I don't know much of what's being made of the early success of the New York Knickerbockers so far this season (they beat the Spurs earlier today), They are high on the power rankings, but under all the excitement is the probable cautious treading. Given how poorly the Knicks have played the last dozen years, with Jeremy Lin's 20-some-odd games last season as the lone bright spot in that span, we have good reason to be skeptical of the Knicks' 6-0 record. I still am kind of shocked that New York is the only undefeated team three weeks into the season. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
There are at least six factors* to the Knicks' white hot start. The first three: Jason Kidd's addition to the team adds invaluable leadership, Tyson Chandler continues to be a solid anchor for the defense, and Rasheed Wallace and Steve Novak adequately spread the floor for their playmakers.
And here are the other three, even more important factors. First, Raymond Felton has a chip on his shoulder (that he won't eat) and appears to no longer be out of shape. Felton is an extremely skilled point guard whose performances never matched his talent in the past (save maybe for his previous stint with the Knicks), and he's looking to change that. Second, Carmelo realized it takes sacrifice to succeed in a team sport. So far, his numbers aren't very different from previous years, but an epiphany of this nature doesn't always reveal itself in a player's stats. The jury is still out, but after a decade of falling short, I could believe that Carmelo truly is fed up with his past results and is looking to change his mentality. Third, there is a story that broke out regarding J.R. Smith and how he is making an effort to decrease his personal play time and increase his work time. J.R. Smith is another great player who never fully capitalized on his potential. This guy is a freakishly athletic specimen and an absolute lights-out scorer, and it would seem as though he's learned to harness himself and maintain some stability.
The lesson from these last three factors: with great effort comes great results. Go figure. Anyhow, basketball purists can only hope that how these three players are currently contributing becomes their new norm.
So are the New York Knicks contenders or pretenders? Honestly, it is too early to tell, as so many different things can affect the dynamics of this team. And given how many headlines around the league already took us by surprise in this young season, a lot of the unthinkable can no longer be considered unthinkable. Imagine if Amar'e returns with a team-first mentality and, fitting into a smaller role, defers like he's never deferred before - what a positive effect he could have. Or the possibility remains to trade him for assets. Regardless, the truth is that coming into the season I considered the Knicks a fringe playoff team (leaning more heavily toward them missing the playoffs), but I can now very realistically see them wreaking havoc on the East's elite. They've already started.
* Honorable mention factors: a full training camp under Mike Woodson, and my theory that improvement in overall team performance was ignited by witnessing James White's aerial ability at every practice (this one may or may not have been an excuse to link his dunks).
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