By Greg Hutchins, Senior Columnist

At the halfway point of the NBA season, the New York Knicks find themselves in 4th place in the Atlantic Division and 11th overall in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 21-31, Mike D'Antoni's team is far more competitive than last year's unit, but the team continues to struggle in several facets on the game. Offensively, D'Antoni's team is among the league leaders in points scored (105 ppg), due in part to their commitment to shooting the three-ball. At 29.3 attempts per contest, the Knicks led the NBA in shots from downtown. Unfortunately, they rank at or near the bottom in most defensive categories. Only Golden State and Sacramento allow more points to their opponents per ballgame. While the Knicks have been one of the more exciting teams to watch, their YMCA-like defensive effort continues to hold them back. In a season full of highs and lows, there's quite a bit to breakdown at the midpoint.

PLAYER GRADES

Chris Duhon: Duhon has been a pleasant surprise all season long, but D'Antoni's floor general has logged far too many minutes (38.7) per game. His 8 assists per game are a career-high, but so are his turnovers (2.8 per contest). B+

Quentin Richardson: The veteran has bounced back from a dismal 2007-08 season and has made more threes (92) through half this season than all of last (69). B-

Wilson Chandler: Far and away, the team's most effective two-way player. The second year forward has started 42 of 52 games and has shown he's a star in the making. His highlight dunks alone are worth the price of admission. B

Al Harrington: The NJ-product leads the team in scoring at 20.2 ppg, but does little else. Harrington is best served coming off the bench, but D'Antoni needs his firepower in the starting lineup. B-

David Lee: Since Zach Randolph's departure, Lee has been on an absolute tear. Lee deserved a spot on the All-Star roster, but NBA coaches thought the one-dimensional Rashard Lewis was more deserving. A

Nate Robinson: Robinson has increased his overall production since the Crawford trade, but the fan favorite still drives his coaches mad. Re-signing him and Lee will be difficult, unless Walsh can find a way to move Eddy Curry. B

Jared Jeffries: Decent defender, but his offensive production is just awful. 42% shooting from the field for a 6-11 player is unacceptable. 4.4 rebounds per contest and 0.7 blocks per game leave much to be desired. C

Tim Thomas: Thomas' three-point shooting (40.8%) has been a big plus. He's also been more aggressive inside the arc of late. B-

Danilo Gallinari: Great stroke, but has shown little else in 15 games of action. Some blame his limited production on his teammates not passing the rookie the ball, but the lottery pick needs to show more rebounding and playmaking ability. INC

Eddy Curry: Despite the drama surrounding the big man, he's given D'Antoni nothing to work with. Virtually untradeable at this point. D

Malik Rose: Great veteran presence in the locker room, but can't buy minutes. His expiring contract might be attractive to a Western Conference team. C-

Anthony Roberson: The journeyman has been a bust of a signing. Great practice shooter, but can't carry the effort into the game. Could be trade bait before the deadline. D

Jerome James: Simply the worst free agent signing in team history; possibly in NBA history. F

Stephon Marbury: With no trade market for Starbury, Walsh looks content to keep him until after March 1st, which would make him ineligible for a new team's playoff roster. No grade

Cuttino Mobley: Still officially on the roster, but his unexpected retirement may give Walsh some added options. No grade

COACHING / FRONT OFFICE

Mike D'Antoni: D'Antoni is a breath of fresh air in many ways. There's no question he's an offensive genius, but the defense is as bad as ever. Somewhere Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason are shaking their heads in disgust. B+

Donnie Walsh: Hired a premier head coach and created enough cap flexibility in one day to make the Knicks major players in the King James race in 2010. Deserves kudos for hiring Allan Houston as a special assistant, but also deserves criticism for mis-managing this season's roster. The team President needs to hire a GM and Chris Mullin's name continues to come up. B

THE GRASP
The excitement at MSG has been high all season, but the losses continue to mount. Walsh sorely needs to make a trade to give the team a boost defensively. He rarely shows his hand so it's impossible to gauge what his next move will be. If the roster remains the same, our projected 36 wins may be difficult to achieve. D'Antoni's Knicks can outscore any team on any given night, but if the defensive intensity doesn't change the Knicks will be headed back to the draft lottery.

PLAYER TO WATCH IN THE SECOND HALF
Wilson Chandler has all the tools to become a star. He's a natural SF, but giving him minutes at SG will help develop his ball-handling skills and fill a need. If Chandler develops a killer instinct, he'll become an All-Star.

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