Carmelo Re-signs with Knicks
By Brett Malamud
Carmelo Anthony has announced on thisismelo.com that he has re-signed with the New York Knicks. The 30 year old chose New York over Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Carmelo Anthony will head back to the Big Apple
Let’s get this straight, the news comes as a huge blow to Chicago and a huge sigh of relief in New York. Knicks president Phil Jackson pushed hard to retain Anthony, and keep him away from his other options. Phil needed Carmelo and honestly, Carmelo needed Phil. The Knicks were Melo’s best option for teaming up next season with a big name free agent. Speaking of free agents, Melo was spotted with Kevin Love and Kevin Durant at UCLA a few days ago. Love and Durant will be free agents in 2015 and 2016, respectfully. You can bet that Carmelo was in their ear about a possible change of scenery for them. With an attractive option like the Big Apple, Phil will continue to recruit into the future but for now, Knicks fans can rejoice. Their top dog is on his way back.
Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
The Three Major Questions Heading Into Tonight’s NBA Draft Plus Mock Draft 2014
By Nick Guy
- What will Cleveland do?
The choices seem to be down to three: Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins or Trade out. While nobody would ever imagine trading out of the first pick in a draft where there are such high ceiling players, we ARE talking about the Cavs. One rumor has the Orlando Magic offering the 4th and 12th picks plus scoring forward Aron Afflalo. If Cleveland is truly in love with Joel Embiid this might make some sense as they could try to add Embiid with the 4th pick and add a second lottery pick and a good player in return. On the other hand if Embiid’s injury problems are chronic and Wiggins or Parker turn out to be…well you know the rest. As for Parker, there are rumors swirling that he wants no part of Cleveland and would be much happier in Milwaukee. If I am the Cavs I would not listen to anyone or anything and just take the best player, pair him with Kyrie Irving and move on. In my eyes that would be Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has the most upside of anyone in the draft and will be a future star in the league.
- Where will Joel Embiid land?
Is Embiid’s injury bad timing or good timing? Depends who you ask. I would say bad timing for Joel Embiid but maybe lucky timing for the Cavs? As the draft banter has progressed in the last month or so all I kept hearing was Embiid was going first to the Cavs who were drooling at his potential. My thoughts? Always take the best player which to me means Andrew Wiggins 1st, Jabari Parker 2nd and Joel Embiid 3rd. I wondered if Cavs management had been stuck in a cave for the past 30 years and never heard the stories of Sam Bowie and Michael Jordan or Greg Oden and Kevin Durant? Is it possible they would pass on Wiggins and Parker to pick the injury prone big man with potential? Bad timing for Philly who at pick number 3 had to be giddy in thinking the Cavs would leave them Wiggins or Parker. How lucky can Cleveland be? First they come all the way up to win the lottery and snag the 1st pick and then an injury might actually force them to take the best player? WOW!! With that said, please understand that this is not to denigrate Joel Embiid who is an exceptional prospect. Just not the top prospect. So where does he land? I think the highest spot he could go is 3rd. The 76ers will choose between Embiid and Dante Exum or possibly maneuver within the top 6 or 7 with someone who will take a shot at Embiid. I don’t think he will last past Boston at number 6 and the teams most involved seem to be the 76ers, Celtics, Lakers and Magic.
Look for Joel Embiid to go in that 3-6 range in tonight’s NBA Draft (Via USA Today)
- How will LeBron and Melo’s free agency impact the draft?
When you are chasing free agents of this magnitude there are always two things to remember. First, the more cap room you have the better off you are and second, only one team gets them and the rest are left in limbo. So what does this mean for the draft? Teams will look to couple expiring deals with draft picks to create room for marquee names. The Lakers have already offered #7 with Steve Nash’s contract to suitors. The Bulls are looking to offload their 2 first rounders with Carlos Boozer to fit a max guy. Houston, Miami and OKC are all looking at moving out of the bottom of the first round and into the top of the second round where contracts are not guaranteed. The NBA draft has become a chess board where cap space has become more valuable than a mid level prospect. Expect to see at least a half dozen and potentially more first round picks move tonight. All the movement will be designed to free up valuable space and the beneficiaries of that could be teams like Philly, Utah, Detroit, Phoenix, Cleveland and Milwaukee. Those are the key teams that will have the maneuverability to add a player with an expiring contract without trading one away plus get a sweetener in return. Should be a very interesting night.
And now Mock Draft 2014
I will not include trades but I expect at least 6 or 7 and maybe as many as 10 or 12 before the night is over.
1. CLEVELAND- Andrew Wiggins-Kansas
2. MILWAUKEE- Jabari Parker-Duke
3. PHILADELPHIA- Dante Exum-Australia
4. ORLANDO- Joel Embiid- Kansas
5. UTAH- Noah Vonleh-Indiana
6. BOSTON- Doug McDermott-Creighton
7. LA LAKERS- Marcus Smart-Oklahoma State
8. SACRAMENTO- Aaron Gordon- Arizona
9.CHARLOTTE- Nik Stauskas-Michigan
10.PHILADELPHIA-Julius Randle-Kentucky
11. DENVER- James Young-Kentucky
12. ORLANDO-Elfrid Payton-Louisiana Lafayette
13. MINNESOTA- Rodney Hood- Duke
14. PHOENIX- Dario Saric- Croatia
15. ATLANTA- Zach Lavine-UCLA
16. CHICAGO- Gary Harris- Michigan St
17. BOSTON-Jusuf Nurkic- Bosnia
18. PHILADELPHIA- Kyle Anderson –UCLA
19. CHICAGO-Adreian Payne- Michigan State
20. TORONTO- Tyler Ennis- Syracuse
21. OKLAHOMA CITY- Jerami Grant- Syracuse
22. MEMPHIS- Shabazz Napier- UCONN
23. UTAH- Mitch McGary- Michigan
24.CHARLOTTE- TJ Warren-NC State
25.HOUSTON- Jordan Adams-UCLA
26. MIAMI- Patric Young- Florida
27. PHOENIX- KJ McDaniels-Clemson
28. LA CLIPPERS- PJ Hairston_ Texas Legends
29. OKLAHOMA CITY- Cleanthony Early- Wichita State
30. SAN ANTONIO-Clint Capela- Switzerland
Carmelo Opts Out of Contract to ‘Explore his Options’
By Brett Malamud
Reports surfaced last night that Carmelo Anthony has informed the New York Knicks that he will opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. This morning it became a reality. Melo’s agent Leon Rose announced this morning that Anthony will become an unrestricted free agent this July. “Carmelo loves being a Knick, he loves the city and he loves the fans,” Rose said. “At this stage of his career, he just wants to explore his options.” The Knicks have recently communicated to Anthony their desire for him to opt in to his final year of his contract. Since his introductory press conference, Knicks President Phil Jackson has privately and publicly expressed interest in keeping Carmelo Anthony, and newly hired coach Derek Fisher has said the same of their top player.
Could Carmelo Anthony be joining forces with Derrick Rose? (Via ChiCitySportsFan)
But Anthony didn’t listen and come July 1st, he could be on his way out of the Big Apple and on his way to the Windy City. That’s right, the Chicago Bulls. The idea of playing with Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose is a dreamland for Carmelo. Melo recently said, “The most important thing right now is winning.” Sound familiar? Sounds to me like the man who left his hometown to take his talents to South Beach. It was reported yesterday that Carmelo was already researching places to live in and around the Chicago area. If I’m the Knicks, I’m worried but not panicked. Who’s going to lead the team next year if Melo bolts? You’re telling me that Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, and Tim Hardaway Jr. going to lead the Knicks to the playoffs? No way! As of this morning there are rumblings that Jackson may flip Shumpert for a late first round pick in Thursday’s draft. But there’s no room for panicking. In fact, with Carmelo gone, the Knicks will have a lot of cap room come 2015 and you can bet they’ll be knocking on Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo’s doors. Then of course there’s the Knicks fan’s ultimate fantasy of Kevin Durant dropping the only team he’s ever played for to go to the bright lights of Broadway in 2016. The recent Knicks hire of his good friend Derek Fisher has added some spark to that rumor, but who knows if Fisher will even still be coaching the Knicks in 2016.
As a Syracuse basketball fan, Carmelo has been my favorite NBA player and I’ll be sad to see him go. However, the move will allow Phil Jackson to start fresh with a team that’ll struggle this upcoming season (of course not having any draft picks won’t help), and a boatload of cap room in the next few seasons. So as a Knicks fan, if Chicago is what Melo really wants, all I can say is good riddance.
Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
Phil Jackson Videos
Phil Jackson was introduced Tuesday morning at Madison Square Garden as the new president of the New York Knicks. Here is a video of the press conference
The Zen Master was then introduced to the Garden crowd during their game on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, where he received a standing ovation.
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
A Knick Fan’s Lament
By Nick Guy
So there I was back in February of 2011, screaming to anyone who would listen, please do not give up the house for Carmelo Anthony. We had chips, lots of chips, and to trade some of them for a super scorer who did not make his teammates better would only serve three purposes. First, it would create a team that would win 45 to 50 games per year. Second, that team would never get past the second round of the playoffs and that was if they even got that far. Third, it would fool the masses and sell lots of tickets.
Let’s look back at what happened on February 22nd of 2011. We did indeed make that trade that concerned me and acquired Carmelo Anthony. The town was abuzz. Tickets were hot. I was disgusted. We knew Denver needed to make the move so we played hard to get, right? No, not the Knicks. Instead of having our experienced GM and team president Donnie Walsh do the negotiating, our team owner Jim Dolan took over the negotiating and he did not give up SOME of our chips. Instead, he gave up ALL the chips we had amassed. Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, Timofey Mozgov, Eddy Curry’s expiring contract, 2012 & 2013 2nd round picks, a 2014 1st round pick, the option to switch 2016 1st round picks and of course the obligatory 3 million bucks. Eleven assets in all. But we didn’t just get Melo. No, we were also able to snag Chauncey Billups and his 15 million dollar salary and four other spare parts who would be gone within a year. And of course we would lose our potential amnesty provision with this deal, as we needed to use it on Billups. And as a byproduct, it also cost us our team president in Walsh because who could blame him for not wanting to work with Dolan and his personal advisors.
That brings me to the next question. Where are we now and what can we do to win a championship? Well its simple really. Trade Carmelo Anthony or bring in a guy above him!! I agree with all of you who will tell me that Melo is a great player and one of the ten best players in the league. I could see him winning a couple of scoring titles in the next few years. He will NOT win a championship as the lead dog. You can look it up. Bernard King, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Alex English are just a few. Scoring forwards who hog the ball do not win NBA titles. They never have and they never will. They need to play second fiddle to a player who makes their teammates better. Melo, for all his greatness, does not make his teammates better. Great centers and great guard play win. Scoring forwards just score. The Knicks had a golden opportunity and missed it. Would they be better today with Chris Paul or Deron Williams and Dwight Howard? Could a scorer be added to that combo? Maybe even Melo? Now we’re talking. Knick ownerships shortsighted view cost us as Knick fans. If the Melo trade was not made we could have used the amnesty on Amare instead of Billups and brought in three guys the same way the Miami Heat did. Our three guys ended up being Melo, Amare and Tyson. Where’s the guy to run the game? WOW….
Carmelo won’t lead the Knicks to a championship if he’s in charge, whether you like it or not. (Via Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)
And so in conclusion, what do we do? Start over! My only qualifications as a GM are that I’ve been a Knick fan and a basketball guy forever. Does it make me an expert? No, but if I knew not to make the Melo deal, it makes me more competent than the guys running the Knicks. So, here’s my stab at it. Trade Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline. Send Melo to the Lakers in a three team deal but they must take Amare too. What I want in return is simple. I want Pau Gasol and his expiring 19 million, a good young roster player that the Lakers would need to acquire elsewhere and two first round picks. I want their 2014 pick because they probably won’t make the playoffs in a very strong draft year and I want their 2016 to replace ours that’s been traded away. Why would the Lakers do it? Kobe is a lead guy! Nash is a lead guy! Melo will score 30 a night in LA and they will win with Kobe and Nash running the show. Amare can even chip in for the year that’s left on his deal. When Kobe comes back fully recovered for 2014-2015, showtime will sell tickets, be relevant and win alot, which will make Jim Buss a happy guy.
As for the Knicks, it gives us a mulligan to build a championship contender. With a few additional veteran departures in trade, we clear out the cap and add draft picks and young potential cornerstones. Free agents over the next couple of years will include some big time players that we could add. Flush with draft picks and loaded with cap space is the way to go. Getting to the first or second round of the playoffs is not acceptable. I want to feel what its like to win it all! Will the Knick fans or ownership stand for rebuilding again? No way! But if we want to celebrate a Knicks championship in the next ten years there really is only one viable option. I know it won’t happen, but a guy can dream can’t he?
Houston, We Have A Problem
By Christian Pierre-Louis
The Los Angeles Lakers hit 16 3-pointers against the Houston Rockets, but the last one meant the most.
With 1.3 seconds remaining, Steve Blake caught a short inbound pass from Jodie Meeks and drained his fourth 3-pointer of the night. Suddenly, the score was 99-98, and the Lakers held on for the final second and three-tenths to hand Dwight Howard an embarrassing loss against the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers.
Steve Blake hit a huge game winning 3-pointer to take down Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets (Via Getty)
Later in the game, Howard was repeatedly sent to the free throw line using the hack-a-Howard strategy, a strategy that Lakers’ fans painfully lived through last season. Howard finished 5-16 from the charity stripe, and his 15 points and 14 rebounds were overshadowed by his 31 percent foul shooting and four turnovers.
For Lakers fans, it was a case of déjà vu in more ways than one.
Watching Howard miss free throws late in the game was a familiar sight, even if it was welcomed for a change. Also, watching Howard lose the ball on careless turnovers was an all-too-familiar memory for fans watching at home.
This time, though, Howard wasn’t on the Lakers, so all of his mistakes were being celebrated across Laker Nation.
Aside from Howard, the Lakers were the same bunch they’ve been all season long. After getting out to a massive 17-point first half lead, the Lakers found themselves trailing at the end of a close ball game.
Howard’s consistent misses at the line allowed the Lakers to stay in the game, as LA ran out of ammo from behind the arc. Including Blake’s game-winner, the Lakers only made three field goals in the last five minutes of the game.
One of those field goals came via Meeks, who led the Lakers with 18 points on 5-7 shooting from behind the arc. The Lakers’ bench outscored the Lakers’ starters once again, but that didn’t seem to matter by the time everyone got into the locker room.
On a Thursday night in Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers won their first road game of the season, embarrassed the man who spurned their team, and made the Laker fans proud.
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Christian Pierre-Louis is a journalism major at Seton Hall University. He is a HUGE fan of the, LA Lakers, NY Giants, and NY Yankees. He is also an assistant sports producer at Seton Hall’s radio station WSOU 89.5 FM. You can follow him on twitter at @CPL_78.
Stay Tuned: Week of November 4th
By Brett Malamud
This is the first of a weekly article that will provide you with the most intriguing games in sports for the upcoming week. If yesterday’s football games proved anything, it was that this is going to be an exciting week in sports. So let’s get to it! Here is the first installment of Stay Tuned:
NBA:
With the first week in the books, the second week of the NBA season looks to be just as exciting.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers, Wednesday November 6th 7:00 PM EST, ESPN
Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference square off in a showdown in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Derek Rose goes head to head against Paul George and the undefeated Indiana Pacers. This one is a must watch.
LA Clippers vs. Miami Heat, Thursday November 7th 7:00 PM EST, TNT and TSN
The Clippers head into South Beach after the Heat’s rough week last week. The Heat opened up the season going 2-2, and they’ll try to pick up the pace moving forward.
The Heat will try to stop Blake Griffin and the Clippers on Thursday (Via The Smoking Section)
NHL:
Division standings are starting to take form, as we are now one month into the season.
NY Islanders vs. Washington Capitals Tuesday November 5th 7:00 PM EST, MSG+ and CSN-DC
Two of the brightest stars in the NHL will face off in this epic battle at the Verizon Center. John Tavares leads the Islanders into Washington, where Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals sit at .500 on the season. Only one point separates the teams in the standings, so it should be a good battle.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. NY Rangers, Wednesday November 6th 7:30 PM EST, NBCSN, TSN2, and RDS2
The Rangers and the Penguins have had bad blood for a while now, and Wednesday night should be no different. Watch these division rivals square off and Madison Square Garden come alive in this week’s Wednesday Night Rivalry.
Evgeni Malkin hopes to put the puck past Henrik Lundqvist in a battle at the Garden on Wednesday (Via Last Word On Sports)
Montreal Canadians vs. Ottawa Senators, Thursday November 7th 7:00 PM EST, CBC and RDS
There’s nothing as wild as a Canadian clash. The Habs head to the capital city to take on Erik Karlsson and the Senators. A must watch game in Canada.
NCAA Basketball:
This Friday marks the start of the college basketball season and there are a few games to stay updated on.
(18) UConn vs. Maryland, Friday November 8th 6:30 PM EST, ESPN2
This is sure to be a good game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. A small Maryland team took a hit, losing 7’1” center Alex Len. The Phoenix Suns selected Len fifth overall in this year’s NBA draft. Maryland will face a tough test though, going up against a much bigger UConn Huskies team.
Barclays Center will be the site for this Friday’s showdown between Maryland and UConn. (Via AP)
Georgetown vs. (19) Oregon, Friday November 8th 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
Coming off a first round loss to Cinderella story Florida Gulf Coast in last season’s NCAA tournament, it’ll be interesting to see Georgetown without Otto Porter, who was selected by the Washington Wizards as the third overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. They face number 19 ranked Oregon in the Armed Forces Classic in South Korea
NCAA Football:
(3) Oregon vs. (5) Stanford, Thursday November 7th 9:00 PM EST, ESPN
Not much needs to be said here. The Ducks take on the Cardinal in a heated rivalry matchup.
No Chip Kelly for the Ducks here, but they’ll still step up and try to take down Stanford (Via AP)
(13) LSU vs. (1) Alabama, Saturday November 9th 8:00 PM EST, CBS
The Tigers head into Tuscaloosa to go up against the Crimson Tide what should be the college football game of the week
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
Who Dat: Fantasy Basketball Week One
By: Sam Breiter
Welcome to “Who Dat”, a weekly guide to learning about fantasy basketball players who are seeing noticeable success. No household names here, but players who have shown huge fantasy value and should be considered being picked up if not already taken. Obviously you can’t expect the limited success will last all season, as these players have not yet proven themselves, but we’re not going to give you any reason as to why not. It doesn’t matter if you’re a category or a points league guy, these players have made a statement in both league formats. So without further a do, here’s Who Dat for week one.
Michael Carter Williams (PHI)– Two weeks ago if you were to walk around, and were to ask people if they ever heard of Michael Carter Williams most people wouldn’t have an answer. Today, people cant stop talking about the six foot six point guard from Syracuse. He was the 11th pick in the NBA draft, and has already outplayed and beaten Lebron James and Derrick Rose, two of the leagues best. He has proven to be quick, explosive, productive, and a great decision maker. In his debut he almost got a triple double, but don’t expect that to be the only time.
Week One Stats– 20.7PPG, 9.0APG, 4.4 Steals, 46.8FG%
Miles Plumlee (PHX)- After Marcin Gortat was traded from the Suns to the Wizards, the expectations for the Suns rebounding game diminished. Yet, maybe the Suns knew that Gortat would just get in the way of the leagues next rebounding machine. Plumlee wasn’t given a chance as part of the Pacers last year, not even averaging four minutes a game. Plumlee has shown that he is an animal inside the paint on defense and offense.
Week One Stats- 15.5PPG, 14.0RPG, 3.0BLK, 56FG%, 37.5 MIN
Miles Plumlee has put the NBA on notice (Via USA Today Sports)
Vitor Faverani (BOS)- His name may get confused for a famous pasta dish at your local Italian restaurant, but this 25-year-old Brazilian center has given the Celtics something to look forward to. Clearly he is no Kevin Garnett, but he has been putting up similar numbers to the future hall of famer, in just his first few games.
Week One Stats- 12.5PPG, 10.5RPG, 4.5BLK, 53.3FG%, 32 MIN
Alec Burks (UTA)- Burks faced two years of being a role-playing prospect for Utah, but now with an improved role the shooting guard for the Jazz is receiving real minutes. In the early goings of the year his shot looks better then ever, and on the defensive end he looks very motivated. Utah doesn’t look very competitive this year, but Burks will have a huge role in scoring buckets, and running the offense.
Week One Stats- 18.0 PPG, 3.7RPG, 3.0APG, 48.8FG%, 31 MIN
Jodie Meeks (LAL)- With no Kobe for now, and Steve Nash dealing with injury and old age, where do the Lakers go? Well, the answer is Jodie Meeks. The Lakers have no one to go to, and Meeks has been nothing, but ideal for the Lakers. The 26-year-old shooting guard has never been a clear-cut NBA starter, and his job is definitely not safe for this year. Yet, even if pulled out of the starting lineup when Black Mamba returns, expect him to be the number one guy taken off the bench if he continues the hot run he currently is on.
Week One Stats- 13.7PPG, 4.0RPG, 52FG%, 41.7PT%,
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Sam Breiter is a high school senior at Plainview- Old Bethpage JFK High School. Sam is looking to major in sports management, with a minor in communications next year. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite teams are the Mets, Giants, and Knicks. You can follow him on twitter at @baseballbreiter @baseballbreiter
Overrated to Underdogs: Analysis of New York Knicks Offseason Acquisitions
By Zachary Pokorny
It amazes me how drastically things can change within six months. After putting up a 56 win season; becoming Atlantic Division Champion for the first time since 1994; and finishing second in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks, once thought to be overrated garbage, are now projected by many to finish outside the top four in the east for the 2013-2014 NBA season, even after they made many roster improvements.
Metta World Peace headlines the Knicks offseason acquisitions (Via New York Daily News)
Now let me remind you why the Knicks always receive so much criticism: it’s because they play in New York. When you play in the city that never sleeps, there are critics looking to take shots at every moment. These critics range from the opinionated Charles Barkley, all the way to every bandwagon Nets fan possible.
However, any basic student of the great game of basketball should be able to note the improvements the Knicks have made with each new acquisition. Currently, Tim Hardaway Jr. is a work in progress after being obtained through the draft, but retaining Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin, and reigning Sixth Man of the Year JR Smith were all very solid moves. However, the moves made through free agency and trade will be crucial to any success the Knicks will have. Let’s analyze these players:
First off, the Knicks got Beno Udrih at a very inexpensive price. He is a high basketball IQ point guard who can be a proven asset in the near future. He will be a much more durable option than Jason Kidd was last season, although he does not have Kidd’s marksmanship from behind the arc. He may not be the guard they were looking for at first, but he is certainly no downgrade, having averaged four more points and three more assists than Kidd in the same playing time. I look forward to seeing what he has to offer this season.
Next, we have the controversial trade for Italian big man Andrea Bargnani. While they gave up next to nothing player-wise, the picks given up were a big question mark in this deal. However, the Knicks received a player who could fit perfectly into Coach Woodson’s system. He will be able to help space the floor for Carmelo and has the ability to snipe down jumpers with ease. Although his defense and rebounding abilities are mediocre at best, a fresh start is exactly what Bargnani needs to rejuvenate his career. If he can produce anywhere near as well as the Knicks last Italian stallion, fans should be very content with this deal.
Finally, we come to my favorite acquisition: Ron “Metta World Peace” Artest. MWP is a character, to say the least. However, he brings this team something they’ve lacked since Tyson Chandler joined the team: grit and toughness. He is a scrappy player who is as catalytic on the defensive end as he is dynamic in personality. Signing MWP was the most important move this offseason purely because he changes the culture of the team. His toughness is contagious, which is evident in his role on the Lakers 2010 championship team. Although he is older, he will hopefully play a similar role for the 2012-2013 New York Knicks
These moves were not groundbreaking, however they will be pivotal in any future success this team has. This team definitely has the potential to prove the nonbelievers like the “Round Mound of Rebound” to be as wrong as my math homework from last night. I believe the Knicks will be a 50 win team and will place third in the conference, ahead of Chicago and Brooklyn. These new-look Knicks have a lot to prove, but they have the potential to shine bright. I can’t wait to watch as the rest of the season progresses.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups
By Josh Wicker
Even though the season is just starting, the NBA still has many surprises and uncertainties. Fantasy owners are still unsure if players’ performances are the real deal or just a fluke. Here are some must adds for the Fantasy Basketball 2013-14 season:
Standard League Finds:
Michael Carter Williams (78.8% owned in ESPN Leagues)- Almost a quadruple double in his first career game. That was an incredible performance and if he is still available in your league, he is a must add. He is on a team that has potential but lack depth at the point guard position. It appears that the 76ers are giving him a main role with the team and as a result, fantasy owners should take notice.
Michael Carter-Williams enters his first season with high expectations, after a breakout debut game (Via Philly Sports Live)
Deandre Jordan (58.2%)- I cannot understand how he was not taken in most leagues as a mid to late round pick. He provides points, rebounds and blocks on a very good Clippers team. He is also getting a very high amount of minutes and of course, you cannot forget about the lobs. Even though Doc Rivers does not like the term, Lob City still exists and Jordan is one of the two main beneficiaries.
Reggie Jackson (46.8%)- KD can not do everything for the Thunder. He needs a Russell Westbrook to soften the load. But, since Westbrook is injured, the Thunder are looking at Jackson as a solid starter at the point. He might even play at the shooting guard position when Westbrook gets back. He can provide steals, points and assists and should be picked up.
Miles Plumlee (8%)- Since Marcin Gortat was traded to the Wizards, a spot has opened up at center,and it seems like Plumlee has got a good grasp on it. He performed very well (18 points, 15 rebounds) and the only competition is with unproven rookie Alex Len. The Suns organization plans on giving Plumlee a lot of playing time and fantasy owners need to capitalize on this.
Taj Gibson (3.16%)- He is clearly the first big man off the bench for the Chicago Bulls. The only reason that he is not starting is because the Bulls are very deep with big men. However, they have one of the better front courts in the league. He provides solid rebounding and points for the Bulls and also can for your fantasy team.
Deeper League Finds:
This section contains players who are owned in less than 2% of ESPN leagues, but can be high reward or should be owned by more people in larger sized leagues.
Andrew Nicholson (1.6%)- Even though he is not playing many minutes, Nicholson is still providing 30+ minute like stats. He is currently one of the first off the bench for the Magic, but could easily become a starter because of his stellar play.
Randy Foye (0.6%)- When you get this far down in percent owned, normally all of the players are backups. But Foye is the starting shooting guard for the Nuggets alongside Ty Lawson and will provide points and three pointers. He is a scoring threat and can even add a couple of rebounds.
Boris Diaw (0.4%)- One of my personal favorite players, Diaw will
normally be brought in for defense, but can also pass extremely well and nail the occasional three. He currently plays about 20-25 minutes a game but that can increase because of the old age of the Spurs. He is a scrappy player who will fight for rebounds and is a good add in deep 16 or more team leagues.
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