Key Things The Islanders Must Do To Get Back In The Hunt

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Add Another Defenseman (or Defensive minded wing)

The Islanders defense has been shaky at best thus far and must improve as soon as possible. The signing of Stephen Gionta is a start, but there will need to be more additions if the team hopes to get three steady and reliable defensive lines. The loss of hardnosed wing Matt Martin to free agency seems to be playing a big factor and it is imperative that the team collectively makes up for it. Hopefully it starts with Gionta.

Find A True Place for Andrew Ladd

Ladd was the big free agent pick up the Islanders made in hopes of adding another goal scorer to the top line. However, that hasn't been the case as Ladd is marred in a scoring slump which has relegated him to the fourth line. If the team want to see this signing pan out they must find place to put him where he will be able to adequately contribute. With just 7 points (4 Goals and 3 Assists) the 11-year veteran has feel like he is failing the team that has such high hopes for him and that needs to change.

Get John Tavares Some Help

With Andrew Ladd having his difficulties, a lot of the weight id getting placed on John Tavares’s shoulders. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done as the Islander captain try as he might, can't seem to get the team going. This is where other player must step up to provide a lift that could start a nice wave of momentum the team could really use right now. JT is too valuable to the Islanders to be let down now, especially after the promise he has shown over the last few seasons.

Trade Jaroslav Halak

The Islander are currently carrying three goaltenders, which is one too many in my book. After Halak expressed frustrations over the current rotation, the team placed him on the trading block and have left it alone ever since. The lack of a stable starter is clearly affecting the play of all three goalies as the Islanders have the third highest goals against average (3.09) in the NHL. Moving Halak would be a great benefit to the team competitive spirit. Most especially Thomas Greiss, whom has been the best of the three earning him the right to lay claim to the starting role.

Start Thinking About a Coaching Change

The season is not starting how anyone planned and many are calling for Jack Capuano's removal, but a decision of that magnitude will be up to management. He's had some success in his six seasons as the Islanders head couch, his most impressive achievement being the three playoff appearances and first series win since 1993. That alone will make it difficult to look beyond him, but if the Islanders want to get over the hump and into Stanley Cup contention, a change at the helm may be what's best. For the team’s future. 

Giants: 3 Areas of Concern Heading Into The Final Weeks

Offensive Line

The Giants O-Line has been very inconsistent all season and with 4 weeks to go there must be drastic improvement. Penalties and assignment lapses have plagued the unit, with most of the ire drawn towards second year left tackle Ereck Flowers. His undisciplined technique has not only exposed Manning's blindside to skilled pass rushers, it has also caused drives to stall out due to lost yards from his untimely miscues. Many are clamoring for the Giants to shift him to right where he would stand a better chance at succeeding but at this juncture, things must be taken for what they are. Flowers is not the only struggling lineman as both Bobby Hart and John Jerry have had their share of trouble staying away from costly mstakes as well. With a playoff spot on the line, only thing that matters is results and the 5 men that make the offense go have to recognize that immediately.

Jason Pierre-Paul's Injury

Just as Pierre-Paul looked to be rounding back into form, a sports hernia will now cost him the rest of the season. This leaves the Giants Defensive line without one of its skilled pass rushers and play disruptors. One must hope that the "next man up" mentality holds well as JPP's backups will have task that could be a tall order ahead of them. Expect opponents to put a lot of double teams on Oliver Vernon to minimize that havok he can cause, which could have dire effects on the Giants vaunted front.

Lack of Targets for Cruz and Shepard

In back-to-back weeks, the Giants offense failed to target on their main receivers for an entire game (Shepard in week 12 and Cruz in week 13). That in and of itself is inexplicable as so many believed that having two skilled pass catchers around Beckham Jr. would open the offense.  Whatever the reasoning, it needs to change immediately if the Giants want the offense to finally come out of its season long malaise. 

How Porzingis Can Make The Jump To The Next Level

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Improve Defensive IQ

Porzingis has shown that he is a formidable rim protector that can bother the shot of anyone that drives toward the basket. However, he still must learn to stay out of early foul trouble which has been a rather consistent problem in his young career. This can be attributed to him being a bit overzealous while forgetting while how big he is, something that can be straightened out within his learning curve. 

Mastering the Post

Many of the great big men in NBA history had incredible post games that help make them the legends we know as today (Chamberlain, Russell, Ewing, Olajuwon, Duncan). Porzingis has the skill set to master the techniques, but still needs to become a little more comfortable with using them. A player with his perimeter touch could become a nightmare for opponents if he can develop an equally impressive game down in the blocks. 

Adjusting to Defenders

One of the things that Porzingis has improved upon this season is his recognition of who is defending him. He is no long getting terribly bother by smaller players, often using his height to his advantage by shooting over them with ease. If he can learn how to better position himself on the court (something he's slowly improving) he will open an array of shooting areas for him to dominate a game offensively.

Taking the Reigns

The recent discussions in the sport would have wondered if the Knicks should hand the team over to Porzingis. While that may be the case soon, the team still belongs to Carmelo Anthony. That doesn’t mean that Kristaps cannot seek to gain valuable knowledge on how to become a leader. When the time come, many will look to him to be the driving force that helps lead New York to a championship. Something he has said that he's ready to embrace. The sky is the limit for the 21-year old Latvian product and if he can improve on these areas and then some, the Knicks and the NBA could be looking at a superstar.