Are NY Knicks now championship contenders?

A big trade this past week has sent the NY Knicks from the average team fighting to make the play-offs, to a possible championship contender. But, with roughly 20 games left in the regular season, will they have time to find the chemistry it takes to win it all.
The Knicks had already acquired power forward Amare Stoudemire the previous season. Stoudemire is a 1st Team All-NBA All-Star who has been leading the Knicks across the board this entire season.
The Knicks acquired two more big names the past week, Chauncey Billups and Carmello Anthony.
Billups is a guard who has been around the leage for awhile. He has already won a championship and knows what it takes to get there.
Perhaps the most success came when the Knicks got Carmello Anthony. Anthony has been one of the most well known players in the NBA since his rookie year and was the face for the Denver Nuggets. He is a high caliber player who can make a huge difference on any team.

So with NY having the new "Big 3" it would suggest they are one of the best teams in the league right now, but many critics say otherwise. They have said there is not enough time in the season for the team to get it together and that if a championship would ever come it wouldn't be for another couple years.
NY made a big statement last night though when they took down the Miami Heat who are one of the top teams in the league right now and a favorite to win the championship.

Cousin's young attitude to blame

Demarcus Cousins was an All-American basketball player in both high school and in college. His athletic ability was sought after by many coaches in the NCAA, but there was one thing coaches were concerned about. His attitude.

Cousins committed to Memphis University in 2009, but when coach John Calipari decided to make the transition to head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, Cousins followed.

Cousins, along with John Wall, led the Wildcat's to the Elite Eight in 2010. Cousins was known for his high energy and physical play on the court. He was also known for letting his temper and attitude get to him and receiving many technical fouls, especially in key points of the game. This was a trait that was not broken over the 2010 season and when he entered the 2010 NBA draft, coaches took this into consideration.

Demarcus Cousins now plays for the Sacramento Kings where he averages 14 points a game and almost 9 nine rebounds. Even as a rookie he is a key asset to the team, but in recent news he has let his attitude get the best of him again.

Cousins got into an altercation with fellow teammate Donte Green after Saturday night's 99-97 loss to Oklahoma City. Cousins was upset because he did not get the ball on the final play of the game.

This is not his first mistake in his rookie season. Cousins previously was dismissed from a practice for arguing with the coach and got in trouble for another verbal confrontation with a member of the training staff.

Despite his young age, Cousins is still expected to act maturely and abide by the NBA's player policy. Decisions are being made regarding his punishment and his behavior may lead to his first suspension as a player in the NBA.

Carmelo may find new home in New York

Carmelo Anthony entered the NBA in 2003 as a third pick to the Denver Nuggets. He played one year of college basketball for Syracuse where he led them to a national title and was voted MVP of the NCAA east regional. Carmelo is currently in his 8th season with the Nuggets, but if a recent deal goes through he will be calling New York his new home.

Three teams are involved in the proposed trade. If the trade goes through as is, Denver would receive Corey Brewer and a first round draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, but is this a good deal for Denver.

Carmelo has been a huge asset to the Denver Nuggets. He has led his team to the playoffs every year since his rookie year. He also also led them to two division titles. Since his time in the NBA, Carmelo has been named to the All-Rookie team, the All-Star team 4 times and the the All-NBA team 4 times. He also has a bronze and gold medal from the olympics.

Carmelo has become the face of the Nuggets over his time there and consistently one of the highest point scorers on the team. He brought them from a 17-65 record to a major playoff contender. He has also been a contributing reason to the growth in the Denver Nugget fan basis and attendance at games.

Would letting a player of that caliber go be worth the chance the Nuggets are taking?

For example, this could be compared to the Lakers trading All-Star Kobe Bryant. They have not done so and he has benefited his teams greatly over the years. I believe Carmelo can do the same for his program as he has done over the years and is to valuable of a player to trade.