29-year old power forward Chris Copeland and 36-year old PG/SG Pablo Prigioni turned in decent rookie years for the Knicks in 2012-13.  Copeland played in 56 games (13 starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 15.4 minutes, 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Copeland shot 47.9% from the floor, 42.1% from three point range and 75.9% from the free throw line last year, which is pretty impressive.  Copeland had 20 games with at least 10 points, 7 games with at least 20 points and 11 games with at least five rebounds last year for the Knicks.  Prigioni played in 78 games (18 starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 16.2 minutes, 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  He had 5 games with at least 10 points, 5 games with at least 5 rebounds, 20 games with at least 5 assists and 4 games with 3 or more steals for the Knicks last year.

55-year old head coach Mike Woodson got the most out of his rather old Knicks’ roster in 2012-13.  The Knicks won the Atlantic Division with a 54-28 (65.9%) record in 2012-13.  They then went 6-6 (50%) in the playoffs.  Woodson is now 72-34 (67.9%) in his first two years in charge of the Knicks during the regular season.  He is also 7-10 (41.2%) in the playoffs for the Knicks.  Woodson appears to be the right guy to lead the Knicks, as they seem to be getting better under his watch.

The Knicks had a solid season in 2012-13.  They won the Atlantic Division with a 54-28 (65.9%) record, 5 games ahead of the Nets.  They then beat the Celtics in six games in the first round of the playoffs before losing in six games to the Pacers in the second round.  Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impacts in 2012-13, in my opinion:

TEAM MVP:  Carmelo Anthony – 28-year old small forward Carmelo Anthony had an outstanding year for the Knicks in 2012-13, as he won the scoring title (28.7 points per game).  He played in 67 games (all starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 37.0 minutes, 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.  He has 10 double-doubles for the Knicks last year.  He had 31 games in which he scored 30 or more points last year.  He also had 11 games with 10 or more rebounds and 10 games with 5 or more assists last year.  The Knicks went as Carmelo Anthony did in 2012-13.

BIGGEST SURPRISE:  Steve Novak – 29-year old small forward Steve Novak played the most minutes of his NBA career in 2012-13.  He played in 81 games (1 start) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 20.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He shot an impressive 42.5% from three point range.  Novak has 19 games with at least 10 points and he also had 6 games with 5 or more rebounds last year.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:  Amare Stoudemire – 30-year old power forward Amare Stoudemire just couldn’t stay healthy in 2012-13.  He played in 29 games (0 starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 23.5 minutes, 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Stoudemire had 6 games with 20 or more points and 16 games with 5 or more rebounds last year.

The Knicks played hard last night, just not good enough to win.  They were outscored 25-18 in the 4th quarter and it did them in last night.  Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks with 39 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.  Iman Shumpert also had a solid game with 19 points and 3 rebounds in 25 minutes on the floor.  J.R. Smith only shot 4 of 15 from the floor in this game, but he still pitched in with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in 35 minutes off the bench.  The Knicks got knocked out in six games by the Pacers and now their 2012-13 season is over.

The Knicks held the Pacers to 36.2% shooting from the floor and it was a big reason for the nice home win last night.  Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Nuggets last night with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal.  Chris Copeland (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in 19 minutes), J.R. Smith (13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot) and Raymond Felton (12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals) also pitched in for the Knicks last night.  The Knicks are still down 3-2 in this series.

The Knicks only shot 35.6% from the floor and they were out-rebounded 54-36 which did them in last night.  Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks last night with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.  J.R. Smith only shot 7 of 22 from the floor, but he finished up with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.  Raymond Felton (14 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots) and Tyson Chandler (12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocked shots) also pitched in for the Knicks.  The Knicks are now 1-3 in this series.

The Pacers only shot 35.2% from the floor last night and they were outrebounded 53-40 and it did them.  Anthony was the only Knicks’ player to score in double digits in this game as he led the way with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.  Tyson Chandler (9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists) and J.R. Smith (9 points and 1 rebound in 25 minutes) also pitched in.  Amare Stoudemire made his return to the Knicks playing 9 minutes in which he had 7 points and 2 rebounds.  The Knicks are now down 2-1 in this series.

The Knicks outscored the Pacers 33-13 in the fourth quarter to blow them out last night.  Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Iman Shumpert (15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal) and Raymond Felton (14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal) also had solid games for the Knicks last night.  Pablo Prigioni (10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 blocked shot in 21 minutes) and Kenyon Martin (21 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 steals in 18 minutes) also pitched in for the Knicks last night.  The Knicks are now tied up at one game apiece with the Pacers as this series shifts to Indianapolis for the next two games.

The Knicks were out-rebounded 44-30 and it hurt them badly last night.  Carmelo Anthony only shot 10 of 28 from the floor, but he still led the way for the Knicks with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.  Raymond Felton (18 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists) and J.R. Smith (17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists on only 4 of 15 shooting from the floor) also pitched in for the Knicks.  Kenyon Martin (12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots in 25 minutes) and Iman Shumpert (11 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist) also helped out for the Knicks.  The Knicks are down 1-0 in this series.

The Knicks had a tough time with the ancient Celtics and know they have to deal with the much younger and more talented Indiana Pacers.  The task ahead is not easy, so the Knicks will need some players to step up if they are going to advance to the NBA Finals.  Here is a look at the matchups in this series:

POINT GUARD:  George Hill is a shoot first type of point guard.  He played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 34.8 minutes, 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 assists per game.  Hill has now played in 37 games (26 starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 31.5 minutes, 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Raymond Felton is the guy in charge for the Knicks and he has also been a shoot first player in the playoffs.  He played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs for the Knicks and he averaged 41.0 minutes, 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  He has now played in 15 games (10 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 35.2 minutes, 13.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

EDGE:  EVEN

SHOOTING GUARD:  Lance Stephenson has played solid defense this year and he is a good rebounder for a shooting guard.  He played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he is averaging 33.2 minutes, 7.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Stephenson has now played in 10 games (6 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 21.1 minutes, 5.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Pablo Prigioni can shoot the ball from long range, but that’s about his only big time skill on the basketball court.  He played in 5 games (all starts) for the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs and he is averaging 22.4 minutes, 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

EDGE:  PACERS

SMALL FORWARD:  Paul George is a player on the rise for the Pacers and he’s lined up to have a big time series against the Knicks.  George played in 6 games (all starts) for the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 40.0 minutes, 18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  George has now played in 22 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 33.8 minutes, 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Iman Shumpert is a solid defensive player and he is going to have to be on his game to slow down Paul George in this series.  Shumpert played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 28.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  He has now played in 7 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is averaging 27.1 minutes, 7.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

EDGE:  PACERS

POWER FORWARD:  David West is a rock solid power forward.  He is going to try to get inside against Carmelo Anthony and push him around some.  West played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 33.7 minutes, 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  West has now played in 41 games (34 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 34.0 minutes, 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shot per game.

Carmelo Anthony is going to be the best player on the court (offensively) in this series.  He played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 41.3 minutes, 29.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  But, Anthony only shot 38.1% from the floor and 26.5% from three point range in the first round of the playoffs.  If he shoots like that against the Pacers, the Knicks aren’t going to last too long in this series.  Anthony has now played in 60 games (all starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 39.1 minutes, 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

EDGE:  KNICKS

CENTER:  The Pacers need Roy Hibbert to throw his weight around and play like the big man that he is in this series.  Hibbert played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 32.2 minutes, 14.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 blocked shots per game.  Hibbert has now played in 22 games (all starts) so far in his NBA career in the playoffs and he is averaging 30.2 minutes, 12.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Tyson Chandler is a veteran of the playoff wars, but he’s banged up a little bit right now.  The Knicks need him to step up in this series, if they are going to have any hope of winning it.  Chandler played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 28.5 minutes, 5.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  He has now played in 64 games (48 starts) so far in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 29.1 minutes, 6.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

EDGE:  PACERS

BENCH:  The Pacers don’t play the bench much unless they have to.  Power forward Tyler Hansbrough gives the Pacers a good effort off the bench.  He played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Hansbrough has now played in 22 games (5 starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 19.3 minutes, 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  SG/SF Gerald Green also brings good energy off the bench for the Pacers.  He played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 14.4 minutes, 7.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Green has now played in 11 games (0 starts) so far in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 8.9 minutes, 4.5 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  Point guard D.J. Augustin has had a nightmare year for the Pacers and it has continued so far in the playoffs.  He played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.7 minutes, 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  He has now played in 10 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 17.3 minutes, 4.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  PF/C Jeff Pendergraph has gotten to play some in the playoffs.  He played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 11.8 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  He has now played in 12 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 7.1 minutes, 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.  Center Ian Mahinmi didn’t play much in the first round of the playoffs.  He played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 8.0 minutes, 1.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.

Outside of J.R. Smith, the Knicks’ bench is very old….but battle tested.  Shooting guard J.R. Smith is the offensive assassin off the bench for the Knicks.  He played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 31.8 minutes, 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Smith has now played in 45 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 25.8 minutes, 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.  PF Kenyon Martin brings a lot of effort and toughness off the bench at both ends of the basketball court.  Martin played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 20.0 minutes, 4.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game.  Martin has now played in 106 games (87 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 32.6 minutes, 13.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game.  PG/SG Jason Kidd looked like the old man that he is in the first round of the playoffs as he only shot 17.6% from the floor and 27.3% from the three point line.  Kidd played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 26.3 minutes, 1.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Kidd has now played in 152 games (146 starts) in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 39.5 minutes, 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game.  The rest of the bench is a little banged up for the Knicks right now.  Small forward Steve Novak is going to miss at least Game #1 of the playoffs due to injury.  He played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 8.4 minutes, 3.0 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.  Novak has now played in 14 games (1 start) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 11.7 minutes, 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.  Center Marcus Camby is starting to finally look his age.  He played in 2 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 1.5 minutes, 1.0 point and 1.0 rebound per game.  Camby has now played in 78 games (43 starts) in his NBA career in the playoffs and he is averaging 28.8 minutes, 7.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.9 blocked shots per game.  Rookie forward Chris Copeland is also banged up.  He played in 3 games (1 start) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 8.0 minutes, 0.0 points and 0.3 rebounds per game.  Veteran power forward Amare Stoudemire could be ready for Game #3 of this series as he continues to rehab from knee surgery.  Stoudemire has played in 60 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 36.8 minutes, 23.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal and 1.6 blocked shots per game.

EDGE:  KNICKS

COACHING:  Frank Vogel knows how to get the most out of his roster and I don’t see that changing in this series.  The Pacers are 4-2 in the playoffs this year and they are 11-11 (50%) under Vogel so far in his career.

Until this season, Mike Woodson’s career in the playoffs has been a disaster.  He led the Knicks to a 4-2 record in the first round to improve his career record in the playoffs to 16-24 (40%).

EDGE:  PACERS

PREDICTION:  PACERS IN SIX GAMES