Summary

After a ridiculously hot start, the Knicks have come back down to earth somewhat. They started the season 18-5, but went 7-9 between Dec. 17 and Jan. 21. They're still the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, but could be in a dogfight for that position (with two or three different teams) in the last couple of months of the season.

Injuries have played a role in the slump. The Knicks were 20-8 with Felton. Without him, their pick-and-roll game has diminished. They also couldn't keep making 41 percent of their threes. But more concerning is the defensive regression, which started well before Felton (or Rasheed Wallace) got hurt.

The hope is that Iman Shumpert, back from offseason knee surgery, will stabilize the perimeter defense. If he can, then the Knicks can really stand out as the team most qualified to give the Heat a scare on their way back to The Finals.

At worst, New York will get its first playoff series win in 13 years.

-- John Schuhmann