2012-13 Knicks: A Glimpse of Greatness

2012-13 Knicks: A Glimpse of Greatness

When defining the professional basketball career of Carmelo Anthony, some fans and basketball critics will always compare his career to that of another superstar drafted in the same year: LeBron James. Both Anthony and James were taken in the 2003 NBA Draft, and statistically speaking, many hold LeBron’s numbers in higher regard. However, Anthony has had his own fair share of great basketball moments, and in the case of the 2012-13 Knicks season, New York fans got to see a glimpse of greatness — the potential Anthony had when leading a solid enough team.

Regular Season Dominance

In the 2012-13 Knicks season, New York went 54-28, winning the Atlantic Division by five games over the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks went 31-10 on their home court of Madison Square Garden and 23-18 on the road, and they went 10-6 in divisional play. The team remained solid throughout each month of the regular season, going 11-4 in November, 10-5 in December, 7-6 in January, 6-5 in February, 12-6 in March, and 8-2 in April.

Though this would have been seen as uncharted territory for the Knicks considering how much they had underachieved in recent years, the team actually closed out the regular season on a 13-game winning streak. This streak showed that when the roster had enough talent, superstars like Anthony were able to flourish. It began with a 90-83 win over the Utah Jazz on March 18 and ended with a 120-99 win over the Washington Wizards on April 9.

Statistical Standouts

Starting Five Firepower

Playing as a power forward, Carmelo Anthony easily led the team in scoring with 1,920 points, adding 460 rebounds and 171 assists while making 157 of 414 3-point shots and 425 of 512 free throws. Shooting guard J.R. Smith was Anthony’s right-hand man on offense, contributing 1,446 points, 425 rebounds, 218 assists, and 100 steals while making 155 of 436 3-point shots and 237 of 311 free throws. Point guard Raymond Felton had 948 points, 372 assists and 94 assists, making 93 of 258 3-point shots and 101 of 128 free throws. Center Tyson Chandler had 689 points, 703 rebounds, and 75 blocks, making 255 of 400 field goal attempts and 179 of 258 free throws. Small forward Steve Novak had 535 points and made 149 of 351 3-point shots and 30 of 33 free throws.

Bench Production

Power forward Chris Copeland had 486 points and made 59 of 140 3-point shots and 63 of 83 free throws. Shooting guard Jason Kidd had 458 points and made 114 of 325 3-point shots and 40 of 48 free throws. Power forward Amar’e Stoudemire had 413 points and made 154 of 277 field goal attempts and 105 of 130 free throws. Shooting guard Iman Shumpert made 51 of 127 3-point shots, point guard Pablo Prigioni made 53 of 134 3-point shots, small forward Ronnie Brewer made 22 of 71 3-point shots, center Rasheed Wallace made 22 of 69 3-point shots, and small forward James White made 14 of 41 3-point shots.

Playoff Run

First Round: Knicks Topple the Celtics

In the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Knicks passed their first tough test, downing the Boston Celtics four games to two. In Game 1 on April 20 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks beat the Celtics 85-78. Carmelo Anthony was the breakout star, posting 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals while making 4 of 6 3-point shots. In Game 2 on April 23, the Knicks won 87-71, with Anthony once again the main scoring force, tallying 34 points and 4 rebounds while making 2 of 4 3-point shots; J.R. Smith added 19 points and made 2 of 4 3-point shots. In Game 3 on April 26 at the TD Garden, the Knicks beat the Celtics 90-76, with Anthony scoring 26 points and making 2 of 6 3-point shots.

In Game 4 on April 28, the Celtics beat the Knicks 97-90 in overtime, and Boston won again in Game 5 on May 1 at Madison Square Garden by a score of 92-86. The Knicks quickly rebounded from these two losses, putting the Celtics away for good with an 88-80 win in Game 6 on May 3 at the TD Garden. Anthony had 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Iman Shumpert added 17 points and 6 rebounds and made 3 of 3 3-point shots. Though he scored only 9 points, Tyson Chandler pulled down 12 rebounds.

Eastern Conference Semifinals: The Pacers Prove Too Tough

In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks were not as fortunate, facing a test that was too tough for them and falling four games to two to a very talented Indiana Pacers team. In Game 2 on May 7 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks crushed the Pacers 105-79, with Carmelo Anthony dialing up from long distance often, scoring 32 points and grabbing 9 rebounds and 3 assists while making 2 of 5 3-point shots. In Game 5 on May 16 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks defeated the Pacers 85-75. Anthony once again led the Knicks in scoring with 28 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, Chris Copeland had a strong game with 13 points and 4 rebounds while making 3 of 4 3-point shots, Raymond Felton posted 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, and Tyson Chandler grabbed 8 rebounds.

A Brief Return to Glory

Individually, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler were voted into the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, as their production on the court did not go unnoticed. From 2010 to 2013, the New York Knicks experienced a brief period of winning that reignited hope among their fans. However, this period was indeed brief, as the Knicks went back to struggling and playing under .500 basketball after the conclusion of the 2012-13 Knicks season.