5 Reasons New York Knicks Will Win Eastern Conference

5 Reasons New York Knicks Will Win the East

The New York Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season. Carmelo Anthony has been one of the best players as well, contending for the coveted MVP trophy.

It's been 40 years since the Knicks won an NBA title, a crazy thought for a team in a huge market like New York and one with so much history as well. It's also been a lengthy 14 years since they have won a conference title, but this could be the year that they change that.

Playing without star big man Amare Stoudemire has hardly hindered the Knicks, as they are playing well even without him. He is an integral part of the offense and defensive plans, and could suit up in round two, assuming they advance.

Finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and their first division title in nearly 20 years is surely a sign of things to come for this franchise. Anthony is playing as good or even better than he ever has before, and their defense is as good as it's been in recent memory.

New York will give the Miami Heat a run for their money and could end up dethroning the defending champs.

Leading their series against the Boston Celtics 3-1, the Knicks will likely make it to the second round and a possible matchup with the Indiana Pacers or Atlanta Hawks -- both teams that the Knicks match up well with.

Here are five reasons that New York will win the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1999.

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Carmelo is an MVP-Type Player

Carmelo is having an MVP-type season and his team's play is feeding off of it. They are up 3-1 against the Boston Celtics and look to put the series away tonight. Look for Carmelo to lead this team to an Eastern Conference title.

Defense

It has been a while since the Knicks' defense was as solid as it is now. When you give up just 95 points per game, you're bound to frustrate teams and take advantage of that with big leads. Defense definitely leads to offense.

They Match Up Well With Most Teams

This is one of the hardest things to predict: how well teams match up with each other. However, the Knicks are solid from top to bottom and could potentially present matchup problems with most teams, especially if Stoudemire returns.

Raymond Felton is On Fire

Raymond Felton is having a great postseason thus far. He is averaging over 17 points a game and 5.3 assists per game, both more than his season average. If he stays hot, teams will have a tough time against New York.

They Are Full of Veterans

When you have guys who have been in the league a while, it's easy for them to adjust to the grind of the playoffs. Sure, winning four rounds of best-of-seven basketball isn't easy, but when you've been in the league for years, it's not as tough.