Melo Drama for the Knicks

By now everyone has heard that Carmelo Anthony has been traded to the New York Knickerbockers, making the Knicks instant contenders in the talent-rich Eastern Conference of the NBA. The Knicks acquired Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix before the season started, taking a big step toward respectability, but they missed out in the LeBron sweepstakes. Anthony played college ball at Syracuse and made no secret of his desire to go to either the Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, but it took a long time to consummate the trade. The Denver Nuggets got four players plus two draft choices and cash for one prolific scorer and an old point guard named Chauncey.

By the way, FYI to anyone in Ohio, this is about basketball. Remember basketball? It's the sport with a round ball, five-on-five, indoors, played between the Michigan game in November and the Scarlet and Gray game in April. Maybe you've heard of it, very popular in exotic places like North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, and Indiana. No? Oh well.

For Carmelo to join Amare in the Big Apple is very good news for Knicks fans. A prolific scorer to go with a top-notch power forward could make them one of the elite teams in the league. What everyone seems to ignore is the difference that Chauncey Billups will make. Here's the real key to this trade vaulting New York into the thick of the championship race: they now have a seasoned point guard.

Make no mistake. Chauncey may have lost a step or two since he directed the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title with his buddies Wallace, Wallace, and Hamilton. But he is still one smart, tough, unselfish passer who can distribute the ball and hit the three when it's needed. He isn't pretty and he isn't the star, but he wins games by making his teammates better. Melo will score 25 a game and make it look easy; Amare will get his 20 plus ten rebounds; Chauncey will score 10 with 15 assists and bother the hell out of the opposing guards as the Knicks win another one in the Garden.

The Eastern Conference appeared to be a season-long build-up to a showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, but now who knows? The Knicks might have a shot. With LeBron pretty much carrying Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and the rest of the Heat on his shoulders, they are clearly a force to be reckoned with. The Celtics are aging but playing great basketball. How do the Knicks match up against Boston and Miami?

None of them has a dominant center. Nobody does. Name one great center. Dirk Nowitski's best inside move is a 20-foot jump shot. Kevin Love is getting there but needs players around him, like his mentor Wes Unseld a generation ago. The best teams have a decent journeyman center who can rebound, defend the paint, and set picks for the guys with the ball.

At power forward, the Celtics have Kevin Garnett, who is a little better than Bosh and Stoudemire, but it's close. At small forward, there's LeBron and then there's everybody else. At shooting guard it gets interesting, with Wade against Anthony against Ray Allen. All of them are amazingly fluid scorers. Slight advantage to Miami when Wade is healthy.

Trouble is, Miami doesn't have a top-notch point guard - unless LeBron plays the point and passes to Dwayne, Chris, Zydrunas, and himself. Boston has Rajon Rondo, who is no longer the weak link but rather the youthful spark on a balanced team full of veterans. But now New York has Billups, who is the opposite, a cagey old point guard, the catalyst for two scoring machines who have not played together, and he will take Rondo to school. Advantage New York.

I haven't mentioned the Chicago Bulls because even with Derrick Rose they are a year away. I haven't mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers because even with Kobe Bryant they are just Kobe Bryant end four other guys. I haven't mentioned the San Antonio Spurs because even with Tim Duncan they are too old.

Why do I care? The NBA isn't as much fun as college basketball, and the NCAA tournament is right around the corner. But these men are artists who do what they do better than anyone else in the world. And what else you gonna do in February in Ohio?