Celtics Vs. Knicks: New York Looks To Rebound Against Boston

The Boston Celtics haven't smiled like the Tennessee River lately, losing four of their last seven games and falling into a tie atop the East with the surging Chicago Bulls. But by the standards of the New York Knicks, the C's are very well overcome with glee. The Knicks have gone 7-8 since trading for Carmelo Anthony, and have lost five of six in falling behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 6 seed.

If New York were warmer this time of year, the Knicks would be the Miami Heat circa Thanksgiving. Disappointment is an understatement; fans have gone from championship aspirations to "wait, we can't miss the playoffs, right?" in a few short weeks. As it turns out, Carmelo Anthony isn't a defensive-minded center. Well, he's not a defensive-minded anything. He can play defense, but frequently doesn't, and he's not entirely to blame given that many if not most of the league's most prolific scorers take defensive possessions off by necessity. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant have all done it, albeit not as frequently as 'Melo. Of course, all three are also better than 'Melo offensively, which leads to the possible conclusion that 'Melo's offense isn't quite good enough to justify his lack of consistent defensive intensity.

And there's the rub; Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer went deep on the defensive struggles of this team, and it's spot-on. The Celtics have no such problem, nor do the Heat. Boston has that rare combination of defensive ability and moxie that has the C's near the top of the table; the Knicks, frankly, have neither. One or the other will help you get to passable, but there's nothing here until Mike D'Antoni plays his defenders (Shelden Williams, Ronny Turiaf) more frequently or until Stoudemire or Anthony dig deep into their reserves for more defensive juice. Anyone betting on either happening?