The Knicks Need _____ to Become a Contender

Don't settle for mediocrity. 

Don't allow your inner fan to be satisfied by the monumental improvements the Knicks have made over the last year. The overall objective is to be consistently contending for an NBA Championship and to WIN them every so often. I know I just blew your mind with that. 

If you've been in prison and forced to eat nothing but crackers and Spam for 10 straight years, it makes sense that you'd be ecstatic to eat a ham sandwich with Doritos, but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out for a steak when you finally make parole. Knicks fans have endured season after season of ineptitude, so it is reasonable to be excited about the teams current play. BUT, let's avoid complacency whenever possible and demand only the highest quality product.

We aren't too far off from this utopian "product". The pieces are beginning to come together. But there still are a few roster positions that must be filled in addition to an emphasis on certain coaching philosophy's. CONTINUE BELOW.

Veteran, Defensive Minded C/PF - Have you noticed that no matter what team the Knicks play, thier power forward instantly transforms into the ghost of Karl Malone? Or what Karl Malone's ghost will be like when he inevitably dies?  Wait, was that Elgin Baylor who just dunked 3 times without anyone contesting? Nah bro, that was AMIR JOHNSON. Hold on, did Charles Barkley just hit four 15 footers in a row? Nope, that was SERGE IBAKA. Did Kevin Love just accumulate 453 rebounds in the first half? WHY YES, HE DID...Sigh. We all know Amar'e wasn't a defensive powerhouse when he first proclaimed "The Knicks are back," but its difficult to win with such a permeable inside defensive presence. The Knicks need a Kendrick Perkins/Sam Delembert/Marcin Gortat type guy who won't let opposing forwards get career nights while saving STAT's energy and keeping him out of foul trouble. I don't believe Ronnie Turiaf or Mozgov can be this guy on a game in game out basis but I DO believe they can be his backup for ~20 minutes a night

Backup Point Guard - I have made it clear that Toney Douglas is not a serviceable PG time and time again at this point in his career. I like the kid's potential and he can light it up every so often, but he has the court vision and basketball IQ of a lovechild between George Muresan and Helen Keller. This is a quality that mainly is instinctual and more nature than nurture if you smell what I'm stepping in. The Knicks need a player who can relieve Ray Felton in stretches but still play at the same level defensively. Someone who can also play the pick and roll with Amar'e, penetrate and dish to Gallinari, Melo/Chandler/Shawne Williams/Bill Walker, and who can hit a trey himself if needed. A facilitator who is also a competitor, knows his role when he stands up from the bench, and will outplay the other teams backup PG. 

Carmelo Anthony - UPDATE THE KNICKS GOT CARMELO ...Or at least a Carmelo Anthony type player. Wilson Chandler almost fits this mold but doesn't rebound as well, doesn't have the size, and doesn't have the ability to get the type of high percentage shots that Carmelo can get. Think about when the Knicks need to make make a few buckets at the end of a game. When you have Carmelo and Amar'e, along with Gallinari and Fields, it is nearly impossible to defend. The only thing that makes me worried is defensively, Melo doesn't exactly stop opposing players in their tracks. He can man up, don't get me wrong, but can he consistently play at a high level for 4 quarters on the Defensive end? This is where a coach needs to be visible and pragmatic. 

Alteration in Coaching Philosophy - Don't ever get it twisted. The most important stat in basketball is FG%, whether it is for your team or the opposition. D'Antoni has been getting criticized for years about his salt and pepper mustache and his lack of emphasis on the defensive end of the floor. Although this criticism is often valid, at the end of the day, the players need to stay in front of their guy, contest shots, and prevent second chance opportunities. Don't entrust D'Antoni's perhaps unfairly bestowed reputation of never preaching these values to his players because he most certainly does. He must be more persuasive to have the players follow a defensive minded direction and then reward them when they begin to sharpen their focus. Maybe he can reward them for defense by giving them more minutes? In Eddy Curry's case, dangling a XXL Chulupa might motivate him to compile 6 or 7 blocks a game. ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!

It's the emphasis of defense being more important that the offense that will ultimately decide his fate here in New York. You need personnel in this department (the first two in bold) but that personnel needs to be guided and convinced that stopping their guy and playing seamless team defense is the key to winning games, especially in the playoffs. Because mediocre teams can make the playoffs but they don't win there. That's the difference. 

Do I have it way off? Did I miss something? What do you think the Knicks need to do to contend for a championship?