A great deal of discussion concerning the Knicks has been on the role of their supplemental scorers in regards to the leftover shots available after high usage players such as Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudmire take their typical allotment.

But the biggest issue for the Knicks, both before and after the trade, has been giving a consistent effort on defense. If Anthony and Stoudemire really want to make their teammates better, the team's two leaders need to set a better example on the defensive end of the floor.

As the team leaders, it's up to the two of them to set the tone. And if a perimeter defender gets beat and causes Stoudemire to take a foul and forces him to the bench, it's absolutely within his right as a team leader to get in that perimeter defender's face about it.

We've seen that when the Knicks commit to defense, they are a tough team to beat. But when they start running around and players miss their assignments because of a lack of focus or effort, they are very beatable.