New York Giants Draft Review

Posted: May 5, 2013 in Giants
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As it has now been a few days since the conclusion of the NFL Draft, I will not break down each of the Giant’s picks and grade how I like them as a pick and whether or not I agree with Jerry Reese’s choice.

I would like to start out by saying that as a Giant’s fan I have followed this team closely all of my life and if there is one thing I have learned recently, it is to always trust Jerry Reese. He is one of the better NFL General Managers in my opinion, especially when it comes to drafting. It seems every year regardless of the player’s grade, he is able to find hidden gems that do perform.

First Round (19th Overall): OL Justin Pugh

Coming into the draft, it was fair to say that one of the Giant’s needs was to add more depth to the aging offensive line. Last year there was not a lot of stability at the offensive line. Prior to the draft the Giants had made a point that they were going to rebuild in the trenches. When you look back to their two recent Super Bowl rosters, both teams were strong at both the defensive and offensive line. Pugh is a very versatile offensive lineman who can play either at the guard or tackle positions. Outside of Giant’s left tackle Will Beatty, not much is really set in stone. It is assumed right now that the Giants may stick him at right tackle to offer David Diehl relief, but that is not confirmed yet. Most importantly this pick addressed a need for the Giants, and gave their offensive line versatility thatthey had previously lacked.

Ryan Nassib (left) and Justin Pugh (right) were two of the Giant’s tip picks in this year’s draft.

Second Round (49th Overall): DT Johnathan Hankins

As I discussed, the Giants had stressed that they wanted to rebuild in the trenches. Much like the offensive line was a strength, when you look at both of the Giants’ recent Super Bowl wins, the signature of both defenses was the pressure put on by their defensive line. With Chris Canty leaving in Free Agency, a hole was left at the defensive tackle position.  Other than Chris Canty, the Giants have struggled to find a consistent answer at this position. Last year Linval Joseph had a nice year so we will see if he can build on that. The Giants like to rotate these guys in and out to keep them fresh so this certainly was a smart pick. Though defensive tackle was a position that should be acknowledged, the timing of this pick did arose some questions as to why cornerback or linebacker were not addressed as the timing seemed ideal given the guys who were on the board for those respective positions. Reese must have something up his sleeve.

Third Round (81st Overal): DE Damontre Moore

In the third round, the Giants stuck with their game plan and once again addressed the trenches. Here they took another defensive end. If there has been one position the Giants have had success with over the last years, it has certainly been defensive end. Whether it is Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, or Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants are notorious for drafting Pro Bowl caliber defensive ends. The pass rush was certainly not there last year and was one of the major reasons why they were not in the postseason. With Osi walking in free agency, it was even more important for the Giants to address this position given the style of defense Perry Fewell likes to run. On a whole I like this pick. Though defensive end did not get a lot of attention, it was one of the areas that the Giants did need to address in the draft.

Forth Round (110th): QB Ryan Nassib

Possibly the most surprising, but best picks of this year’s draft came in the fourth round for the Giants. Ryan Nassib, quarterback out of Syracuse was believed to have a chance to be drafted in the first round. Because of this, when Jerry Reese say Nassib staring at him in the fourth round, there could not be any more value. In the NFL it is always good to have a solid backup quarterback. Luckily David Carr has not had to start since taking the job, but has been a decent option. Let’s remember that Eli Manning still has not entered the final third of his career. Given his durability, he has at a minimum, five years left. However at a maximum he could have another eight years left, especially if he is surrounded with a good offensive line and weapons. Remember Tom Brady is 38 and still has some time left, Eli Manning is 32. Back to Nassib. He was a great value pick but probably will not serve any purpose for the Giants. My guess is he will be on the roster for the next two seasons or so, before getting traded for some more draft picks, most likely higher picks, therefore making this a great investment. Though the pick did raise some eyebrows. I believe we will look back on this pick in a few years and say it was a very smart move.

Fifth Round (152nd): S Richard Cooper

This was really the only pick that I did not like in the Giant’s draft. Though the Giants did lose Kenny Phillips to free agency, I did not consider safety being one of the Giant’s real needs. Stevie Brown really stepped up last year in Philips’ absence and looks like he could be a full time starter. Given some of the corners and linebackers still on board, both of which were two of the Giant’s biggest needs, which both went unfilled, I do question this pick.

Seventh Round: G Eric Herman 

Here was simply another death pick in the trenches. As mentioned, the Giants talked about getting bigger in this draft. That is exactly what they did. They drafted four players that play on the line (either offensive or defensive). Their offensive line’s inability to stay healthy last year was a killer. Though Herman will not come in ready to be a starter, he is a good guy to develop and will probably make a couple starts this season given the age of some of the Giant’s lineman and the fact injuries always happen to an NFL team.

Jets Select Milliner and Richardson In First Round

Posted: April 26, 2013 in Jets
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For the first time since 2000, an NFL team had two top 13 picks in the draft. That team was the New York Jets.

The Jets are notorious for making awful picks in the first round, and last night was no change.

Once again the boo birds were flying in Radio City.

After trading their star cornerback Derrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jets received the Buccaneers ninth overall pick. It did not take the Jets long to find Revis’ replacement. There at number nine, the Jets were able to grab Dee Milliner, cornerback out of Alabama.

At number nine, the Jets selected cornerback Dee Milliner.

I personally think that this was a great use of this pick and addressed a hole in the roster. Milliner was the best cornerback in the draft and is going to have an immediate impact for this team.

Tavon Austin would have been a great fit for this team, however he was taken just one pick prior, at number eight by the St. Louis Rams. I always said that the Jets really lacked weapons on the outside. It is not fair to blame everything on Sanchez when he is throwing to scrubs. Austin would have been a great solution for the Jets, but nonetheless I still think Milliner was a great pick and should pan out well.

The issue came with their second pick at number 13 overall. All of last year the big issue surrounding the Jets was always their offense and its inability to go down the field and put up points. As I just discussed, the Jets did not have any weapons on the edges and they just lost Dustin Keller in free agency.

Tight end Tyler Eifert out of Notre Dame was sitting there and looked like a great option. Eifert is a big body, a big target who can not only block, but also can run routes and is a great red zone target. On top of that he is young and could be there for the future, regardless of the quarterback.

However, instead of taking the logical pick, the Jets shocked everyone and picked defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson out of Missouri. Now not to put down Richardson, he has the potential to be a great player, but he was not the right pick for the Jets at number 13.

At number 19, the Jets caught everyone by surprise with their selection of defensive tackle, Sheldon Richardson.

The Jets came into this draft to rebuild, which is why they traded Revis after all, right?

Now I do not think defensive tackle was one of their major areas of concern, but even if it was, Richardson still makes me scratch my head. Mostly because Shariff Floyd, who was not picked until 23, was still on the board.

On some draft boards, Floyd was projected to go as high as number three. Surely he has great talent and has the potential to be a great defensive tackle.

I do not think Sheldon Richardson was on anyone’s radar, and rightfully so. He does have some attitude issues and is going to need to be coached up. I am not sure the Jets really have time to coach up a first round draft pick. It seems that Floyd would have been a much more logical pick, if the Jets were determined to pick a defensive tackle, however the most logical pick would be to address an issue on the offensive side of the ball.

Now perhaps the scariest thing that came out of last night’s first round of the draft was the fact that Rex Ryan is still calling the shots. The fact that the Jets took two defensive players with their two first picks shows that the defensive minded head coach is still in charge.

As I mentioned, I understand taking Dee Milliner at number nine, and that is exactly who I expected them to take after Tavon Austin was picked. However he fact that they took a defensive tackle at number 13 makes me scratch my head. Then the fact that they did not even take the best available defensive tackle makes me scratch my head even harder.

With a new GM coming in this offseason it seemed that Jets fans might have some hope. However the biggest takeaway Jets fans can make from this first round is that Rex Ryan is still calling the shots which means the offense will continue to be unattended to.

I guess that is why I am a Giants fan after all.

Knicks Go Up 2-0, On Verge of History

Posted: April 25, 2013 in Knicks
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Barring an unexpected turn of events, it look like history will be made. For the first time since 200 (12 years) it looks like the New York Knicks will win a playoff series.

Last night they took another major step towards achieving this feat by knocking off the Celtics 87-71, and more importantly going up 2-0 in the series.

The Knicks came out with a lot of energy and though Boston did fight back, in the end they just did not have enough fight in them to compete with the superior Knicks.

Once again the Celtics took an early lead into halftime, but once again they watched that lead slip away. After being up 48-42, at halftime, the turning point came in the third quarter.

Just as in Game 1, the energy in the second half was much different for the Knicks.  Not only was there a change in energy, but the ball movement also significantly increased. No longer were the Knicks just running isolations for Carmelo Anthony or J.R. Smith, but rather they were swinging the ball around, to find open three pointers and open lanes to drive.

In last night’s win, Raymond Felton proved to be the difference.

I attributed this increased ball movement to point guard Raymond Felton. Mike Woodson made a very crucial halftime adjustment. He too got tired of watching the Carmelo and Smith isolations and decided to have the offense run through Felton.

Anyone who was watching the game saw that Felton began to attack the rim more and was less passive. With Carmelo receiving all of Boston’s attention, the lanes were wide open and allowed for easy layups and passes to shooters spotted up at the three-point line.

To start out the fourth quarter, Boston did go on a miniature run and did cut the Knicks’ lead to single digits. It was not a coincidence that Raymond Felton was on the bench during that run. Once again the Knicks got too caught up in their isolations and the ball stuck to their guys’ hands. In other words, there was no ball movement.

As soon as Felton came out back off of the bench, the Knicks got back on track and were able to put the game away.

To further my point, Felton’s plus/minus for last night’s game was +22. Point made.

It is funny to look back and remember Knicks fans were freaking out when Jeremy Lin signed with the Rockets and the Knicks had to “settle” with Felton.  How things have changed, how things have changed.

Along with applauding Felton, I also feel Kenyon Martin deserves his share, despite posting a -6 plus/minus.  Though his numbers in the box score were not anything spectacular, most importantly he was able to spell Tyson Chandler when he is clearly not fully healthy and able to play his full share of minutes.

Martin was able to offer great relief on the glass, while he grabbed 10 rebounds and down the stretch he came up with many key blocks which not only helped the Knicks out defensively, but it really got the crowd into the game.

Now the series shifts over to Boston for the next two games. Though the Knicks did win the first two games, I am not expecting a sweep. Remember the Knicks were losing at halftime in both games and it took second half comebacks to leg out a victory.

The emotion is surely going to be high in Boston. Though the Knicks are the better team, and will win the series, I think Boston does take one at their home court, but the Knicks take care of business in five.

It should be fun to watch.

Knicks Survive and Take Game 1

Posted: April 22, 2013 in Knicks
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It was the first Game 1 victory for the Knicks since their Game 1 first round win in 2001 against Toronto.

After hoisting up two air balls on their first two shot attempts, the Carmelo Anthony got the Knicks going and led them to an 85-78 win in Game 1.

After stealing the Scoring Title out of Kevin Durant’s hands in the last stretch of the season, Anthony picked up where he left off in Game 1. Though his percentage was not great (13-29), he did finish with 36 points.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks throughout this game. Raymond Felton and Chris Copeland both air balled their first two shots from the field, however Anthony then scored 9 of the Knicks first 12 points and helped get the Garden going.

Carmelo Anthony’s 36 led the Knicks to victory on Saturday against the Celtics.

By the end of the quarter, the Knicks actually found themselves down 29-26, courtesy of a Jeff Green buzzer beater three pointer.

Though the Knicks seemed to be in control of the game all throughout, there were certain points in the game when the Celtics would build up a six point lead, and made it seem like they might pull away.

In fact, the Celtics were up six pints with 51 seconds remaining in the first half. This was a very dangerous time for the Knicks, as any deficit greater than six might have been hard to come back against the Celtics. However the Knicks had a response and were able to cut the halftime deficit to only four points, 53-49.

Much of the Celtics success in the first half, and lack there of in the second half had to do with the performance of Jeff Green. In the first half, Jeff Green was the most productive Celtic, and was to score 20 points, on top of his great defensive effort.

In the second half however, Green became much more passive and did not look to drive to the basketball as much. As a result, he was only able to score six points.

The Celtics held the lead after three quarters, however the game turned the Knicks way during the fourth quarter. It was defense that won the fourth quarter for the Knicks and ultimately the game.

Boston only shot 3 of 11 from the field in the fourth, and were held to only 8 points. Throughout the game the Knicks defense caused the Celtics to get sloppy with the ball. The Celtics turned the ball over 21 times which resulted in 20 fast break points for the Knicks.

In a game where Chandler, Copeland, and Shumpert were non factors on offense, all three combining for 3 points (all of which were scored by Shumpert), the Knicks bench was able to pick up the slack once again.

Kenyon Martin, Jason Kidd, and J.R. Smith all played starters minutes and combined for 33 points off the bench. In what was a tight game up until the final minutes, the benches played a pivotal role. In a game where the Knicks bench played well, the Celtics bench failed to make a field goal and only came away with four points.

Though Jason Kidd only came away with 8 points and 3 assists, his presence was greatly felt. Surprisingly, Kidd played 35 minutes off of the bench, much more than during the regular season.

This was most likely because of the absence of Pablo Prigioni who was out with an ankle injury. If healthy, he would be starting over Chris Copeland. Prigioni is expected back later in this series which is god news for the Knicks, who are 16-2 when he his in the starting lineup.

Just two years ago the Knicks met the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks were not even able to win one game in the series, and were swept. The Knicks have already come a long way by winning game Game 1.

The series will resume Tuesday in New York. If the Knicks are able to go up 2-0, the Celtics will be in a big hole, a hole they will struggle to get out of.

After waiting since 2000 for a playoff series win, Knicks fans may, this may be the time!

Nets: Season Recap, First Round Preview

Posted: April 20, 2013 in Nets
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Season Review

The first chapter has almost been written. With their first regular season in Brooklyn complete, the Nets finished with a record of 49-33, and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Nets fell just one win short of a 50 win season, but on a whole had a very successful season.

During the offseason the Nets made a lot of roster changes with their biggest offseason move being the acquisition of Joe Johnson. During the offseason these acquisitions brought a lot of hype for this season.

The Nets jumped out to an 11-4 start and looked like the most improved team in the NBA and looked more and more like a legitimate contender.

Unfortunately for the Nets, this hot start did not last very long, and the season took a turn for the worst. After jumping out to their 11-4 start, they only managed to 3-10 in their next 13 games, which ultimately led to the firing of head coach Avery Johnson.

Following the firing of Avery Johnson, Nets management decided to name assistant coach P.J. Carlisemo as interim head coach.

Upon being named the interim head coach, Carlisemo carried the Nets to a 34-19 record.

The Nets finished the season winning six of their last seven games. A great deal of their success paralleled with the success of their star point guard Deron Williams.

Williams has played an instrumental role in the Nets’ recent success.

Before the All-Star break, Williams was only averaging 16.7 points per game and was shooting 41 percent from field. After the break, his production spiked. He finished the second half of the year averaging 22.9 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field.

Specifically, Williams production really got going in this last stretch of the season in April. In this month alone, Williams averaged 24.6 points per game (best month) and shot 52 percent from the field (best month as well).

It appears that the Nets and their star player are both heating up, just as the postseason is arriving.

 

Playoff Preview 

After a long drought, the Nets are back in the playoffs. After finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, the Nets will be up against the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

As mentioned, the Nets are entering these playoffs very hot and playing very well. Much of this is because of the recent play of Deron Williams.

The Chicago Bulls are entering this series as an injured and possibly worn out team. Specifically, the status of Bulls’ center Noah’s status is uncertain. His absence could have a significant negative effect on the Bulls, as he would play a pivotal role in defending he Nets’ front line.

The Bulls were able to win the season series between these two teams 3-1, however in three of those games, the winning margin was single digits which in the NBA means the game really could have gone either way.

Though it looks like the Bulls may be the better team, the team more poised to make a postseason run, it does not seem that their pieces are in place at this time, as the Nets’ pieces seem to have fallen into place throughout this month.

The Bulls are without their superstar point guard, which makes this a lost season, and have bigger aspirations and goals for years to come. Though they will not admit it, I doubt this season means a whole lot to them.

It appears that the Nets have gotten a great match up in the first round of the playoffs, despite landing the four seed. In my opinion the Bulls seem to be worn out and slightly depleted.

With all this in mind, the Bulls run a defensive orientated system, which will always put them in a position to win.

With that being said, the Nets have the more talented roster, and more importantly, the healthier roster. In the end, I think they take this series in six games.

Mets Jump Out To A 7-4 Start

Posted: April 13, 2013 in Mets
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Through their first three series of the season, the Mets have a solid 7-4 record after winning series against San Diego, Miami, and Minnesota and losing a series to the Phillies.

Through the first ten games of the season, there have been plenty surprises, and unfortunately many of the same disappointments.

To start with one of the biggest surprises of the young season, I have two words for you:

John, Buck.

Last offseason, one of the brightest moments for Mets fans was not the signing of John Buck, but rather acquiring star catcher prospect, Travis d’Arnaud. John Buck was signed to the club to simply act as a mentor, and was most likely going to be used as a replacement just to buy development for d’Arnaud in the Minor Leagues.

John Buck is off to a very hot start.

John Buck has done much more than just that, much more.

Through his first 10 games as a Met, Buck is batting .351 with six homeruns and 19 RBIs. Buck has been much more than the Mets could have ever imagined in these first few games.

However, Buck has not been providing all of the offensive numbers. Newly named captain, David Wright, has nine RBIs in his first 10 games and is batting .293. The only disappointment with Wright is that he has yet to hit a homerun. Though I am sure Terry Collins is still happy with is production.

On the other side of the ball, the pitching has been very streaky, mostly because of the lack of depth.

Jonathon Niese and Matt Harvey have both done very well in each of their first three starts of the season.

Through his first three starts to the season, Niese is 2-0 with a modest 3.57 ERA. He has been on the receiving end of great run support and has pitched well against the Padres, Marlins, and Twins.

Matt Harvey has been off to an even hotter start and is making the Mets’ future look very bright. Through his first three starts, Harvey is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA. One thing that has made Harvey so effective has been his ability to strikeout batters. In 22 innings pitched this year, Harvey has 25 strikeouts.

It is fair to say that the Mets have done very well against their opponents with Harvey or Niese on the mound. In fact, in games pitched by either of these pitchers, the Mets are 6-0.  In other words, the Mets are only 1-4 with any other pitcher on the mound.

The back end of the rotation for the Mets has been trouble. With the injury to Santana, the Mets have relied on Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner, and Aaron Laffey to round out the rotation.

The three of them have combined for a 6.46 ERA and are 0-4 in a combined five starts. They have allowed 17 earned runs in 23.2 innings pitched. To say the least, they have struggled.

As I mentioned in my season preview for the Mets, pitching is going to be key, specifically the back end of the rotation. It seems that we know what we are getting from Harvey and Niese. The Mets should be in good shape whenever they are on the mound, however the other three games may be a struggle.

On those nights the Mets bullpen will definitely be relied upon. Luckily the Mets has significantly improved this year. Through the first 10 games, they have a 2.94 ERA and are 2-0.

The good news is that the Mets rotation probably will not get much worse, barring an injury to Niese or Harvey. Free agent acquisition Shaun Marcum threw his first bullpen session earlier this week, which is one of the first steps off of the DL, and Zach Wheeler will probably be called up from the Minor Leagues at some point.

Overall, I think the Mets have looked pretty solid through the first few series. If their top two pitchers can keep it up, they will be in good shape.

Bulls Snap Knicks 13 Game Streak

Posted: April 13, 2013 in Knicks
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After jumping out to a 23-6 lead, the Knicks saw their 13 game winning streak snap as they lost to the Chicago Bulls, 118-111 in overtime.

After winning the first quarter 30-27, the Knicks did not win another quarter, including the overtime game. The big turning point in the game was when the Bulls went on a 19-3 run and were able to go up by three points early in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks were able to keep the game close though, and Carmelo Anthony had a chance to send the Knicks back to New York with a win.  However, at the end of regulation Carmelo missed a jumper, left of the key and sent the game into overtime.

With the streak over, the Knicks sit second in the Eastern Conference with a 51-27 record. With only four games left on the schedule the Knicks are up two games on the Pacers for the second seed, and have one more head to head game left on the schedule.

With their last four opponents of the season being the Cavilers, Pacers, Bobcats, and Hawks, the Knicks will at least get two more wins.

Nate Robinson drops 35 points and helps snap the Knicks 13 game winning streak, a week after snapping the Heat’s 27 game winning streak.

The streak is over, the playoffs are a little over a week away. This 13 game winning streak was the best thing that could have happened for the Knicks. As someone who followed this streak closely, the Knicks showed a lot of good signs and are looking ready to make a good run in the playoffs.

One of the brightest spots of the streak was the production of Iman Shumpert. Since coming back in January from his ACL injury, Shumpert has been improving. January and February were a struggle for Shumpert. He shot 34 percent from the field in January and 26% from the field in February.

For the most part the Knicks win streak lasted ran through March and April. During those two months, Shumpert significantly improved. Shumpert shot 47% from the field in March, and 45% from the field in April.

Shumpert is not going to be a scorer on the Knicks, however he is going to get open shots and is going to need to produce. Most of his production comes on the defensive side of the ball, but having a guy who can shoot over 40 percent over the field is important in an offensive system like the Knicks’.

Another great sign that I saw from the Knicks was their change with style of play. As we saw this season, the way you beat the Heat is by being the more physical team. The addition of Kenyon Martin has made the Knicks a much physical team.

All throughout the year the Knicks have struggled to find a power forward between the injuries to Amare, Kurt Thomas, and Wallace. Though Kenyon Martin has not been injury free since signing his deal, he has made a significant impact on the Knicks and has transformed them from a good team, to a contender in my opinion.

With that being said, the next steps for the Knicks is to first lock up the number two seed, and then get healthy.

Aside from Carmelo Anthony, I will make the argument that Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin are the two most important players if the Knicks want to make a deep postseason run. This is because of their style of play and what they bring to the table.

If the Knicks are able to get healthy for the playoffs, I would not be surprised if this streak is only a sign of things to come.

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