T'is the season for an NBA season turnaround for...well, about 80 percent of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Unless you happen to be the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers, chances are that if you're rooting for a team in the East, your holiday season wish list will be asking for a few wins in the next month or so. As of Dec. 26, 12 of the 15 teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference have records under .500, the defending Atlantic Division champion New York Knicks among that list.

It's been a trying time for the Knicks, who haven't struggled this much since the 2009-10 season, just before they were rebuilding the team to lift it from out of the doldrums after nine seasons of mediocrity. At this time last season, the Knicks were firmly on top of the Atlantic Division with a 20-8 record and a world of momentum behind them. One year later, the Knicks are barely a shell of that team, stuck dwelling in the cellar of their division with a 9-19 record-tied for last in the division with the Brooklyn Nets-riddled with injuries and lacking in spirit heading into the new year.

A lot of their problems have been tied to the Knicks' anemic offense. In December 2012, the Knicks were No.8 in the league in team points per game, racking up an impressive 101.9 points per contest, ahead of even the eventual world champion Miami Heat. One year later, the Knicks have plummeted to the near bottom, collectively scoring a mere 97.8 points per game, ranked for an unimpressive No.22 of 30 in the NBA. The loss of key veterans such as Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby has created ripple effects in terms of team chemistry on offense and even defense, and many of their key players from last year are underperforming.

The Knicks' downward spiral could be righted, however. With four months of NBA basketball still left on the schedule, a hot team in an otherwise weak Atlantic Division-and a dismal Eastern Conference, to be frank-could easily ride a wave of momentum heading into the playoffs. However, this task won't be easy and no one player on the Knicks, even one as talented as Carmelo Anthony, can do it alone. It will be a team effort, but these Knicks players in particular must step up their game as New York's season hangs in the balance:

Carmelo Anthony

No one Knick has as much of the season resting on his shoulders than the former Syracuse star. Last season, Anthony was nothing short of dominant as he became the first Knicks since Bernard King in 1985 to win the NBA scoring title. However, as of late, while Anthony has still been putting up great numbers, he hasn't been taking over games late in the fourth quarter as he did last season. Last December, Anthony was putting up a scintillating 32.6 points for that month; now, Anthony is only averaging 25.9 points for this month. The burden is heavy, but then again, that's what superstars like Anthony are asked to do. If the Knicks are to go anywhere this season, it will be contingent on whether Anthony can dominate again like he did last year.

Raymond Felton

While Jason Kidd was a main factor in the backcourt for why the Knicks were so dangerous last season, Felton added a lot of depth to the backcourt with an impressive year. In December, particularly, Felton was at his most dangerous, averaging 17.2 points and 5.8 assists. Felton hasn't even come close to that this month, his scoring production shrinking to a meager 9.7 points. Hampered by hamstring and groin injuries, Felton has been drastically underperforming. With their backcourt not nearly as strong as it was last year after Kidd's departure, it's up to Felton to step up and lead there. Otherwise, the Knicks are in trouble.

Tyson Chandler

If there was any doubt as to how valuable Chandler was to the Knicks, the team's struggles in the last month since Chandler went down to a broken leg. The former Defensive Player of the Year and NBA All-Star is the Knicks' anchor on defense and in rebounding, as well as the team's emotional leader on the floor. Without him, the Knicks are visibly lacking the edge on the opposite end of the floor and they could sure use the pick-me-up given by one of Chandler's trademark alley oop slam dunks. When Chandler returns, he must return with a vengeance, be the same emotional sparkplug and defensive wraith that he was since arriving in New York two seasons ago.

J.R. Smith

If ever there was a reason for the Knicks' first Atlantic Division title in nearly 20 years last year, Smith was one of them. Smith, who was on fire in December 2012 off the bench with 18.1 points, has fallen off significantly this month, averaging a mere 12.0 points in reserve for New York. The thing with Smith is that you're either going to get one of two players with him. The good J.R. Smith is capable of being the best Sixth Man in the NBA and an electric scorer who can change the complexion of a game, while the bad one is extremely erratic, prone to foul trouble and generally causes more havoc for the team he plays on instead of the one he's against. If there was ever a time for the good J.R. Smith to stand up, now is that time.

Amar'e Stoudemire

The last two seasons have been a trying time for Stoudemire, who was an MVP candidate for the first half of the 2010-11 season. With knee injuries hobbling him since that time, Stoudemire has been a shell of his old six-time NBA All-Star self. However, there was a silver lining in the cloud that was the embarrassing Christmas Day blowout the Knicks endured at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder: Stoudemire showed flashes of his old brilliance with a 22-point 10-for-16 shooting day. Stoudemire's health is always a question mark these days, but if he can keep healthy enough, he might get the confidence boost he needs to start playing at his old superb levels on offense. But that might be easier said than done. The last time Stoudemire went over his minutes level last season, his knees weren't ready and he went right back on injured reserve. Both the Knicks and Stoudemire must be more careful this time around.