I wouldn’t be surprised to see Amare go off, the Knick 3 point game come alive, and for New York to give Miami all they can handle, and possibly more.

When one star goes out, a team can surge in the short term. Simply because there are fewer options, the Knicks will likely be more decisive tonight on offense. Amare is the clear number one option, but he won’t be doing all the ball handling, which ought to lead to more activity and ball movement out of the New York offense. This doesn’t mean the Knicks are better off without Carmelo, but for a couple of nights it might make the game simpler for New York. In the long run, the team wears down from picking up a heavier load.

Of course, this is all moot if the Knicks don’t commit to getting back on defense in transition. Maybe this game doesn’t scare me so much after all.