, very quickly when I'm out there."

He will do that with a starting line-up that is still trying to develop offensive cohesiveness.

"Any time you have these many new faces in a system, it takes everyone to really catch a rhythm and to get on a roll. You have to be patient. Offensively I know that will come around."

It didn't come around against the Bucks as New York fell behind early in the fourth quarter by as many as 17 points in their 100-86 loss. Brandon Jennings, who torched the Knicks the last time he touched the Madison Square Garden floor for 37 points, scored a game and season-high 36 points. Carmelo Anthony finished with a team-high 35 points but his frustration showed after with 1:33 left in the game as he was hit with his second technical foul resulting in his ejection. The Knicks lost for the 5th straight time and their 3rd straight at home. D 'Antoni said the team was in "crisis" after Wednesday's loss. You can add turmoil as well.

"It's the whole team," he said afterward. "We are just not sharp. It looks like they are running circles around us. It is not just one guy. We wouldn't be this bad. Again, we have to dig deeper and get through this."

Getting Baron Davis on the floor would be a good start.

Knicks Defeat Raptors 106-87 and Stay Perfect Under Mike Woodson 

The three-game winning-streak followed the six-game losing streak cost the New York Knicks head coach Mike D' Antoni his job. The winning-streak has breathed life back into the team's NBA playoff life. It has given interim head coach Mike Woodson a platform to instill in his players how much is at stake as the season winds down.

There were 21 games when the Knicks hosted the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. They will face each other for the last time this year in three days in Toronto after splitting their previous two games both teams winning on the road. Except for pride, Toronto has nothing to play for with their 15-30 record. That may have been the only reason they gave the Knicks a hard time.

Led by DeMar DeRozan (6 points) Toronto and the Knicks were tied 3 times in the first period, with no team leading by more than 1 point after the first Raptors basket gave them a 2-0 lead. Down by one, the Knicks go on 7-0 run to take a 21-15 lead. Toronto closed the gap to three to end the period (27-24) after a Linas Kleiza three-pointer at the buzzer.

With New York sensing that the longer they allowed Toronto to feel they belonged, the harder it would be to put them away, Woodson once again called on his bench to slow the Raptors down. With the game tied once again at 29, Steve Novak hit his customary three-pointer, extending the lead to 7 again 36-29. Toronto clawed back to two (36-34) after a Gary Forbes lay-up. It's as close as the Raptors would get the rest of the period as the Knicks outscored them 13-4 over the next 5-plus minutes for the biggest lead of the half (49-38). J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Jared Jeffries and Steve Novak contributed 17 points off the pine.

Except for an early lapse at the start of the third period, the Knicks defense stiffened when the Raptors dwindled the lead to 7 (57-50) after an Andrea Bargnani running hook shot. Thirteen must have been the lucky number for the Knicks as they once again rattled off those points allowing Toronto only four, taking a 16-point lead (70-54) and never looked back in the 106-87 victory.

Said Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, "they turned up the juice and we didn't meet the challenge. Anytime you give up 16 offensive boards, our turnovers are the two things that hurt us."

When the New York Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls last week, they gave up 22 offensive rebounds leading to 24 points in the five-point loss. It was an eye-opener for the team.

Said Woodson, "that's been a big problem all season," he started. "Us putting bodies on bodies to secure the rebound. I stress that every game before every game. Five guys are going to block out and rebound the basketball. Then we go and play offense. We've done a better job as of late."

Although Jeremy Lin and the "Linsanity" have quieted down, his numbers are starting to reflect what put him on the map in the first place. He finished his night with his seventh double-double of the year scoring 18 points and 10 assists.

"We just moved the ball and try to pick apart the defense and took whatever the defense gave us. I thought we were patient as a team," he said.

Amar'e Stoudemire led all scorers with 22 points with Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler adding 17 each.

The New York Knicks traveled by Amtrak right after the game to face the division-leading Philadelphia 76ers. They are looking to avenge the March 11th home loss.

Landry Fields knows how important the game is: "We have already talked about it. We're trying to rise in the standings. It's an important game for us."

New York Knicks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers with the final score of 85-79

One of the hottest teams in the NBA came into Madison Square Garden Wednesday night riding a 6-game winning streak. With a 7-2 record and leading the Atlantic division, the Philadelphia 76ers had not given up more than 100 points during the streak. The New York Knicks meanwhile was riding a modest 3-game winning streak of their own after Monday's win against the Charlotte Bobcats. They began the night two games behind the Sixers and looked to close the gap before starting a two-game road trip against Memphis and Oklahoma City.

They faced each other four times last year splitting the series. Prior to the game, Knicks head coach Mike D' Antoni stressed the importance of limiting Philadelphia's fast break.

"We have to get back in transition," he started. "We can't feed their fast break."

New York caught a break when Sixers center Spencer Hawes, one of 7 players to average more than 9 points a game, did not play due to a strained lower back.

For the first time all year, New York came out with a purpose. They ended the 1st quarter on a 13-0 run and a 28-15 lead. Carmelo Anthony scored 9 points and rookie Josh Harrellson (7 points) came off the bench and hit his first two jumpers, the second a 3-pointer.

Tony Douglas continued the long-range assault burying his first jumper, another 3-pointer to extend the lead to 31-15. Defensively they limited Philadelphia to only 32% from the floor, as they missed 6 of 7 three-pointers.

Where Anthony left off in the initial quarter, teammate Amar'e Stoudemire took over in the second. He scored 9 points to lead both teams as the Knicks took a 10 point (45-35) halftime lead. The Sixers did not attempt a 3-point shot in the quarter but their overall shooting rose to a respectable 42%. When the Knicks defeated Charlotte two nights ago, they attempted 40 free throws making 30 of them. They only saw the free stripe 3 times in the first half converting all of them.

Philadelphia began the third quarter outscoring New York 10-4 narrowing the lead to 4 (49-45). Anthony extended the score to 8 (58-50) after two straight baskets. After the first basket (a driving lay-up), he got tangled underneath with Andre Iguodala and both are hit with technical fouls. It seemed to light a fire under Anthony as he hit his next two jumpers giving them a 62-56 lead. After two more Anthony free throws, that man Harrellson burns the Sixers again hitting his third 3-pointer of the game taking an 11-point (67-56) lead into the final quarter.

Said D' Antoni of Harrellson's play so far this year, "Josh played well a lot. Some of the things you don't see. He's very strong, very smart defensively. I just think he's going to keep getting better if he can consistently make that outside shot."

The Sixers dug themselves into a deeper hole at the start of the final quarter as the Knicks opened up a 17 point lead (78-61). The hot shooting that propelled New York suddenly went cold and the Sixers took advantage going on a 10-0 run to close the gap to 7 points (78-71). From that point, neither team could find the basket for the rest of the game. No field goals were scored in the final 5:51. In that span, Anthony missed 5 shots and turned the ball over 3 times. It caught the attention of the head coach, as he witnessed the offensive woes that kept the Sixers in the game.

"We'll talk about it," a giggling D'Antoni said. "Carmelo is very effective at what he does. You got to be careful about talking too much. He's a competitor and he knows how to play. We just got to get things straight with the whole team."

Philly wasn't much better as they missed their 6 shot attempts. New York hit 7 free throws, Philly hit 8 down the stretch, but could not get any closer than the final score of 85-79.

The New York Knicks have now played two division games and have won both of them. They have struggled offensively more than they would like to. Defensively, they seem to be improving.

"We added two really good pieces in Shumpert and Tyson (Chandler) when you have that, then they feel even more engaged. It's just contagious."

In the win against the Orlando Magic, Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points in 26 minutes for the New York Knicks

For the second straight game, the New York Knicks took the floor without Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin. They were able to get a win against Milwaukee Monday night without them as Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points, hitting all 12 of his free-throw attempts while battling a tender groin. But last night, it was the Orlando Magic with their 32-18 record taking the floor at Madison Square Garden.

Magic's guard Jameer Nelson took immediate advantage of the Knicks backcourt, scoring 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Orlando took an eight-point lead (24-16) with a little less than 3 minutes to go in the first period. New York finished the period outscoring the Magic 9-5 as Steve Novak scored 5 of those points cutting the deficit to 4 (29-25) as the period came to an end.

With Orlando's Dwight Howard on the bench to begin the second, The Knicks scored the first 6 points to take their first lead of the game (31-29). It started a spark that elevated New York to a shocking 16 point lead before halftime (57-41).

With crisp passing on the offensive end and suffocating defense, the Knicks finished the second period on a 26-12 run. It was capped by a Novak 3-pointer at the buzzer. Both Novak and Anthony finished with 13 points apiece to lead New York while Iman Shumpert, inserted into the starting line-up, contributing 10 points. They shot 54% from the floor while limiting the Magic to 40%. Orlando, who relies heavily on their 3-point shooting, missed 11of their first 13 half attempts (15%). Meanwhile, after a rough start themselves, where the Knicks missed seven of their first nine 3-point attempts, they made four of their last six. The momentum they took in with them carried over to the third period.

If this was a boxing match, the refs would have stopped it so Orlando would not have endured further damage. How good did it get for the Knicks? At one point, the Knicks scored 21 straight points, leading by as many as 39 points (88-49). How bad did it get for Orlando? They missed eight of their first 11 shots as they watched New York pull away.

Magic's head coach Stan Van Gundy was not a happy camper in trying to explain the lopsided loss.

"What's shocking to me is that a team that's playing over .600 basketball could get absolutely rocked by as many teams as we have been." On the 21-point explosion, he said, "we got behind, they hit a lot of shots, they got us down and then we just sort of died."

With the Magic having nothing to lose and Howard and Nelson riding the bench dumfounded by how the game got out of hand, the reserves came out and outscored the Knicks 19-8 to creep within 19 (93-74) to begin the final period. Shumpert scored six of the next eight points, putting Orlando out of its misery.

Carmelo Anthony made the most of his evening finishing with 25 points in 26 minutes, his best game so far this season. He rode the exercise bike to keep his tender groin warm when he wasn't in the game.

Said Anthony afterward, "I just wanted to come out with a focus. My shot was falling today."

The New York Knicks have now won eight of their last nine games and their last six-in-a-row at home. They will be without Stoudemire for at least the next 4 weeks and Lin and his tender knee is on a day to day basis. Interim head coach Mike Woodson has no choice but to go with a smaller line-up.

"We will stay that way for a while," he said afterward. "Teams have to match up with us." He hopes the team continues to not only rebound but to keep the turnovers to a minimum. The Knicks out-rebounded the Magic by 15 (49-34) and had seven fewer turnovers (7-18).

They travel to Atlanta Friday night before returning to the Garden to face Cleveland on Saturday night.

When coming out of the subway, it's not too hard to gaze the skies and marvel at how tall the buildings are or wonder why there's a food vendor on every corner and at the end of every block. It's also fascinating to observe how much of a melting pot this place is and pondering where did all of these people come from? That place is Manhattan, NY, New York City, the city that never sleeps. NYC grants you a reason to stay out beyond your bedtime due to the nightlife, the bars, the restaurants, the sights and monuments, but just maybe, maybe the reason you haven't arrived home yet is because you are attending a New York Knicks game, the professional basketball team that calls the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, on 33rd Street home.

There's no place like the Garden when it's rocking with the intelligent basketball minds from Wall Street brokers to social workers. I believe the Garden hasn't really erupted since the 1990s during the Patrick Ewing era. Remember when former Knicks Forward Larry Johnson executed a four-point play on the Indiana Pacers during the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, ultimately winning that game and advancing to the 1999 NBA Finals? The Knicks ultimately lost to San Antonio Spurs or most notably "The Dunk". How about a series of events that ended in guard John Starks dunking over sg Michael Jordan among others in Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls?

Those nights are cemented in NBA history and have little chance of duplicating themselves in the near future, but there is a chance that this current arrangement of what is the New York Knicks can have the garden partying like it's 1999, whatever that means. Last season featured one of the best Knicks seasons that they have had in quite some time, garnering many accolades courtesy of their personnel. SG J.R. Smith won the Sixth Man of The Year Award. The Knicks captured the Atlantic Division Crown and earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference winning 54 games. The orange and blue team advanced to the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs where they eventually lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games, previously defeating the Boston Celtics in the first round in six games. In a season where several accomplishments were attained, many would expect that those same accomplishments would translate to the postseason which is an entirely different season and one that the Knicks are still adjusting to and acclimating themselves to even though with the injuries that plagued the Chicago Bulls, and the Celtics presented a clear shot to the Eastern Conference Finals that the Knicks did not take advantage. In a couple days the 2013-2014 NBA campaign begins for the Knicks who will enter this season with a number of questions regarding the expectations attached to their organization which are: Can this team actually win a championship?

I have the answer, and sadly it's No, take it and receive it. With the way this team is constructed I believe the Knicks will have a hard time stopping elusive and quick point guards on the perimeter from penetrating the paint due to the lack of athleticism on the perimeter excluding from that group 3rd year shooting guard Iman Shumpert and former Sixth Man Of the Year J.R. Smith, the enigma. There's no doubt that the new additions of forward Metta World Peace, center Andrea Bargnani and the 2013 first round pick of the Knicks in guard Tim Hardaway Jr. should all aid the Knicks in their individual strengths, but that's not the issue.

The Knicks have more questions regarding their overall makeup than a five-year-old yearning to explore the world so let's start here: Will we see a more organized and balanced offensive attack this season? The "Melo offense", courtesy of star forward Carmelo Anthony makes me sick, which is an indictment on the personnel of this team and the coaching staff, which leads to my next question: Can Head Coach Mike Woodson duplicate the season he delivered last season? The Knicks won 54 games and captured the Atlantic Division crown the previous season for the first since guard Michael Jordan announced his initial retirement (Shaking My Head), which means he is definitely earning his pay but with a vastly improved Eastern Conference as well as the other team across the river threatening their rights to the heart of New York, he is on the hot seat. Here's another one: How will these lineups work? Do you want to go with a more defensive lineup and start World Peace along with Shumpert, Chandler and the obvious mainstays in pg Raymond Felton and Anthony? Or would you rather a shootout starring, cover your eyes, Smith in the starting lineup along with Felton, Bargnani, Anthony, and Chandler? Can forward Amar'e Stoudemire remain healthy throughout this season and contribute? Whether he plays or not, we should all thank Stoudemire for electing to choose the Knicks that 2010 offseason for reshaping the culture that haunted the Knicks for the duration of an entire decade, because without the signing of Stoudemire, there is no Anthony, but there's a title on the line and the addition of Stoudemire and his offensive skill set down in the low post pushing Anthony to the perimeter could do wonders for the Knicks. Are there any other point guard options? The only time Anthony advanced to any conference finals and in his particular career the Western Conference Finals was in the 2009 postseason against the Los Angeles Lakers when he played alongside pg Chauncey Billups, a 5-time all-star, an NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, and a 2-time NBA All-Defensive Second team finalist. Felton is solid but he does not measure up. Okay, front office, figure out.

Lastly, this message is directed at Anthony on behalf of all New Yorkers: we adore your scoring prowess but we would really appreciate it if you blended yourself within the offense in the first three quarters and then take-over the fourth because the game is not won in the 1st through 3rd, it's done in the fourth. Let's get creative, act as a decoy, call for picks, work off screens, and hit the open man when you see it fit to do so and upon the fourth quarter, explode because you are "Melo". If the Knicks can locate all of the items on their scavenger hunt, they will get their wish and possibly challenge the Miami Heat but until then as we observe this season, let's just hope the Knicks can find the various fans and cooling checkpoints to survive the humidity as only they can change the weather forecast for oh so satisfying comfort.

This might be the best bittersweet news of the entire year if you're an avid Knicks fan and supporter. Reported first by Stephen A. Smith, a journalist and NBA insider for ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, Phil Jackson was approached by New York Knicks management about a possible job offer that would give him the responsibilities as the next Head Coach of the Knicks.

Recent reports have been modified updating that report stating that the Knicks have offered Jackson a front office position as team president of basketball operations. I thought that was current GM Steve Mills' job to lose? What about Assistant GM Allan Houston? But this is how Jim Dolan, President and CEO, Cablevision Systems and Chairman, Madison Square Garden company orchestrates his business. The business that we are most concerned with is the New York Knicks.

As of today March 3, 2014, the New York Knicks are well on their way to a disappointing and deflating representation of an NBA regular season, positioned 10th in the Eastern Conference standings, a 25-40 overall record currently enjoying a 4-game winning streak. A new episode of Marvel Agents of Shield premiered tonight on ABC-TV. If you were unaware, it's a pretty good show.

Let's get this Knicks stuff out of the way because that's how hard it is to watch this team. That's how hard it is to fully invest your spirit into the Orange and Blue. Maybe the addition of Phil Jackson in a management arrangement could ease the pain and give us a substantial amount of faith even though it might not translate to wins on the court immediately. Maybe down the road, we will see the fingerprints of what 11-world championships won as a coach and two championships won as a player could transition into as a talent evaluator and trader.

Maybe down the road, we could see an entire franchise image make-over rivaling the San Antonio Spurs organization, minus the dynasty (it's too early) due to the insertion of one man. Maybe he could be exactly what we need. All of these predictions and future dreams could be a reality if Jackson indeed joins the Knicks organization and is given the space and opportunity to operate, only if Dolan keeps his hands to himself. Only if Dolan owns the team and does not get involved in basketball related ideas influencing management transactions and in that case, he has done enough.

Donnie Walsh, remember him? Presently a consultant for the Indiana Pacers was the former President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. He only drafted a Hall-of-Famer in Reggie Miller in 1987 and aided the construction of a team in the 2013-2014 Pacers who are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. As of today, the Pacers are 47-17, the best record in the NBA. What Walsh did for the Knicks made him our messiah, as long as he was employed by the Knicks. In 2008, Walsh cleared $27 million off the Knicks payroll in trading players with large contracts for cheaper and durable pieces. He cleared cap space for the Knicks to have a chance at signing a max player among the summer free agent class of 2010, in which Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Amar'e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson, were all available. He signed Stoudemire to a five-year $100-million dollar deal. The Knicks were back.

They were having a great season until some bumps in the road steered the Knicks off-track momentarily which prompted Dolan to don his basketball hat and command the pursuit of then Denver Nuggets star F Carmelo Anthony. Walsh obeyed his wishes sacrificing the punch of the team while mortgaging the future. Due to health, pride, and superior basketball knowledge Walsh resigned June 3, 2011.

As Walsh left, a man within the organization became his successor in Glen Grunwald, the former Vice President of the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors. He only orchestrated a trade to acquire Vince Carter and drafted Tracy McGrady, giving the Raptors three consecutive playoff berths from 2000-02, which included a trip to the conference semi-finals. In 2012, Grunwald was promoted to general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations for the Knicks. He gave us one of the best seasons to date. In the 2012-13 NBA season, Grunwald manufactured a Knicks team with veterans and role players built around the centerpiece in Anthony to achieve a 54-28 regular season, which clinched their first Atlantic Division crown since the 1994 season and a trip to the second round of the 2013 playoffs.

Like Walsh, Grunwald was let go also following his success. This is all while Dolan has maintained his basketball hat. These moves illustrate that Dolan doesn't allow room to grow or develop, but space to do nothing as your General Manager job will be in jeopardy if he doesn't approve. Now the Knicks General Manager responsibilities belong to a bright gentleman who has never operated Basketball Operations in his life, Steve Mills. The basketball hat is still on. This is the beautiful mind of Dolan at work. Those are his actions.

What does the potential arrival of Jackson mean?

Does it mean that Dolan will actually let the basketball people handle basketball related activities or, is it only a matter of time before he interferes and aides another exit of a great basketball mind?

The mere idea of pursuing Jackson while Mills, the man occupying the current GM position, which hasn't lasted an entire NBA season, says it all.

Dolan can't wait.

You would think he will leave his hands to himself because it is Jackson, the "Zen Master," a man inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, but we don't know. I have faith in a coach who has won 11 world championships to have an idea in choosing the kind of players he suspects has the characteristics and skills that result in wins on the basketball court. Does Dolan believe so, or is this just to save face and throw someone else to the wolves of the general public and the media capital of the world.

It's interesting, isn't it?

Maybe the ill-fated New York Knicks needed the Toronto Raptors to get their season straightened out. You look at the Knicks 9 and 19 record and say the season is lost. But then you see that the Raptors are only 3 games ahead of them in the Atlantic division. With back-to-back games against Toronto, New York could conceivably be 1 game out of first place by Sunday.

After getting embarrassed on Christmas Day without their leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks did something they have lacked all year. They came out of the gate strong. Tim Hardaway, Jr (who should be getting more playing time with Raymond Felton on the shelf again) nailed a 3-pointer to give the Knicks an early 9-4 lead. It would be the start of a long-range barrage, something they utilized successfully last year.

Andre Bargnani, much maligned for his poor shot selection and on court decisions, added to the 3-point party, extending the Knicks' lead to 20-12. Amar'e Stoudemire continued his stellar play off the bench with 5 points as New York took a 25-18 first-period lead. The defense, which has been non-existent all season, allowed the Knicks to take a 10-point lead (30-20) after another Hardaway 3-ball. They would go back and forth for the rest of the second period and suddenly Toronto took the lead 37-36 after a Terrance Ross basket.

Missing Anthony for the second game in a row, the Knicks needed consistent scoring from all. They got it from Beno Udrih (7 points) and 6 more from Hardaway giving them a 10-point lead (64-54). Then it was Deja vu as the New York fans began to see what they have seen all too often at home and on the road this year. They would fall apart as Toronto cut the lead to 5 (71-65) to close the third period.

The New York Knicks took 19 shots in the last period and made only five. Meanwhile, Toronto, without two ex-Knicks Landry Fields and Steve Novak (who had every reason to come back and haunt them) were outpaced by five players scoring in double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan with 25 points. Adding to that, Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points and 18 rebounds put the dagger in the Knicks having them fall to 4 and 12 at home.

"I thought we had good shots. We had some good looks," said head coach Mike Woodson. "We just didn't make shots."

He then talked about playing guys extended minutes due to the absence of Anthony.

"I played guys on long stretches based on the fact we were short-handed. They got us a lead. I'm not using excuses. I thought maybe the legs, maybe set in at the end and shots just were not falling."

What is falling is their season right in front of them. They had a chance to make a move with a rare win on their home court giving them an opportunity to get closer on the road Saturday night. It's not even the halfway point of the season. If they keep going in this direction, they will be right up there with the Nets, Yankees, Mets, Giants, and the same old Jets.

VIDEO: Offseason Moves: Could the Miami Heat become a powerhouse in the East?

Although reports linked Dwyane Wade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat star returned to South Beach for one year and $20 million; and Amare Stoudemire joined him for one year, north of one million dollars.

Although reports linked Dwyane Wade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat star returned to South Beach for one year and $20 million; and Amare Stoudemire joined him for one year, north of one million dollars.