2 Point Lead: Playoffs filled with former Knicks, but no current Knicks
By JOEL SOLOMON
2 Point Lead
Obviously, you know the New York Knicks didn't make the playoffs. Even in the weak Eastern Conference where two teams with a record below .500 made the postseason, they were still 21 games off from the eighth seed.
However, there are still plenty of former Knicks left in the playoffs -- eight to be exact. In fact, unless the Atlanta Hawks win the NBA championship, former Knicks will be celebrating with the NBA trophy next month.
Here's a breakdown:
CAVALIERS (3)
In a three-way deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to bolster the Cleveland Cavaliers' title hopes. Maybe part of their plan was to show LeBron James what it would have looked like if he had signed with the Knicks.
In return the Knicks got three players with non-guaranteed contracts Alex Kirk, Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas. Those are real players.
Timofey Mozgov was one of the pieces that helped bring Carmelo Anthony and La La Vasquez Anthony to the Knicks.
ROCKETS (4)
Trevor Ariza was shipped to the Orlando Magic in a deal for Steve Francis. Steve Francis was last seen in a TMZ video getting his chain snatched at a Houston Rap show.
Corey Brewer has been a huge key to the Rockets run this postseason. The Knicks thought so much of him that after he was acquired as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade, they bought him out.
Pablo Prigioni was traded midway thru this season to the Rockets for Alexey Shved and a pair of future second-round picks. You know, because the Knicks don't need a point guard with Shane Larkin dishing out those monster three assists per game.
Kostas Papanikolaou was the 48th selection of the 2012 NBA Draft. Somehow just two weeks later, Knicks brass changed their minds for whatever reason -- perhaps fear of mispronouncing his name -- and traded him to the Rockets.
WARRIORS (1)
In July 2010, David Lee was traded to the Warriors in a deal for Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubike and a 2012 second-round draft pick -- all of whom are no longer in the league.
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