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Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley join ESPN New York 1050's Dan Schwartzman to talk all things Knicks. Topics include Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson and potential postseason matchups.

 

While Jared Jeffries is still sticking with the Bulls as the preferred first-round opponent, because of a gimpy Derrick Rose, the backup center also believes the Knicks can beat Heat. It's likely the Knicks, currently the seventh seed, will play either team in the opening round of the playoffs, starting April 28.

"If we keep shooting the ball the way we are, then definitely we're one of the top teams," Jeffries said Friday afternoon on ESPN New York 1050's "Ruocco & Lundberg" show. "I think against Miami's defense, I think you have to have a team that can shoot the ball very well. The way we're shooting the ball right now from outside, I think it'll be hard for a team like Miami to show on pick-and-rolls and rotate early to get to our shooters. So I think we're definitely one of the teams that they would be concerned about."

Even though the Knicks are a lock for the postseason, they're still looking to climb in the standings and overtake the Magic at the sixth spot. The Knicks (33-29) and Magic (36-26) both have four games remaining. If the Knicks go 4-0 and the Magic go 1-3, finishing with the same 37-29 record, the Knicks will bump the Magic down because they own the tiebreaker based on head-to-head matchups this season (2-1). That's what's on the minds of the Knicks players, especially with Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard out for the season with a herniated disk.

"That's definitely what we're talking about," Jeffries said. "We've talked about that for a long time. Our first goal was to win our division and then now with the way things have worked out, if we can win out our last four games, you never know what might happen. Orlando could drop a couple games and we can end up getting the sixth seed, and that would be amazing."

The Knicks will have a better chance to do that with the return of Amare Stoudemire Friday night in Cleveland. Jeffries has been impressed with how Stoudemire, who will start and play around 20 minutes against the Cavaliers, has looked like his usual self, jumping and dunking with power.

"From what I've seen in his workouts and stuff that he's done, he looks good," he said. "He looks really healthy, he looks explosive and I'm excited for it. I think having our whole team together and having all the pieces we need in place, I think that we can make a good run."

Regarding Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony's play together, which some people have doubts about it, Jeffries wasn't concerned.

"We understand the balance of our team," he said. "Melo's been playing unbelievable and we know we're going to go through him and he's going to the main guy, the main catalyst of our offense. And Amare's a great player. Anytime you have a great player, they're going to fill in and find a way to be good. Amare was the same way with Steve Nash in Phoenix."

Jeffries also said the opportunity for the team to build a rhythm with Stoudemire over the next several games before the playoffs start is significant. He compared that to the Bulls not having Rose, which could obviously affect them looking ahead.

"The worst thing you can do is go into the playoffs with an off rhythm," Jeffries said.

As for himself, Jeffries said he's regaining strength in his right knee, which has bothered him for much of the season. He said he'll be good to go come playoff time, and wasn't bothered by the Knicks adding big man Dan Gadzuric, who is expected to be eligible for the playoffs.

"It's actually OK right now," Jeffries said, referring to his knee. "I'm trying to get strength and make sure that I'll be ready for the whole playoff run. I don't want to have this situation in the playoffs where I can play and I'm not 100 percent. I think bringing in [Dan] is a good thing because anytime you can have big bodies in the playoffs is a good thing.

"I'll be out there. It's always been a dream of mine to be with a Knicks team wire to wire that goes to the playoffs and does well. I think that we have the right opportunity this year because of the guys we have on the team. A lot of guys took smaller checks to come here and be a part of the situation here in New York. So I think that it would be foolish on our part not to give our all and give everything we have to be a part of it."

One player who may not be a part of it is Jeremy Lin, who's timetable hasn't changed. He could still make an appearance if the Knicks reach the semifinals.

"I think so. I think if we can make a large enough run, I wouldn't see why not," Jeffries said. "He's working very hard. I mean, he wants to come back. He's a great kid and puts a lot of time and effort working with our trainers two times a day, icing, doing all the right things. So I know if he can get back out there -- I know he wants to get back out there -- he will."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Welcome to ESPN New York's NBA podcast, in which Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley will talk Knicks, a little NBA and occasionally the world of basketball.

Zwerling and Begley give you an Amare Stoudemire health update, debate which player the Knicks are currently missing more (Stoudemire or Jeremy Lin), discuss J.R. Smith's future with the team and preview the Knicks-Celtics game Tuesday night at the Garden.

 

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony's popularity for his scoring exploits on the court couldn't have come at a better time for his television acting career to take off. That's because a cameo appearance he made on "Nurse Jackie," which was filmed last fall, is now being aired in primetime.

Anthony has a small role in the first two episodes of Season 4 of the show, which premiered last Sunday (it airs on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET). Melo plays a professional baseball player who is one of the patients at the Manhattan rehab facility that the lead character in the show, Jackie Peyton (played by Edie Falco) attends.

"It was a great experience, man, just to be a part of it," Anthony said Monday on ESPN New York 1050's "Mike & Mike in the Morning." I'm a big fan of Edie Falco from 'The Sopranos.' They reached out to me to do it during the lockout. I was kind of skeptical about it before because that's a big show. That's a big actor to be in front of, Edie Falco. It was fun, though. I had a great time. I was a baseball player who's addicted to pain medicine. It was just good. It was a fun atmosphere for me."

On the radio show, Anthony described what it was like to be on set.

"It was take after take after take, all day and all night. But it was good," he said. "The production crew, the staff, the director, they were great with me. The set was more fun off camera rather than on camera. There were so many laughs, so much fun out there."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

If the Knicks remain at one of the two lowest seeds, which is likely, many people believe the Bulls with a gimpy Derrick Rose will be a slightly easier opponent than the star-studded Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

But the Knicks' centerpiece, Carmelo Anthony, isn't backing down from the Heat. It's a matchup he's looking forward to.

"It'll be a fun series, I'll tell you that," Melo said Monday on ESPN New York 1050's "Mike & Mike in the Morning." Just to be a part of that and go up against them guys, it's always fun, it's always exciting, it's always intense. And the guys on my team, to where we're at right now, and the identify of our team that we have, we're not going to be an easy matchup."

Anthony especially enjoys going up against LeBron James, a player he's faced since high school and who came out of the same draft class in 2003. James was selected first by the Cavaliers; Anthony went third to the Nuggets. During the game on Sunday, those smiles translated to a game of trying to match each other offensively, an element that would make a Knicks-Heat series competitive with the two best players on the court going at it.

"It was just fun, man," Anthony said, referring to yesterday's contest. "He comes down and he hit a couple of big shots and I started laughing. And then I come down and hit some shots and start laughing. We've been going up against each other since the 10th, 11th grade. We go way back playing against each other and those games are always fun. We bring the best out of each other."

Another element that would allow the Knicks to keep up with the Heat is their defense, which Dwyane Wade called "improved" after Sunday's game. Anthony said making stops has been their MO since Mike Woodson took over the team on March 14, a span during which they've held opponents to 89.1 points per game -- the third-best mark in the league.

"I think just a different mentality, a defensive mentality to us winning games," Anthony said. "We've won games on the defensive end. Now, even when we have off nights on the offensive end, we're still able to grind games out, will games to win."

Before Tyson Chandler was limited with a left knee injury on Sunday, which happened in the third quarter, he was able to use his quickness to provide excellent helpside defense in the paint. But then the Defensive Player of the Year candidate left the game to receive ice treatment on the bruise, which opened doors for the Heat. Chandler was limping the rest of the game, and Chris Bosh started hitting close-range shots (six points in the final period) and then Wade made two running jumpers in the lane -- the last one putting the Heat up 91-82 with 2:15 to play.

But when the Knicks are at full strength, they have the defensive abilities to go toe-to-toe with any team, like they were doing for three and a half quarters on Sunday. What's especially helped is that Anthony is not over-compensating his offense by showing lapses on defense -- something he's been known to do in the past.

"I think it's just more of [Woodson] holding me more accountable and my teammates," he said. "In order for us to be successful, why not step it up on the defensive end? The way my teammates have been playing on that side of the ball, I didn't want to feel left out and not doing what I had to do by not playing defense. It does become fun after a while when we stop guys and we get out in transition and get easy baskets. It makes the game fun."

In the end, the Knicks suffered on Sunday by not having enough scoring beyond Anthony. That will change when Amare Stoudemire returns, although Anthony himself is not even sure when that will be. He has, however, heard that STAT is doing extremely well in his recent workouts.

"[Stoudemire] just gives us some better options," Anthony said. "It gives us another presence out there. It brings us one of our key players, one of our leaders, back to the team. We can't wait until he gets back."

Stoudemire's injury (not to mention, Jeremy Lin's) represented just another major compelling story line surrounding the Knicks. From the team acquiring Chandler to Lin's sudden surge to Mike D'Antoni stepping down, it's already felt like a few seasons wrapped into one.

"It's been a roller-coaster season, man," Anthony said. "There have been a lot of changes with the team, with the coaching, with guys coming in and out, so it's been a lot of adjustments for everybody. But right now, I'm glad that we're able to just come together and stick together and fight through that whole period and still be where we're at right now."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Veteran forward Jared Jeffries plans to return to the court on Sunday for the Knicks' pivotal matchup against the Bulls.

"I'm doing great. I plan on playing Sunday," Jeffries said Friday afternoon during an interview on ESPN New York 1050's "Ruocco & Lundberg" show.

Jeffries has missed the last eight games due to a right knee injury. He aggravated the injury on March 11 against Philadelphia. The same injury sidelined Jeffries for four games in early March.

He worked out with Knicks assistant Kenny Atkinson on Friday morning and spent 30 minutes on the court, saying afterward that his knee felt "great."

The Knicks held their own with with Jeffries, Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin out of the lineup, going 4-2. But Mike Woodson's club clearly could use more healthy bodies for the stretch run.

Jeffries is an instrumental piece for the Knicks on defense. He is an excellent team defender, rotating well to continually drawing offensive charges.

He's averaging 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20.9 minutes for the Knicks, who enter play Friday with a 1½ game lead over Milwaukee for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

ESPN New York's Ian Begley and Jared Zwerling report on the Knicks injury situation from the team's practice facility in Greenburgh, N.Y.

 

Jared Jeffries has missed five games with a sore right knee. It sounds like he may sit out a few more before returning to the court.

In an interview on ESPN New York 1050's "Ruocco and Lundberg Show" on Friday afternoon, Jeffries said that he hopes to begin running next week but hesitated to predict when he'd be back on the court.

"Next week or the end of next week I should have a feel if I'll be back during that time or (will need) another week off," Jeffries told Ruocco and Lundberg.

The Knicks have continued to play well despite Jeffries' absence, going 3-1 with him out. But with Amare Stoudemire out 2-4 weeks, New York (26-25) needs him back as soon as possible.

With Stoudemire out, Carmelo Anthony has started at power forward for the past two games. But Anthony may not be able to matchup against the bigger power forwards in the league.

Josh Harrellson and Steve Novak have manned the forward spots in the second unit. Though Mike Woodson has noted that Harrellson hasn't been able to get in game shape since missing five weeks with a broken wrist.

Jeffries, who is a valuable defender and skilled at drawing offensive charges, could help the Knicks at either the starting or reserve forward spot.

Just when he returns is up in the air.

"I feel good right now, but I haven't done anything," he said.

Jeffries said both he and Jeremy Lin's injuries (Lin is out with a sore left knee) are due to "wear and tear" and have been compounded by the lockout-shortened 66-game schedule.

"You get a small injury and it seems to keep going and keep compounding itself," Jeffries said.

Here are a few other highlights from Jeffries' interview with Ruocco and Lundberg:

ENDORSE MIKE WOODSON AS THE KNICKS' NEXT HEAD COACH? "Yeah, he's done a wonderful job in a difficult situation, difficult circumstances. He's done a great job of keeping guys together and keeping guys unified.... He does a good job of motivating guys to play the right way offensively and defensively."

MAKE PLAYOFFS? WIN THE TITLE? "Yes we are going to make the playoffs.... Yeah (we can win a title). I think that with the way this season (is), it's a lot like a football; it's a lot like a hockey season where if a team gets hot at the right time and plays well they can win a championship."

ILL WILL TOWARD CARMELO AFTER D'ANTONI'S EXIT? "Not at all. We all understand that it's a business. As close as I am to Mike (D'Antoni), I was also traded under him. So it's a situation where we all understand it's a business and we want the best for our team and our career …. I talked to Mike about it and he said it was a good decision. I respect him and his decision and we've played well ever since. The way we've played (now) is how we should have played all season."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Every weekday morning throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip" segment.

Today's Burning Question: What are the Knicks missing most without Jeremy Lin?

Friday night in Atlanta, Jeremy Lin will miss his third straight game because of his sore left knee, and head coach Mike Woodson is not sure when his starting point guard will return. However, Jared Jeffries said on ESPN New York 1050 that Lin will return next week.

The first word that's being used to describe the reason for Lin's injury is "overuse." After playing only roughly 53 minutes through the first 22 games of the season, he was thrust into the starter's role and right away began playing around 40 minutes per game. Fortunately, Baron Davis has been able to alleviate some of the pressure off of Lin.

But for now, Lin is ailing, and the Knicks will be at a loss, just like they are without Jeffries (right knee inflammation) and Amare Stoudemire (bulging disk).

Here are the three main things the Knicks are missing most without Lin:

1. Pressure on the defense. Lin's combination of feline quickness and pick-and-roll playmaking, which led to Linsanity in February, has forced his man and the help defender to come at him harder on the perimeter and occasionally trap him. That opens up the court, especially for Carmelo Anthony to maneuver more in the midrange area and for Tyson Chandler to find open seams in the middle of the court to flash to the basket. This all leads to more instinctive ball movement (rather than reactive), and more outside looks for the Knicks.

Here is one veteran NBA scout's take on this: "If the defenses are putting so much attention on Lin, that's the best news you can tell me. If I'm Mike Woodson, that's exactly what I want to hear. Remember, I'm asking for situations to put pressure on a defense, and if that means that the defense is getting extra attention to someone, whether it's Lin or Carmelo or whomever it is, that's exactly my job as a coach. To me, as an X's and O's guy, your job is to create mismatches, force the defense to adjust and when they adjust, make them pay for it. That's the whole point of everything I diagram.

"With defenses now jumping Jeremy Lin on pick-and-rolls and really paying a lot of attention to him, wonderful. That's not bad, that's great, because that means Jeremy Lin has to give the ball up, has to know when to give it up, he has to give it up on time and he has to get it to the right guy. And normally, if I put him in a pick-and-roll with Carmelo or Amare, then that's immediately one pass is most likely going to lead to a good shot. Whether you're doubling Carmelo or doubling Amare or trapping Jeremy Lin on the pick-and-roll, that's what I want to hear."

2. Pick-and-roll defense. During the Knicks' 8-1 stretch under Woodson, the interim head coach has applauded the team's pick-and-roll defense. And he specifically has complimented Lin on anchoring the perimeter protection, not allowing the opposing point guard to go off. That's been a big credit to Lin doing less switching, fighting through screens and his teammates behind him communicating better. Previously, when the Knicks lost six straight games in early March, Lin and the team were culprits of allowing Rajon Rondo, Jason Kidd, Tony Parker, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday and Derrick Rose to have big games, points and assists-wise.

While the Knicks completely disseminated the Magic Wednesday night, the only real wizardry came from point guard Jameer Nelson, who scored 11 points in the first quarter alone off pick-and-rolls. Davis has shown improvements on the defensive end, but he's still a step slow to consistently keep up with all of the young and explosive point guards in the league today. He even admitted that he won't be playing at full health all season, so Lin should be able to provide that extra firepower when he returns. And that's especially important to start the game, in order for the Knicks to control tempo. Under Woodson, the Knicks know that it starts off defense, and more stops will lead to better offense.

3. Consistency from the starting five to the second unit. This may be the most important thing. With Davis now starting, Woodson is using Mike Bibby as the backup point guard. But Bibby, at this point in this career, is really more of a glorified shooting guard who doesn't put pressure on the defense with his quickness and pick-and-roll playmaking.

There are some who are surprised Woodson is not giving Toney Douglas a shot. Instead, not only is he going with Bibby, but he's also asking J.R. Smith to run the team at times. While Bibby and Smith have made some plays, the Knicks are obviously missing a reliable point guard off the bench who can maintain what Lin or Davis establishes in the first unit on offense. That has been keeping the defense on their toes through the pick-and-roll, and penetrating and making smart passes in the paint and out to shooters on the perimeter. What's happening now is that the second unit is relying a bit too much on isolation, especially through Smith, and their assists have gone down. When Lin returns, Davis will give the bench what they need.

What do you think the Knicks will be missing most without Lin? Leave us your comments below.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

The city that never sleeps is apparently home to the basketball team that never sleeps.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith confirmed that a doctor visited the team Thursday to provide tips on how to get to a good night's sleep.

"It was really just to make sure we get our rest, make sure we don't oversleep and make sure we don't under sleep," Smith said. "Sleep is such a big part of our everyday lifestyle, especially going out there and exerting so much energy on the court, so we have to catch up on rest as much as we can."

In an appearance on ESPN New York 1050's "The Michael Kay Show," Steve Novak said some Knicks might have trouble falling asleep after games because of the adrenaline rush they get while playing at the Garden.

"It has a lot to do with just being so amped when we leave the game and our adrenaline's up and we're so juiced that when you leave, it's hard to go to sleep," Novak told Kay and Don La Greca.

Smith said he's still adjusting to life in a new time zone. He spent nearly five months playing in China during the lockout.

"After the games it's kind of hard for me to sleep anyway. The adrenaline still pumps," Smith said. "A lot of time I really don't get a chance to go to sleep until 1:30, 2 o’clock in the morning after the games. Just trying to cut all the lights out in my room and try to get bed as early as possible."

The doctor suggested players listen to sleep-inducing relaxation music to get to bed.

"It's kind of weird when you first heard the voices on there," Smith said. "I'm sure we'll get used to it."

Mike D'Antoni laughed when asked about the visit from the doctor, who he said is one of the tools the team uses to ensure the players' well-being.

"It is New York, right?" he said, adding "Normally when I talk to [the players] it puts them to sleep."

Not all Knicks are up late at night after games.

Jeremy Lin, the player who has created all of the hysteria, is one of several players who have no problem falling asleep.

"I can pretty much sleep whenever or wherever," he said.

Add Charles Barkley to the list of people who think Amare Stoudemire has lacked "pop" in his legs this season.

In an interview Monday on ESPN New York 1050's "The Mike Lupica Show," Barkley said Stoudemire hasn't been "explosive" this season. Barkley believes the diminished pop is a result of the microfracture surgery Stoudemire underwent in 2005.

"Amare is not nearly as explosive as he was two or three years ago," Barkley said. "... Those injuries do take their toll."

Stoudemire underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee in late 2005. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in April 2006.

His numbers are down significantly this year.

Through the first 35 games of the season, Stoudemire is averaging 17.5 points per game on 44 percent shooting -- the lowest totals in both categories since his rookie season.

In addition, Stoudemire has shown little explosiveness near the rim -- a career-high 9.6 percent of his shots have been blocked.

Barkley thinks that the micro fracture has robbed Stoudemire of his effectiveness.

The Hall of Famer compared it to the effect the same surgery had on Chris Webber and Penny Hardaway, among others, saying Webber and Hardaway went from being "great players to losing their jumping ability."

Phoenix decided against offering Stoudemire a long-term contract in the summer of 2005. Instead, the Knicks gave Stoudemire $100 million over five seasons.

Barkley said he agreed with Phoenix's decision to let Stoudemire walk.

"That was the concern in Phoenix and I agreed with (the team's decision) not to give him a long term deal," Barkley said.

Due to his knee issues, Stoudemire's contract with the Knicks is uninsured, which presents a major hurdle if the Knicks wish to trade the veteran power forward.

The Knicks were 8-15 and had lost 11 of 13 when Mike D'Antoni first inserted Jeremy Lin into the lineup. At the time, many were calling for D'Antoni's job. Of course, since Lin started playing major minutes, the Knicks have won nine of 12.

Charles Barkley, echoing an opinion stated by many, believes Lin saved D'Antoni's job.

"I think Jeremy Lin did save his job because they were going nowhere fast. They were really going nowhere fast," Barkley said on Monday on ESPN New York 1050's "The Mike Lupica Show."

Barkley also believes the Knicks can finish as high as third in the Eastern Conference but have no chance of defeating either Miami or Chicago.

"They're probably going to be the third-best team in the East that doesn't mean they're in the conversation with Miami and Chicago," Barkley said.

The Knicks, currently seeded seventh, have lost two games against the Heat this season. They play Miami for a third and final time on April 15. The Knicks (17-18) are 0-1 against the Bulls. They have three remaining games against Chicago.

Barkley's also no fan of D'Antoni's defense, saying D'Antoni doesn't demand enough on D.

That's a familiar critique of D'Antoni. He was often criticzed for his teams' lack of defense in Phoenix and New York.

Barkley referenced D'Antoni's Suns teams when discussing the coach's defensive deficiencies.

"They were good enough but he never held them accountable on the defensive end. And I think he's stubborn," Barkley told Lupica. "I think he wants to win his way offensively. ... Like, 'We can outscore people, this is my system.' If he ever held some of those players accountable on the defensive end, they would have been a lot better team and not just exciting to watch."

The Knicks ranked 21st in defensive efficiency last season. But they're made significant strides this year.

Thanks in part to strong play from Tyson Chandler, Jared Jeffries and Iman Shumpert and plenty of input from assistant Mike Woodson, the Knicks will enter the second half ranked seventh in defensive efficiency.

Jared Jeffries thinks the Knicks didn't do enough to help Jeremy Lin on Thursday night against Miami.

"Their whole focus was to contain Jeremy. With guys that are that aggressive, that athletic ... I think it was difficult for him to have a good game," Jeffries said on Friday in an interview with ESPN New York 1050's Robin Lundberg and Ryan Ruocco.

"A lot of it's on us," Jeffries continued. "We have to take some of the pressure off of him."

The Heat pressured Lin into eight turnovers. He missed 10 of his 11 attempts. Miami point guard Mario Chalmers continually picked up Lin in the backcourt and the Heat made an effort to trap Lin coming off of the pick and roll, one of Lin's biggest weapons.

"They were firing on all cylinders," Jeffries said of Miami.

Over the Knicks' previous 10 games with Lin as the starting point guard, the team averaged 28 plays in the pick-and-roll per game (20 for the ball-handler, eight for the roll man).

On Thursday, they had far fewer chances to run the play. They only connected on 5 of 10 field goals, and had four turnovers in the process. Overall, just 18 of the Knicks' offensive plays were in the pick-and-roll.

Jeffries, one of the Knicks' best defenders, believes New York (16-17) can learn from the defeat and will be better prepared the next time it faces Miami, on April 15.

"If we change a couple of things ... we can be competitive with them," Jeffries said. "The biggest thing for all of us is to realize it doesn't matter where you start, it's where you finish. And right now, we're trying to build toward [finishing in a place] where we can be champions."

According to ESPN New York's Stephen A. Smith, the Orlando Magic have inquired about acquiring Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire in a trade for Dwight Howard.

Howard can opt to test free agency after the season. The Magic are mulling the option of trading him before the season ends.

Magic GM Otis Smith has reportedly given Howard's agent permission to speak with the Nets, Lakers and Mavericks about possible trades.

But Smith reported on ESPN New York 1050 on Sunday that the Magic have also talked with New York about a possible transaction involving Howard for Stoudemire and Chandler.

"I will preface my statement by telling you that [the Magic] have categorically denied this, but my sources tell me that they have inquired about Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire going to Orlando for Dwight Howard," Smith said.

Trading for Stoudemire would be a risk right now. He has three-plus years remaining on a contract that is uninsured due to his extensive history of knee injuries.

Stoudemire is struggling through the first 16 games of the season, averaging 17.6 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the floor. Last year, he scored 25 points per game on 50 percent shooting.

There is a concern that Stoudemire can't coexist with Carmelo Anthony. Stoudemire's statistics indicate that he is getting fewer attempts near the rim with Anthony on board.

Also, Stoudemire this season is no longer the Knicks' primary screener on pick-and-rolls. This takes away his opportunities to score on the pick and roll.

Center Tyson Chandler now serves as the Knicks' primary screener. He has proved to be a difference maker on defense for the Knicks (6-10). New York signed Chandler to a four-year, $58 million contract in the offseason.

Any deal involving Howard would likely include Chandler as he and Howard would make for a difficult pairing in the starting five.

Stephen A. Smith is very upset with the Knicks. He says the players are to blame as much as the coach. He even considers trading STAT for Dwight Howard.