Crawford May Miss Remainder of Season

You wouldn't have known it by the late three pointer he hit in last night's win over the Heat, but Jamal Crawford was playing with a stress fracture in his right ankle. That injury may keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season and put a serious hurt on the Knicks postseason chances. The Knicks second leading scorer does not know when the injury occurred, but it may lead surgery. With Steve Francis continuously battling knee problems and David Lee confined to street clothes with a high ankle sprain, the Knicks could not afford to lose another weapon.

So what does this mean to the Knicks rotation? As long as Lee remains on the bench, it could spell more minutes for rookie Renaldo Balkman. He brings toughness to a team that lacks defensive intensity and has the quickness to defend on the perimeter. The Knicks could also turn to diminutive Nate Robinson. He's fallen out of grace after December's brawl and relative ineffectiveness, but could infuse the team with some energy for the stretch run. As opposed to Balkman or Jared Jeffries, he has the ability to compensate for some of the offense that will be lost with Crawford's injury.