What's Wrong With the Knicks?

Mike D'Antoni knows something is missing from the New York Knicks.

We just got to a point there, I thought we just panicked, the Knicks coach said on Monday night, after playing Boston. We've got a lot of work to do.

At a point in the season where they should be thriving, the Knicks are struggling. New York has lost six of their last seven games, and recently have been playing at basically full strength.

Since acquiring Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have only seven wins in 16 games. Anthony has scored over 20 points in 13 of the 16 games, but that hasn't been enough.

In a loss against Detroit on March 18th, Anthony had by far his worst statistical performance in a Knicks uniform. He scored just six points on two-of-12 shooting.

But in two games where he's scored more than 30 points, the Knicks have won.

The production of Anthony isn't necessarily contingent on New York's success, but certainly the Knicks appear flat and Anthony could help revive a team that desperately needs it.

In a recent loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks were out-rebounded 38-30, and allowed point guard Brandon Jennings and small forward Carlos Delfino to each grab 11 rebounds

The Knicks aren't exactly shooting the lights out either. They rank 16th in field goal percentage.

The latest loss, a 96-86 home defeat to Boston, may be evidence that the Knicks simply are not that good.

New York went into the game with something to prove. The Knicks were on a slide, and playing perhaps the best team in the Eastern Conference, and there was no better time to prove that the team had the resolve to overcome recent defeats and get a big home win.

The Knicks played a tight game with the Eastern Conference champs, and even led going into the fourth quarter.

However, they were out-hustled by Rajon Rondo and couldn't come up with the big plays when they needed them. The Knicks only scored two field goals in the last 8:30 in the game.

New York could use someone other than Amare Stoudemire to step up. The Knicks' big man continues to have a big season, but that's not enough.

Chauncey Billups, and Landry Fields have done their parts as well, but the bench has been lackluster.

At the moment, the Knicks are a seventh seed in the playoffs, a slip from the sixth seed when they made the Anthony trade.

Perhaps that's a better spot to be in than the sixth seed.

The Knicks might be better off against the number-two seeded Bulls who have limited playoff experience than against Miami, who have LeBron James and Dwyane Wade -- two stars that have each gone to the Finals in their careers.

The rest of the schedule includes two games with Orlando, and ends with games against Chicago and Boston.

More than likely, the Knicks will break out of this slump, because this team is certainly better than the way they've been playing.

With only 12 games left in the season, they better do it quick.