New Knicks Shine In Debut

Madison Square Garden had reclaimed an electric atmosphere, reminiscent to that of a playoff series as the Knicks defeated the Bucks 114-108 last night with Carmelo Anthony leading the way.

 Melo didn't disappoint, dropping 27 points and gathering 10 boards, recording a double-double in his Orange and Blue Debut. However, Anthony seemed tense throughout the game, finding the back of the rim more often than the basket(shot 10 for 25). Regardless, Carmelo earned his stripes in the 4th quarter, icing the game with few clutch shots that had the Garden ready to explode with jubilation over their new superstar.

Chauncey Billups, the forgotten piece that also came from Denver, had a very nice debut with the Knickerbockers as well. Scoring 21 points and dishing out 8 assists, but the most pleasant surprise from Wednesday night, was an old favorite Toney Douglas erupting for 23 points, keeping the Knicks in control for the majority of the game.

The bad news is, the Knicks looked unfamiliar with each other at times and definitely need more time to gel and create a stronger chemistry. The good news, despite the above, the Knicks still won the game, showing the talent they have amassed can be as potent as any team in the league after they've garnered more trust for one another.

Knicks At Cavaliers Friday at 7

Carmelo Apple!

Last night the Carmelo Anthony drama finally ended after 7 months of frustration when the Nuggets star was traded to the Knicks after being unhappy with his situation in Denver.

Various amounts of moving pieces in this 3 team deal.

Knicks receive: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman from the Nuggets. As well as Corey Brewer from the T-wolves.

Nuggets receive: Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, and a 2014 1st round pick from the Knicks.

T-Wolves receive: Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry.

Lots of analysts continue to complain about the boatload of talent the Knicks had to give up in order to land Melo and contest that the Knicks have hurt themselves. Most of those comments however are misguided in my eyes because of the following.

Felton vs Billups - Though Billups may be up in age he still averages about the same amount of points as Felton and has tremendous championship experience, While Felton was never part of the Knicks long term plans in the first place.

Gallinari and Chandler were very nice players for the Knicks organization, but Carmelo has more value than both if them, as he is a 30 point-a-night player. Renaldo Balkman was a former Knick who played excellent for his time at MSG, will fill out the bench with Williams, Brewer, and Carter. Mozgov was never any good besides a couple decent games, the Knicks won't miss him at all.

Bottomline: The Knicks added a major superstar to team up with Amare, despite giving up some talent to get him they replaced the gap pretty well. Also opening the door for Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Dwight Howard to join the Knicks next year thus completing the master piece of the "Knicks Big 3" Hey, NY might even make some noise in the playoffs this year.

Melo Knick debut , tomorrow at 7 vs Milwaukee

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NBA 2nd Half Outlook

Let's take a look at the Eastern Conference as whole at this time during ALL-STAR Weekend. As the standings have taken a much mature form, it's evident that 5 teams are elite in the East, that being the Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, and the Hawks. After that it looks to be a steep drop off in talent with the Knicks being the closest (6 games behind Atlanta). Creating strong evidence the East is still JV compared to the West.

EASTERN		W	L	PCT	GB

1

Boston

40

14

.741

-

2

Miami

41

15

.732

-

3

Chicago

38

16

.704

2

4

Orlando

36

21

.632

5 ½

5

Atlanta

34

21

.618

6 ½

6

New York

28

26

.519

12

7

Philadelphia

27

29

.482

14

8

Indiana

24

30

.444

16

______________________________

Charlotte

24

32

.429

17

Milwaukee

21

34

.382

19 ½

Detroit

21

36

.368

20 ½

Favorite to win East : It has to be the Boston Celtics, very hard to go against the defending Conference champs. The emergence of Rajon Rondo as a superstar rather than a role player has without a doubt bolstered this ageing squad of veterans and in the process creating a nice mix of youth and experience, no wonder they're at the top of the Conference.

Donato's Prediction: The Miami Heat started the season 9-8 and looked like a selfish group of superstars thrown together on a court. Since that time they've gotten their act together going 32-7. All they needed was some time to gel, what team doesn't? The pure talent of Lebron, D-Wade, and the highly overrated Chris Bosh, should put the Heat in the finals despite the ongoing circus act taking place in Dade County.

Dark Horse: The team nobody has been alluding to throughout the entirety of the season, yet they sit comfortably at 3rd in the Conference, just 2 games behind the Heat and the Celtics. The Chicago Bulls seem to be quietly relishing the disrespected underdog role. This could make them extremely dangerous in May and June. Derrick Rose, who has been quietly winning the MVP race, has carried the Bulls for most of the 1st half with injuries to the supporting cast, notably Joakim Noah. A healthy Bulls team down the stretch could mean Chicago's first return to the Finals since the days of Air Jordan.

Surprise Playoff Team: The Knicks seem to be ever closer to bringing Carmelo to New York, despite conflicting reports about New Jersey now having the upper hand. If the Knicks can land this colossal star, they sure as heck won't be an easy out come playoff time. The combination of Amare and Carmelo would be scary good, and thus have the Knicks poised to make a playoff run.

_____________________________________________________

The Western Conference is bit more grouped together in terms of the talent of the teams. Despite this, the Spurs seem to be running away with the top seed, raise your hand if you saw that coming....exactly. This is only the tip of the Iceberg of surprises that make up the West. That includes the Lakers who look bored and discombobulated up to this point, as well as the Dallas Mavericks who have been wise as to the construction of their team, which is paying dividends now allowing them to also be a pleasant surprise.

WESTERN

W

L

PCT

GB

1

San Antonio

46

10

.821

-

2

Dallas

40

16

.714

6

3

LA Lakers

38

19

.667

8 ½

4

Oklahoma City

35

19

.648

10

5

Portland

32

24

.571

14

6

New Orleans

33

25

.569

14

7

Denver

32

25

.561

14 ½

8

Utah

31

26

.544

15 ½

__________________________________

Memphis

31

26

.544

15 ½

Phoenix

27

27

.500

18

Golden State

26

29

.473

19 ½

Houston

26

31

.456

20 ½

Favorite to win West: Could it be anymore obvious? The Spurs own the league best record at 46-10 and   appear to steamroll their competition night in and night out. Tim Duncan shows he still is dominant big man and an absolute force in the paint, while Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker continue to be EXCELLENT compliments to the squad.

Donato's Prediction: The Los Angeles Lakers, we go through this every single year. Will the Lakers return? blah blah blah. Yes they will. Kobe Bryant is the fiercest competitor in the NBA and nothing will stop him from trying to tie Jordan's legendary 6 rings. The Lakers appear dull right now, unsatisfied with inferior competition, more than not it has to do with the fact they're just itching for the playoffs to start, the defending champs will be back in the finals.

Dark Horse:  The Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki having another stellar season but it's not just him. Just like Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd is showing he also is still capable of performing at a high level. Couple that with the rebounding ability of Tyson Chandler and the Mavericks look pretty damn good, not to mention the impressive young player from France Rodrigue Beaubois makes this squad even more deadly.

Surprise Playoff Team: The Oklahoma City Thunder. Many thought last year they might have been able to upset the Lakers in the first round, that didn't come to fruition however. This year, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka are all one year older and have taken the Northwest Division by storm. Sitting at 4th in the Conference and a home playoff series awaiting them, the Thunder may have gotten the spring board they need to shock the NBA world.

Knicks 1st Half Recap, 2nd Half Outlook

Inconsistent, the best way to describe the first 54 games the Knicks have played in the 2010-2011 campaign, none the less still a major improvement for the Knickerbockers compared to the past 6 years.

Residing at 28-26 , 6th overall in the Eastern Conference, 2nd overall in the Atlantic Division. The Knicks seem to be the epitome of mediocrity heading into the All-Star Break.

By dissecting the first half stats it's easy to see the fault that has stymied the Knicks from joining the upper tier of teams in the NBA , that being the lack luster defensive performances that have plagued them all season long. New York allows the second largest amount of opposing points per game with an average of 105.8, topping only the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. Ironically in return, the Knicks have scored more points than any other team in the league besides the Denver Nuggets at 106.2. The Offensive production is what has carried the team all season while the defense has held the team back.

This now puts into question whether signing Carmelo Anthony actually helps the squad, the Knicks don't seem to need more firepower, but instead seem to long for the help of hardworking defenders who are willing to do the dirty work down in the low block. Just some food for thought? The Knicks would still benefit greatly from the services of Anthony and would be fools to blow the opportunity.

Best Surprise: Rookie from Stanford Landry Fields, an instant favorite at Madison Square Garden. Fields brings immense intangibles to the squad and acts as the proverbial glue to the Knicks team. Averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds a game, Fields has catapulted himself to the top of the Rookie Of The Year race.

MVP: An obvious no-brainer, Amare Stoudemire is clearly the heart and soul of this Knicks team, leading them in Points, Rebounds, and Blocks. This is why he was brought to the Big Apple, to carry the team on his back until the front office is able to add some help.

Worst Loss: 101-98 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 22nd. Although New York was in control most of the game, Kevin Durant broke the Knicks hearts by draining a 3 pointer as time expired to win the game, dropping 30 Points in the process, devastating New York.

Best Win: 128-115 over the league best San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs entered the game with a record of 29-4, but when the left the Garden they had collected their 5th loss of the season. Wilson Chandler led the way with 31 points, as the Knicks out hustled and outplayed the Spurs the entire game eventually breaking the will of San Antonio as well as sending a message to the rest of the league that the Knicks are here to compete in 2011.

Bottom Line: With 28 games left to play , Amare Stoudemire cannot be relied on to carry the club the rest of the way, despite his MVP like performance, he's been overworked an appears to be breaking down after injuring his toe. A second super star is needed in the form of Carmelo, instantly it would give NY league wide credibility with 2 superstars on the floor at the same time, as well as opening the door to land another blockbuster free agent in the summer like Chris Paul , Derron Williams, or Tony Parker.

2nd Half Outlook: Ultimately I think Carmelo Anthony will be traded before February 24th to the Knicks, thus vastly improving a so-so squad of basketball players outside of Amare, it will take some time to gel but the team will be better without a doubt, and more likely than not, be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

Projected Record : 46-36, 6th in Eastern Conference, 2nd in Atlantic Division

Panic in Yankee Universe?

Underdogs? In The Bronx? Unheard of right? Wrong.

All is not well in the land of 27 rings, an eerie uncertainty hangs in the air from Jersey to River Avenue on the cusp of this brand new season.

The Yanks are fielding the same exact 95 win team from 2010, all one year older, and minus one of their best starting pitchers. A 2010 team that quite frankly paled in comparison to the 2009 Juggernaut that claimed the title. Meanwhile, in Beantown, the Red Sox's have had a tremendous offseason, signing Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, further frustrating every fan with an interlocking NY cap, as if being unable to sign Cliff Lee wasn't enough,  Yankee fans must now deal with the fact that Boston has a better team in 2011.

As a result the Yanks now find themselves...almost vulnerable, as pitchers and catchers reported for the first time today, the Yankees ONLY reliable starter and ace of the staff C.C. Sabathia seemed uncertain about his future and gave hints of opting out of his contract at the end of the season.

Definitely not the usual start to Spring Training the Yankees are used to, before you hit the panic button, let's look at the team as a whole shall we. The offense scored more runs than any team in major league baseball last year, so putting runs on the board surely won't be an issue for the Bombers. The Bullpen, already was decent, but now can arguably be put among the best, with the additions of Rafael Soriano and Pedro Feliciano solidifying the back end. The Starting rotation, the MAJOR OUCH for the Yankees and can ultimately be the downfall of the team this year.

1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Phil Hughes
3. A.J. Burnett (yuck)
4. Ivan Nova ( barely tested)
5. Sergio Mitre ( yuck)

^This is where the Yankees are going to deeply miss Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee and perhaps turn them from a 95 win team to a 89-90 win team fighting to just reach the postseason.

The fate hangs in the balance of Yankees GM Brian Cashman, will he go after somebody before the trade deadline? The bottom line, the Yankees need another arm DESPERATELY, and the likes of Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, and Mark Prior aren't going to help.

Lakers 113, Knicks 96, Live Blogging 2.11.11

End of 1st Quarter - Lakers 30, Knicks 28, Kobe looking set to erupt for another classic Madison Square Garden performance dropping 19 at the end of the 1st quarter. L.A. dominating the Knicks so far on the boards out rebounding them 13 to 6. Despite the above, early Laker turnovers and Knick fastbreak points gave them an early 8 point lead and are a paramount reason for them only being down a bucket.

End of 2nd Quarter - Lakers 62, Knicks 48,  Amare Stoudemire continues to be virtually non existent, at least compared to Kobe, just 12 points to Bryant's 23. Turnovers are the story of the 2nd quarter, especially for the Knicks, sloppy ball handling and poor choices, have given L.A. multiple extra possessions and boy have they capitalized, shooting 54% from the field and continue to beat the Knicks on the glass, all that adds up to a 14 point Laker lead at halftime, outscoring the Knicks by double digits this quarter. Look for Amare to get more involved in the 2nd half. Raymond Felton can't do it all by himself, the Knicks high man with 16 points.

End of 3rd Quarter - Lakers 85, Knicks 68, a 17 point Laker advantage after 3 quarters, mainly due to the absolutely dreadful 37% shooting of the Knicks, shooting 3-15 from 3 point range doesn't help either. Kobe continues to be...well Kobe. 33 points for him. The Knicks got within 9 midway through the quarter but the continuous sloppy play led to them falling apart towards the end of the period. Rally time at the Garden.

End of 4th Quarter - Final Score - Lakers 113, Knicks 96 - For the 2nd straight game, and quite frankly as of late, the Knicks looked silly on their home floor. 11 losses in their last 15 games. (Carmelo Anyone?). This game simply can be broken down in one way. That would be the inability of the Knicks to put the ball in the basket, you can't expect to win when you shoot 35-85, just woeful . The failure of Amare to match Kobe was also a deciding factor. The Lakers are just flat out better than New York without question and it really showed tonight, outgunned and outmatched were the Knicks. Unable to compete with NBA's elite once again, this is truly the calling card to bring Carmelo to NY.

Melo Update

Currently the Knicks sit 6th in the Eastern Conference at 26-24. Do they need Carmelo? Perhaps. Donnie Walsh remains hesitant especially since Melo Gave the Knicks all the leverage in the world by stating his extreme desire to play in New York. So why give up Danillo/Fields when you can get him for nothing in the Summer? That's the current mindset Donnie presumably has. His view may need to change drastically though if the Knicks faithful would like to see Anthony in Blue and Orange as the Lakers have now joined the fray. Apparently L.A. is looking to build a deal around the frequently injured Andrew Bynum, rumor has it the front office is divided on this plan though. This should make the next 16 days quite eventful leading up the February 24th trade deadline.

Super Bowl XLV Recap

A rather Anticlimactic Super Bowl to say the least. Despite the final score being close , zero lead changes occurred coupled with the utter failure of Ben Roethlisberger trying to move the ball on the last possession, really made for a disappointing Super Bowl. The truth is, we've really been spoiled these past couple years, the last three Super Bowl's gave us everything we could have ever wanted from the late game heroics of David Tyree, Larry Fitzgerald, Santonio Holmes, and Tracy Porter, as well as the trick plays and the overall willingness from both sides to try and win the ball game. Don't get me wrong, this Super Bowl was alright, and far from terrible, well except for Christina Aguilera. MVP Aaron Rodgers played as perfect as you can on the biggest stage in football, resembling Joe Montana and Steve Young with some of the best QB play in Super Bowl history. The Packers have some nice pieces in place to return here next year, Pittsburgh however looks vulnerable to the common "Super Bowl Hangover", maybe leaving Baltimore to win the division? Overall , Green Bay deserves the Lombardi Trophy, though they're record may not show it, they were the best team in the NFL this year, Vince Lombardi would be Proud.

** Technichal difficulties prevented me from uploading the Super Bowl preview video of Robby Hoffman and I, however,  more videos will be present in the future. **

Dandy Andy Retiring

Andy Pettitte will call it quits after 16 major league seasons, 13 spent with the Yanks. One of the most lovable and classy Yankees of the modern era for sure, will in all likely hood be enshrined in Cooperstown when all said and done, with a career of  240 wins and 3.88 ERA.

 This now REALLY puts the Yankee starting rotation in complete disarray with the start of the regular season looming in 2 months. CC and Phil Hughes remain the Yankees only sturdy starting pitchers, leaving the absolute crap shoot of A.J. Burnett, Joba Chamberlain, and Sergio Mitre to perhaps fill out the final 3 spots. The young Ivan Nova however should help the rotation, provided he duplicate his debut season. It's inevitable though the Yankees will call up either Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, or Mark prior whom they all signed this offseason to help bolster the shaky rotation. They're going to need all the help they can get with Boston's new bats lurking in the division.

RAY-ja Vu

Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez return to the American League East, but not to play for the Yanks or Sox. The longtime pals have reunited to play ball for the Rays down in Tampa Bay. Clearly desperate for an offseason move after losing Matt Garza, Carl Crawford, and Rafael Soriano this winter, the Rays officially announced the signing of the two veterans yesterday. Many thought it would be a two horse race between the Yankees and Red Sox up until yesterday, but now it's evident the Rays will make it a three team contest for the division crown once again. However, neither player still has the ability to play the outfield at a professional level, thus handicapping Tampa with just the possibility of having two Designated Hitters. Make no mistake , the defending AL East champs will still compete in 2011.