Another All Star On the Way?

Six weeks ago the New York Knicks added one perennial All Star in Amare Stoutemire...could another soon be joining him?

The latest breaking news in the NBA off season has been revolving around Carmelo Anthony and his plans to forgo signing the 3 year 65$ million dollar deal that has been on the table for months. Melo' is under contract for 2010, but beyond that, he is free to sign wherever he desires. At age 26, Carmelo is one of the NBA's best scorers (28.2 PPG last season) and easily a top 10 player in the entire league. He is one of the game's best clutch shooters and has been able to maintain his superstar status among a team of circus characters and controversy.

From all recent reports, Carmelo has a small wish list of where he would like to play next season. That list features the New York Knicks at the top, bottom, and everywhere in between. In other words, New York is his only desire. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Carmelo knows all about the glory of playing in the world's most famous arena. Before he achieved NBA super stardom, Carmelo earned himself a spot on New York's list of college basketball greats by leading Syracuse to a National Championship during his lone year in college. It appears his goal is to come full circle by playing in New York one more time.

At this point, it seems only logical for the Nuggets to trade Carmelo. If he has no intention of re-signing, they might as well get some type of value in return while they still can. Sure, trading the team's best player is a tough sell to the fans, but it is still the best option at this point. The Nuggets should begin to plan for life without Carmelo and they would be wise to start gathering offers for his services.

If Carmelo is to be a Knick, then New York must offer some value in return. When looking at the team's roster, there appears to be only two players that would be deemed untouchable...Amare Stoutemire, for obvious reasons, and Raymond Felton, due to trade restrictions on newly signed free agents. That leaves Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Anthony Randolph as the Knicks with the most value on the court, and Eddy Curry as the Knick with the most value off the court (expiring 11$ million dollar contract.) If the Knicks have any chance of acquiring one of the league's best players then the first proposal should involve some of, if not all, the players listed above. Getting productive, young, cheap, players like Chandler and Randolph along with 11$ million dollars of cap relief with Curry is not an awful consolation prize for Denver.

In the meantime, Knicks fans should wait and hope. Donnie Walsh already delivered them one of the NBA's top 15 players. Adding another would elevate the Knicks to being one of the Eastern Conference's 3 or 4 best teams. Who knows? Maybe not getting Lebron wasn't so bad after all...

Quick Recap of Jets-Giants

New York Jets

The Good

-Sanchez going 13/16 for 119 yards and a touchdown after the interception

-LT still has some game

-Shonn Greene is a tank. He gains 3/4 yards after contact on every play

-Cromartie looked very very good in Rex Ryan's man coverage scheme

-Besides the Ahmad Bradshaw play, the Jets 1st team defense dominated the Giants 1st team offense

The Bad

-Matt Slauson was underwhelming with the 1st team offense

-Vlad Duccasse is not ready to play this season

-Joe McKnight did not look very good

The Ugly

-The 2nd and 3rd team secondary made Victor Cruz look like Jerry Rice

-Vernon Gholston is still invisible

-Still no Darrellle Revis


New York Giants

The Good

-Ahmad Bradshaw looked great, he may finally be completely healthy

-The safeties played very well

-Eli is still in one piece

-The 2nd and 3rd string defenders shut down the Jet backups

The Bad

-The Giants 1st team offense could not get anything going

-Brandon Jacobs did not look good

-The offensive line had problems with the Jets blitzes

The Ugly

-Eli and Jacobs running into each other and almost getting Eli put on the IR

-The classless Giants fan who tried to push Fireman Ed off of his brother's shoulders, that guy should have been ejected from the stadium

-Letting the Jets starters march at will after the Rolle pick

Team Weaknesses: New York Giants

The Super Bowl Champion 2007 New York Giants prided themselves on running the football and rushing the passer. As things currently stand, these two philosophies have become the Giants two biggest question marks.

The running game will again be led by Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs is looking to bounce back off his worst season as a starter, in which he ran for 835 yards on a pedestrian 3.7 yards per carry. After averaging over 5 yards per carry as a full time starter in 2007 and 2008, last season's drop off left Giants fans concerned that their bull may have lost his horns. In a league where running backs decline at a staggering rate, Jacobs has to bounce back to keep his starting job from the up and coming Ahmad Bradshaw.

As Jacobs struggled last season, Bradshaw seemed to emerge more and more every week. He achieved a personal best in rushing yards (778) and was able to maintain a 4.8 yards per carry average on a career high 163 carries. Should Jacobs continue to falter in the first few weeks of the season, the Giants will not hesitate to make Bradshaw the primary ball carrier going forward. Neither back is capable of handling 300 carries so the committee approach will need to be used once more. A 65-35 Jacobs to Bradshaw ratio would be best to keep both backs productive and healthy. To be fair, both backs were banged up all of last season so an off season of healing may elevate both players to new heights.

Perhaps even more important then the play of Jacobs and Bradshaw is the play of the offensive line. A group that was once perhaps the best in the NFL seemed to erode last season. In an ideal world, second year LT William Beaty will start at LT and allow the Giants to kick over David Diehl to LG to replace weak link Rich Seubert. Shaun O'Hara is another year older and Kareem McKenzie can no longer be counted on to make it through an entire season. It appears the only sure thing is All Pro RG Chris Snee. A bit of reshuffling will need to be done to allow the Giants to re-establish the running game that won them 26 games in 2007 and 2008.

As Steve Spagnuolo left, so did the Giants pass rush. Giants fans still have the image of Donovan McNabb drinking a cup of coffee in the pocket before lofting up bombs to Desean Jackson. 2009 underachievers Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, and Rocky Bernard will need to bounce back to allow new Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell to revive a defense that gave up more points then 30 other teams last season. Justin Tuck, Barry Cofield, and Matthias Kiwanuka return, along with high draft picks Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph. On paper the defensive line is loaded, but people said the same thing only one year ago. Until the defensive line proves it is legit, it will remain a question mark. The Giants have put a ton of personnel, money, and draft picks into the defensive line so anything less then a top 5 unit will be a disappointment.

Predictions

-Jacobs has somewhat of a bounce back season. He will not be the dominating force he was nor the feeble, easy to bring down, back he was last season. Think somewhere in the middle (2010 stats- 234 carries, 982 yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 10 touchdowns.)

-Bradshaw will remain an integral part of the offense. As both a runner and receiver he will be a threat every time he is on the field. (2010 stats- 170 carries, 782 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 7 touchdowns.)

-The defensive line will be a strength of the team but not the dominating force it should be. Under Perry Fewell, opposing quarterbacks will not be able to relax the way they did in 2009. Tuck will continue to be great. Osi will be negated to a 3rd down pass rusher because he can no longer stop the run on 1st and 2nd down. Kiwanuka will be steady but will need to have more then the 3 sacks he had last season. 1st round pick Jason Pierre Paul only started 7 games of Division One college football so don't expect anything out of him in his first season. Chris Canty is facing the prospect of becoming one of the worst free agent signings in Giants history if he doesn't give more then the 4 starts and half a sack he gave the team last year. All in all, expect a solid pass rush but not the second coming of the New York Sack Exchange.

What To Do With Revis Island

The New York Jets stand just one day away from perhaps the most anticipated training camp in team history. Between the Super Bowl hype, the appearance on HBO's "Hard Knocks", and the bombastic mouth of Rex Ryan, the Jets refuse to give up the spotlight. However, despite all the anticipation one big problem still remains...What to do with Darrelle Revis? The ongoing contract dispute may potentially serve as the kryptonite to the Jets Super Bowl dreams.

In 2009, Darrelle Revis had perhaps the greatest season an NFL Cornerback has ever had. At a time when the offensive passing game seems to be facilitated every year, Revis reminded football fans that it may be too early to abandon the term "Shutdown Corner." After only 3 years in the league, Revis has established himself as undoubtedly the best Cornerback in football, and quite possibly the best defensive player in football. Don't believe me? Just ask his head coach. Ryan has done a wonderful job of marketing the Jets best player since day one, and rightfully so, Revis is a potential all time great.

Finally, after all the praise and worship, the Jets approached Revis following the AFC Championship about re-doing his current contract. It is a contract that will keep him a Jet for the next three seasons and will pay him only 1 million dollars during the upcoming 2010 campaign. That would make Revis the 8th highest paid defensive back on the Jets! It would seem only logical to reward a home grown 25 year old superstar with rewards and riches. Apparently for the Jets, that logic is too complicated. The Jets and Darrelle Revis have been trying to come to an agreement for over three months and the end doesn't appear to be in site. Revis appears to be a potential training camp holdout and a big time distraction as the Jets prepare for their "Super Bowl or Bust" 2010 season.

If Revis is the best player at his position, isn't it only fair that he be paid like it? Did the Jets not realize that promising Revis a new deal meant he would have to be the highest paid Cornerback in the NFL? Did the Jets think Revis would not take a glance at the contract his contemporary Nnamdi Asomugha signed on February 19th, 2009? If Asmugha's contract is where the bar has been set, then the Jets need to do everything in their power to go above and beyond that number. If an employee receives a promotion for good service then they should receive more money then those they are superior to. The Jets have continued to insult Revis by offering him substantially less then Asmugha, which has led the two parties farther and farther apart.

The NFL has become a passing league. Quarterbacks and Wide Recievers are now putting up more numbers then ever before. Having a commodity like Darrelle Revis in your secondary allows you to go into a game with no fear of the opposition's number one Wide Reciever. The Jets play in a division that features Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall and a conference that features Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Vincent Jackson, and countless other great receivers. If the Jets plan on achieving their Super Bowl dreams, they will need Revis to get through the Tom Bradys and Peyton Mannings of the AFC.

The Revis situation is not the first time the Jets have seemed to butcher contract negotiations. Pete Kendall, Chris Baker, and Leon Washington were all proven starters on the team that wanted and deserved more money. All three times the players were denied, and all three times the players were shipped out. The Jets cannot make that mistake again. Not when the player is one of the best in the sport. One would think the Jets have learned from their contract disputes of the past but their stubborn arrogance remains.

In the meantime, there is still a chance this is resolved soon. For the Jets and their fans, the sooner the better. This should be a time for Jets fans to dream about putting an end to a 41 year Super Bowl drought...Not a time to question if the teams best player will be on the field come week one.

It is Now Do or Die for Mets

As July turns to August the Mets find themselves in a similar position...on the outside looking in. A dismal 2-9 road trip has left the Mets at a crossroads that will determine if Citi Field is a house of hopes come September or a lackluster graveyard.

As things presently sit, the Mets are 7.5 games behind the division leading Braves and 6 games behind the Wild Card leading San Francisco Giants. As the team looks up at the Braves and Phillies they would be wise to realize the fast charging Florida Marlins in their rear view mirror. For a team that was once alone atop the NL East, things have fallen off the cliff these last few weeks.

Mike Pelfrey has suddenly turned from a potential All Star to a guy who can not get out of the 5th inning. Rod Barajas has cooled off from his hot start. Francisco Rodriguez seems to give Mets fans a heart attack every time he takes the mound. Things are not as bright and rosy as they once looked. Every night it seems to be a different thing that goes wrong for this team. When the offense produces, the pitching gets shelled. When the starter throws a gem, the team cannot hit. It has been a burden for the Mets to put it all together.

While guys like Johan Santana, R.A Dickey, Ike Davis, David Wright, Angel Pagan, and Jon Niese deserve credit for great seasons, the rest of the team has ultimately come up short. The Mets have too much talent to be in their current predicament. More players will need to elevate themselves for this team to be in the race come September.

If the division race is not daunting enough, the Wild Card will certainly be tough to reach. The Mets are looking up at the Rockies, Phillies, Dodgers, Reds, and Giants and all those teams are currently playing better baseball and appear to be on the up rise.

If this team does not turn it around then there will be drastic changes made. The Wilpons have poured too much money into underachievers like Jason Bay and K-Rod to see this team not contend for the playoffs. Jerry would be out and "The Core" could potentially be blown up in an attempt to change the fortunes of the team.

In the meantime, all is not lost Mets fans. There is still plenty of baseball to be played and with a hot streak in August the team could leapfrog to the top. With series against Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Colorado in the coming weeks, the team could help themselves in both the division and wild card race.

For now, hold on Mets fans. However this season turns out it cannot be as painful as 2007, 2008, or 2009....can it?

"King James" is Dead

Credit Lebron James for giving up money in the pursuit of a championship. In today's society we constantly belittle athletes for chasing the almighty dollar over the glory of victory. Lebron will most likely win a championship down in Miami...or two...or three, and that has been his goal all along.

All these things are good for Lebron the man but bad for Lebron the player. From the look of it, Lebron has taken the easy way out to winning a championship. Dwayne Wade is the face of the Miami Heat. He has won a championship for the city and has done a tremendous job in recruiting Chris Bosh and Lebron James to South Beach. No matter how many titles this trio wins together going forward, Dwayne Wade will always have one more. The perception will always be that Lebron needed Wade to win a title but Wade clearly did not need Lebron.

For all of his successes in Cleveland, Lebron was never able to win a championship for his home town team. In each of the last two seasons the Cavaliers have had the best record in the NBA only to fall short of reaching the Finals. The Chicago Bulls endured a similar fate in the early years of Michael Jordan's career, losing three straight years to the Pistons in the playoffs. The difference in the eventual outcomes, however, was that Michael Jordan didn't join the Pistons, he ended up defeating them. That is the kind of triumph that Lebron James will now never attain.

No matter how many titles Lebron wins in Miami, his career will always be looked back on in one way...He could not win in Cleveland and he needed a Dream Team to win his championships. Most of the all time great players had a wing man when they won their titles, but there was always a reasonable gap from Option A to Option B. When Chicago was winning in the 90s, Jordan was clearly "the guy" and then there was a drop off to Pippen. In contemporary times, Kobe is "the man" and then there is a drop off to Gasol. In Miami that will not be the case. Lebron will be surrounded by another top 5 NBA player in Wade and another top 10 player in Bosh. However many championships the Heat ultimately win, the trio will always be the story, not Lebron.

Lebron does not deserve criticism for his choice. He defended himself very well against his naysayers. Great trios like Kareem, Magic, and Worthy and most recently Pierce, Allan, and Garnett are very capable of winning championships. The problem with that argument, however, is that Lebron is held to a higher standard. "The King" isn't supposed to need a Dream Team trio to win a championship. That is why his legacy is taking a hit with this decision. He will win titles but will never receive the praise and credit he thinks he deserves.

Even if he was hell bent on leaving Cleveland, New York and Chicago would have been better options for him to win and keep his image in tact. He would undoubtedly be the number one option in either city and he would have a chance to compete for championships in both scenarios.

Lebron came into this league being compared to the all time greats. He has failed to live up to those expectations in the past and present and his Miami decision will greatly hinder his ability to live up to those expectations in the future. With the supporting cast he now has around him, he better win at least eight championships. But in the eye of the public opinion, maybe that won't be enough.

Not Coming Up Empty

It may have taken over 10 years, but the New York Knicks have finally acquired their best player since Patrick Ewing. Madison Square Garden, say hello to the first piece of the puzzle.

Though the move had been anticipated for several days, the Knicks officially locked up Amar'e Stoudemire on Monday night to a five year deal worth almost one hundred million dollars. The 27 year old Stoudemire was able to receive the max contract he had hoped for and the Knicks have now made sure they will not come out of Summer 2010 empty handed.

The naysayers will quickly point out that Amar'e Stoudemire is not Lebron James and rightfully so. Lebron was and is still the ultimate goal, but Amar'e Stoudemire is the first piece in a puzzle Donnie Walsh has planned to construct for two years. Acquiring one of the games best Power Forwards is something all Knicks fans should cheer. Stoudemire is a 5 time All Star with big game experience. His 42 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals showed he is ready to elevate his game when his team needs him most.

Above all, Stoudemire gives the Knicks a face. Their pitch to other free agents becomes significantly stronger. Lebron can now look to New York and see that he could be playing with someone better then anyone he has ever played with in Cleveland. Lebron was adamant in his request for Amar'e to become a Cavalier before last year's deadline and the Cavs responded by giving him Antwan Jamison. In New York, Amar'e and Lebron could potentially form the most deadly pick and roll in NBA history.

It originally seemed that Mike D'Antoni would hinder the Knicks from signing Amare. However, the past differences between the two have obviously been worked out. Amare knows how effective he can be playing for D'Antoni. He averaged 25 points per game and shot 59% from the field during their last season together in Phoenix. The critics will point out that Amare is not the biggest defensive presence, but in D'Antoni's system there is much more emphasis on the offensive side of the floor.

The next step for the Knicks should be to maneuver a sign and trade with David Lee. The Amare acquisition all but closes the door on Lee returning next season so Donnie Walsh should move quickly to acquire something for Lee while he still can. For as good as Lee has been over the past few seasons, Amare is certainly far and away better.

The plan for the Knicks was to get better. Signing Amare Stoudemire will make any team better so give the Knicks credit for accomplishing that. They still have plenty of salary cap space so Amare should know that more help is on the way. If that help comes from Cleveland then Knicks fans can look to Amare as the spark that started the fire.