Tag Archives: Mets

November 30, 2012 · 1:49 pm

David Wright, the myth of a superstar

David WrightDavid Wright has agreed to sign the rest of his life away to the New York Mets, agreeing to the richest contract the franchise has ever given out.  The total value of the contract will net him $138 million, making him the highest paid Met.  EVER.

I’ve never been a David Wright fan.  I’ve always felt like his value has been overstated because of his Derek Jeter like presence in the club.  He’s a good looking guy who plays the game hard and never becomes back page folly.  He avoids any and all kind of blame, an amazing feat considering he’s viewed as the leader of a New York sports franchise.  Ask Patrick Ewing what it was like never winning a championship in New York and having to come into work amongst fans who blamed him for it.

The thing is not every player is Derek Jeter.  He’s won five championships.  He dates super duper models*.  He sends women gift baskets after he’s had his way with them at night.  He’s a living legend in almost every right.  When he reaches a milestone, he does so in style.  See, getting his 3,000th hit while hitting a home run.  And judging by his stats from last year reports of his decline were very much said too soon.
*=He dated Miss Universe.  You know how many guys get to date women on that scale?  And he did so publicly with an Indian woman at that.  Do you understand what that entails when a non indian man decides to date an indian woman?  Did her parents just never pick up a paper?  Were they Yankee fans and were excited that their daughter was dating the shortstop and future hall of famer? Miracle worker this Derek Jeter.

But David Wright, as stated above, is no Derek Jeter and the fact is no matter how many toothy smiles he gives he won’t ever resonate with the Met fan base the way Jeter does with the Yankee fan base.  If he’s our Derek Jeter than we’re as third class as every Yankee fan claims.  Its not to say that Wright isn’t a great player.  He is, but he’s not what we think he is and he’s not what we based his new contract on.

Most Met fans are rejoicing in the news that David Wright will be a Met for life.  I’m not.  He’s not a great fielder, he’s a good fielder.  He’s not a great clutch hitter.  In fact he’s very rarely clutch.  He’s got great stats but he racks up those numbers in meaningless games.  He’s the leader of a team that has not had a winning record in four seasons.  This is the guy you paid $138 million to over the final seven seasons.

I’m sorry if you’re waiting for stats to back up my case here.  But I don’t need them.  I’ve watched 90% of Mets games that Wright has played in and he does two things well: he racks up stats during blowouts and he smiles well enough to engender compassion and gratefulness.  The biggest argument that most Mets fans have is look at his statistics.  And I will argue back that they have not seen him in situations over the last few years with the chance to drive in more runs where he failed by doing the absolute worst thing you can do in those situations: strike out.  You can give me any advanced metric you want to play up Wright but he doesn’t pass the all important eye test.  Any real fan, who truly cares and watches the team as closely as I do (yes I’m being perfectly objective when I say this), knows what I’m talking about.  He doesn’t strike fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers and there are enough holes in his swing that pitchers feel confident enough to get him out.  That’s not a superstar.  That’s a star.

But in our ever present struggle with Yankee fans the Mets fans have put it in their heads that Wright is our Jeter and that argument falls on completely deaf ears as well.  He’s not.  He doesn’t have the rings, or the general ability to come through that Jeter has shown throughout his career.  Wright does many things well, but all in moderation, making him a superstar by default because there’s some unwritten rule that says every team MUST have a superstar.  But that mandate doesn’t sit well with me and shouldn’t for Mets fans.  When a guy of superstar ilk comes along, you will know him.  He walks different.  He gives you confidence in any and every situation.  You don’t dread his at bats like a kid waiting for a report card.  But the Mets fans have decided to look past the eye test and enjoy the illusion.  And the Mets in turn have paid him handsomely to keep the fan base playing up to that illusion.  Its a win win for both sides.

All of that to secure the services of a home grown star and avoid any further embarrassment.  This deal doesn’t secure the Mets first winning record in five years.  This only secures the Mets ongoing war with the press to win their half hearted approval.  Not signing Wright would’ve meant mutiny within the fan base and total bashing by every media outlet in New York for an ownership group who (literally) can’t afford to lose any more paying customers.  In reality, Wright is the only thing clean about this Mets franchise and the only pristine thing in the whole organization.  The Coupon family couldn’t let him walk away.  Then the focus would be completely on them and they couldn’t have that.  They can now throw David Wright in front of the fire before it reaches them but the truth is no one blames him because everyone knows what a complete screw up they are in the first place.  Really, who can look bad standing next to the Coupon family?  Doesn’t Wright become bigger and better in light of the Coupon family’s distressing financial situation and idiotic decision-making?

But is that the right reason for signing Wright?  Did the Mets compromise their own team for the next few seasons by signing Wright to a deal that could financially cripple them for years to come?  If this contract is backloaded and there truly is a “hard cap” that even has the Steinbrenners running to shave a few million off the edges, exactly how much money will the Mets have to throw around on a 25 man roster?  We know now that Sandy Alderson was brought in to cut payroll and fatten the farm system up.    But will he stay long enough to reap the rewards when the next two seasons could entail more of the same?

The Mets are looking at 2014 as the year of the purge.  When Johan Santana’s contract and Jason Bay’s contract magically disappear off the payroll.  But what will happen next is anybody’s guess.  We’re hoping that a bunch of kids mixed in with a free agent or two will mesh perfectly to finally reward Met fans for their patience.  Patience that has been long waning thanks to ponzi schemes and putzes running the organization.  But the feeling is that the David Wright signing begins a new era in Mets land.  A promise that the payroll restrictions aren’t as crippling as people think.  That the Mets can drop an ineffective player regardless of salary ramifications (see Bay, Jason).  That the Mets do care about the product on the field and the fans who pay to see them play by signing talented home grown players that fans have seen age before their very eyes.  That the fans have a legacy player in the ilk of a Tom Seaver because they were robbed of that with Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden.

I agree that the Mets deserve those things and should get those things, but let’s remember one thing:  the goal is to win and get better.  I woke up this morning to the news of David Wright’s signing not sure if we accomplished either goal.

 

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July 26, 2012 · 3:43 pm

Ya Gotta Believe- in the plan

I will never look forget the look on Terry Collins face as pitch number 134 of Johan Santana’s no hitter disappeared from the reach of Cardinals 3B David Freese. SNY cameras caught the reaction of Collins as a historic moment unfolded: relieved. Exasperated. Thankful it was over. Eager to find out whether his de facto ace’s arm was still in one piece.

Terry Collins was a manager of the year candidate in large part thanks to that performance and his club’s play throughout the first half. But since June 1st Johan Santana has gone 3-5 and has seen his ERA jump a full run and a half to 3.98 from 2.38. Winning 3 out of 8 decisions isn’t crippling but in his last 3 decisions ranging 12.2 innings he has given up 28 hits and 19 earned runs. He landed on the DL with a leg injury but most observers look back to that 134 pitch effort and the extra rest Terry Collins gave as the fault.

Santana’s swoon has coincided with the Mets scheduled second half meltdown. That’s 12 losses in the last 13 games and 6 in a row now, two sweeps included. There seems no end in sight to the bleeding and most consider the patient to be dead. Fans are accusing GM Sandy Alderson of being asleep at the wheel, not making a move when a move needed to be made.

Most have fixed the gaze of blame on the bullpen and they would have every right. The Met bullpen has the worst ERA. They don’t have the fewest wins or the most losses, yet if you had to rank a more horrendous bullpen you would be hard pressed to find one from the limited scope of New York fans.

But Collins admits fully that the bullpen isn’t the only one to blame: the offense hasn’t shown up either. They have scored 3 runs or fewer in 6 of their last 12 games and essentially turned themselves from fringe contender to sell candidate at the July 31st deadline. But am I worrying? No and neither should anyone else.

I submit all the preseason signs that the Mets weren’t making an effort to field a competitive team. They didn’t even make an offer to Jose Reyes, their homegrown superstar SS despite playing in the biggest market in the world and fielding a payroll north of a $100 million forever. Their biggest signings were Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco. They stubbornly refused to bench Jason Bay despite his 2.5 year struggle. They brought up Kirk Nieunwheis and kept Lucas Duda in right to play everyday roles and announced to the world that their opening day starter was Johan Santana- a year removed from arm surgery and with the bubble wrap barely off his arm. It sounded a lot like a rebuilding year.

That’s until the players didn’t play like it was a rebuilding year. That’s until David Wright played MVP caliber ball. Until R.A. Dickey became the best pitcher in baseball. Until Ruben Tejada made every Met fan forget Jose Reyes.

But as the magic has fully worn off this team and it’s become what every Met fan feared, suddenly outrage is fierce and fervent. Contending was never part of the plan. There were clear holes in the lineup and with the bullpen and issues with the starting staff that it seemed like the front office just waited long enough for things to fall apart before admitting that they were sellers: their true intention prior to the season.

I felt as though the Rauch, Ramirez trade an Francisco deals were all done with the intention of eventually moving them to contenders. The second wild cards adds the list of teams who feel they have a realistic chance at a playoff berth probably two fold. The chance to keep filling their farm system was too enticing. Thus the news that they have quietly shopped Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak to teams interested. I thought it was funny when Met officials dismissed the notion that they were shopping Hairston earlier because he was such a good influence in the clubhouse. I wonder how many teams were scared off by that statement. God forbid they went harder after a good clubhouse guy who just so happens to be an excellent situational hitter against lefties.

As bad as things have gotten in Gotham city, sorry Queens, I’ve had zero problem with the lack of activity from the front office to proactively go after one or two relievers by dealing prospects as if that would solve everything ailing the Mets.

It won’t and the Mets are wisely sticking to the plan. They overachieved in the first half and are now falling back down to earth and the typical shoot first ask questions last fan base is in revolt over the front office not setting the organization back another few years by dealing for middle relief and a big bat.

They haven’t just now quit on the season- they were waving the white flag before the season began with a series of moves designed to keep the organization looking and moving forward. So it’s in it’s typical late summer swoon; so what? What’s different about this team is that there is legitimate excitement over its prospects, starting with Matt Harvey’s first major league start. He is one of a few pitchers the front office feel strongly about moving forward and refuse to deal for any short term fix.

If these last 13 games have proven anything, it’s how less talented the mets are and how much growing up their stars have left to do. There is one great player (Wright), three good players (Tejada, Valdespin; I know in a limited role, and Davis) and a bunch of stiffs. To be competitive the Mets need to get better and become a more complete and deep team and that won’t happen this season, the sooner Met fans admit that, the better it will be.

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July 6, 2012 · 5:01 am

The Mets of 2012- How amazing indeed.

Two major reasons why the Mets are what they are in 2012.

This is going to be a very long rant because I just finished watching the Mets/Phillies play the rubber game of a very important three game set.  It was absolutely amazing considering the ramifications that this game may possibly hold for both teams.

Don’t get it twisted: this was NOT the way smart people would’ve figured this season to play out: the Mets with their rag tag, Quadruple A team contending for the NL East, while the significantly more “talented” team in Philadelphia at the midpoint of the season in the cellar and beginning the early stages of picking apart a contender.  Yes, its 2012 and all end of world scenarios are in play here but pardon my french when I write this: WTF?!?!

The Mets are now 45-38,  and now sit 4.5 games out of first place with a three game set against the lowly Cubs before the All Star Break.  The Phillies meanwhile are now 37-47, a full 13 games out of first and with this loss may have firmly placed themselves in the sellers side with the July trading deadline 26 days away.  Can the Phillies make up the difference with two plus months remaining?  Absolutely, and Met fans would know about their ability in September.

But here are some very rational thoughts on the Phillies: Cole Hamels, tonight’s starter and the Phillies youngest ace, is due to hit free agency this winter and all indications are that he will entertain offers from rival clubs.  Count the Mets out.  Count the Angels out thanks to last offseason’s spending.  But that’s it.  The Yankees can never truly be counted out and if they are involved you can bet that the Red Sox will be.  Then there are the Dodgers who are now out of the hands of Frank McCourt and in the eager arms of a group of owners who are looking to make a major splash in the second largest market and will surely be in on any major free agent especially one with SoCal ties like Hamels.  So the Phillies would be prudent in trying to get some kind of compensation for Hamels while he has this kind of value.  Hamels would instantly boost a minor league outfit depleted thanks to contender status moves that the Phillies had to make to shore up midseason weaknesses and create strengths.  The Phillies had a great run and can still make a very good run for the next two to three years but its clear that this team is trending down while the rest of the division is trending up.  Ruben Amaro, the Phillies GM will have some very interesting decisions to make especially with Shane Victorino who also may price himself out of a Phillie uniform.  Remember, the Phillies will be paying three guys in the range of $72 million.  Cole Hamels will demand a $25 million per year contract which the Dodgers will gladly pay from all indications and so the Phillies have to be careful whether they want to get into a bidding war with other teams OR get as much value as they can NOW.  The best option is to trade him for pieces and replenish a farm system that desperately needs it and this loss and their position in the standings now may have been the best thing for the franchise.

Now that we got that out of the way back to the Mets.  What a feisty team and a great win within the division for a team that has exceeded all expectations and surpassed everyone’s ideas about what this team would be.  There’s no ceiling because this team is basically David Wright and a bunch of question marks and even David Wright would’ve qualified as a question mark after two sub par seasons.  But Wright has been the player that the Mets expected and now becomes an indispensable part of this team’s future.  Much like last year when Jose Reyes played his best ball heading into an unsure offseason the Mets are now with yet another cornerstone player playing lights out and making the decision for the front office, you get the sense that perhaps the GM and ownership will play this one differently.

Last year I said the Mets should have traded Wright and done everything in their power to keep Reyes for the long term.  Wright had been largely ineffective thanks to concussions and injuries limiting his playing time.  This season, largely healthy for the first time and definitely the leader of a young team Wright has found rejuvenation with this ball club and the tone of the season seems to be rebound.  Johan Santana entered the year being a question mark in terms of what the team was expecting: he gave them the franchise’s very first no-hitter.  R.A. Dickey was a decent pitcher the last two years and was slotted in as their number three starter: he’s in line to start his very first All Star Game.  Chris Young returned after his own shoulder problems and hasn’t given up more than three runs in any ONE of his starts.  Jon Niese has warranted that extension he got prior to the season beginning.  That’s four starters who have combined to give them a top 5 staff in the NL.  Of course the bullpen is from hell but it only makes sense given the nature of building a bullpen: you pick six or seven guys and you cross your fingers the entire time.

The offense has been productive despite not getting any real power or being a team that utilizes speed.  They have worked long counts and gotten to the opposing team’s bullpen’s more often than not.  Its been impressive to watch and still very difficult to believe.  But all this has been spearheaded by the MVP-like season that David Wright is having.  I’ve long questioned Wright’s ability to have a big moment for the Mets basically saying he’s a good stat sheet filler but not someone you want leading your team.  I was very hesitant heading into this season to predict what kind of year the mets would have because I didn’t feel like Wright was the guy to lead this young team.  He never exhibited that kind of moxie you need from your leader but he sure was a good Derek Jeter at the microphone- offering up cliche’d responses to questions that made you wonder if he was reading from a cue card.

This season has been different and you have to figure that health has a big deal to do with it.  My opinion on Wright more has to do with my own personal hang ups based on my years of watching the Mets and seeing almost 95% of his games.  I don’t consider myself the foremost expert on David Wright but I do have some kind of perspective when I speak on him.  It was in 2006-2008 where he enjoyed his most productive years and even 2009 up until Matt Cain came head hunting with a pitch and put the Mets at rock bottom; Wright especially.  I put a lot of the Mets problems at the feet of David Wright especially in 2007 and 2008 when the Mets gave up late season divisional leads but the Mets had other players/leaders and he always got away with not having to answer the call.  He was never the Mets highest paid bat so he never was the first to get the blame.  Especially not when he’s in the same locker room as Carlos Beltran who still can’t shake his called third strike in game 7 of the NLCS back in 2006.

But this season, with Delgado, Reyes and Beltran all gone, he was the lone member of that 2006 team remaining so the blame wasn’t going anywhere but on his shoulders and he’s responded with his best year statistically.  He’s getting every hit in every situation imaginable.  His OBP (.441) is almost a full 100 points higher than last year. He needs just four more home runs and 6 more RBI’s to match last year’s output playing in 24 less games.   He needs four more walks to match his total from last year and has climbed to the top of several All-Time Mets categories.  Of course, this was expected from David Wright who since he came has been heralded as the best player on the Mets and deserves serious consideration for the MVP.

But the strength of this team has been hitting with 2 outs.  With two outs the Mets have scored 184  runs with two outs (5 of the 6 runs tonight) which is remarkable and shows how gritty this ballclub is and how effectively they have bought into hitting coach Dave Hudgen’s selective approach at the plate.  Many make the link between the OBP loving Moneyball types like Sandy Alderson, Paul Depodesta etc but the fact is the Mets have been aggressively attacking first pitch like tonight when Wright took the first pitch fastball from Papelbon and blooped it for the game winning hit.  Another two out hit but this after two hitters had worked walks to load up the bases.  Many times once the batters go down 0-2 its almost routine to find them back in an AB 2-2 or even draw a full count, forcing the pitcher to make a pitch somewhere in the strike zone and sometimes creating walks, which the Mets lead the league in as well.  Its no wonder they also lead the league by seeing the most pitches per plate appearance: 3.9.

So what to make of this feisty ball club going into the All Star Break with a good feeling but major offensive, defensive and bullpen issues?  Alderson has to be calculating.  First order of business is figuring out if he can bring up any of his young arms to pitch from the bullpen to give them a lift but chances are that both Jenry Mejia and Matt Harvey may only POSSIBLY see a spot open up when the rosters expand in september meaning that even in the case of injury or success they are enjoying in the minors the only way that they will get called up before September will be if a plague rips through the Mets team and they are forced to call up everyone to take the place of the major league team.  Otherwise I see the Mets being patient and allowing the young guys to grow and mature before putting them on the major league team.  The front office is being judicious in how they will respond.  The Mets may be contenders this far but the front office is NOT willing to trade the farm to get one or two role players.  They have built the farm system up in order to give the team a steady pipeline of talent and once the revenue streams start building up again (aka- fans start coming back to the ballpark in droves), the Mets will spend on free agents and do their best to lock up their young talent as well.

The biggest reason for the Mets success?  Terry Collins in my opinion.  He has been virtually the opposite of what his critics said.  They said he was overbearing and his players tuned him out.  They said he wasn’t fit to manage a bunch of young guys.  Well, all those critiques have proven to be wrong.  Dead wrong.  He’s not only handled the team well, he’s shown he cares.  It was especially evident during Johan Santana’s no-hitter in which the cameras caught Terry Collins extremely relieved face as the 134th and final pitch was thrown on a record-setting night.  He then shared a very emotional hug with Johan as he was coming off the mound.  He knows his players and has pushed all the right buttons this year.  They are a top 3 team in pinch hits.  All because of their ability in situational hitting.

Nothing more symbolizes this team than tonight’s game.  Getting good pitching when it mattered.  Getting five 2-out runs and especially that ninth inning.  Trailing 5-4 and facing a dominant closer like Jonathan Papelbon, the inning started with a double by Ike Davis who went through such a tough stretch in the beginning of the year, to the point where fans were calling for his demotion.  Then a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position.  A strikeout by Kirk Nieuhenweis to make it two outs, but it seemed like thats where the Mets wanted to be anyway.  With two outs, the Mets worked out consecutive grueling walks by Jordanny Valdespin (6 pitch walk), and Ruben Tejada (8 pitch walk) to load the bases for Daniel Murphy.  Murphy went down 0-2, which made it three consecutive batters that went to a 2 strike count at that point in the blink of an eye.  Murphy fouled back a pitch and then took a pitch leading up to the fifth pitch of the AB which wound up being a chopper up the middle and bouncing off Papelbon’s leg and almost caroming into Murphy as he went down the first base line.  Papelbon tried to play it cleanly but slipped in the process of picking it up allowing the run to score from 3rd and the Mets to tie the ball game and set it up for Wright.  Wright who had already driven in 3 of the Mets 5 runs at that point came up and admitted that he was looking fastball and sitting on it.  With the first pitch, and the crowd still on its feet anticipating a Met win, (it felt like the world wouldn’t be right if the Mets lost tonight’s game), Wright got a 95 MPH fastball that came inside.  Wright looped it and it fell right before the outstretched arms of Hunter Pence and celebration ensued as Valdespin scored from third.

Its honestly the most fun Mets team I’ve seen in quite some time.  The 2006 season was fun because the Mets were dominant.  This season is fun because it almost feels like we’re playing with house money.  No matter what, ONLY good things can come from this season. And it makes sense.  In such an upside down season where the once power house Phillies are on the verge of being sellers at the trade deadline, and the Mets and Nationals competing for the NL East crown at the deadline the options and limits on this season are unlimited.  As a Met fan we can only sit back and watch.  David Wright promises more fun to be had.  Good times.

two of the biggest reasons the Mets are what they are in 2012

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June 2, 2012 · 12:19 pm

No-Han Santana and the fan base.

Its the ninth inning, and after sitting in the dugout by his lonesome deep in his own thoughts, Johan Santana ventured over to the rubber to take on the ninth inning and so much more.  But hey, we won’t talk about it because that’s tradition.  That’s baseball tradition to not talk about something bordering on excitement.  SHHHHHH.  EVERYONE QUIET!!!!!

Its never been easy being a Mets fan.  We live in a city filled with obnoxious older brothers always willing to knock you down a peg with the same, yet inarguable point: Talk to us when you get to ten world series.  They have the much larger group of Hall of Fame players.  They have the lore of their stadium.  They have the worldwide brand.  They have the owner who’s famous for spending whatever it takes to build a winner.  They even took two of our most famous pitchers (Dwight Gooden, and David Cone) and saw them to a no-hitter and a perfect game.  That’s the kind of note in the back of your mind that Met fans have to keep whenever trying to savor a bit of joy in any Met win or feat.  Its been done by them and probably better.

So I’ll save Yankee fans from even having to make the argument: should there be an asterisk on the first no-hitter in franchise history?  Maybe.  Carlos Beltran’s liner in the sixth was a fair ball according to replays and the chunk of chalk it took with it as it lined foul according to the 3rd base umpire.  But we can all agree that umpires usually stand in the way of games and this time an umpire finally got a play wrong and did right by it.  The Mets deserved a no-hitter.  This is a franchise that employed Doc Gooden, Tom Seaver, David Cone and worst of all, Nolan Ryan.  He of the 7 no-hitters.  All of them having thrown no-hitters after they had left the Mets.  All of them great pitchers.  None of their no-hitters ours.

And I don’t use the word “I” in reference to the team but last night it was a collective sigh of relief.  For Johan Santana.  The warrior who had battled back from major shoulder reconstructive surgery.  Terry Collins had a strict 115 pitch count and he had to see it go steadily higher after the seventh inning.  This was the franchise ace and he was throwing him out there in a game having already been decided.  But in his defense: the bullpen sucks and there’s no telling how many runs they would have let up especially considering that the Mets were up against the number one offense in the major leagues.  YEAH!  He threw it against the number one offense in the major leagues with a slider, fastball in the high 80’s and a wicked change up in the mid to late 70’s.  Johan who was traded for and lavished upon the largest contract, at the time, for a lefty pitcher didn’t need any more validation.  Met fans knew about his fight and his guile.  On a bad knee he threw a one hitter on the day before the season ended in heartbreaking fashion against the Marlins in 2008 giving Met fans a glimpse of what a real ace was like.

For manager Terry Collins, Johan Santana’s final pitch was a huge relief.  His arm hadn’t fallen off and only until this morning will he know what it took out of him to reach this great milestone.  A manager has many duties and one of them being the safety and well being of his players.  So much was said by the huge breath he took as Santana locked up the no-hitter.  He knows what he had.  He knows what he was protecting and he also knows what a no-hitter would’ve meant for this fan base and for the franchise and he wasn’t about to risk all of that.  Not with a warrior like Johan out there and not with a crowd frenzied up in the ninth.  You had the feeling that even before a potential first hit had reached the floor, Terry would’ve already been motioning to the bullpen and running out there and carrying Johan on his back to the dugout.  That’s how much concern he had.  It was fatherly.  His tears running down when he finally embraced Johan near the dugout was heart warming and so telling.  Terry Collins, manager of the year so far, cared so much and loved his team and his team loves him back.

For the fans.  Its been fifty years with this franchise and despite the joy of the 69 and 86 seasons.  The awfully close but exciting ’73, ’99, 2000, and ’06 seasons.  The sting of these last six years have been a lot for this fan base.  Two collapses, one of them epic.  The rash of injuries.  Being Ponzied by Bernie Madoff.  Watching Jose Reyes get hand delivered to a division rival.  Its been difficult to understand the feeling of Met fans who often wondered what could happen next?

And yet now, next has infinite possibilities.  Now that this monkey is off our backs, what is next?  What could possibly happen this season that could top all of this?  Met fans know.  But we’re not saying.  See, there’s a tradition in baseball.  You don’t talk about it until it happens and hopefully we’ll get to that ninth inning.  To that final strike.  To that 134th pitch and hear Gary Cohen scream: “the BALL GAME IS OVER” or Howie Rose yell “PUT IT IN THE BOOKS”.  But shhh, we won’t talk about it.

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December 23, 2011 · 12:46 pm

Daily Rounds 12/23

Last night was the Knicks second and final preseason game, both against the New Jersey Nets soon to be of Brooklyn, and the Knicks won 88-82.  Frank Isola said that the Knicks will need their BIG 3 to step up all year long in order for them to be successful.  Mike Vaccaro likes this Tyson Chandler and says that Tyson Time (my own unique-but-not-really nickname) is off to a rousing start.  Barbara Barker wrote about the newly renovated frontcourt making its debut in the newly renovated MSG.

Just a few quick notes that I took from this game:

– Sloppy.  Its to be expected though considering that the Knicks barely had a training camp AND had to work in several new players including two rookies and a new starter.  Amar’e Stoudemire’s shot was off and he didn’t even play a single second in the second half which shows you how concerned D’Antoni is in keeping him healthy throughout the season.  What that means in the regular season will be interesting but Amar’es shot wasn’t falling and yet he basically sat throughout the second half while Avery Johnson kept his entire starting 5 out on the court for the final quarter.  Carmelo seemed to be the only one with a semblance of a good, consistent game.  Pick and rolls need to be worked on and so does alot of the defensive spacing but I like in general where the Knicks are going.

– Defensive prowess-  I’m not trying to use Clyde lines but you can’t help but try and talk like him after a Knick game.  There was definitely more effort on the defensive front.  My All-Defensive Knick team would be Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony (yes,), Renaldo Balkman and Tyson Chandler.  I love the effort these guys give on defense and Carmelo when he’s into it, can DEFINITELY excel at it.  How much effort he wants to give is completely on him.  As long as during crunch time he shows forth that effort to lock down his guy I’m ok with him giving not max on other plays.  Sounds like I’m advocating for taking plays off but for guys as talented as Melo, it can appear he’s taking plays but he’s still giving more effort than less skilled players.

Alot of that communication came from….

– The Tyson Chandler Effect.  Chandler has been a revelation on the court.  On the bench.  In warm up.  In practice.  Just his whole demeanor and leadership that he’s brought to this team is awesome.  It reminds me of….Amar’e from last season when he came.  Amar’e was a vocal leader prodding his underachieving, underrated line up.  The Knicks were a legit threat with all their supposed “non-talent” they didn’t have to trade for Carmelo Anthony.  What Tyson does is bring a presence in the middle of the paint which has long been a freeway for opposing offenses.  He’s so good at keeping communication open while he’s on the floor AND EVEN on the bench.  HIs biggest thing is keeping confidence up and keeping everyone loose.  I LOVE Tyson Chandler and I’m ready to get his jersey.  He looks like the real deal and a great fit.

– Questions about the bench are going to rise but I LOVE our bench.  One major bit of news that came out of D’Antoni’s post game presser, is that he’s going to use a rotation of 10,11 maybe even 12 guys to keep everyone fresh.  That would be awesome.  Aside from the starting five, expect minutes from Iman, Jorts, Balkman, Devin, Novak when he arrives, Baron Davis and Mike Bibby.  It would be completely out of character for D’Antoni and maybe he goes back to his old ways of riding his 8 man rotation out during the course of a season but you have to take a man at his word.  I believe that things like a good supporting staff are important as having superstars on your front line.  That’s why the Mavs won the title and the Heat didn’t.  If you’re top heavy its almost impossible to win titles because eventually the tops wear out because they are human.  The Knicks need to get alot of production from their bench and eventually their second unit is going to have to play above and beyond the call of duty.  I like that Jorts does NOT hesitate shooting that three and I’d like to ask Renaldo Balkman to NEVER chuck up threes like that.  I think Balkman’s cutting to the hoop is underrated and teams need to be wary of that especially if Carmelo is handling the ball.

– Knick rookies stepping up-  Jorts and Iman are the two guys who will have a large hand in determining how far the knicks go.  Jorts is definitely just an energy guy off the bench meant to spell Tyson Chandler and also provide defense and rebounding.  He still needs to work on getting proper boxing out techniques but I think he can improve.  Iman is a combo guard and for him that means chucking up the shot every five seconds.

One of the best bit of reporting I heard was that Baron Davis went up to the neophyte and told him that Deron Williams is laying off him on purpose to bait him to shoot.  Iman listened to him and began driving to the hoop which really helped the Knicks.  I would like for Iman to drive and kick out and pass.  He has a nice stroke but he has to know when he has the hot hand and when he doesn’t.  Last night’s 2 for 10 meant he didn’t.  At one stretch he began chucking up shots at the beginning of the 24 shot clock.  That’s not effective nor efficient if you’re not making them.  Toney Douglas began heating up after going a whole half without scoring.  Iman should’ve looked for Toney on some of those plays but instead tried to find his own shot.  I get that he is listed as a combo guard and I get that his athleticism makes him an excellent one AT THAT, but he needs to know WHEN he’s on and when he’s not and I think at 6’5 if he can make the transition to point guard it would be the best thing for the Knicks in the long run.  I dont want OJ Mayo 2.0 on my team.

Don’t get me wrong, on the defensive end the man is a tireless worker and trust me that jump shot is going to come, but I’d like for him to really work on driving and passing and understanding that.  I realize it may not happen this year and the shortened schedule will force the Knicks hand in giving him a ton of playing time, add into the equation that Toney Douglas may struggle a bit going forward and Knick fans will want Shump to play but I see that as a good thing.  Hopefully the Knicks move forward trying to push the idea to Shump that he needs to find the open man.

– Melo as a passer-  Man am I excited to see him run the point at times on this squad.  He’s such a gifted passer/scorer/everything offensive that we sometimes undervalue how good he is.  I mean the guy can do it all.  He had probably the best assists and he’s got the mind of a savant when he’s playing basketball.  His ability to pass will throw defenses for a loop and he’ll give his teammates really easy baskets and once the defense lays off him, this will give Carmelo tons of easy possessions and plenty of one on one opportunities which he’ll certainly take advantage of.  He’s really a pleasure to watch.

– Toney Douglas and Landry Fields worry me-  I realize they didn’t have terrible games but they disappeared for stretches throughout yesterday and it has to bug you that both of them are NOT having great training camps but nobody really is.  Everyone’s struggling and coming to grips with the fact that the NBA season is beginning Sunday, a measly two weeks after training camp started. They will need to work hard because Iman Shumpert is there and gathering steam.  He looks like the more active athlete, and the guy they want eventually taking over either spot (my vote is for point guard), but I think that D’Antoni would rather have these two succeed.  In the end, I think both of these guys would benefit coming off the bench instead of starting but that’s all depending on how quickly Baron Davis recovers and if the Knicks have anyone to play shooting guard.  Again, I’d rather Shump NOT pick up habits like wanting to score all the time like he already does, but hey, there’s always the hope that he picks up better habits like using his slashing, driving style to dish the ball out.

– Why all the hate towards Kris Humphries- Gotta love New York fans.  That’s all i’m going to say.

– Clyde Frazier is already in midseason form- “The only green I like is money” and “Where’s the Kardashian guy?” I’m ready to go!

Here is today’s list of Knick stories including Marc Berman’s contention that the waiting for a team to be built is over for the Knicks.  NOW is the time for Knicks to go out and win a title.  Amar’e Stoudemire says that the Heat are not ready to climb for the title but the Knicks are ready to contend against Miami or whatever that means.  Frank Isola of the Daily News tries to explain.  Speaking of the Heat, Tom Haberstroh of TrueHoop did an excellent report on Erik Spolestra going to Oregon to study the offensive scheme of the Ducks, the college team who made it to the national championship game last year and have been perennial contenders under the guidance of Chip Kelly.  Also, Seth Walder gives you the low-down on pricing of MSG tickets if you wanted to sit courtside.  

Not lacking confidence is a good thing and frankly a welcome thing in these parts.  For years the Knicks and its fan base have had to be very quiet, patiently waiting for a winner to be built.  Well, the Knicks told everyone to open their eyes.  The Knicks are here and this is what the contender looks like.  Sure, there are still a few pieces to be added midseason.  The Knicks still have the $2.5 million room exception which can be used on someone like, say, a Kenyon Martin, but the Knicks know that in order for them to compete they have to go through Miami who almost certainly WILL get that number one seed.  Speaking of the Heat, that article scared me because of what it contained.  It looks like Spolestra was determined to make an offense that was part Showtime, part Amoeba, part crazy offense where Lebron and Co. will be playing a lot of smaller line ups to take advantage of their quickness and elusiveness.  Again, I dont know how it will work but I expect this shortened season to REALLY be the best thing for the Heat because if anyone is built for this kind of crazy schedule its young teams with very capable superstars.  Do I think the Heat will win the East this year?  Yes.  Do I think the Heat are better than the Knicks?  yes.  Do I think Lebron is the best player in the East?  Yes.  Do I think Dwayne Wade is better than Carmelo Anthony?  No.  I think its a tie but that’s only if Melo comes to play on the defensive end because Wade does.  Again, for the Knicks to contend I think Berman put it correctly, that Melo playing Point Forward HAS to work out and Melo has to play at an MVP like level.  I expect Amar’e AND Melo to bring 50-52 PPG and about 18-21 RPG.  I really hope that all goes well and they remain healthy and D’Antoni IS serious about a heavy rotation of players.

The Mets are officially in trouble says a brand new book by Mets blogger Howard Megdal who recently released an E-Book titled Wilpon’s folly.  According to Jeff Bradley of the Star Ledger, it talks about how much debt that the Wilpons have and how even with the investors they claim will purchase the necessary amount of shares to make $200 million that the Wilpons will be forced to sell the team.  Josh Kosman of the Daily News says the book made a claim that the Wilpons used their friendship with Bud Selig to make him look like the bad guy so if David Einhorn, who wanted to invest in the club and in effect take majority ownership SHOULD the Mets not be able to pay him back, ever tried to sue him the Wilpons could say that it was Major League Baseball’s decision not to approve ownership and not his.  According to Anthony Reiber, the Mets are cutting their GCL team in a cost-cutting move further developing fears within Major League circles that the Mets are indeed in a very seriously dire financial situation. 

Look, I’ll say it again: The Coupon family WILL NOT sell this team willingly.  It will take a bank robber and a ski mask and a machine gun to sell and even then they may take a few minutes to weigh death.  I hate what they have done to this team but in the back of my mind I believe they have had good intentions the whole way.  Have they made some poor investments?  Sure.  Have they embarassed the Mets enough?  Hopefully.  Is it the darkest before the dawn?  Scientifically I have no idea.  But I do believe that the Wilpons are true fans.  Unfortunately the team they root for no longer occupies Brooklyn but Southern California and they have been trying to get Jackie Robinson to play second base for their team for years and just can’t find a suitable contact number for him.

The Coupons are major league owners which should give the rest of us some hope that one day we could be total fuck ups and still enjoy the luxuries of owning a Major League franchise.  I think that the Mets are in a deep shithole and won’t be able to get out of it and this season’s ticket sales will be an issue.  Do I think the Mets can get enough investors to make the $200 million goal?  Yes.  Unfortunately business people will look at the Mets as a great investment considering they play in the biggest market and having an ownership stake in a franchise is huge for guys who are rich but not wealthy.  Remember kids there’s a difference.

But how much longer before they are asking those guys to invest more money in and how much longer before the math comes back to the Coupon family that they no longer own a majority share?  Again, these are questions that the Coupons really hope they don’t have to answer in the long run but its impossible to ignore.

A semi cool thing.  Ok its a major cool thing.  If you haven’t heard about Louis CK you’re living under a rock but if not check this article out on the New York Times about his come up- and his new comedy special which is coming out in a very unique way.  

Howard Beck of the New York Times also looks at how Brook Lopez’ stress fracture could ultimately deal a very big blow to the Nets chances at landing Dwight Howard.  Self explanatory but for those who want the elaborate answer.  

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December 15, 2011 · 4:47 pm

Daily Rounds 12/15/2011

 

 

Finally we can all pack away the tents we used for those Black Friday Deals and waiting on line for those IPhones at the local Apple Store. Chris Paul is finally a Clipper thanks to a trade finalized and announced last night by the NBA.  Here are the pertinent details:

Clippers Receive:  PG Chris Paul
                                           Two 2nd Round Draft Picks 2015

Hornets Receive:  SG Eric Gordon
                                     SF Al Farooq-Aminu
                                       C Chris Kaman
                                     Minnesota’s Unprotected first round draft pick in 2012

TJ Simers of the Los Angeles Times wonders if there’s any room for the Lakers in L.A. anymore.  Mike Breshnahan said the Lakers organization were still fuming over their trade being nixed by the NBA.  John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that David Stern believes he made the right deal.  The better deal.  For the Hornets.  Bill Dwyre wonders what the NBA did with Donald Sterling.  This can’t be the Clippers!  JA Adande writes that these are not your daddy’s Clippers or even your older brother by one or two years’ Clippers.  Finally, long time Clipper fan and my favorite basketball scribe Peter Vecsey still only gives the co-tenants of the Staples center second billing and explains why.  Chris Sheridan says there are ONLY losers, and not winners in this Chris Paul trade.  

At first, I was firmly against this trade.  Giving up Eric Gordon before he reached his potential or the age of 25 (he turns 23 on Christmas day), and a potential lottery pick in Minnesota’s unprotected number one was potentially huge.  Throw in cap relief in Chris Kaman’s expiring contract and some young players the Clippers were thought to be blowing up the team in hopes of excavating a playoff contender.  Of course with the Clippers luck, they would’ve found a way for Chris Paul to trip over a banana peel on his way to the podium for today’s press conference announcing the trade.  Paul has apparently agreed to opt-in to 2012-2013 so the Clips aren’t getting a one season rental.  But the door is open for Paul, if he doesn’t like it there, to explore his trade options at age 28 when barring catastrophic setback to his knees, will still be a very intriguing option for any NBA team during that offseason.

But as I looked closer at the deal I realized one thing, I was banking on a lot of unknowns panning out.  There’s a lot of people who think the Clips vault themselves into contention automatically with this trade.  Alot of people who believe they are better than the Lakers by virtue of this trade (they should have their heads examined).  A lot of people who think that the Clippers are now up there with the Grizzlies and even the Oklahoma City Thunder by making this move.  And if they are correct then yes, this is the correct move.

But let’s take a look at how the Clippers would’ve looked had they NOT made a move.  The unprotected pick has a very good shot at being a lottery selection and this year’s draft promises to be one deep in talent.  With Eric Gordon, free agent signee Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups gained through the Amnesty auction, have a mix of youthful talent and experience at several key positions.  That’s the kind of upside/experience you want on a team and the Clippers were BUILDING a team and not manufacturing it.  Yes this sounds very zealous of me to say and I may be clouded in judgement knowing that CP3 may have had an easier time convincing himself that he could join the Knicks at the end of the season.  But the Clippers had an assemblage of talent and had two other assets to play around with.  They had the 2012 pick which would’ve beefed up the team even more and they had Chris Kaman’s expiring contract to use as a trade chip to add a veteran F/C during the stretch run.

Now, the Clippers have CP3 and Blake Griffin and a bunch of other players.  They have four point guards (in reality 3 with Chauncey used as the 2 guard which might help explain his need to do the stop and pop from long distance at a rate of five times a game) and will most certainly have to give up Mo Williams unless their plan is to go small a lot and use Mo as a SG.  The biggest reason for doing this CP3 trade is because of Blake Griffin.  Blake changes everything for the Clippers.  He gives them credibility and a player that has stolen alot of the public love in Los Angeles away from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers longtime superstar.  The Kobe era is fading and the Clippers wanted to take advantage of that by not only getting the best player to help prop Blake up that extra level, but also to speed up that aging process.  Imagine Kobe looking despondently as his Lakers are escorted out of the playoffs by the CLIPPERS!  Imagine the state of catatonic shock Jack Nicholson will be in when Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) is pointing his finger laughing at him.  The world will probably start coming to an end.

This move is to ensure that Blake resigns which means the pressure is on for the Clips.  If they don’t do well this season and head into next season with a lot of questions as Chris Sheridan expects them to (he doesn’t expect them to even make the playoffs) Paul might already be booking his exit flight and Blake may view the situation in Clipper land untenable.  And trust me, with Donald Sterling as your owner that scenario is in play.

So again I asked myself why would the Clips make this move?  After all, by signing Chauncey off the amnesty auction, they sent a direct message to the NBA, who were conducting negotiations on the CP3 sweepstakes, that they didn’t need him and were moving on; even if that turned out to be a ploy to get the NBA back into the bargaining table.  If so, then WHY give up that much?  You did all this to keep Eric Bledsoe?  Bledsoe is certainly a well liked player in the Clipper locker room and projects to be, at his best, a Rondo prototype but he’s the guy you are claiming victory on by keeping?  Bledsoe?  The Clippers seemingly had the upper hand in negotiations and the NBA still suckered Donald Sterling into providing three of his best assets for Chris Paul.

I’m not saying that CP3 isn’t worth it.  Would I do it if I were the Clippers?  Maybe not, but is it worth considering and a long second look?  Yes.  More so than I cared to admit when I first heard about the trade.  Chris Paul can make good teams great and great teams elite, as he would have for the Lakers.  But this was AS much to do with Blake Griffin and shedding the label of losers that the Clips have had since Sterling took over as it was anything else.  It was about building a culture of winning, independent of all the history that suggested otherwise.  In the backdrop of the huge shadow that the Lakers cast, this was such a wonderful master stroke: imagine, if you will, the Lakers getting outbid and outsmarted for an elite player by the lowly Clippers.  Sterling won the PR battle today and provided that CP3 remains his normal self, the Clippers will certainly invite more favorable comparisons.

The Clippers are not the better team in Los Angeles.  They still have Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.  They got a very underrated scorer in Josh McRoberts.  Most importantly they still have Kobe Bryant.  They have a motivated Kobe after being swept in the Finals.  They have a Kobe Bryant who will WILL his team to victories some night on the back of his pedigree and desire to be great.  The Clippers don’t have that but they are darn close.  Will is great but being youthful and supremely skilled like Paul and Griffin are, means great things as well.

We won’t know who got the better end of the deal until later on, but kudos to David Stern for sticking firm and getting the young players, cap flexibility and high draft picks he sought when he originally shut down the Laker deal, and credit the Clippers for looking good.  And how many times can they have said that in their history?

Meanwhile, these t-shirts will be available for sale soon and I think they are going to be a huge hit.

Despite all the evidence that would point otherwise, the Magic effectively ended trade talks with other teams in hopes that they can somehow persuade Dwight Howard to stay and re-sign with the Magic according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.  Bill Simmons wrote in his column that Dwight’s will he won’t he drama pretty much sums up his promising yet uninspiring career.  Dave D’Alessandro of the Jersey Star Ledger says he’s seen this script before and isn’t buying this end of trade discussions.  

I’m with Billy on this one.  Dwight Howard caused this whole mess when he back pedaled on Tuesday and decided that IF the Magic had listened to his suggestions and IF they had shown a more eager willingness to win or IF they had moved heaven and earth then he wouldn’t have demanded a trade.  Its a load of garbage and I PRAY that the Magic don’t buy it.  Not for the fan base.  It doesn’t deserve it.  Dave D’Alessandro is right, this is yet another ploy by another superstar who can’t be bothered with the burden of leading his own team and would rather invoke his right of using his name and clout to get his wish, to put himself in a better situation where he’ll have considerably more help and can be given a lot of the credit (as the missing piece) or only SOME of the blame as opposed to ALL of the blame when the light is brightest on the best player on each team.

If the Lakers offer up Bynum and Gasol, which they might have to if the Clippers start off hot and steal headlines and momentum from the Lakeshow, the Magic will listen.  I think the prospect of Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace and FIVE FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS apparently didn’t please the Magic.  Getting back known quantities are more enticing to the Magic who can show the fans that while they lost their young superstar center, they gained a young center who has a mean streak that is no where in Dwight’s game (yet) and a power forward who can dominate games offensively and shoulder the burden of being the number one option on the offense.  Plus he’s a very good passer out of the paint and for a team filled with slashers and shooters, it would be very much a similar situation except Gasol can make free throws and Bynum can offer the defensive/mean streak offense that Dwight offered (minus the mean streak).

Look, if I were as talented as Dwight I’m sure there would be a part of me that yearned to dictate where I went.  But Dwight like every other babied superstar has been given a silver spoon and been treated like royalty and spoiled with so much attention that its hard for them to figure out what exactly they are doing wrong when they are doing it.  Asking for a trade then back pedaling may not sound wrong to Dwight but he’s removed from the context of the whole situation.  This is a fan base that he himself promised he would not disappoint like others.  He told them he wouldn’t bolt like that, and yet here’s his first opportunity to do so and he is leaving.  Yes Dwight got them to a Finals on his back while Shaq had Penny (don’t giggle, you just don’t remember how dominant Penny was during those first few years- you remember Penny in a Knick uniform, two completely different players.), but its not enough for Dwight to get them there.

When he first came into the league there was this feeling like he was different.  His parents were strict.  He was a devout Christian and a young man who came out of high school more prepared mentally to handle all the rigors that come with fame and fortune.  I’m not here to judge him as a person but let’s take this back and forth for what it is.  There are conflicting interests here.  He wants to be a superstar and the attention and fame.  He also wants to be seen as a hero to Orlando, a city I think he genuinely loves.  There are forces working here and only one group will win.

My bet is that Dwight will end up with the Nets somehow but not until the end of the season.  I think he will need a commitment from Deron Williams but I can see Dwight and Deron deciding that its enough to start their legacies in Brooklyn and battle the Knicks for rights to New Yorker’s heart and wallet.  I think he stays put this entire season and gives Orlando the chance to woo him and show him that they are thirsty for winning.  Of course if the Magic don’t, and there’s a good chance that they go nowhere this year then Dwight leaves and the Magic fans are left with Shaq times two.

Dwight Howard knows that if he were direct with management a lot of this indecision and back and forth would end.  He needs to make up his mind.  At some point he has to be a man.  He can’t keep thinking that his smile will get him through the tough questions:  Is he invested in Orlando’s long term plans?   Is he that invested in the city?  How big are his goals for his after-basketball career?  Is he really thinking about becoming an actor?  Does he need the brighter lights of a bigger city to feel truly in place?  These are questions Dwight must answer and must answer fast.  Its not fair what he’s doing to Magic fans.  And its not fair to himself.  His life can either go forward or he can be like me trying to parallel park: reverse, shift, go forward, reverse, shift, go forward and repeat a few hundred times before finally getting out and being a solid five feet away from the curb.  Basically all that effort for NOTHING.  Dwight just needs to park his behind somewhere and be happy with his decision.  But he needs to make a decision.  For everyone’s sake.

The Knicks are down to three options now to augment their lineup.  According to Marc Berman of the New York Post Shawn Williams will make up his mind today and if he clears waivers the Knicks and Baron Davis have mutual interest in bringing the once star PG to the Knicks.  News also rains down that Amar’e Stoudemire doesn’t foresee himself playing all 66 games this season.  

I find it shady that Baron Davis a notorious slow starter but fast eater would complain about a bad back and IF that were truly the case, it wouldn’t make sense to hold on to that contract in hopes that he will come and rescue the knicks.  Yes, when motivated he can light it up on offense and CAN be a playmaker but those days are long gone in my opinion and according to my eyesight.  Replaced is a man who has lost his passion and would rather clog up passing lanes and effectively changed his style to rather suit the stylings of a post presence.  Something very dubious for a small guy to do but there is the rub.  Baron Davis is an enigma and a question mark.  He’s a head scratch.  And if the Knicks are seriously in the business of being taken seriously they need to resolve this fancy of bringing in every 2007 All-Star and try and build a team around the likes of Amar’e and Melo.  They have two guys who can take over games and quite possibly the most clutch player in all of basketball next to Paul Pierce, and Kobe Bryant in Carmelo.  They need role fillers and guys who can play defense and Shawn Williams can do that and provide you size and the inevitable knock down corner three.  Something he worked hard to perfect in order to resurrect his fledgling career.

He owes the Knicks a debt of gratitude but the Knicks have been busy diverting their attention on any number of options for the two guard, a position they don’t want to just GIVE to Landry Fields.  And I agree.  They shouldn’t take Landry’s word that he went out and practiced hard at the mental aspects of the game, which he was sorely lacking last year after the plug in of Carmelo Anthony into the everyday line up.  If he’s smart he’d take the Knicks one year offer or perhaps multi year offer and stay with the franchise.  But he may crave a starting spot in New Jersey which may prove to be a great opportunity if the chips start stacking up with Dwight Howard and Deron Williams being resigned.  But those are major ifs and its looking like they won’t have the ability to do that anyway.  I would bet that Shawn Williams resigns with the Knicks for one year and yes, we take a flyer on Baron Davis once he passes the amnesty auction.

I don’t trust Baron, but I believe the Knick staff thinks that he is worth the investment.  He had better be.  He can elevate this team or bring it down.  That’s the conundrum of Baron Davis.

If the Knicks signing of Tyson Chandler said anything its that the Knicks are done waiting and are done waiting on scenarios to play itself out.  They’d rather have a known quantity.  Shawn Williams is a known quantity in D’Antoni’s system and on this team.  Baron Davis isn’t and his reputation precedes himself.  I hope the Knicks know what they are doing.

Hey guys, the NFL is rich.  I mean really rich.  The NFL just agreed to a record extension with their three broadcast partners in NBC, FOX and CBS, which would have them pay 50% more in rights fees from 2014-2022.  Incredibly, the networks jumped at the chance of doing so.  

What’s that saying again?  The rich keep getting richer and the poor…well.

Here is the only savior that can come and rescue the Mets from themselves.  

Here is an interesting read about problems the Celtics have with Rajon Rondo.  

Speaking of which, troubling sense is setting in that Ndamukong Suh doesn’t get it.  Doesn’t get why people were disturbed by his actions and further more doesn’t get why people want to know if he’s learned anything by it.

Its not by accident that I bring up Tebow, Rondo and his meltdown and Suh’s complete lack of understanding all together in one hodgepodge.  Tebow is the golden child and its as much for his play as it is for his Christian beliefs.  Tebow’s intensity here can be compared to Suh’s intensity here.  They are one in the same and yet ONE of those guys controls his emotions and thinks straight and the other can’t.  There’s a fine line in sports and its crossed from time to time.  But I can’t understand for the life of me unapologetic players who don’t understand the consequences of their acts.  James Harrison straight up sounds like a complete IDIOT when he tweets LOL and warns that if he wanted to, he could’ve knocked Colt McCoy out.  That’s a threat and as close to a promise.  But you know what that isn’t?  That isn’t an apology.  That isn’t a promise to try and explore different ways on hitting.  That isn’t Harrison complaining and making a valid case about why the sport isn’t clear on hits to the head and why he’s being looked upon as a head hunter.  Because people like Harrison relish the fear that he brings on to a football field.

Harrison is a menacing player and so is Suh.  But they are both headed down a path that leads to nothing but shame and discorn.  They are both capable of being great NFL players but with indifferent attitudes about safety and showing composure.  Harrison has a legitemate gripe, not only did Colt throw that football at the last minute, he put his head down ensuring that Harrison’s helmet would go right into the face of Colt.  That’s not his fault.  No human alive could’ve avoided that.  But that’s what he should’ve said.  Not, “LOL”.  That’s not an adequate response, that’s a tease.  That’s a slap in the face of players who are now barely able to walk on their own power.  Guys who have paid the price physically and have their bodies betray them 10-15 years after they played their last game.  Harrison doesn’t get it now but he will.

But worse still is that Suh’s reputation is going down hill.  He’s not the humble kid that the Chrysler ads depict him to be.  Its getting to that time where not even Goodell, desperate for Suh to be a superstar and face of the league, can’t even save him from himself.  Goodell will be forced to give him the James Harrison treatment.  Every single thing he does, he will be hit with a substantial fine or suspension.  Every single comment he makes that draws the ire of its fan bases, Goodell will hit Suh with a fine.  His battles with the media are now becoming laughable.

How can a kid who sounds that intelligent, be THAT stupid?  How can he think that by arrogantly claiming the situation to be in-house that the media won’t further question that bogus statement?  The people who cover him and the league have been around far longer than Suh has or even before he wore his first pair of cleats in Pop Warner.  You think this is the first athlete trying to shut them down?  They are numb and immune to such foolish talk.  They and the fans have the right to know.  All Suh had to say was that he apologized and accept blame for a foolish moment.  That didn’t have to define him up to this point but right now it does.  His press conferences are bizarre.  He sounds like a little child that doesn’t want to be found out for breaking the vase in the living room.  He is scared and would rather try and dictate the terms of the conversation when that won’t happen.

You think the Detroit Lions PR staff want him in front of a camera anytime soon?  But you know who will?  Every single media member will descend upon him like a plague.  They will fire questions at him that question his character and question his ability to keep cool and until he proves otherwise those concerns will follow him.  Why is it so hard for these athletes to acknowledge their mistakes?  Why is it so easy to dismiss Tim Tebow and write off his performances?  Why is he so polarizing?  A person who stands up for his beliefs and goes about the game the right way?

Is he perfect?  No.  In fact he acknowledges his short comings and always points to every other direction but at himself for any credit he may get thrown his way after another game winning drive.  Yes, the QB gets the love, but his love goes to Jesus and God.  Why is it so hard to accept being like Tebow?

Why is it so hard for Dwight Howard to just come out and say he wants to leave and get ownership to find the best possible deal for the organization in the long run?  Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing?  And why is it that when someone DOES come along who does ALL the right things, that he is polarizing?

Why world why?

 

Editor’s note:  I will be leaving for Denver tonight to visit family and see the town that Tebow (re)built.  So expect posts to appear in west-coast time.  I will try to get them in as early as I can.  Don’t blame me though.  

 

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December 14, 2011 · 12:48 pm

Daily Rounds 12/14/2011

Today’s daily rounds start with Jamal Crawford, Nene signing, and the possibility that a CP3 deal is back in play.  Also, is Dwight seriously considering resigning with the Magic?  We’ll also talk some Mets baseball and my suggestions about what to do moving forward.

Another day another embarrassment for that other team in New York.  A day after it was revealed that the Mets borrowed $40 million in a “bridge loan” from Bank of America, word now comes that Johan Santana may not be ready for Opening Day.  For Met fans, Christmas may not come at all writes Kevin Kiernan of the New York Post.  John Harper of the New York Daily News says that the pressure may come from the Wilpons best “Bud(s)” at MLB.  

One can only begin to hope that the information being presented before us gives us Met fans a real hope at starting anew.  The Mets have been a laughable mess as the Coupon family have constantly tried to reassure a fan base that have looked at him with looks of curiosity.  I’ve almost waited with baited breath about what they will say next expecting them to have us believe that pigs will fly and eventually every player on their team will turn into some version of the ’27 Yankees.

In fact that bit of drug induced optimism has affected the guarded optimism of Sandy Alderson who also has had to endure the criminal treatment of its own front office.  When asked about sales of shares Sandy acted as surprised as you or me and maintained that it had not affected the bottom line of their moves.  Then explain to us Met fans why you wouldn’t even budge to make Jose Reyes, the best player on the team, an offer to suffice Met fans.  No doubt the price was way too high but I always felt it was a convenient bullet dodging.  Had the Marlins signed Reyes for 5 years at $90 million, surely the Mets would’ve been roasted and nary an eyelash would’ve been shed in the process and the Mets would be singing the same song and dance about Christmas baskets not being worth that much.

Alas, Met fans now have to wait longer for our $25 million ace who will take his time coming off shoulder surgery and let’s remember that surgeries like the one Johan Santana got, don’t ever see good results as most of the pitchers have faded into Bolivia as Mike Tyson used to say.  Though Venezuela would be Johan’s likely retirement spot.  Rumblings of trades have also begun to start to surface.

Let’s say that the Mets decide that its time to pack up shop and trust me, there are signs that if the new lowered and moved in fences don’t help adjust batting averages and influence double digit home run responses from the middle of the order thumpers, the Mets will surely go into fire sale and there will only be kids and Jason Bay by the time September rolls around.  And I’m fine with that.

Frankly, the Mets have run its course with this group and while I had wished they took any offer the Rays gave them in July when they were interested in Jose Reyes, I hope they view that it is time to take advantage of a shoddy free agent pitching market and use assets like Jon Niese to try and get some kind of value back.  The fact is, the Mets need to strengthen their cheap options if they are indeed looking at reducing payroll for most likely the next two years.  The new game plan is to get as many cheap, young arms and everyday players that can make a difference and be taught the game in the right way.

I think having a Wally Backman and a Terry Collins in tow mean that the message will be shouted from the mountain tops and rain upon every level in the organization and a complete changing of the guard needs to take place and its beginning to take shape and take form.  Lucas Duda, Captain Kirk (Niuewenheis), Zach Wheeler, Wilmer Flores, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, all come without the stain of Met failures.  This is the new class of Met hopeful superstardom that will have to carry the once proud flag of this franchise.

Hopefully it will be done in the crowd of new owners who will NOT feed us some hair brained ideas that they are financially solvent when its clear from several well placed sources and from very plain and clear moves like cutting payroll by $40 million and publicly claiming $70 million losses that they are not.  The fact is, MLB’s lack of involvement speaks to Bud’s ever deepening vows of friendship with the Coupons to never allow them to go under until there is a messy end like every dumb idea Bud Selig has ever had.  Remember the time he decided to look the other way as the steroid issue got way out of hand and then had to get his biggest stars in front of Congress and had several of them lie?

Ok maybe he didn’t make them lie but to put his sport in that spot should’ve gotten him in such gravy that his turkey should’ve been goosed….or however that saying goes.  He shouldn’t have lasted under the clause of not upholding the sanctity of the game which is explicitly stated in every single Commissioner’s starting kit handed out everytime a new one takes office.  Trust me, David Stern is right now rummaging through that to protect him from the eventual lawsuit headed his way if this Chris Paul thing doesn’t get resolved.

MLB’s involvement or not, if those investors the Mets claim will infuse the team with cash does not come together the Mets will be hardpressed to find MLB OR banks willing to give them any more money to save their sorry asses.  They allowed David Einhorn to walk from a prospective deal once they realized they weren’t going to get hit with a $1 billion lawsuit and thought they had escaped, however this economy has been unforgiving to the Wilpons and soon their credibility with lenders and their biggest supporters is expected to dry up like raisins.

If this is indeed the fate of its owners you can expect that fewer dollars will be given to shore up weaknesses this club has so its likely that by July, David Wright will HAVE to be shipped for a cavalcade of prospects.  They would love to trade Mike Pelfrey and the hope here is that he jumps out of the gate with a very fast start and shows life on his fastball and commands his sinker and uses it to get ground balls.  With his size, and his relatively young age he can command a pretty nice grouping of young cost-controlled players.  Its clear that the addition of Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez was meant to inflate their  value to ship them out come July in order to get more prospects.  Jon Niese also will unfortunately have to be sacrificed to the waiting arms of some team including the Jays who have offered top catching prospect Travis D’Arnaud according to reports.  If true, the Mets should jump at the chance at getting a top flight catcher who can call games and also provide offense especially considering the pipeline of top young pitching coming its way.  It may be the only way to field a respectable team.  Given Sandy’s clearly team (drug) induced statement of positivity this year don’t buy it.  Its something meant to lull the fan base into buy more ticket sales.  Several reports leaked yesterday that cold calling for prospective season ticket buyers had become “desperate” and the Mets face probably their lowest opening day revenue in quite some time.  Its a financial crunch they face and it all began with the Coupons.  They are like that guy at the roulette table that doesn’t know when to quit.  Quit Coupon family.  Let someone else place their money down on the Mets and take their chances.  You’ve clearly shown you’re incapable of playing well.

Nene Hilario signed a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets.  Which either means he got tired of waiting or the dominoes are about to start falling in the world of trades.  The Nets were the Nuggets biggest competition for the Brazilian big man so either they have a Dwight Howard trade ready and in place OR they will be forced to sign another big man. Kevin Arnovitz of TrueHoop talks leverage in terms of the Clippers, and CP3.  Speaking of which, the Lakers are now back in on CP3 talks.  Remember that talk of Mitch Kupchak about multiple big deals?  Yeah this is what he was talking about.  Bill Simmons in his daily days of Christmas column for Grantland.com writes about the Clippers and this CP3 hostage crisis.  CP3 may be forced to explore his legal options if his trade isn’t consummated at some point according to Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News.   Gabe Feldman, the Sports law guy looks at possible David Stern defenses if indeed this trial goes to court.
Mike Vaccaro writes that Mike Woodson recalls his days on a Knicks roster made him appreciate this city and its love for basketball.   Frank Isola says that the Knicks will need santa to help them out for a deep playoff run.  And finally, for your daily rumor mill item of the day, Yahoo Sports is reporting that the framework of a four team deal that would send Dwight Howard to the Nets is in place and could be completed by the end of the week.  

Remember that time David Stern insisted that this free agency period would be among the craziest in the history of the NBA?  Well he wasn’t kidding.  But he forgot to mention that the crazy part would actually be in HOW it all played out.  In how invested Stern was in the Hornets, the league owned franchise.  In how fervent Stern was in maintaining control over where star players went and how serious he was in invoking prima nocta on Chris Paul.

Ok, so that’s a bit much but let’s understand one thing before Chris Paul begins crying to the ghost of Johnny Cochran: the league runs the Hornets.  As morally unethical as it is, the law won’t hear cases of morality.  To prove collusion, that Stern purposefully blocked any meaningful trades, you would have to prove that David Stern acted as a force of nature and abused his power to ensure that his memo of star players not being able to move to other (read: big market) teams would be heeded.

Listen, I know Stern is probably not long for this job anymore.  His time is waning but the guy is no idiot and he would NOT have stopped this deal without knowing the possible legal ramification.  This is a former defense attorney, he is smart and he is probably the most intelligent of all commissioners by a long shot.  He would not imperil himself JUST to puff out his chest and beat it on top of the Empire State building.  He’s not an animal.

But he has come awfully close and his dic(k)-tatorial moves have made some want Stern to step aside much sooner than he would like.  This may reinvigorate the 69 year old who hinted that at the end of this final term he would be done.  Who knows?  Who knows if the Board of Governors even elect him again for the post?  Like the Sports Law guy said, if he wanted to restrict player movement he could’ve insisted on a hard salary cap OR a franchise tag like in football.  He did neither.  He only made it LESS FAVORABLE for teams to go above the salary cap and less favorable terms for stars to sign elsewhere.  He gave the players a yellow light instead of insisting upon a red which may come back to haunt him if he tries for another term as commissioner.

But the fact remains that this offseason did more to damage his reputation than any other.  He now faces the wrath of several teams who have been left in the wind wondering exactly HOW much control he has over ALL teams.

Meanwhile in Gotham, the Knicks have a new assistant head coach and the worst kept secret is that he’s there to improve the defensive side of the ball.  In Mike Vacarro’s article he lists some of his impressive feats including helping to align Iverson’s focus which landed him in the Finals and that one iconic game where he singlehandedly beat that powerhouse Lakers team (the only defeat during their entire playoff run).  Also his time learning under the tutelage of Bobby knight and Red Holzman helped some and now he’s entrusted with spreading some of that magic fairy defense dust on ALL the players not just Tyson Chandler who can’t shutup about it since he got here.

The Knicks WILL HAVE to rely on those three players staying healthy throughout the season and being the force that we all expect them to be.  Here’s the thing: if they all play average seasons out the Knicks will coast into the playoffs and past the first round.  IF THIS TEAM faced the Celtics last year, I have no doubt they would’ve competed much harder and even beat them.  The Knicks no doubt need to shore up this team.  Yesterday I asked some Knick fans who they’d rather have in a vacuum void of salary and trade, Shawn Williams or Jamal Crawford.  The response was mixed and it shows how many holes the Knicks have after their front line.  The Knicks don’t have a legit point guard as Frank Isola points out.  Their bench is weak and need more guys coming off giving defense and scoring.  That might by why Shawn Williams, with his size, would be the better fit.

My problem is even if we have a deep bench, its all for naught as D’Antoni is a man stuck in short rotation cycles.  He likes certain players and will give them big minutes.  The problem with that is this season is truncated and so he will have to learn to spread his minutes around a bit more.  This is where coach Woodson will come in handy, he having been in this situation as a head coach before.  He also was the coach of Jamal Crawford which also helps.  Crawford rejected a 2 year/$10 million offer from the Pacers where he could’ve been a free agent after this upcoming season.  Crawford is trying for one last pay day and he may be best served playing on a team that gives him the best chance to win.  Are the Knicks that team?  Probably more so than the other two teams looking to sign him: the Trailblazers and the Kings.  The Blazers appear to be the Knicks only competition as he’d certainly see more minutes with them and possibly as a starting two guard.  He’s won the sixth man of the year award previously with the Hawks where Woodson coached and he’s best served coming off the bench for this Knick team helping to handle ball handling and scoring duties.  The second team offense would run through him while also keeping a viable second option on offense on the floor while either Melo or Amar’e rests.  He’s also best friends with Brandon Roy and the problem becomes that in order to afford him the Blazers would have to waive his best friend.  The knicks hope he makes a decision by today as Shawn Williams agent Happy Walters has admitted his client wants to come to the Knicks but won’t wait around too much longer.

The Nets meanwhile have said they are willing to wait to make a deal for Howard but they had better not.  The longer they wait, the more impatient other teams may get and Otis Smith may just make a deal with LA.  If the Nets wait and hang in the wings, the Magic can always use them as leverage on LA to put both Gasol AND Bynum AND those draft picks they seem to be accumulating to make the deal.  Meanwhile Dallas traded both Rudy Fernandez AND Corey Brewer to the Nuggets for more draft picks meaning they are clearing up space for a run at free agency.  In the short term it doesn’t bode well for the Mavs but they have a solid core capable of easily making it to the playoffs and pleasing the fan base.  But next season they could be in store for a HUGE upgrade as its almost a near certainty that Deron Williams will look to come to the Mavs as a free agent unless that Howard deal gets consummated and the Nets convince Deron that they are building something special in New Jersey.

Either way its a huge gamble, but on the short term look at that Nuggets team.  With Nene resigning that team has an exciting core of young players and playmakers.  They will need to find a constant scoring threat but in George Karl’s high tempo system they could be surprise contenders and make a run during a shortened season.  Remember, this season will be good for youthful teams who can survive the grunt of a shortened season.  The Nuggets may be a team, with the re-signing of Aaron Affalo, that can do that.

I’m sure more will come as the day progresses.  Stay tuned.

 

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December 13, 2011 · 1:24 pm

Daily Rounds 12/13/2011

The Mets are facing financial troubles.  Again.  According to a report in the New York Times, they took out a $40 million loan from Bank of America for working capital.  Mets officials released a statement saying that sale of minority shares have been going well.  

And so it goes for Met fans.  A week after losing Jose Reyes because the price wasn’t right, information comes out that maybe no price would’ve been right.  Look I’m not the biggest fan of the Wilpons.  I think its ridiculous how they’ve run the franchise these last few years given what we now know about them and their link to Bernie Madoff.  The Mets are a joke now in the NL East and much of it has to do with the board room workings of the first family of clowns that run that organization.  They have damaged much of their reputation and short of repaying that loan from MLB of $25 million the Mets will need to do a huge salvage job and hope that Sandy Alderson and his basement bargain shopping can take the Mets out of the cellar.

I’m pretty confident that he won’t and so it goes.  Bud Selig has long been in cahoots with the Wilpons because they have been huge proponents of the commissioner even getting him elected to the post initially.  He owes them something and now they owe him something.  He’s been repaid the favor.  Expecting Bud Selig to do the right thing and end this tyranny would be like asking Snookie not to be annoying or the Kardashians to NOT preen for the camera.  Ain’t gonna happen.  So Met fans linger in this world of spite knowing that their owners don’t have money to spend and hope that we’re dumb enough to reload their coffers.

Unfortunately, all it takes is for the Mets to play well.  But now, I feel as though the only way for the Mets to do well in the long term is for the coffers to stay empty and no one show up at the ball park.  To further peril the bottom line of the Coupon family until they realize that they can no longer count on financial institutions to fund their game of baseball ownership and finally end this long twisting melodrama and give hope to Met fans who still like to hold on to their once famous slogan: Ya gotta believe.

No Chris Paul news to report other than to report that the deal set in place with the Clippers that seemed beyond fair is now also in the dirt with the Laker offer.    Or is it?  According to Yahoo sports, the NBA is trying to resuscitate talks with the Clippers because they remain the only team willing to discuss young players and draft picks, the kind of haul that David Stern is looking to recoup in a CP3 deal. BUT the Clippers say they are over it and moving on.  For now.  Nothing is forever in the NBA.    Ken Berger of CBSSports said that this whole episode has been an exercise in folly.  Meanwhile, Chauncey Billups is now a Clipper after being claimed through the amnesty auction and has been warned by the league according to David Aldridge of NBA.com to report to the team or be hit with some form of discipline.  Mitch Kupchak said the Lakers are “pursuing big deals” and Chris Sheridan from Sheridanhoops.com wonders what the plural in that statement could mean.  The Dwight Howard sweepstakes took an interesting turn when he came in front of the media and seemingly did a 180 and said he would like to stay in Orlando.  Shannon Owens of the Orlando Sentinel said the Magic’s franchise center is sucking the fan base into the vortex of his emotional relationship with the team.  Speaking of franchises being hijacked, according to several media outlets the Nets majority owner, Mikhail Prokhorov will run against Vladimir Putin to become the next President of Russia.  As always Peter Vecsey’s expertise is needed in this matter.  

How much weirder and crazier can this sequence of events get for the NBA?  Now, it seems as though the NBA is reversing course from its unusual practice of being like that guy in your fantasy football league, saying ok i’ll trade Tom Brady but I need Drew Brees AND Arian Foster.  That kind of two for one spectacular isn’t getting it done and won’t in the end.  The fact is, the NBA HAS created its own embarrassing storyline and generated enough negativity that its impossible not to envision David Stern as anything but the axis of evil.  The Commissioner has now cancelled two trades that likely would’ve been accepted by every other General Manager in the League and is now purposely, it seems, pushing the carrot farther and farther from the mouths of those who crave the superstar PG.

Not only is he doing irreparable damage to his legacy he’s now becoming a farce and perhaps unaware of the public sentiment surrounding him.  If in his bat cave he hasn’t gotten the signal from Gothamites that he’s now loathed and laughed at in multiple circles for hijacking NBA storylines and creating a sense of unenvying hatred from his employees it seems the only thing he can offer is but to one player: to teach Lebron how to be hated by all and still do your job undeterred.

The Chris Paul deal is dead and I don’t expect anyone, but the NBA on its hands and knees at Donald Sterling’s LA mansion, to come crawling asking for some version of the reported deal to be agreed upon.  But that won’t happen, we all know this.  David Stern is looking to sell off the Hornets and without a franchise PG in tow, he will not be able to get nearly the value he received from these other owners who overpaid for franchises who consistently see red.  For any owner to go into an already shortened season and try to convince the star PG to resign with the team and get a handle of the vision it would take a gargantuan personality like Mark Cuban or Mikhail Prokhorov to pull off such a feat and those guys own teams already.

The sad part of this is, the NBA is making one of its league’s better ambassadors a sour puss the entire way.  How can Chris Paul focus on his job if his job is constantly evolving?  He’s a Laker one day then not.  Then a Clipper and then not.  This push and pull effect has to make him feel like a child going through multiple divorces.

Meanwhile this Dwight Howard thing has gotten silly.  His reversal in stance is peculiar to say the least but not without any recourse.  I believe he does love it in Orlando.  I think he wants unparalleled power there to allow him to be part of the decision making process which would undermine the general manager who obviously handles those duties.  Dwight is under the illusion that the Magic will somehow give him the team he craves and the Magic, I hope, are not drinking the same juice that Howard had before that press conference.  Because, like Ken Berger wrote, if the Magic think that they can keep Dwight they are looking to get burned.  I think he knows his trade options are slim and the Lakers won’t offer both Bynum and Gasol for him and so that deal is done.  Who cares about a Mavs first round pick?  Congratulations you got Andrew Bynum and his horrible knees and a first round pick in the 20’s where you’ll get another experimental piece.  See ya in 15 years when you have your next franchise center that we’ll take.

No, I think the Magic’s best offer comes from the Nets who have all but stalled their operations waiting for the Magic to hear their offer and respond and I don’t think they will.  The Nets will HAVE to get some kind of indication that they are being discussed as a real possibility or else they may jump into the Nene sweepstakes which essentially takes them out of the Howard bidding.  The Lakers may be working on several big deals but its unclear where Mitch Kupchack is going.  Maybe he’ll trade Pau Gasol for a commitment from David Beckham sitting in the front row at every home game and Tim Tebow giving motivational pep talks prior to Laker games.  Atleast there’ll be more heart in that team.

The game of musical chairs continues and one chair that is taken is Chauncey and its with the Clippers who may have used this to signal that they are indeed officially out of the CP3 sweepstakes.  By claiming Billups they have taken a huge chance that they are indeed contenders and won’t use Chauncey to mentor their young players.  You know because the Clips are full of veteran players.  But I like this move, if Chauncey has his head on straight.  For Chauncey he gets to run the point for a very young explosive team and yes, I get that he will have to play the role he loathed but let’s face it, even if he started on the Heat, during crunch time who would you rather have bringing the ball up the court?  Lebron or Chauncey?  The best bet is to have Lebron run the point this season anyway and just try and get bigger.  Obtaining size SHOULD have been the Heat’s number one goal.  Riley should’ve given Kurt Thomas a call.  They need a tough physical presence in the paint.  No he can’t run but you don’t expect Thomas to be on the receiving end of any of Lebron’s alley oops.  The Heat once again went into free agency without any real game plan except to try and get bodies.

But I digress, Chauncey’s addition is huge for the Clips who need a veteran presence to balance out the age and lack of experience they have.  They are a team on the rise and yes, if they got CP3, they vault into that Thunder territory as that next team that will contend for years to come, but having Chauncey on the roster is the best thing for guys like Eric Gordon and Eric Bledsoe and co , guys who will have to grow around Blake Griffin.  Let’s understand one thing: aside from his ability to throw down monstrous dunks and catch alley oops and make highlight reels, he hasn’t exhibited much else in the realm of winning.  Everybody wants to play with Blake, but nobody’s won with Blake.  Winning has to start this season.  Chauncey is a good person to get that started.

Interim title notwithstanding, Glen Grunwald is handling the Knicks GM job as if he were actually running the show.  Alan Hahn of Newsday and soon to be MSG, says that this is quite the first impression he’s making.  Marc Berman of the New York Post believes that the new GM is making all the right moves even if he’s a lame duck.  

Look, this is either headed for a storybook end or a horror movie finish with nobody making it out alive.  Knick fans have been ever so patient over the last few years and were even willing to wait for Chris Paul to arrive, but now that the Knicks have virtually left themselves in no position to acquire the star PG, it becomes apparent that the time is now.  The time has come for the Knicks to finally stop waiting and start doing.  If this is the time, then great.  I haven’t hid my love for this move as it finally means that the Knicks have given up their delusions of grandeur and proceeded to do business like regular folks.  They have a core of in their prime players and now must build around them.  Do they need an excellent point guard?  No.  In D’Antoni’s system they can do without.  Even in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, you wouldn’t require a great point guard, just one that can make the smart decisions.  Phil had BJ Armstrong, Ron Harper, and Derek Fisher all these years running point on championship teams.  Don’t feed me the garbage that he has to have an additional all star to coach this team.

Do I think Dolan goes after Phil?  Yes but only if his buddy Isiah tells him to.  It would behoove Knick fans to get off their crazy, hair brained idea for a restraining order which restricts Dolan and Isiah from being within 200 yards of one another and deal with the fact that if they want some kind of order restored the ONLY way to do that is by poisoning Isiah’s mind with reason.  Or have Isiah poison CP3’s mind with dreams of riches in NY supplanting the Mid Level exception which would be all the Knicks would be able to afford to give to Chris Paul after this season.

Either way, this decision was not just needed but the decisiveness was welcome.  Grunwald made a bold decision to go where no D’Antoni has gone before.  Maybe Mike kept the D silent all these years in his name and now can pronounce it with Tyson in the fold.

 

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December 6, 2011 · 12:53 pm

Daily Rounds 12/6/2011

We’ve got Jose Reyes reaction, and some NBA and a brand new title for the daily blog posting, here goes:

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Like any morning after something major happens people begin reflecting and beginning the phase of rebuildi  patching up what’s left.  That’s what Met fans are left to do and mostly what Sandy Alderson and co. will be left with as they face a new era minus Jose Reyes.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the time is right to deal David Wright.   Meanwhile John Harper and Andy Martino of the Daily News say that money issues have put Sandy Alderson in a tough position to find results while being limited in what the front office can spend.  Ken Davidoff of Newsday wants to cut a deal with Mets management: if the Mets aren’t contending by July, start selling off assets like a rockstar in bankruptcy court.   Then there’s Mike Vacarro of the New York Post that asks the question that I’ve been asking Why believe anything the Wilpons are pushing Sandy Alderson to say?

There isn’t a good way to spin this Jose Reyes deal.  In fact, Sandy Alderson said ALL the right things because they were the only things to say.  In New York, like it or not, the word rebuilding can NOT appear anywhere close to the vicinity of your team otherwise its like a black mark that won’t go away.  The Mets have been going down this road for the last few years so it was no surprise that Jose Reyes was sent out with nothing, not even an offer because well, the fact is that the Mets didn’t have the money to give him that offer.  You can even say that if this was the plan all along, to just wait for the market to play itself out for Reyes and hope against hope that there wouldn’t be some hard pressed fool willing to give Jose Reyes the Carl Crawford money, it was a stupid plan.  In fact, it hurt the franchise more than anything.  Sandy Alderson played the market wrong just like the Wilpons have done for so long.  And you know what?  Not for a minute do I believe Sandy was that dumb.

Last season prior to the trade deadline rumors circulated that the Tampa Bay Rays contacted the Mets about Jose Reyes.  They would’ve had to offer them some kind of gravy boat offer, much better than Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir anyway, that would’ve netted the Mets something in the vicinity of decent prospects to work with.  But the Mets held on because there was some faint hope of a playoff run.  Then they got this deal for Carlos Beltran for a top prospect that the front office drooled over and pulled the trigger.  The Mets may have never gotten such an offer for Reyes, but you have to believe that the Wilpons put a kibosh on any Reyes trade talk because they hoped the Mets would make a run deep into September that would’ve given them a few extra dollars.  You know.  To pocket for the long term.  Because every single article pertaining to the Wilpon finances are right.  The Coupons are facing a cash crunch and moves like allowing your homegrown player to leave without nary a call to check in leave you wondering exactly HOW these guys are even running a New York franchise.

I would appeal to Bud Selig to put an end to this reign but Selig is the Coupon’s biggest enablers.  The Coupons have been milking Selig’s favor into interest free loans that by the way they STILL haven’t paid Major League Baseball back on.  They have pending litigation in the Madoff trial that will force them to pay some kind of settlement but not in the hundreds of millions that Met fans had hoped that would’ve left them in no other financial position except to sell.

The Mets are a profitable team if run the right way.  In fact, if the Coupons sold the franchise today to someone say the reputation of Mark Cuban the gates would be pouring in with new customers and a revived fan base; confident that ridding the Wilpons would be the equivalent of getting a star franchise player.  Yesterday I woke up resigned to the fact that Reyes was gone, today I woke up angry.  Angry that the franchise I love is run by a bunch of ass clowns that hold on stubbornly to a team they should’ve let go of a few years ago.  A whole family of morons who blindly invested in a guy that gave them hand written statements but only when they asked for it because they thought he was good for it.  A family of idiots who built a shrine, not for the team they own, but for a team that left 50 years ago and relocated to Los Angeles.  That is if the Coupons even recognize the existence of the LA Dodgers.

Somehow baseball ran off Dodgers former owners the McCourts rather quickly citing concerns that he was using moneys gained from the baseball operation to fund his own wild lifestyle.  But here the Coupons are, still plowing forward selling us on an impossible dream.  Ready?  The Mets think that Ike Davis and Johan Santana won’t regress following their surgeries and won’t see any DL time.  They believe that Jason Bay and David Wright will hit 25-30 home runs each now that the walls have been brought in closer.  They believe that Mike Pelfrey will get better in basically his last chance in a Met uniform.  They believe that with $15 million to spend virtually they can fix the bullpen, get two quality back end of rotation starters and then some bench support including back up catcher.

I’m not kidding.  That’s the Mets plans.  Those are the lofty dreams that the Mets front office is pitching to Met fans.  This may be coming from a place of anger.  But don’t bother sending me offers to buy packages this season.  I’m done.  If you win, then I’ll come and partake but don’t bother selling Met fans on something that has NEVER happened.  Is there a remote possibility that this all can play out?  Sure.  But these are the Mets.  We know how this story will play out.  The Coupons are playing us for fools.  I won’t be played.  I can’t be.  I say after the third inning, Met fans stage a walk out of every single home game.  That is, whoever still decides to support the franchise.  Nobody believes for a second that whatever team occupies Citi Field next season will have any real hope of doing anything closely resembling productive.

I am in agreement with Sherman and Davidoff.  I say start trading guys left and right.  Screw it.  You’ve given up on the season already.   Don’t sell your fans hope that isn’t there.  Don’t insult them with talk about optimism that isn’t there.  I could understand if this were a team in Wichita, Kansas or Duluth, Mississippi.  But it isn’t.  This is a New York team.  Unfortunately no matter where this franchise would be, I wouldn’t believe the Coupons to lead it.

As NBA free agency sure to heat up, the Knicks are still in on Grant Hill according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.  Also within that report, Kurt Thomas and the Knicks (namely Assistant GM Allan Houston, his former teammate) talked and the game that was supposed to bring Carmelo back to Denver was not rescheduled within the context of this new 66 game schedule set to be released by today.  Nets PG Deron Williams said he would guarantee a contract extension if the Nets were to trade for Dwight Howard according to Stefan Bondy.  Zack Lowe of SI writes about how players will test the new CBA in many ways. In Bill Simmons second post to his twelve days of Christmas series of articles, he looks at the list of available free agents and who is destined to be overpaid.  Then there’s Adrian Woj’s  Yahoo Sports column about two GM’s making a race to trade for Chris Paul AND Dwight Howard.   As reported in the Newsday blog Knick Fix, Alan Hahn says the Knicks are undeterred by reports that New Orleans will do no deals with New York because of their lack of assets believing they can pull off a trade to land CP3 and complete the trifecta that CP3 toasted about at Carmelo’s wedding prior to last season.   Finally, a story that may interest only me, but the amnesty clause will NOT be used on Brandon Roy, one of my favorite non-Knick players according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian.  

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Here’s the thing, I don’t think a Chris Paul trade to the Knicks is going to happen.  I give it a less than 5% shot of actually occurring.  Why?  Because it doesn’t make sense.  The Knicks have NOBODY to give up outside of trading the rest of their team for Paul which would leave them with 3 players making roughly all of their cap.  Remember two players, by themselves will take up 40 million and if you’re reading this right, CP3 will probably opt out as a token thing just to reup with the Knicks for the max 5  year 100 million contract that Deron Williams was alluding to when he said he was definitely opting out.  So you have three guys making 60 million and oh by the way, the cap will remain set at $58 million next season with the luxury threshold being at $70 million much like this season.  So where exactly are the Knicks going to fill in the rest of the roster spots?  No, the Knicks and its fanbase have to be patient and I for one am willing to do that.  We can not throw all our money at three players as great as that sounds.

But I’ll give you another reason why a trade to the Knicks or a super team forming in Los Angeles isn’t realistic.  Its not good business.  If the labor deal pushed to prevent big market teams hoarding small market teams for talent then you have to understand that a Knick trade for pennies on the dollar OR the Lakers getting BOTH Dwight Howard and CP3 will not look good in any way.  What makes it worse is that the NBA owns the Hornets and you can believe that every small owner will NOT push for EITHER trade to EITHER coast which ultimately leaves the Hornets in a no-win position.  I think you allow CP3 to make it to free agency and no matter what kind of influence CAA has over the process and getting Paul traded the fact is, I believe CP3 will not sour on the Hornets and he will play his hardest and play out his time with the Hornets and give an honest effort.  He’s been class his entire time in the league and will not allow trade rumors to negatively deflect from his purpose which is to win a championship.

With that being said, the Knicks pursuit of Grant Hill?  I love it.  I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time since his days on the Pistons when I thought he was going to become Scottie Pippen 2.0.  Hill’s injury history are no doubt a part of his legacy but this second life in Phoenix has been revelatory.  Now if the Knicks can somehow get the Phoenix training staff along with Hill in that deal, it would be fantastic.  As far as the trade rumors go, it makes for good business but the fact is until December 9th, anything and everything in a fan’s mind is fair game including Dwight Howard and Deron Williams in NJ or Dwight Howard and CP3 in LA alongside Kobe OR alongside Blake.

Last note before I go, like I said, one of my favorite players will not be amnestied.  Brandon Roy will be a Blazer this upcoming season.  Makes sense, given that they don’t know how his legs will react and one would argue that this shortened season could be worse on his legs given the back to back to back that the Blazers will likely have to sit him in atleast one game and then rest him up in two of those games for extended periods of time.  Tis a shame since I wanted to see him on the Knicks.  Ahh well, dream another dream a different time.

More news coming later in the day as I give you a daily double dose today with some NFL notes and thoughts regarding week 13 and some important fantasy news.  Stay tuned sports fans.

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