New York Bound

Melo has reason to smile, he's headed home.

Carmelo Anthony finally got his wish and is headed home.

After months of speculation and anticipation, the four-time All-Star was traded in a 12-player deal to the New York Knicks late Monday night.


A Brooklyn native, Anthony went to the University of Syracuse and brought home their first National Championship in 2003.

After only a year in college, Anthony declared for the NBA Draft and was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets. Since that time, Anthony has developed into one of the league's most prolific scorers and led the Nuggets in scoring seven of his eight seasons in Mile High.

The Knicks, one of the most decorated franchises in the NBA, have been irrelevant in the playoff picture much of past decade. With the signing of forward Amar'e Stoudemire to a five-year $100 million contract in the offseason, the Knicks have put themselves back on the map.

Now, with Anthony added to the mix, the Knicks have a formidable 1-2 punch in Madison Square Garden. The question is, are the Knicks an NBA Finals contender this year with Anthony?

The answer is simple, No. The Knicks have traded away most of their supporting cast to get Anthony and we all know with no depth, no team can contend for a title. The Knicks also need to improve their defense, something head coach Mike D'Antoni is notorious for not doing, especially during his time in Phoenix.

Stoudemire and Anthony are both known as offensive minded players defense and defensively liabilities. However, when they chose to play both sides of the ball, they can be extremely good defenders.

As for the the trade's immediate impact, the Eastern Conference just got that much harder though, for teams like the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic and their road to the NBA Finals. The Knicks may not be ready to contend for a NBA title just yet, but they have acquired a top five player in the league and pose an offense that can score at will.

Playoff basketball just got that much more interesting, it wouldn't be surprising if the Knicks upset one of the Eastern powerhouses in an early round of the postseason and if not beat them, force them deep into an intense series.

Basketball supremacy seems to be returning to Madison Square Garden, earlier than expected.