They are who we thought they we..or are they? Last night, New York’s beloved Knicks took on their big brothers and arch rivals the Miami Heat for a game which most people predicted would be a wash, with their MVP candidate small forward Carmelo Anthony out with an injury to his non-shooting hand, and with the Heat being the intimidating juggernaut they are. And while the baddest man on the planet (apologies KD/Kobe fans) Lebron James showed out as usual with 31 points, 10 boards, and 9 dishes, the outcome was much unexpected, as the Knicks blew the Heat off the floor by a margin of 20 in their 104-84 victory over the defending champs.

And even though the final score was shocking, what was even more telling was that the Knicks pulled this off without their two stars, the brittle Amare Stoudemire and Anthony, not to mention their athletic spark plug in the injured Iman Shumpert. But the more pressing question to us actual smart guys out here is, are the Knicks the REAL deal, or will they turn out to be the NBA version of the Atlanta Falcons (Football is still well and alive, people), allot of regular season hype, but ultimately a heartbreaking close to the season, which would ACTUALLY make them the reincarnation of the same old New York Knicks we have all come to love to snicker about.

Even though allot of you would hate to say it cause I know I do, the Knicks are looking to be a major threat in the league this year, and could possibly usurp the Heat as Eastern Conference shoo-ins, and in turn giving New York native Carmelo Anthony his first real opportunity for a ring. But there are still questions to be asked. How many nights do you think the Knicks will hit 18 3-Pointers, especially when it comes to that time of year when you’re playing among the best of the best of defensive units series after series? What happens to their white-hot chemistry when the underachieving and overpaid Amare Stoudemire returns to the rotation? And does this win actually tell us MORE about a Heat team that lost to the worst team in the league and its little brother in the eastern conference in consecutive nights?

And with the Brooklyn Nets having beat the Knicks a few weeks ago after having been blown out by the Heat, if they win in their next matchup with the Knicks, does that cancel out everything and put us right back where we started, with the Heat as prohibitive favorites to win the conference and possibly the whole thing? It seem like I’m making this more complex than what it’s worth, but what is clear to the naked eye is that the Knicks are at least in contention of being a threat to the throne, as they would have to overcome pressure from the likes of the battle tested Celtics those pesky neighbors looming across the river. And we all know how the Knicks have dealt with pressure and expectations in many playoffs past. So will they finally show up to the party ready to rock out, or will they turn out to be phony like dude from KONY, who took “rocking out” to a whole other level. We shall see my Knickerbocker faithful, we shall see.

For More Commentary On All Things Dope, Feel Free To Follow Me On Twitter @Preezydakid