The New York Knicks begin the second half of the NBA season without Carmelo Anthony who has been shutdown for the year and without Amar'e Stoudemire and Pablo Prigioni who exited during the All-Star break. The 2014-15 season is a wash for the Knicks who currently own the worst record in the NBA, but hope is high for the Miami Heat who added some offensive fire power to their roster in order to make a push in the Eastern Conference. Now the two meet up for the first game since the All-Star break.
The Heat were unexpected buyers at the trade deadline. Miami won the Goran Dragic sweepstakes, sending Danny Granger and two first-round draft picks to Phoenix while Norris Cole, Shawne Williams and Justin Hamilton headed off to New Orleans. Dragic was a big move for the Heat as several teams pushed for the point guard at the deadline. He is currently averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 assists in a crowded Suns' backcourt, but could be a major scoring threat for the Heat either as a starter or reserve.
The Heat need Dragic more now than ever. Dwyane Wade is coming back after missing seven games with a hamstring injury. Chris Bosh will not be available for the foreseeable future after getting admitted to the hospital for issues related to blood clots in his lungs. Reports have surfaced saying Bosh could be done for the season, but the Heat have said that is speculation at this point.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are not certain who their starting lineup is at the moment. Anthony is done for the year and will undergo knee surgery. He was averaging 24.2 points per game as the Knicks only playmaker. Stoudemire was putting up 12.0 points per game before getting his contract bought out and signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Right now, Tim Hardaway Jr is their biggest scoring threat at the moment. The Knicks will insert Langston Galloway and Lou Amundson into the lineup alongside Hardaway and Jose Calderon. Knicks' fans are in for a long two months before free agency.
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