Knicks: Why the Knicks Need to Rebound with Marcus Camby

The New York Knicks lost again last night. The Wizards didn’t beat them on the scoreboard but again the Knicks lost the rebounding battle during a blowout victory. Think for a second. How many times did Clyde mention, “astounding rebounding” this season? The Knicks legend hasn’t had the opportunity when speaking about this Knicks club. Right now the Knicks are 26th in the league when it pertains to rebounding the basketball. The lost to the Houston Rockets is a glaring sign that rebounding is a big issue for this Knicks team. Omer Asik tortured the Knicks on the glass in that contest. The Knicks don’t have to look on the market to find a rebounder because there is one on the bench who hasn’t had the chance to alleviate the Knicks insufficiencies. Marcus Camby is in his 17th year as an NBA player. Camby is averaging a shade under 10 rebounds for his career, so the former defensive player of the year could be an instant fix. Camby was the first star that played under John Calipari to reach the NBA. The Knicks acquired Camby over the summer as a defensive back up. Before, Rasheed Wallace showed interest in returning to the hardwood. You can’t debate, offensively Wallace is the better of the two, but coach Mike Woodson emphasizes defense. This Knicks club has neglected rebounding so far this season. A playoff match-up against the Brooklyn Nets may not bode so well for the Knicks if they don’t put an emphasis on rebounding the basketball. Things may only get worse when Amar’e Stoudemire makes his return on Christmas day against Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers. Why not give Camby some extra minutes and give the shots Wallace is taking to Raymond Felton, Steve Novak, or Camby himself? The problem with that may be the Knicks already have a 7-foot big man with a limited amount of post moves. Tyson Chandler is the defensive anchor, but isn’t as potent as a star on the offense. When Stoudemire returns maybe he and Camby will share the floor, the way Wallace and Chandler do now. As long as the Knicks keep winning, rebounding won’t be the main topic of discussion, but teams will know they can win the battle of the boards each night. So far for the Knicks that has not been a factor. Follow Me On Twitter