Not to play the “I told you so” card, but I saw this coming. Who remembers the beginning of the 2010-2011 season? I do. Ray Felton, Amar’e, Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler were lighting it up. The Knicks were back, and in a way that they hadn’t been back in a decade at least. Amar’e was the star of New York City, and his supporting cast did just that: support.

With Felton running the point, Amar’e was in his glory, getting touches and great looks like there was no tomorrow. The rookie Landry Fields had breakout games and gained recognition and popularity as a starter for one of the biggest market teams in the world. Wilson Chandler obliterated the boards as one of the most aggressive big men in the league. Gallinari gained the respect of a nation over the course of his 2.5 year stint with the Knicks.

And then: Melo. 

Melo to the Knicks was going to happen. It was the most talked about trade of early 2011, and no one doubted that Melo would be wearing the Knicks’ orange and blue by the 2011-2012 season. Here came the problem: the Nuggets didn’t want a LeBron-leaves-Cleveland-with-the-worst-team-in-the-NBA-and-little-else situation on their hands. The Knicks could have waited to sign Melo. Fuck it, they SHOULD have waited for his free agency to start over the summer. But the instant gratification mindset of…wait, EVERYBODY in New York City led to the premature signing of Carmelo Anthony (and precious one other piece) for a solid percentage of the Knicks’ bench, and the majority of their starting lineup 

Denver got the better end of that trade. 

Friends of mine, die-hard Knicks fans, refused to believe that. They railed on me via Twitter for being unsupportive of the trade for Melo. Don’t get me wrong, Melo is one of the best shooters and scorers there is. He’s proved that for years. But when you’re gaining an offensive power, adding him to a different kind of offensive power, and sacrificing most of your starting lineup (as well as the majority of your defense), you don’t get a powerhouse team; you get a clash of the titans. And not the good Miami Heat vs. L.A. Lakers kind.

Answer this for me: who was running the point when Ray Felton was unceremoniously shipped off to the Mile High city? (Can you tell I’m still bitter about this? I think Felton did more for Amar’e’s stardom in New York City than Amar’e did.) The answer is, the only other piece that was of any value to the Knicks from the Nuggets: Chauncey Billups. And where is Mr. Big Shot now? In L.A., where the big shots go. But that's another story.

And now who’s running the point for the Knicks? A quietly out of place and inconsistent Toney Douglas? A hot shot rookie who takes more shots than he earns in Iman Shumpert? A recent D-League call-up in JEREMY LIN? For God’s sake. It is impossible to construct a decent offense when no one is in charge. Not only that, but Amar’e and Carmelo are both ball stoppers. They make buckets. They’re not role players; they’re superstars.

I'm going to come right out and say it. The Knicks have bad chemistry. Do you know why LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh are winning games? It's because they have chemistry. Good chemistry. If the Heat’s "Big Three" are the paper-mâché volcano of the NBA "Big Three" model, with lava smoothly oozing down the sides in perfect distribution, the Knicks are like an accident-prone bottle rocket project—taking off with admirable force, but inevitably shooting off into the unsuspecting owner’s crotch. An F+, if you will, in the world of acquiring NBA talent (what that means is that they tried really hard, it just blew up in their faces). 

What Knicks management has failed to realize is that acquiring a "Big Three" means nothing if the teamwork isn’t there. Getting into salary cap trouble, gutting the roster, and signing the big name instead of the key player, all for the sake of claiming a "Big Three" isn’t worth the breath you used to say it. Not yet anyway.

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"The Knicks are back." Stoudemire proclaimed.

And that they were. Right from the get-go Stoudemire lit it up, even before Carmelo Anthony came to New York. When Anthony arrived, Stoudemire's promise became a fact, and the Knicks were back and ready to get in the playoffs.

Although they lost all four games against the Celtics in the first round last season, the Knicks made a huge jump from one of the worst teams in the league to being in the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.

Then Stoudemire and Anthony helped recruit big man Tyson Chandler, and people want to bash on Stoudemire?

Did anyone see his performance last night against the Bulls? 34 points and 11 rebounds isn't enough?

The Knicks are built to contend, so why trade their pieces not even halfway into the season? The Knicks' chemistry isn't what it should be at this point, but moving Stoudemire for any of the 76ers doesn't help the chemistry either.

Though Stoudemire's knees and eyes are a concern, he is one of the best power forwards in the game. At times, he cannot be stopped—again, look back at last night's box score.

Stoudemire promised the Knicks fans they would get to the top. The Knicks actually played a very good game against the Bulls, but came up just a little short. Trading Stoudemire would just be silly.

Stoudemire's $20 million a year contract makes him almost untradeable. Teams don't want to pay him big money, as he is a huge risk and gamble that he won't get injured severely.

The Magic and 76ers are the teams reported to have interest, but I doubt Stoudemire goes anywhere. But even rumors saying that the Knicks are looking to trade him are a joke.

That being said, the Knicks can't "use" the guy that brought their team back. He's the franchise, like it or not. Don't even talk about Stoudemire trades anymore.

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When New York acquired Stoudemire in 2010, Knicks Nation was happy to be getting a superstar in The Garden. For only the cheap price of about $100 million through five years, the Knicks were able to solidify a possible franchise man.

What a mistake that turned out to be.

For the first part of the 2010-2011 season, the Knicks were a decent team, but nowhere near where most fans felt they should be.

With a record of 26-25 in the first half of the season, the Knicks were averaging 106.5 points per game all while giving up an average of 106.2 points a game (29th in the league). With a poor defensive game, Stoudemire and the Knicks were failing to impress in the Big Apple.

Now, Stoudemire did contribute his 22.1 points per game in the first half, so it's hard to blame the rough start all on him.

But then Carmelo Anthony happened.

When the Knicks traded for Anthony, fans were overcome with glee—Anthony, a New York native, coming home and using his scoring ability to lead the Knicks to the championship.

Boy, were they wrong.

After finally getting Anthony in the second half of the season, the New York took a nose dive. Their efficiency rating, which was 118.6 (3rd in the league), dropped to 114.1 (ninth in the league). And not only did their efficiency rating drop, but so did their points per game (106.5 down to 104.7), assists (21.4 down to 20) and rebounding ( 40.8 down to 39) per game. All after Anthony became a Knick.

And not only did the team stats drop, but Stoudemire himself felt the shock wave of Anthony landing in New York. Both his efficiency rating and points per game dropped significantly after the arrival of Melo. He started the first half of the season averaging 26.1 points, which dropped to 20.5 in the second half with Anthony. And his efficiency rating, which was 26.2 before the All-Star break, sank to 22.3 for the second half of the season.

Some argued it would take some time for the team to gel. Fair enough.

Let's take a look at the Knicks this year.

For starters, their efficiency rating has dropped from 114.1 to a lowly 101.3 (21st in the league). Additionally, Stoudemire is now averaging only 17.6 points per game and has even a lower efficiency rating of 16.3, which puts him as the 61st best player in the NBA according to efficiency after being the fourth best in 2010-2011.

Something is up. To me, it looks like Stoudemire and the Knicks stopped playing well with the arrival of Anthony.

To make my point, they are now 22-28 since receiving Anthony on Feb. 21.

Something has to be done,not only to make the Knicks better, but the help Stoudemire's stats go back up. And the only way that this seems possible is that the Knicks trade him away.

On the court, Stoudemire and Anthony just don't complement each other. They both are scoring forwards with redundant roles. Additionally, with the Knicks lacking a proper point guard to facilitate the actions on the court, Anthony is usually the one that ends up with the ball in his hands trying to direct the offense.

And we all know how much he loves to pass the ball, with his 4.4 assists per game.

So the Knicks' only hope is to make a trade, probably involving Stoudemire, where they get a good point guard in return.

John Finger of ESPNPhiladelphia reported a rumor saying the 76ers were looking at Stoudemire. And while that probably won't happen, it would definitely shape up to be an interesting trade considering all the guard talent that the 76ers posses. And ESPN's Chad Ford reported that "the Knicks were shopping Amare hard."

The sad fact is, the Knicks are not doing well with Anthony and Stoudemire on the court together. And with the recent spike in interest of Stoudemire, it seems like it is now or never for the Knicks to trade him away to get a point guard compatible with Anthony's play style, and to put Stoudemire on a team where he has more freedom to show off his scoring talent.

And if they do that, the Knicks—and Amar'e Stoudemire—would be taking a step forward after recently taking two steps back. 

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Amar'e Stoudemire signed with the New York Knicks in July 2010 as their big free-agent pickup when LeBron James spurned the city. The All-Star power forward quickly brought the Knicks back to relevance with a playoff berth last season.

Now, the Knicks are struggling and subsequently disrespecting Stoudemire by not quelling rumors that he could be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers or the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard.

Stoudemire, 29, has struggled a bit this season by collecting 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks on 42.9 percent shooting a night. This is considerably down from last year's 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on 50.2 percent shooting.

While Stoudemire is having a down year, the Knicks shouldn't be so quick to unload the immensely talented STAT, who still has many strong years left. Amar'e brings a strong low post scoring presence and has demonstrated time and again he takes over a game offensively. 

Throughout his first nine NBA seasons, Stoudemire has averaged 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 53.3 percent shooting. These numbers helped Stoudemire achieve the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year Award, six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA Second Teams and one All-NBA First Team selection.

New York has since brought Stoudemire some help with star small forward Carmelo Anthony and center Tyson Chandler. Despite all the talent on the roster, the Knicks have staggered to a 7-13 mark and are not appearing to be playoff contenders.

A big reason why the Knicks are not winning is a lack of a true point guard who could help Stoudemire and Anthony mesh well offensively. 

The Knicks have some lemons at the 1 spot. Mike Bibby is way past his prime and is stinking up the joint. Iman Shumpert is just a rookie and is not shooting well while having a 1-1 assist/turnover ratio.

Baron Davis was picked up off waivers from the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he has been injured and it will be a long shot for him to be an effective point.

So what do the Knicks do? Instead of waiting to sign an established point guard like Deron Williams in the offseason, New York is flirting with the notion of trading away Stoudemire.

While 76ers president Rod Thorn is denying Philadelphia ever inquired about Stoudemire, the possible trade of Amar'e and Tyson Chandler to the Magic for Howard has not been denied.

Notice any problematic inaction here? A 76ers executive denied the rumor, not a New York executive. Plus, nothing has been done to discredit the Orlando trade scenario.

Rumors come and go, especially if they involve stars, but New York is doing nothing to squash any that pertain to Stoudemire. This shows Stoudemire enormous disrespect. He is having a down year, but the $20 million a year player had a great 2010-11 season.

If the Knicks trade Stoudemire or even Chandler, it would make premier free agents think twice before inking a deal with New York.

That's why the Knicks need to assure Stoudemire that these trade rumors are just that. They signed Stoudemire to be a difference maker for their team's future, and they need to show him the respect he deserves. 

Bob Bajek is an NBA Featured Columnist. He is also a freelance reporter and can be followed at Patch.com and Twitter.

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As we enter February, it's not going to get any easier.

Games against the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, among others, are awaiting New York. The Knicks' performance during this stretch, which kicks off with a back-to-back-to-back, will speak volumes about which direction the team is headed.

Will Mike D'Antoni's seat cool off? Can the Knicks get their heads above .500? What kind of impact with Baron Davis' return have on the team?

The outcomes of this month's games will say it all.

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It sounded like a sweet idea when John Finger of CSNPhilly.com reported it, but the notion crumbled when a team source told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the rumor was "completely false."

This doesn't mean the New York Knicks aren't shopping Stoudemire, though. On the contrary, ESPN's Chad Ford wrote in a Wednesday chat that the Knicks are "shopping Amar'e hard."

The problem is that Stoudemire's contract is not insured, which is a pretty major issue seeing as how he has a history of injuries. And even if Stoudemire isn't dealing with something major, it's not uncommon for him to come down with some nagging injury or another.

Stoudemire's uninsured contract would be a concern if he were making, say, $5 million a year. He's making roughly $20 million a year.

Steve Kyler of HOOPSWORLD said it best when he wrote, "Amar’e may be the popular name to toss out, but the truth of the matter is his contract is all but untradeable. Only a small handful of owners could afford that deal on a good day, let alone if injury strikes."

If it's true that the Knicks are indeed shopping Stoudemire hard, they're going to get nibbles. Getting a bite is going to be much harder.

On the one hand, you can sympathize. When the Knicks signed Stoudemire in the summer of 2010, they probably didn't anticipate ever putting him on the trading block.

On the other hand, the Knicks should have anticipated this. If they had, they would have realized how screwed they would be on account of Stoudemire's uninsured contract.

But oh well. This time last year, Stoudemire's contract looked like a steal, as he was in the process of having an NBA season. The Knicks were still terrible, but Stoudemire was everything they hoped he would be.

And then the Knicks screwed it all up by bringing in Carmelo Anthony. Stoudemire hasn't been himself since that trade went through, and it's clear now that they're not exactly compatible players. The right point guard could fix everything, but good luck with that. The Knicks don't have the assets to trade for one, and they may not have the funds to sign one this offseason.

It's therefore not exactly a surprise that the Knicks are shopping Stoudemire. If they can't find proper support for their dynamic duo, they might as well break it up.

The Knicks have apparently opted to accomplish the feat by trading Stoudemire, but that will be easier said than done. If the Knicks are unable to swing a deal, they'll be able to look back and see pretty clearly that their own foolish decisions led them to their current predicament. Their assorted gambles have failed.

Unfortunately for them, they're probably going to have to let it ride.

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The Knicks made two crucial signings to get rid of two top point guards. Everyone continues to debate that the Carmelo Anthony deal was good for the Knicks, and that the signing of Tyson Chandler was better then keeping Chauncey Billups.

But looking back, was it really worth it?

Back track to the beginning of last year when Amar'e Stoudemire joined the New York Knicks in an attempt to bring the Knicks back. They were back and Amar'e was going strong with his team and the other quality players on the Knicks. The chemistry was flowing and Stoudemire was playing his best anyone had ever seen—even better then when he was with Nash.

At that time, he had Raymond Felton dishing out the assists with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari maturing into solid players. In addition, Landry Fields was playing like the gem of his 2010 draft class.

The Knicks were doing everything right until the Carmelo Anthony deal.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that bringing Carmelo Anthony to New York was a bad move, because he has won the Knicks many close games and is really a solid superstar. Losing Felton hurt Amar'e.

Moreover, Carmelo hurt Amar'e.

Pick and rolls are no where to be found with the Knicks, and that was Stoudemire's game. If if the pick and roll suddenly didn't work, Felton would be able to find Stoudemire for a jump shot every time. It's safe to say their chemistry was fantastic.

But having Chauncey Billups wasn't the end of the world for the Knicks when the deal actually took place. However, Billups is probably more of a shoot-first player, like the rest of the Knicks guards that are healthy right now.

He was a veteran point guard that knew how to get the ball in his star's hands if he needed to, but wasn't near as good as Felton actually was in his half-season with the Knicks.

However, when the Knicks decided that they wanted Tyson Chandler to join the Knicks, they waived Billups. The Knicks decided to rely on Toney Douglas, who it has turned out was not ready to walk into Billups' shoe.

The Knicks were left with a Big Three of two dominant forwards and a massive big man to go along with it. But they had no solid guards that have a pass-first instinct.

And when you have no legitimate point guard to get the ball in the hands of your stars, those stars will not matter. Anthony and Stoudemire are just as good offensively as Kris Humphries when the Knicks don't give their stars the ball without isolation.

In the end, these deals didn't work out in the Knicks favor (for now); instead, it has worked out for the Nuggets and Clippers, as both of those teams are over .500 and most definitely will make the playoffs.

It is quite obvious that James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, pushed for these acquisitions and not Mike D'Antoni, the coach.

The signing of Baron Davis was smart, but when is he going to come back?

Baron Davis can definitely help the Knicks, but the Knicks knew better then to sign Mike Bibby for the time that Davis was going to be out. There were other veteran pass first guards available over Mike Bibby, who has been beyond ineffective. Earl Watson would have been the better choice there.

Even I was fooled that the Knicks were a legitimate contender at the start of the season. I think all teams finally realize how important it is to have a pass-first point guard on their team.

Reports are saying the Knicks are looking to bring in Kenyon Martin after his stint in China. Another power forward? If it means trade, then trade for a point guard that can actually make the Big Three successful and turn this season around. We need a point guard Knicks!!

So, what is a great deal without a great point guard?

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The Knicks made two crucial signings to get rid of two top point guards. Everyone continues to debate that the Carmelo Anthony deal was good for the Knicks, and that the signing of Tyson Chandler was better then keeping Chauncey Billups.

But looking back, was it really worth it?

Back track to the beginning of last year when Amar'e Stoudemire joined the New York Knicks in an attempt to bring the Knicks back. They were back and Amar'e was going strong with his team and the other quality players on the Knicks. The chemistry was flowing and Stoudemire was playing his best anyone had ever seen—even better then when he was with Nash.

At that time, he had Raymond Felton dishing out the assists with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari maturing into solid players. In addition, Landry Fields was playing like the gem of his 2010 draft class.

The Knicks were doing everything right until the Carmelo Anthony deal.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that bringing Carmelo Anthony to New York was a bad move, because he has won the Knicks many close games and is really a solid superstar. Losing Felton hurt Amar'e.

Moreover, Carmelo hurt Amar'e.

Pick and rolls are no where to be found with the Knicks, and that was Stoudemire's game. If if the pick and roll suddenly didn't work, Felton would be able to find Stoudemire for a jump shot every time. It's safe to say their chemistry was fantastic.

But having Chauncey Billups wasn't the end of the world for the Knicks when the deal actually took place. However, Billups is probably more of a shoot-first player, like the rest of the Knicks guards that are healthy right now.

He was a veteran point guard that knew how to get the ball in his star's hands if he needed to, but wasn't near as good as Felton actually was in his half-season with the Knicks.

However, when the Knicks decided that they wanted Tyson Chandler to join the Knicks, they waived Billups. The Knicks decided to rely on Toney Douglas, who it has turned out was not ready to walk into Billups' shoe.

The Knicks were left with a Big Three of two dominant forwards and a massive big man to go along with it. But they had no solid guards that have a pass-first instinct.

And when you have no legitimate point guard to get the ball in the hands of your stars, those stars will not matter. Anthony and Stoudemire are just as good offensively as Kris Humphries when the Knicks don't give their stars the ball without isolation.

In the end, these deals didn't work out in the Knicks favor (for now); instead, it has worked out for the Nuggets and Clippers, as both of those teams are over .500 and most definitely will make the playoffs.

It is quite obvious that James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, pushed for these acquisitions and not Mike D'Antoni, the coach.

The signing of Baron Davis was smart, but when is he going to come back?

Baron Davis can definitely help the Knicks, but the Knicks knew better then to sign Mike Bibby for the time that Davis was going to be out. There were other veteran pass first guards available over Mike Bibby, who has been beyond ineffective. Earl Watson would have been the better choice there.

Even I was fooled that the Knicks were a legitimate contender at the start of the season. I think all teams finally realize how important it is to have a pass-first point guard on their team.

Reports are saying the Knicks are looking to bring in Kenyon Martin after his stint in China. Another power forward? If it means trade, then trade for a point guard that can actually make the Big Three successful and turn this season around. We need a point guard Knicks!!

So, what is a great deal without a great point guard?

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Head coach Mike D'Antoni has been on the hot seat since Phil Jackson retired, but the Knicks' current inability to put together a winning streak has rendered it scalding. It's unlikely that any decision is made on the head coach's future before Baron Davis returns, but when dealing with Knicks owner James Dolan, anything is possible.

So, how can New York turn its season around? Or better yet, how can it salvage D'Antoni's job, Amar'e Stoudemire's image and Tyson Chandler's sanity?

Through Carmelo Anthony.

Like it or not, the Knicks live and die with Anthony. Their offense is run through him and he will be given the green light a majority of the time. Stoudemire helped revive this franchise, but it's Anthony's offense now.

And no one should have an issue with it.

Yes, Stoudemire needs his touches, and finding Chandler off the pick-and-roll is imperative, but for the Knicks to succeed, Anthony needs to be taking shots and hitting them.

Don't fool yourself into believing Anthony can be a bona fide facilitator as opposed to an inherent scorer. His skill set is clear, and while he is an adept passer, he's no point guard.

Does that mean he cannot do both? Absolutely not, it just means the Knicks can rarely afford a night where he totals one point.

What Anthony has struggled to do his whole career is find the balance between scoring and facilitating. When he first arrived in New York, D'Antoni forced him to devote himself to the seven-seconds-or-less system. The result? Visible struggles and a staggering end to a brief playoff appearance. 

That was to be expected, though. A new state of mind cannot be achieved overnight, and somewhere along the lines both Anthony and D'Antoni forgot that.

For whatever reason, D'Antoni has attempted to appease Anthony by allowing him to isolate his opponents. The coach stepped outside of his comfort zone to allow Anthony to enter his—a noble, yet gullible decision.

Anthony's tactics have proven less than effective, as double-teams flocked his way, leaving the small forward to force the action while Stoudemire and company stood idly by. The fact that Anthony has rarely wavered in his detrimental-to-ball-movement ways is disturbing, and the question as to why must be posed. 

D'Antoni doesn't appear to have the tight-knit relationship with Anthony that he does with Stoudemire, Chandler and the rest of the team. They are rarely seen speaking on the sidelines and, up until recently, Anthony hasn't showed any public support for his coach.

There's the problem.

Assuming Anthony has always been on board with D'Antoni's basketball philosophy is naive. This system forced the All-Star forward to change everything he stood for, and that doesn't come without resentment.

But the time for Anthony to defy D'Antoni's game plan is over. The coach allowed his star to play a personalized style of basketball thus far, and it clearly hasn't worked. Anthony's love for isolation has not only isolated his defender, but his teammates as well.

For the Knicks to succeed, they need to play team basketball; they need to embrace D'Antoni's offensive concepts, Anthony needs to embrace them.

Forget about whether or not D'Antoni is the right coach to lead New York to a title. He is here now, as is Anthony, and it is their job to make it work.

On that front, D'Antoni has been as flexible as possible. He has compromised his offensive schemes and beliefs to appease who was supposed to be the team's second savior. And now it's Anthony's turn to concede.

The forward's backing of D'Antoni is a good start, but is just that, a start. Anthony has finally uttered the right words, but he must now take action. For the Knicks to keep their sinking ship afloat, he must emerge as a true leader.

And Anthony can only lead on the court if he becomes a follower off it.

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