New York Knicks

Attention to detail from savvy veterans and athletic young players alike has helped San Antonio get out to a 2-0 lead over Memphis in their N.B.A. playoff series.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports The New York Knicks season is over and the team is already preparing for the 2013 NBA Draft and what might shape up to be a busy off-season. Almost every flaw was exposed during the playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The age, the lack of interior defense, the heavy reliance on a streaky shooter like J.R. Smith, all became exposed in that series. The Knicks will own the 24th overall selection in the June draft and can address an area of major need. The Knicks could go several ways during the draft. They can look for a shooter to potentially replace J.R. Smith, a big man to help out Tyson Chandler, or a young point guard to groom behind Raymond Felton. Of course, like any draft, the Knicks can only pick from what is left but there is a chance there could be some very talented players still sitting on the board when the Knicks pick. Baylor point guard Pierre Jackson could still be on the board. With Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd, the Knicks aren’t exactly young and exciting at the point. Jackson doesn’t have ideal height at 5-10 but he knows how to play the position and can run the Knicks’ offense. He would at least be an injection of youth and skill at a position that needs a player with both of those attributes. Jackson averaged 19.8 PPG, 7.1 APG and shot 35 percent from beyond the arc. Despite his height, Jackson is very good at what he does and if he were five inches taller he might be a top three pick in this draft. Jackson plays at high speed and would alter the tempo for the Knicks when he is on the floor. He could be what Raymond Felton was to the Knicks a couple of seasons ago when Felton was facilitating the offense and scoring over 17 points per game. The Knicks have a lot of needs and point guard should be among them. Felton has been a good player for the Knicks and should still be the starter but the Knicks need depth at the position and someone who can take over the point when Felton’s contract is up in two years. Kidd showed he has very little left in the playoffs. He couldn’t facilitate, couldn’t make a shot, and just looked old and used up. At 40-years-old, one has to wonder what exactly he has left in the tank at this point. Jackson could sit for a year behind Felton, learn the nuances of the Knicks offense, and take over as a starter next season. I look at Jackson and I see a lot of similarities to a former small Knicks point guard, Nate Robinson. The Knicks need someone who can facilitate the offense when Felton is out and someone who can get the ball to Carmelo Anthony. Jackson could be that guy. If he is available, he would be an instant upgrade at the backup point guard position and also someone who can be a starter in this league immediately if necessary. However, sitting for a year or two behind Felton while still getting some decent playing time would be the best thing for Jackson. The Knicks can go in several directions in the draft. They can find a suitable replacement for J.R. Smith or add some youth to their frontcourt to give Tyson Chandler some help. The best player that might still be available might be Jackson, however. If he is there the Knicks should draft him and at least know they would have their point guard of the future and can develop him at their own pace.

For Knicks fans of my generation, the nineties were the closest thing to a golden age we've ever known. If that is the case, then the Knicks have recaptured their glory days in at least one regard – they lost a heartbreaking playoff series to a hated rival. This will be the second Eastern Conference Finals in a row to feature a bona fide Knicks conqueror, meaning the franchise has officially graduated from "Eastern Conference doormat" to "stepping stone to the Conference Finals." We're back, baby! What follows is not a preview of the conference finals. Miami's gonna win, and everyone knows it. This is more a barometer of fan opinion heading into this series. No possible outcome should come as much comfort to Knicks fans, short of someone in the Heat organization opening the Ark of the Covenant at midcourt just before tip-off. I'd pay good money to watch Pat Riley's face melt, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Instead, the real rooting interest in this series will come down to a feeling of "the enemy who is also the enemy of my more-hated enemy is my lesser enemy (for the moment, anyway)." These are complicated, dirty (and not in a good way) feelings, and I'm interested in your thoughts on the subject. Let's break down the match-ups and then, in the poll below, settle the question of who is the most hated Easter Conference Finals Participant, '13. The reasons to hate the Miami Heat have been discussed ad nauseam, so I'm just going to bullet-point a few choice thoughts on the matter: I flipped on Spike TV the other night and watched the end of the movie "Doom", based on the video game, starring the Rock and one of the bros from "Lord of the Rings." During the climactic fight scene, the Rock began morphing into a demon cuz seriously bro this is "Doom" on Spike TV! I thought that half-Rock half-demon looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't quite put my finger on where I'd seen him before...until I caught a glimpse of LeBron James in his current state of hairline regression. Pro-wrestler-meets-demon would be a pretty apt description of his game as well, if you threw in Magic Johnson's passing ability, a healthy commitment to defense, and a flopping tendency that would make an Italian footballer blush. The guy is very good at a sport I enjoy watching, and yet my feelings for him remain...umm...complex. As far as I'm concerned, Dwyane Wade's annual case of "I know it's the playoffs but my knee seriously hurts I don't think I can play SIKE watch me dunk from the foul line" has replaced Memorial Day as the new unofficial start of the summer. I've been gone from America too long to remember which Monday in May is Memorial Day, but I know for sure that Wade is going to pull that move in the third round. The man is a well-oiled machine...a well-oiled machine who, you know, acts like he isn't a well-oiled machine. Losing to Chris Bosh and his freakishly long neck is like watching your opponent pull off an impossible move in Jenga – by all rights, that thing should have collapsed in on itself by now, but it hasn't and now I'm screwed. Wrong flat-top is in the conference finals. Wrong flat-top is in the conference finals. Wrong flat-top. Is in. The conference finals. The case for hating Indiana is simultaneously simpler – they just beat us – and more complex. They're a textbook underdog in this series, and I doubt anyone outside of New York will wish them ill. Even the 14 or so fans of the Atlanta Hawks, the Pacers' first round victim, probably wouldn't mind watching them stomp the Heat. You can hate Pacer fans for their pathetic lack of support during the regular season (25th in regular season attendance for a surefire contender), but quite a bit of selective amnesia is required to drop them beneath the fans in Miami. As far as pure fan douchiness is concerned, Indiana's "yellow out" has nothing on Miami's "whites only" yacht party – somebody needs to tell the peop

It’s normally not an accustomed practice for one to compare a situation from real life to a video game, but I believe it’s suitable when trying to convey my feelings about J.R. Smith.  As the artificially intelligent super-computer antagonist (see below) in the final scene of the game ‘Portal 2′ said to the protagonist: “The best [...]

The Pacers’ Paul George put up a determined defense against the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony in the playoffs. As a reward for his efforts, George will be asked to defend LeBron James next.

[New York Times] Spurs Can’t Ease Up Despite 2-0 Lead on Grizzlies (Wed, 22 May 2013 07:28:45 GMT) If the Western Conference finals seem the slightest bit over after two San Antonio wins, hold that thought for a minute.     [New York Times] Cavs Win Right to First Pick in NBA Draft (Wed, 22 May 2013 [...]

If the Western Conference finals seem the slightest bit over after two San Antonio wins, hold that thought for a minute.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery and the top overall pick for the second time in three years on Tuesday.

If The Knicks were a blackjack hand, they’d be an 18. It’s a good hand, not a great hand. No matter what the dealer was showing, you’d get a chorus of groans if you decided to hit on it. The dealer would make sure you were serious...

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said Jason Kidd gave him no indication he was retiring during their exit interview Monday. “We had a great meeting with Jason,’’ Grunwald said. “He was a big part of our success and we look forward to having him back next year.’’ Asked if Kidd...