Turning Point Stephon Marbury's decision to opt for ankle surgery firmly cements Jamal Crawford as the fulcrum of the Knicks offense. Already the team's leading scorer, Crawford now becomes both the primary facilitator & perimeter threat. Clearly, Crawford relishes the role of controlling the offense, which allows him to dictate tempo and feed his longtime running mates, Eddy Curry & Nate Robinson.

Statically, Crawford has posted career highs in scoring (19.7) & free throw percentage (86.5%) this season and his 4.6 assists per game should increase as a result of his added responsibility. With Marbury out of the picture for the foreseeable future, the Knicks no longer have to worry who is directing the offense on a nightly basis. Gone is the friction of a contentious relationship between Isiah Thomas & Marbury that has rocked the team since November. Additionally, Marbury's absence adds a much-needed defender to the starting lineup. Fred Jones has proven to be a capable replacement in the backcourt and has the ability to defend either guard spot. Add in Nate Robinson's inspiring play of late and the Knicks have three guards who can play on or off the ball effectively.

With the trade deadline a month away, expect talk of acquiring a point guard or small forward to continue. Marbury's elective surgery eliminates the notion of trading the veteran and increases the likelihood of a buyout. Zach Randolph - the subject of recent trade talk including a rumored deal to New Jersey for Vince Carter - has flourished since his public spat with Thomas. One name that continues to come up as a potential replacement for Marbury is Sacramento's Mike Bibby. The Cherry Hill, NJ native (and son of former Knick, Henry Bibby) has been productive since his return from injury, but the Kings appear to be content with Beno Udrih as their starting point guard. Bibby's $13.5MM salary make trading for the 10 year veteran a tall order, but certainly possible given the salaries on Thomas' roster.

Jamal Crawford's torrid play & leadership skills gives Isiah Thomas the luxury to refrain from pulling the trigger on another mid-season trade. Considering Thomas' poor track record for importing former stars with bloated salaries (including Penny Hardaway, Steve Francis & Jalen Rose) has crippled the team's chances of escaping salary cap purgatory, the prudent move would be to allow Crawford to run the team for the remainder of the season.

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The Seattle connection of Robinson & Crawford has long produced highlights for the Knicks, but both players seemed focused on leading the team back to respectability. They combined for 14 assists in a solid road victory at Miami. Robinson has averaged 13.8ppg in the last five games. More importantly, the lightning quick guard has averaged 5.8 assists per game and only 1.4 turnovers during the same span.

-Greg Hutchins