All eyes were on the Knicks going into yesterday’s NBA Draft. Days prior, rumors surrounded the team regarding their sudden consideration to trade franchise player Kristaps Porzingis, and GM Phil Jackson received a massive beating from the New York media as a result. Jackson ultimately decided to hold onto the 21-year Latvian native, and moved forward with his three scheduled picks in the draft. In the end, the Knicks found themselves with Frank Ntilikina (No. 8), Damyean Dotson (No. 44) and Ognjen Jaramaz (No. 58), but failed to deal any of their trade chips, including Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee, and Kyle O’Quinn. Overall, Knicks fans seem ‘okay’ with the three selections, but this is just the beginning for the Knicks front office. While Jackson begins to ponder his next move, let’s take a look at each draft selection and attempt to predict their future contributions in the NBA.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Four Reasons Why The Eberle Trade Makes Sense
On Thursday, the New York Islanders acquired winger Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for center Ryan Strome. The trade has been seen positively by most Islander fans, and rightfully so, as Eberle has established himself as a formidable NHL starter and equips the team with a solid wing option to pair with captain John Tavares. Rather than simply list factual information, let’s provide four reasons as to why this is an excellent trade for the Islanders.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Golden Knights select Isles' Berube, Rangers' Lindberg in Expansion Draft
With the Las Vegas Golden Knights franchise set to make their NHL debut this upcoming fall, there had been a ton of speculation leading up to the league’s first expansion draft since 2000. Teams scrambled to protect their essential players, but many expected that the Golden Knights would have access to more than enough talent to fill out a competitive roster. The Islanders and Rangers, in particular, had some tough choices to make. Let’s take a look at how each team fared as a result of the expansion draft.
Phil Jackson's Blueprint for the 2017 NBA Draft
With a combined 80-166 win-loss record over the past three seasons, it is safe to say that the Knicks are not where they want to be as a franchise. The team went through a massive overhaul in the summer of 2016, but the moves have clearly blown back in their faces, to say the least. Joakim Noah, who inked a four-year, $72 million deal, flamed out after 46 games and faces a questionable future in New York. Derrick Rose, brought to the Knicks in a trade with the Bulls, was impressive, but will likely walk via free agency in a few weeks.
The Knicks quickly became the laughingstock of the NBA, as a result of incidents involving Charles Oakley, Carmelo Anthony, and Kristaps Porzingis, among others. The future of the franchise is currently at a crossroads, and it up to GM Phil Jackson to clean the mess up. With the NBA Draft right around the corner, Jackson will face some tough decisions. While it is doubtful that he goes on a trade frenzy tonight, let’s take a look at a few logical moves that the Knicks should make that would lead them in the right direction.
Friday, June 9, 2017
It is Time to Play Wilmer Flores Everyday
As we know, the Mets have been dealt a bad hand regarding the health of their core players. Yoenis Cespedes, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Jeurys Familia headline the group of Mets that are currently on the disabled list, and for a team that is already 11.5 GB behind the Washington Nationals in the division race, hope may be slowly dwindling down. Some have called for Terry Collins’ head, while others petition for the removal of Matt Harvey from the starting rotation. For the Mets, an organization that is typically conservative with shaking up their coach and player personnel, it would be unreasonable to expect any impactful moves in the near future. One thing that they can do, and have already begun to test out, however, has been the idea of making Wilmer Flores the full-time third baseman.
People know the story about Flores. On July 29, 2015, rumors spread all over social media that he, along with Zack Wheeler, had been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Carlos Gomez. Despite the buzz, Flores remained in the game against the San Diego Padres, and was visibly emotional, presumably due to his desire to stay in New York. After the game, GM Sandy Alderson spoke to reporters and informed them that any potential trade had fallen off the table. Flores then became an immediate fan favorite as a result of his obvious passion to remain with the Mets franchise.
Flores poured his heart out on that rainy night in Flushing, and it is now time for the Mets to finally reward him by giving him the starting third base job.
As hard as it is to admit, David Wright’s playing days are likely over. The 34-year old has been severely limited to just 75 games in the past two seasons, and the Mets would be wise to been exploring their options regarding a potential buy-out. After Wright’s latest setback in spring training, New York elected to allow Jose Reyes, a fellow fan favorite, to continue his comeback tour by letting him start at third base to open the season. However, Reyes had a dreadful beginning to the season, going 7-67 (.104) with 0 RBI in the first 19 games. The poor performance forced the Mets hand to involve more of their role players, such as Flores and even T.J Rivera.
While it is always smarter to turn to the more youthful player, moving Flores as a full-time player would not just be about the future. The truth of the matter is he is capable of great things when playing on a consistent basis, evident by his 2015 season. That year, .263/.295/.408 with 16 HR and 59 RBI, and helped the Mets reach their first World Series since 2000. If you are looking for a more recent example, let’s look at his statistics from this past May.
Last month, which had been when he saw a considerable uptick in playing time, Flores led the National League with a .379 average, hit one home run and collected 11 RBI. Perhaps most importantly, the 25-year old began to handle right handed pitching, which had previously been his Achilles heel. He is currently hitting .302/.330/.448 against righties in 2017, and a monstrous .370/.393/.630 against southpaws. As a .261 career hitter, it would be tough to imagine him keeping up this pace for the remainder of the season, but it is promising nonetheless.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Mets claim Tommy Milone off waivers
In their quest to add depth to an already-depleted starting rotation, the New York Mets have claimed pitcher Tommy Milone off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. Milone, 30, will presumably enter the Mets rotation as soon as possible.
With injuries to Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Seth Lugo, New York had been scouting the open market for starting pitchers. The team was once connected to Doug Fister, Jake Peavy, Colby Lewis, and John Danks, but elected to go with the seven-year veteran Tommy Milone.
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| Milone (pictured) allowed 15 ER in 21.0 IP for the Brew Crew |
Milone began the 2017 season with Milwaukee, but did not fare well, posting a 6.43 ERA in six games (three starts). The 30-year old was once viewed as a suitable rotation piece with the Athletics, where he went 13-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts in 2012. However, after a trade to the Minnesota Twins in 2014, Milone's career hit a snag. In 2015-16, Milone put up a combined 4.55 ERA in 43 appearances (35 starts).
For his career, Milone has logged over 700 innings pitched and accumulated a 45-33 record with a 4.21 ERA and 6.5 K/9. With a $1.25 million salary in 2017, the veteran will given a solid opportunity to reclaim his stock in the league.
For the Mets, it is important that they add Milone to the starting rotation right away. Rafael Montero has been astronomically bad in 2017, so one has to imagine that he will be on his way out very soon.
In the meantime, good job by Sandy Alderson on taking a flier on Milone. Perhaps the Mets will continue to search the market in hopes of finding a potential innings-eater for the 2017 campaign.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Reviewing the Giants 2017 NFL Draft Selections (Rounds 2-7)
On Thursday, the New York Giants drafted Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram with the 23rd overall pick. The selection was not anticipated by most G-Men fans because Miami's David Njoku and Alabama's O.J. Howard, both of whom were considered a better talent than Engram, were still available. The bottom line was, the Giants had a need at tight end, and the addition of Engram should provide quarterback Eli Manning with yet another offensive weapon.
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| GM Jerry Reese completed his tenth NFL Draft with the Giants |
For more on the Engram pick, please read our recent article.
In this article, we will take a look at each Giants selection from rounds 2-7 in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Round 2, No. 55: Dalvin Thompson, DT, Alabama
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| Tomlinson (pictured) vs. Wisconsin in 2015 |
Tomlinson is the clear favorite to replace defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins, who recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts. In fact, Tomlinson drew comparisons to Hankins in the Pro Football Focus pre-draft guide. Standing at 6-3 and weighing 310 pounds, Tomlinson had three sacks as a senior at Alabama, but was used more as a run stopper than a pass rusher. According to Giants GM Jerry Reese, Tomlinson is a two-gap player that has the ability to push the pocket, while Vice President of Player Evaluation Marc Ross said that the 23-year old can "for sure" be an immediate contributor to the Giants.
According to NFL.com, Tomlinson is a "prototypical Alabama defensive tackle who has leverage, power and technique. Tomlinson's powerful frame and ability to stack the run between the tackles could make him a scheme-flexible target in the draft."
Tomlinson may see action as early as week one in the upcoming season, as his competition currently consists of incumbents Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas.
Round 3, No. 87: Davis Webb, QB, California
Whether Giants fans want to hear it or not, quarterback Eli Manning only has a few years left in his NFL career. With this notion in mind, the front office decided to select Webb, who may be viewed as Manning's eventual replacement. Those who followed the draft were surprised to still see Webb's name on the board in the third round, as he was predicted to hear his name called as early as the first round.
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| Could Webb (pictured) be the future QB for Big Blue? |
After three seasons at Texas Tech, Webb transferred to California where he was named the starting quarterback. From there, the senior completed 382 passes for 4,295 yards with 37 touchdowns.
"I am just excited to be part of a great organization," Webb said via conference call. "I commit to the controllable, and the Giants thought enough of me to pick me and I am just very thankful for the opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting teammates and getting in the playbook and being in the weight room and just develop relationships and be a great quarterback."
Eli Manning is currently signed through the 2019 season, so there is no need to rush Webb into a more serious role. For now, the Giants should be committed to letting him stay on the sidelines to learn as much as possible before any in-game action.
Round 4, No. 140: Wayne Gallman, RB, Clemson
Standing at 6-0 and weighing 215 pounds, junior running back Wayne Gallman has fared very well in the last two collegiate seasons. In 2015, he set the single-season school record with 1,527 rushing yards, while scoring 14 touchdowns. Then, in 2016, he racked up 1,133 yards with 17 touchdowns, leading Clemson to a title victory over Alabama.
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| Gallman (pictured) scores in a game against North Carolina in 2016 |
According to scouts, Gallman has a physical running style, and that could serve as a complement to current-running back Paul Perkins. Before the draft, NFL.com said that Gallman "has agility burst through the line of scrimmage to rip through arm tackles and attack the second level. (Gallman) runs with plus effort every time he touches the ball."
Gallman could be a nice value-pickup for the G-Men, who had been slim in their running back depth. The 22-year old should see immediate action with the team when they square off against the Dallas Cowboys in week one.
Round 5, No. 167: Avery Moss, DE, Youngstown State
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| Moss (pictured) could be a nice gamble for NYG |
The selection of Moss raised some eyebrows due to his questionable past. Moss began his collegiate career at Nebraska, but was suspended for the entire 2014 season after pleading no contest to one count of public indecency. He was later dismissed from the program and transferred to Youngstown State. The 22-year old went on to produce 10.5 sacks with Youngstown.
"He's a true defensive end that can play the run, rush the passer," GM Jerry Reese said. "Big guy, has a lot of upside. We think he is just now scratching the surface of where we think he can be."
The Giants will need to monitor his behavior, but Moss has the capability to be an eventual NFL starter. As a fifth-round pick, New York made a slight risk here, but must feel that the pay-off could be tremendous.
Round 6, No. 200, Adam Bisnowaty, OT, Pittsburgh
Coming into the draft, the offensive line was an area of focus for the Giants, and they finally addressed the need in the 6th round. Bisnowaty, a four-year left tackle at Pittsburgh, has excellent size (6-6, 304 lbs), but his durability has been a concern. He had missed time in each of his first three seasons with injuries to his ankle and back, and some believe that this trend may continue in the NFL.
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| Bisnowaty (pictured) lines up in a 2015 scrimmage |
On a positive note, NFL.com claims that Bisnowaty "possesses good upper-body strength and his pass punch has some snap to it. He aggressively passes off twisting defensive ends to the guard and does a good job of thumping at initial contact as a run blocker."
The Giants reportedly view Bisnowaty as a tackle, and they will immediately throw him into the offensive line mix. The franchise desperately needed an offensive lineman and could not leave the draft without one, so it is easy to get on board with the Bisnowaty selection.
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