Stretches

There is a Peace In The Middle East quip that someone better than myself (at everything) could insert here, but you won't get that because: me. That would only work if our witty writer made a remark about Amare Stoudemire's ties to Israeli basketball and a recent invite to play for Israel's national team. Stranger things have happened, like the fact, turned rumor, turned falsity that JR Smith's contract was a four year 24 million dollar ordeal. It turns out that Smith is signed on for three years and roughly $18 million.


World Peace
Back to the good stuff. Even if World Peace fractures his spine and doesn't play a minute in the Garden we all get the opportunity to buy Knicks "World Peace" jerseys. The jersey doubles as a Queensbridge pass. Feel free to walk through North America's largest public housing development. Also, try sitting to the right of MSG attendees wearing jerseys donning other player names to make special combos like Shumpert World Peace.

Now look, I don't want to get overly hyped like a 25 year old finally getting those braces off and making a beeline to the nearest social gathering with the intent of smiling incessantly. We have to keep cool when coming face to face with the mash up of talent accumulated under The Grunwald banner. On paper, this team is better than last season's collection of antiquities. Yes, even with JR Smith going under the knife and missing a couple of weeks of regular season play, Bargnani's softness and alleged laziness, and Amare's limited minutes, the 2013-14 Knicks are better than the 2012-13 Knicks. That may not show in the final standings of the regular season because of the improvement of other playoff bound Eastern Conference squads, but they are better.

The Barngnani Ultimatum 
For all the love Steve Novak's one dimensional game received in New York it didn't change the essence of his being. Three point specialists, especially those as efficient as Novak, are important pieces of the puzzles that championship teams are. Miller, Allen and Battier nod their enormous heads as they orbit the Earth and read this. Still, Mike Miller was amnestied by the reigning champs. As great as Novak was at shooting from beyond the perimeter he was a terrible defender who could not keep up with the uberathletic wings slowly changing the sport. In the playoffs opposing teams attack each others weaknesses every other night. Nothing Novak did was effective during his short stint in the playoffs two seasons ago when he averaged 2.4 points per game while clocking in 19 minutes a night. The Heat decided they would not let him get any space, something Novak cannot create on his own, and effectively shut him down. Novak is a good regular season player who can stretch opposing defenses because of the threat he poses from Three Land, but smarter teams will expose his Atari era dimensionality come playoffs.

With the Raptors looking to buyout an uncooperative Marcus Camby the Knicks effectively traded Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a first round pick that will most likely fall within the 20's, and a couple of second round picks. Most people object with giving away that first round pick due to financial and long term reasons, but the Knicks don't have a stellar track record when it comes to developing young players. It's been something like a decade since the Knicks signed a player they drafted to an extension. (Check this out) Cap space won't be an issue when Bargnani's contract is up and Dolan is probably itching to go on another shopping spree. It's easier to be optimistic than to ask for the revision of a forsaken culture.

Conclusion
Speaking of culture, things have been changing around these parts over the last three seasons. Shumpert and Chandler slightly tilted the balance in favor of defense with their desire to do the dirty work. Enter: World Peace. The man is a wrecking ball that is not only legendarily intense and polarizing, but a scorer as well. He averaged 12.4 points per game last season with the Lakers, shooting 40% from the floor. It also helps that his contract is nothing like the Kidd/Camby monstrosities from a season ago.

You may not want to try the Kool-Aid yet because of how good that upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams looks, and the improvement of the Nets. Your restraint and cool headedness are respectable. But when Jim Jones and Jesus Shuttlesworth come knocking on my door I'm packing some clothes and a toothbrush. Next stop is Jonestown, New York.

-Alex Moran (@MoonbeanMarcos)