These Are Certainly Not Last Years Knicks

The Knicks have surprised many with their improved play
Photo Credit: Adam Hunger USA Today Sports

The Knicks are five games over their win total from last season and look to be on their way to a major turnaround. The sudden surge of good basketball is the sum of a carefully planned retooling implemented by Phil Jackson, who has preached patience from the moment he arrived in the Big Apple. Here are some of the factors that have lead to the Knicks:

The Rise of Kristaps Porzingis

It wasn't long ago that the New York faithful booed vociferously at the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis as if he were the second coming of Chris Dudley. 44 games in those books have turned to resounding cheers as Knick fans anxiously anticipate every move he makes. Porzingis may only be a rookie, but he has suddenly captivated one of the toughest fan bases in the nation in seemingly one fell swoop. Hopefully he will only get better from here.

Melo sharing the wealth

The days of the Carmelo Anthony total isolation have not quite gone away, but there is much more to it than what many have been accustomed to. at 3.9 assists per game, it may not look like he is accomplishing anything special, however if you've watched the games, Anthony has begun to trust his teammates more and more with each pass. This has lead him to become more of an on court leader, willing the Knicks to greater heights.

New Additions

Arron Afflalo (14.2 pts 3.7 reb 1.8 asts), Derrick Williams (9.0 pts 3.2 reb), Robin Lopez (8.9 pts 6.0 reb), and Kyle O'Quinn (4.7 pts 3.9 reb) have contributed nicely to the new dynamic of the Knicks. Although it did take a few games for them to get comfortable, each have shown the ability to confidently handle themselves on the court in a variety of situations. This has made things much easier for Anthony, who has had to shoulder the scoring load for much of his tenure with the Knickerbockers.

Bench Contributions

Much can be said about the contributions of players such as Lance Thomas, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant. Their hard work and perseverance hasn't gone unnoticed by Derek Fisher as he continually gives them regular minutes off the bench. They say great teams have great benches. If they keep this up, the Knicks will be well on their way to having one of the more superior ones in the NBA.

Improving Eastern Conference

The last decade has not been kind to the East as most of the league's worst clubs have come out of the conference. The Knicks have been no stranger to this as they have found themselves in the doldrums far too often during this span. That is not the case this season as the East has quite a few improved teams who could vie for playoff position with .500 of better records. The increased the level of competition has given the Knicks the a better chance to measure where they are in respect to their opponents.

Stay or Go: The Future of Tom Coughlin and the Giants

 Photo Credit: James Escher       

It has been a tough year to say the least for Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. From the the plethora of injuries to key players, scrutiny regarding his coaching style, and the lack of ability to finish winnable games. These troubles have lead many to call for his removal, arguing that it is time to put a new voice in the locker room. Those sentiments may have some merit as the Giants have failed to perform up their capabilities in the seasons that surround their two Super Bowl victories. However, Giants co-owner John Mara has said that the thin coaching market could leave the team no choice but to keep the second longest tenured coach around a little longer.

Why He Should Stay

Over the past twelve seasons, Tom Coughlin has brought stability to the head coaching position. He’s become a consummate figure of the team and has a great relationship with the front office and Eli Manning. The players have come to respect him as a person and are willing to work hard to earn his trust. What also stands out is the fact that the Giants have only lost ten games in a season twice since he began coaching (2004. 2014). That say a lot about the environment he has put in place, one that gives the team the belief that it can overcome any obstacle to achieve. Combined with two championships, there is reason to feel optimistic about what coughing can bring, despite the struggles Big blue has gone through the past three years.

Why He Should Go

It goes without saying that a team takes on the persona of their head coach, and that's certainly the case for the Giants and Tom Coughlin. When he first arrived Coughlin brought a strict, no nonsense attitude to the foreground. He demanded a disciplined locker room, holding players heavily accountable for even the smallest of infractions. When that style rubbed some people the wrong way, he made an effort to better connect with the roster, becoming a more open minded coach who could level with his players instead of alienating them. This yielded great results as the team claimed two division titles (2008, 2011) and two championships. Unfortunately, Coughlin has now become far too complacent with the way things are and as a result, the team has fallen short of expectations. From his rather stubborn and outdated running style, failure (until recently) to grasp a new offense concept, and the mismanagement of games in the 4th quarter there is real concern that 30+ year coaching veteran has finally lost his touch with the game.

New York Giants: Analyzing through the Bye

Now that the bye week has come and gone, the Giants find themselves with a small cushion the East and the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. Matchups against some of the stingiest defenses in the league could prove to be more than a challenge for a team that has shown some inconsistency. However, should history repeat itself the tough loss to New England could be the stepping stone Big Blue needs to persevere and get back to the playoffs.

Pros

The defense showed a lot of fight against the Patriots as they were able to lay a few hits on Tom Brady, something they haven't done much of this season. That trend will need to continue over these next six weeks if they want any chance of winning those tough games. Hopefully the defensive line is emboldened by their performance

Perhaps the most impressive defensive statistic the team has is the 22 turnovers it has forced. Despite the various shortcomings they have gone through, the very fact that the Giants lead the NFL in this category definitely leaves room for optimism going forward.

Odell Beckham seems to be making the most of his second season, dispensing talk of the dreaded sophomore jinx that many believed would grab him. His 868 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns rank in the top 10 and with six weeks left, there is little doubt that he will place himself in the upper echelon of active wideouts by seasons end.

It's been a solid year thus far for Eli Manning as he has thrown for 2700 yards with 21 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Now that he has the jist of  Ben McAdoo's offense, he is poised to post even better numbers going forward. While there have been some hiccups along the way (mainly poor late game playcalling) things couldn't be better for Eli and company.

Cons

The injury bug has bit once again this season as the Giants have continually had to shuffle the deck in order to fill several roles (especially on defense). Many hopes that the team would be able to stave this off, However, that turned out to be mere wishful thinking.

The loss of Victor Cruz to calf surgery is a debilitating blow to the hopes of a Beckham-Cruz tandem that could have taken the NFL by storm. Including last season, Cruz will now miss a year and a half of football, which could be detrimental to his overall game if he cannot return to the form he once had. One can only hope for the best for the two-time pro bowler.

Yankees Hot Stove 2015

The Yankees began the offseason with the acquisition of Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher John Ryan Murphy. Though the club is not expected to spend big in free agency, there are still some low key moves that could be made to improve the roster. Here are some of the positions they can improve and the players they could target.

Bench

The Yankee bench could use an upgrade after they watched it's strong start to 2015 tail off by the season's midpoint. With aging players such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Carlos Beltran it will be important to sure up the bench so they can stay fresh for the duration. There are young players like Heathcott, Bird, and Judge waiting in the wings, which gives the club some flexibility to make a less glamorous move.

Potential Targets: Will Venable, Alejandro De Aza, Matt Joyce, Munenori Kawasaki

Bullpen

Outside of the final month, the Yankees bullpen shined once again this season. The combination of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller proved to be formidable, along with the development of Justin Wilson and Chasen Shreve (despite his late season struggles). Adding a third arm would be most beneficial as it would allow Girardi to cut down on the innings of a pitch like Betances whom lead has lead all relievers with 174 inning pitched out of the pen. There are rumors that Cashman could go after Craig Kimbrel of the Padres, a player he sought to acquires at the July trade deadline or Aroldis Chapman of the Reds. If those moves are too risky there are other options that could fit the need.

Potential Targets: Tyler Clippard, Jason Motte, Eric O'Flaherty, Joakim Soria, Mark Lowe

Starter

C.C. Sabathia's status on the team appears to be set for now. However, there is no guarantee he will come back and truly be effective after his stint in rehabilitation for alcohol abuse. That leaves the Yankees in a bit of a pickle as to what to do with that spot in the rotation. Should things not work out in enough time and Sabathia has to miss a period of time (or potentially the entire season) the Yankees will need to fill the void quickly. Preliminary talks of a Brett Gardner trade to Seattle could bring them a pitcher that can use, but nothing has happened on that front as of yet. 

Potential Targets: Brett Anderson, J.A. Happ, Tim Lincecum, Mike leake, Brandon Morrow

New York Giants: Analyzing through week 8

After exercising their Dallas Cowboy demons in week 7, the team found itself on the losing end of a historic offensive shootout in New Orleans. The Giants still sit atop the NFC East at 4-4, but things could get interesting as the team has matchups with Patriots, Panthers, and Jets in the coming weeks. This will certainly be a test of the teams merritt and resiliency, one that will either make or break the outcome of the season.

Pros

The offense struggled to get much going against Dallas, However it had no problems in the Big Easy as Eli and the Giants were able to move up and down the field seemingly at will. This is a great sign that the poor performance against their division foes were perhaps an abrupt aberration. If this torrid pace can continue and add a player like Victor Cruz, the sky is definitely the limit for Big Blue.

Dwayne Harris cam on strong in both weeks as he had a game breaking kickoff return score against his former team and two touchdown catches in New Orleans. He's done a nice job filling in the gaps for the offense and should see the ball a lot more gong forward.

Dominique Rodgers Cromartie has been the lone bright spot on a struggling defense. He's done everything he can to he;p, but just can't seem to get anyone else to step up with him. Cromartie is definitely earning his keep out there, so one con't help but imagine what the team would be like without him.

Cons

The Giants defense had a tumultuous two weeks as it surrendered 233 rushing yards against Dallas and 608 total yards to the Saints. With those kinds of numbers going against them, it's safe to say that the defense is completely broken. Jason Pierre-Paul is on his way back, but it's doubtful that his impact will mean anything if this ugly trend continues.

Though there has been improvement, the running game hasn't seen the boost it was supposed to get with the revamped offensive line. The Giants have only managed one 100 yard game this season and are averaging just 94.5 yard per game (27th in the league). Hopefully as the line begins gel the ground game will take off, but for now it's just not enough.

New York Giants: Analyzing the first six weeks

After six weeks the Giants have been pretty fair, but there is still a lot of work to do
Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch USA Today Sports

It's been a season of ups and downs so far as the Giants find themselves in the middle of what is shaping up to be a tightly contested division. Despite their troubles, the team has managed a 3-3 record keeping hope that one good stretch could make all the difference. With 11 games left to play, there is still a lot of room for improvement and a good chance to make headway in the NFC East

Pros

The offense has looked much better than last season, averaging 392 yards per game. Though it has had its moments of tribulation, the outlook for the year seems pretty good. Once Victor Cruz is healthy and ready to go, there is no doubt the dynamic of the offense will shift dramatically in the team favor.

Eli Manning has been under a lot of scrutiny over  the course of his career because of his propensity for turnovers. His 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through six weeks suggests he has gotten those problems under control (though he still has his moments). In fact, his 66% completion percentage and 94 passer rating has him on pace to put up the most efficient numbers of his career. Hopefully Eli can continue to show this growth as the season continues because as he does, so will the Giants.

Outside of the last two games the Giants run defense has held its own holding opponents to 93.5 yds per game (6th best in the NFL). After two years of watching opponents run up and down the heart of the line, this was an area of focus that has paid some dividends.

Cons

The Giants have just eight team sacks this season, placing them near the bottom of the league in a category they once dominated. The defensive line has failed to get any pressure on the quarterback, leaving the  rest of the defense vulnerable. Unless something drastic happens, this will continue to be the achilles heel that keeps hurting them.

Compounding matters, the Giants are the defense in the league against the pass, yielding nearly 300 yards per game (3rd worst). Despite forcing 11 turnovers, it doesn't appear the team has been able to generate a deterrent for opposing quarterbacks.

In what seems to be a recurring theme, injuries have hampered the teams ability to find any type of consistency. Too many key layers have gone down each week, forcing the team to scramble and find replacements. Is it the Giants just getting flat out unlucky? or should the strength and conditioning staff be held responsible? Nevertheless, football has and always will be a violent and physical game, so injuries are bound to occur, but if you're a Giants fan this has to be getting at bit monotonous.

New York Yankees - Season in Review

The 2015 season came to disappointing finish after a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Game. Despite this disappointment, the Yankees still managed to accomplish a lot more than many expected of them this season. Here are some of the Yankees biggest surprises and disappointments of the year.

Surprises

Nathan Eovaldi was acquired by the Yankees to fill the vacant hole in the rotation coming into the season and many were skeptical if h could viably contribute to the club. Those sentiments were erased when he lead the team in wins and established himself as the most effective pitcher out in the rotation for most of the second half. If it were not for an inflamed elbow, the Yankees may have stood a much greater chance to win the AL East.

Alex Rodriguez was not expected to be a contributing factor this year, especially since he had missed an entire year of baseball after his suspension in 2014. Not only did he lead the club in homers (33) he also brought a stable right handed bat to the offense. Unfortunately his hitting slowed down tremendously in August and September, most likely to to his age and missed time. Nonetheless, Rodriguez certainly was a bright spot no one saw coming.

The appearance of young prospects Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Rob Refsnyder, and Slade Heathcott is a major plus for a once devoid farm system. It's a far cry from years past when the Yankees would have traded them away for a marquee player. Hopefully this is a sign that the team is ready to begin the process of building a contender from within, which history has shown could work out very well in the years to come.

Didi Gregorius had a rough beginning to his Yankee career as he hit .238 through the first half to go along with one too many errors at short. However, after making a few adjustments (and a pep talk from Derek Jeter) he was able to put together a stout second half hitting .295 (second on the team behind Beltran) and flashed a much steadier glove. If this is a sign of things to come, Didi may just carve out a place for himself on the roster for the foreseeable future.

The Yankees found a great bullpen tandem in Betances and Miller, one that was nearly untouchable for the first two months. If Miller had been healthy in June and Betances had not been so overworked, they could have easily carried the Yankees to few more crucial wins which may have helped decide the division

Disappointments

Brett Gardner had as big of an up and down year as one could imagine. After hitting .302 through mid-July and earning an All Star nod, he completely bottomed out in the second half. His .206 average and high strikeout propensity through September caused fans to grow very impatient and agitated as they was showered with resentment in the final game.

Everything was going quite well for Mark Teixeira, He had 31 home runs, and was poised to put up the fantastic numbers, Unfortunately, that did not come to pass as a fateful foul tip fractured his leg, ending his season. These untimely injuries have become far too frequent for the five time gold glover and it has to equally as frustrating to the team as it is for him. He will certainly need lady luck on his side in 2016, or the Yankees could turn to Greg Bird as the everyday player much sooner than one may think.

Despite hitting 17 home runs, the 32 year old infielder Stephen Drew struggled to hit .200 all season long. There were many times where he looked completely lost at the plate, leaving many Yankee faithful wondering why he was still on the roster. Joe Girardi put his faith in Drew from the start of spring training, which did annoy some fans who believed Refsnyder should have been given the opportunity. After a concussion brought his season to an end, it may be time to move on to a younger, more stable counterpart.

It wasn't a season to remember for CC Sabathia as he won just six games to 4.73 ERA, only looking better in the final month. To add to things, he has entered alcohol rehab for an issue that unfortunately reared it's ugly head this year. With so much invested in him through 2017 ($48 million with a $25 million option), the Yankees hope that Sabathia can work through his personal troubles and bounce back in a big way next season.

Yankees - Week 26

After a two year absence, the Yankees will make their return to October baseball when they host the Houston Astros in the one game wild card round. Despite the struggles the team had in the final weeks, New York will get it postseason baseball back. Can they come together and make a strong push for their 28th championship? Or will the pressure of the bright lights weigh down of them. One things for certain, all eyes will be on Masahiro Tanaka, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran as he looks to prove he's the big game players the Yankees hoped they would be when they signed them.

The Good

The Yankees secured their 10,000th victory as a franchise, becoming the 6th team to reach this milestone. For a team with such an illustrious  history and winning tradition, it was only a matter of time until they added this to their extensive mantle of achievements.

The Bad

Things did not go well for the Yankees bullpen in September as it compiled an ERA of nearly 5 in the month. The combination of overuse and loss of confidence seems to have reared its ugly head at the worst possible time, especially with the playoffs coming up. 

The offense did a disappearing act over the final week of the season as they struggled to get timely hits in important games. There is no room for error when the stakes are high, so if this trend continues the Yankees could be looking at an early exit to the postseason.

Chasen Shreve has had a miserable final month as his performance kept deteriorating with each outing. What's more alarming is Girardi's consistent use of him in key situation, despite his struggles. With the season riding in the balance, it may be best to leave Shreve off of the roster for the wild card round, otherwise they could run the risk of hurting their chances in a winner take all game.