2013 was an exciting time for Knicks fans. New York's long struggling team had their best season in years, finishing with 54 wins and taking the Atlantic division title. Even though the season came to a disappointing end when the Knicks went down against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it was also the first time the team had advanced to the second round of the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season.

The future looked bright... so bright that Knicks owner James Dolan even went so far as to set his sights on an NBA championship. Many sports writers and commentators thought Dolan was aiming a little too high. The Knicks were far better than they had been in recent years but, given the projected competition from other teams, they were unlikely to go all the way.

No one could have foreseen how truly disastrous the current season would turn out.

From the very start it was clear the Knicks were not playing at the same level they were last year. Many of the veterans from last year had moved on including Jason Kidd, who retired and left to coach the Brooklyn Nets. Other key role players had also left, replaced by the oft-criticized Andrea Bargnani, who failed to truly make an impact on the team. Amar'e Stoudemire gave a decent contribution off the bench, but the former All-Star was clearly not the player he used to be.

A number of other key contributors also fell short of expectations. Raymond Felton missed much of the first half of the season with a groin injury. Former Sixth Man of the Year, J.R. Smith, was not only failing to perform on the court, he was also the cause of controversy when he got fined for attempting to untie an opponent's shoelaces during a game. Not once, but twice.

With all this misfortune, Knicks fans had one true cause for celebration. Carmelo Anthony was having the season of his career. He averaged over 28 points per game, and made history the night he scored 62 points, breaking Bernard Kings' record to give the highest scoring performance by a Knicks player ever.

Even so, Melo's success was bittersweet as league commentators were quick to remind fans of the superstar's impending free agency. On July 1, 2014, Anthony can utilize his early termination option and see what other teams are willing to offer him. In terms of money, the decision would be a simple one. Few teams could match the amount the New York Knicks are currently offering Anthony.

Yet, for Anthony the decision to leave may be more about than just who can pay him the most. Melo wants to win a championship. Superstar LeBron James already laid down the blueprint for success when he made the infamous "Decision" and joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. For James it was less about salary, and more about making up for painful losses experienced with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Carmelo Anthony, originally from Brooklyn, is a true Knicks fan. If the Knicks showed the same promise they did last year, it would be likely that he would re-sign. But the Knicks are currently 19 games under .500, and five-and-a-half games out of making the playoffs. The situation is not completely hopeless given the lack of competition in this year's Eastern Conference... but few are confident that this current Knicks team has what it takes to bounce back.

In the midst of the recent scandal involving point guard Raymond Felton, who is under felony charges for illegal firearm possession, the Knicks have put up an absolutely dire performance. Prior to Wednesday's victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team went on a 7-game losing streak. Altogether, the team has lost 11 of their last 14 games. This is all while Carmelo Anthony continues to put up amazing numbers, averaging 32 points since the All-Star break.

All signs point to the fact that Anthony is deeply frustrated with the Knicks' current situation. Fans can see it on his face as he leaves the court each night following yet another disappointing loss. And he isn't the only one. The entire team seems to be feeling the stress of constant failure.

According to the New York Post, Knicks center Tyson Chandler has had enough of losing:

"For me, it's important regardless [to finish out strong],'' said Chandler, referring to the team's ever depleting spirit on the court. "I got a lot more pride than this, coming in night in, night out losing, and not putting forth the type of effort it takes to win. At this stage of my career and what I've established, I refuse to let it put a blemish on it.''

When asked about his future plans with the team, Chandler replied that that's something he would have to "visit in the offseason."

J.R. Smith didn't mince words when talking about the current state of the team. ESPN reports on his reaction to the Knicks 23 point loss to the Golden State Warriors.

"It's not a mental thing, it's a heart thing," said Smith after the game. "You gotta play with effort, play with heart. I mean, I'm not condoning knocking somebody down and hurting nobody. But we gotta do something. We gotta stick up for ourselves. We're just letting people do what they want to do."

ESPN sports analyst Stephen A Smith called the current Knicks an "atrocity" and "an embarrassment of the highest level." He also said the problem was not primarily with the players or Knicks coach, Mike Woodson, but rather with the Knicks owner James Dolan. Dolan is often criticized for his poor decision-making and management skills.

The frustration with Dolan is such that it inspired a group of Knicks fans to stage a protest outside of Madison Square Garden on March 19.

"We understand Dolan will not sell. We understand change may not come of this. We just want our voices heard," said organizer Mark Griffin in an emailed statement to ESPN. "We want to remind Dolan and the NBA that our voices matter. We buy the tickets, the jerseys, the NBA League Pass subscriptions. We are frustrated. We are tired. We deserve better."

Griffin also assured that the rally was not focused on the players and that he would support Carmelo Anthony in whatever decision he makes this year.

Frank Isola of The Daily News believes that letting Carmelo Anthony walk would be in the Knicks' best interest. Anthony had been on record saying that he would consider staying with the team and taking a pay cut, if it means luring other free agents to come play for the team, but the Knicks are not in a position to do that anytime soon.

"The Knicks' salary-cap situation is such that if they re-sign Anthony they'll have to wait until 2015 to add that second star," Isola writes. "For one, I'm hearing that Anthony's camp is interested only in the summer of 2014. They don't want to hear about 2015. And they're right. Anthony will be 31 with a lot of NBA miles on his legs before reinforcements arrive."

There are rumors that the Knicks will pursue free agent Kevin Love in 2015, but there's no guarantee that the star forward would even want to play for the Knicks in their current state. On the other hand, letting Anthony leave would help clear cap space, and give the team a fresh slate to rebuild.

The idea of starting from scratch may not appeal to fans with dreams of the Knicks winning a championship soon, but the Knicks haven't won since 1973. They can probably wait a little longer.