Pregame Thoughts: Knicks v. Heat

There is some good news and some bad news for Knicks fans heading into tonights Eastern Conference showdown between the Miami Heat and the Knicks. I will start with the good:

1. Dwayne Wade is out.
2. The game is on ESPN, so for the many of us who have Time Warner Cable, we can actually watch the game.

That’s about it on the good. Now for the bad:

1. Carmelo Anthony is out with wrist, thumb and ankle injuries (I am not 100% sure that this shouldn’t be listed in the “good” category, but we’ll leave it here for now).
2. Baron Davis, who was rumored to make his Knicks debut tonight, will not suit up for the team. According to D’Antoni, “The medical staff decided it best to take the weekend off."
3. In Dwayne Wade’s 6 game absence, Chris Bosh has blossomed into a man, averaging over 8 more points a game. If Amare has to play top tier D all game, he is going to suffer on the offensive end.
4. The Knicks are 7-11 and the Heat are 13-5. You are what your record says you are.

What’s worse, with Carmelo out, this game is a lose-lose for the Knicks. Most likely the Knicks will get handled easily, and that is never a positive. But if they go out and beat LeBron, Bosh and the Heat with Melo on the bench it will only increase the speculation that the team is better off without him. I don’t know if that is true or not, but while he is the number 1 option on the team, whispers of his removal will only make it more difficult for this team to get on track.

With all that said, this team needs an emotional win in the worst way, so let’s go Knicks! I guess…