The New York Knickerbockers have slowly climbed there way to respectability after starting the season 1-9. They’ve battled all season long but have found comfort and rhythm in their 8-man rotation. D’Antoni has managed to keep his men focused and everyone on the team seems to think that playoffs are a distinct possibility for the Knicks in the spring of 2010.

Last night was the Knicks 8th win in 11 games and their third in a row. David Lee had his performance of the season so far dropping 18 points, snagging a career best (tied) 21 rebounds and added 5 assists. Lee is considered one of the hardest working players in the NBA and consistently gives his team a double-double performance. But last night he took it to another level. With Gallinari and Duhon shooting a combined 5 for 23, somebody else on the floor had to pick up their slack and that somebody last night was D. Lee.

Mike D’Antoni has gotten this group of once considered “rejects” to not only play team basketball but to play good team basketball. It took a couple of weeks for this team to find an identity and now it seems to be working. Al Harrington has stayed true to his word and has done whatever was best for the squad. The self-proclaimed NBA stud has taken his K-Mart Protégés and continuously led the team in scoring coming of the bench. He gives D’Antoni and the Knicks 32+ minutes a game and solid energy of the bench. I didn’t think the egotistical Harrington could be humble enough to come off the bench and not complain about it but now I’d even consider him for NBA 6th man recognition.

This Knicks team has really surprised many people in New York and I don’t think that is going to change much as the season goes on. D’Antoni continues to play an 8-man rotation and the only times he doesn’t is when he uses 7. But now, thanks to Donnie Walsh’s relationship with Jonathan Bender that goes back to both of their Pacers’ days, I think D’Antoni has found the eight men he is going to stick with.

Bender took a 4 year hiatus from basketball and hadn’t seen action in a professional game since the ’05-’06 season and hasn’t played more than 46 games in a season since 2002. Bender was drafted right out of high school and was the fifth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft and was the first high school draftee to score double digits (10) in his first NBA appearance. To say the table was set for a memorable career would be an understatement. But thanks to injuries, the 7-foot forward went from being a highly anticipated rookie to #11 on Sports Illustrated biggest draft busts in NBA history. His career was thought to be over.

That’s where the Knicks come in. The Knicks who once paid Chris Dudley over 8 million dollars a season, have taken a hint from Donnie Walsh and hired the injury prone Bender in the hopes of giving Jared Jeffries some support down low. Walsh, the one time Pacers GM, obviously still sees something in Bender despite his long break from the sport. His hustle and attitude has turned some heads at the Garden and I think the potential is there. If he could give the Knicks 20 minutes a game of hard nosed basketball down low and support Jeffries and D. Lee on the glass and on defense the Knicks would be a considerably stronger team. Bender could be the NBA thrift store find of the season…could be.

Madison Square Garden has transformed into a fun place to watch a feisty basketball team only a month after being most closely compared to a basketball funeral home. This team is amped up and ready to give New York something to cheer about. I’m not predicting great things for this basketball team but if things continue to improve I think you can count on this team to be competitive and exciting to the end.

Merry Christmas. Let’s hope we all get a Knicks victory over the Heat on Christmas day in our stockings. Shalom.