Give Players Time To Develop
With the NBA arguably being the most competitive it’s ever been, the pressure is being put on teams to give their draft picks time to get the hang of the whole transition. The difference between college and pro ball is becoming more and more dramatic; the pros are much stronger, faster, and overall more athletic. I could bash franchise killer Isiah Thomas all day. He came in and got rid of all our players in order to fit the big picture that he had. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a backup plan and Eddy Curry is not the next Shaq. However, there is one thing he did right…draft. He stole Trevor Ariza, Channing Frye, David Lee, and Wilson Chandler during his tenure as the Knicks’ coach and manager. Despite this, he proceeded to get rid of his players, trading Ariza and Frye after a short period of time in New York. Both player are now big contributors on their respective teams- to think we got Steve Francis (retired) and Zach Randolph (spent a mere season and a half in NY) for them! Even when Thomas left the NYK franchise, they failed to learn from their mistakes. We dealt our high potential pick Jordan Hill for a washed up Tracy McGrady who will not be resigned this summer. Quite a bummer, our trades always come back to haunt us. The Knicks ought to take notes from the Grizzlies; there’s nothing wrong with sending Hasheem Thabeet down to the D-League to develop and he will be a contributor in due time.
Let me know what you think…
Fletcher
Over Achievers Making Up For Injured Yankees
With an aging team, the Yankees are injury prone and their bench play is crucial. This year, we are getting banged up early; Granderson missed six weeks, Nick Johnson might be out for the year, A-Rod has been having issues lately, and obviously Jorge has had to sit often too. I have been impressed by the role players who have stepped up to fill this void. Francisco Cervelli is reliable behind the plate and a great hitter with runners in scoring position; he’s a gamer. Swisher, one of my favorite Yanks, has always been a good hitter but no one expected him to be batting over 300. He’s also an able fielder, and I know it’s early but his strong start is promising. Cano finally rid himself of his routine slow starts and is becoming the player fans have always hoped he would be. Finally, I owe an apology to Bret Gardner; I always dissed him and said all he could do was run, but he is really exceeding my expectations at the plate this year. These four guys are bailing out our veterans, especially Teixeira, who will break out of this slump, by the way. He always struggles out of the gate, this year more than usual and fans need to get off his back!
Let me know what you think… Fletcher
The Importance of the Return of Brandon Jacobs
As I have made clear, I am a huge new york sports fan across the board: Knicks, Giants, Bombers. The path to Superbowl forty-two will go down as one of the most memorable times for me and the feeling I got when my man Plaxico (we miss you) caught Eli’s pass after burning Ellis Hobbs was unforgettable. Last year, however, was forgettable. We never really got into a groove after such a hot start and the biggest disappointment of the season was obviously Brandon Jacobs. He just seemed so tentative. I don’t know whether he has lost a step or the offensive line wasn’t doing its job, but it’s hard to bet against Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, Snee, Diehl and McKenzie. They may be getting old but are still dependable. It looked as if Jacobs was waiting for holes to open up, rather than just steam rolling people and running downhill as he’s always done. Anyways, this year is completely dependent on his return to form, if he even comes back to New York.Well, maybe not completely dependent, but important. After all, we do get Pierce, Aaron Ross and Kiwanuka back from injury-that will be huge for our defense and our draft picks will bolster our weak secondary. Plus, I’m not about to downplay how AWESOME Antrel Rolle will be for us next year.
Below is a link to remind Giants fans of the good old days, when Jacobs would literally run over people. I remember when I saw this live and went crazy.
The Depth of the NYG Receiving Corps
I am extremely excited about our wide receiving corps this year, they were all on the team last year but one year of experience will do wonders. We are so deep, and I expect most of these guys to come into their own and step up this year! Here is my take on the depth chart – ridiculous, absurd, an all-star group as a whole.
1) Steve Smith (so underrated, the perfect slot receiver)
2) Dominik Hixon (shaky hands, overrated)
3) Hakeem Nicks (future of NYG)
4) Mario Manningham (perfect complement to Nicks)
5) Ramses Barden (hopefully Plaxico Burress part two; tall target with a lot of hype surrounding him. Haven’t seen much of him, but I’ll believe the scouts for now)
6) Sinorice Moss (won’t crack the rotation, but still a solid player for his position in our rotation)
Anyways, let me know what you think. I am very optimistic about this group of guys.
Nate Robinson is a gimmick and I’m becoming increasingly irritated by his popularity. I watch every Knicks game, and I’ll be the first to admit that the guy can play. He actually won a couple of games for us with his offensive spark. That being said, he is not worth that headache that comes with his skill. Nate is the worst decision maker on the court I have ever seen! I remember plays down the stretch of games where we really needed a good possession to keep us in the game. Rather than coming up the court and working the ball around like a point guard ought to, he would drive recklessly to the hoop in hopes of drawing a foul, which he rarely did…big guys block him all the time! But this is not what people see on Sportscenter. They only watch Nate block Yao Ming (he poked him in the eye!) and throw down thunderous dunks. Only nonchalant, mainstream fans actually think Nate is as good as his Nate “the Great” nickname would suggest. Robinson doesn’t listen to his coaches either. Watching the Celtics game the other day, I was glad to see him walk off the floor at a timeout only to be screamed at by Doc Rivers. So, next time you see Nate, watch him for a longer period of time than just the highlights.
Below is an example of Nate’s daily antics, shakin’ and bakin’ with Will Ferrell. If only he knew when to cut the crap and be serious.
Fletcher
Hello world!
I am a huge Knicks fan. My dad and I have suffered through eight or so years of torture and I don’t know why we still follow them so passionately. This summer, getting Lebron James is essential. He is the best player in the game. Hands down. His physical ability matched with his ability to take it to the bucket but hit mid range jumpers and threes as well is unlike anything we have ever seen. So, he needs a market to match his talent. Cleveland is, in terms of basketball, the heart of darkness. How many star players do you know thriving in little known cities? Kevin Garnett wasted away for 12 years in Minnesota and only won once put in a situation that would cater to his needs. Lebron would benefit the same way from moving to the Knicks because we are in place to score another top free agent, or as I would prefer resign our backbone, David Lee. Besides, everything is falling in to place for a LBJ move to New York; Danny Ferry, the Cavs GM, resigned the other day, and Mike Brown was fired. Mike Brown was very close with Lebron, and even if the Cavs land Tom Izzo there is no guarantee that’s an improvement. Let me know what you think.
Fletcher
