Deron Williams: Where Will He Play Next Season?

So Deron Williams has joined the A list celebrity squad, and has a list of preferred destinations for him to be shipped to.  Williams said that he would love to stay with the Nets, but if need be he'd like to go to the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, or New York Knicks.  Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the purpose of the lockout resolution to keep players from demanding where they should be traded?

First and foremost, Knicks's fans don't even think about it.  There is absolutely no way Williams ends up in a Knicks jersey.  New York does not possess the right assets to set up a trade, nor do they have the money to offer him a superstar contract.  They say nothing is impossible, so with that I'll explore one option.  You send either Amar'e Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony over to Brooklyn for Deron Williams.  I don't see Melo being moved considering the time and effort that went into acquiring him, nor do I see Amar'e being moved because you need him to properly execute with a point guard.  In all honesty, the chances of Deron Williams calling MSG home is very unlikely.

With the Nets moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn next season, Deron Williams is the type of energetic player owner Mikhail Prokhorov needs to fill the seats.  If he doesn't execute a trade for Dwight Howard, I guarantee Deron Williams won't be playing at the Barclays Center.  A trade surrounding Brook Lopez shouldn't be hard to compose, considering the explosion of Marshon Brooks and Anthony Morrow. But such a deal would more than likely put the Nets in a similar situation as their cross town rivals, the Knicks.  Deron's future lays in the hands of Dwight Howard's outcome.

Dallas is the place I see Deron playing for next season if he becomes a free agent. Williams is a native of Texas, where he attended The Colony for high school. Positioned alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams would thrive and easily average a double double. Since the Mavs do not have the pieces to pull a trade together, owner Mark Cuban can only hope that Williams hits the open market.  With many expiring contracts at the end of this season, Dallas can offer max contract money to the current Nets' superstar. 

And finally, we've come to the LA Lakers.  Although Kobe Bryant is aging, he still has gas left in his tank. If you don't think so watch any of te four games where he recently dropped 40+ points.  With help from Deron at the point, the Lakers might actually have something going for them.  Now that the triangle offense has been obliterated, the Lakers need someone to run the offense whose name isn't Kobe.  To pull a trade together, the Lakers would almost certainly have to shop around for a third team to be included.  The likely hood of that happening? Who knows whats possible after that whole Chris Paul attempt. 

It is certain that Deron Williams will be running someone's offense next season, and my only guarantee is that it won't be the Beşiktaş Milangaz. 

National League East: Pitching Aces Aren't Scarce Here

     We all know that the American League East is probably the most dominant and competitive division in all of Major League Baseball.  But this season, a lot of focus will be on the National League East.  With the Florida Marlins moving to Miami, and signing many big market names the spotlight has been on them. Lets factor in the starting rotation of the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Washington Nationals assembling a one-two punch of their own with Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, and we just might not have a lopsided division leader in the NL East.

     The season concluded with the Phillies on top of their division, followed by the Atlanta Braves.  Finishing in third was the Nationals.  The bottom two spots were filled by the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins.  I have a strong feeling that this league has the potential of becoming similar battlefield to the American League.  Starting pitching is the key to success.  With an ace pitcher at the helm, you can feel relieved going into a game against a less competitive team.  So let's take a look at the projected aces of the National League East, and see which team has the best shot at playing in the playoffs, remembering that their is now two wildcard teams.
     The aces of the National League East are Roy Halladay, Tim Hudson, Gio Gonzalez, Johan Santana, and Mark Buehrle.  All of these pitchers have Cy Young type stuff, but they need the help of their team's at bats, and I feel like not all of them will get that help night after night.

• Roy Halladay: Last year he was a phenomenon.  Halladay went 19-6 with 2.35 ERA.  He struck out a career high 220 batters.  Simply put, Halladay was the man. 
• Tim Hudson: Hudson posted a 3.22 ERA in 215 innings pitched.  He led the Braves with a 16-10 record.  
• Gio Gonzalez: In Oakland, Gonzalez was sought out by many teams.  At 25 years old, he has the potential to blow up and save a Washington franchise.  He posted a 3.12 ERA and struck out 197 batters, but he also walked 91.  
• Johan Santana: Santana is coming back to the Mets after missing all of last season with an injured shoulder.  In 2010, he had a 2.98 ERA in 199 innings.  It will be interesting to see if Santana can return to his ace form.
• Mark Buehrle:  The free agent signed with the Miami Marlins after spending his 12 year career with the Chicago White Sox. The 32 year old managed to go 13-9 last year, and had a 3.59 ERA. He is not a strike out pitcher, so I wonder what will see see in the Miami ballpark.

The National League is shaping up and taking form. In fact, it almost looks like the American League in comparison to starting aces.  I understand that baseball is a team sport, but depending on how many times these guys get the ball, and if their performance is up to par, fans might get a race.  Each of these pitchers can be 15-20 win guys.  Will Philadelphia break 100 wins again? Can Atlanta muster up the runs to support their pitching? Will Washington finally show the world that they are a force to be reckoned with? Will the Mets be able to restore their franchise? Will Miami live up to the hype (we've heard that one before)? Pitchers and catchers report in a month.

New York Knicks: Is It Time For a Refund?

     I've read the surveys and I've seen that Kris Humphries is public enemy number one, but if you're a Knicks fan I think we have a new representative for that political party. Carmelo Anthony is beginning to irritate all those New Yorkers that thought, "Maybe, just maybe this is going to be our year." Aren't we a bit far from the truth there? 
     Since Melo dawned upon us in his No. 7 Knicks jersey, New York is 20-23 during the regular season. If that doesn't say enough about the Knicks' team, the Nuggets, after acquiring everything but Spike Lee last season, are 29-13. Does anybody else see the problem here? 

     Why is it that we have a person of superstar caliber, combined with another superstar in Amar'e Stoudemire, but can't compete night in and night out? That's right because all we have left is Spike Lee and Madison Square Garden. Our bench has depleted over the last year. You don't need a great bench to win games, just ask the Houston Rockets, but you need players that can score and play defense! So we give up defense in Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari for another scorer in Anthony? Someone read the book on successful franchises wrong. 
     Now the Knicks are in a deep, dark hole that I'm not sure if they'll climb out of. We desperately need a point guard to run the pick and roll with Amar'e. Raymond Felton and Stat perfected this in their short time together. Wilson Chandler was a solid sixth man coming off the bench and filling a void. He could shoot or drive. Now our sixth man is Toney Douglas. Did Bernie Madoff hit the Knicks too? Finally, we had a forward in Danilo Gallinari that perfected perimeter shooting. Put all that together and we had a supportive cast, a team! 
      Although I am a Carmelo Anthony fan, it is frustrating watching the Knicks come home and still manage to get beaten. The Milwaukee Bucks didn't just beat the Knicks, they embarrassed them. How did they do it? With Brandon Jennings, a true point guard. The media coverage and social networking sites portray the Knicks as Carmelo's team, but let's not forget Amar'e made the jump with no guarantees for success, and he made it happen until Anthony joined prior to the trade deadline. It might be time for Stoudemire to step up and take control because at the rate New York is going, they are destined for doom. 
     Did Carmelo Anthony cost the Knicks too much? Well not necessarily. As I mentioned, we managed to keep Madison Square Garden, Spike Lee, and Mike D'Antoni (see my sarcasm here?). The latter part might be gone soon, especially if he can't get his team above .500. Not only did Melo cost too much, but he might cost D'Antoni his job.

New York Rangers Looking for Some '94 Magic

     The New York Rangers are letting it be known: they are the team to beat this season in the NHL. The team has 29 wins in 44 games played. In those 44 games, New York has a league leading 62 points. 

     There is no "i" in team, but there is an "i" in Lundqvist. The Rangers' goalie is having a spectacular season and he is a serious contender for the NHL MVP award. His goals against average is a 1.90, and he is the favorite for the Hart Trophy. In comparison to last season, Henrik Lundqvist is looking a lot more comfortable.
     Lundqvist has his fair share of help on the ice. The Rangers' defense is solid, and they are stopping opponents before they even cross center ice. Forwards Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, and Brad Richards are all playing some of the best hockey of their careers. Gaborik is leading the team with 23 goals. The trio is leading New York into battle offensively and have not disappointed. 
     While we are just a few games passed the midway point, the Rangers are looking like a team skating their way to the Stanley Cup. The team has not won the cup since the 1994 season, and it would sure be nice to drape another banner at Madison Square Garden.

Mayor Bloomberg a Betting Man, Takes Giants

Mayor Bloomberg Counting On Giants

     New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't going to Aqueduct Race Track to place his bet. He is engaged in a friendly bet with a cross-country "rival."  San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has agreed that if the Giants win Sunday's NFC Championship Game, he will drape Giants' flags on a cable car for the day and send sourdough bread, the city's classic.  However, if the 49ers win, Mayor Bloomberg will rename 49th Street to "49ers Street", and he would send over a dozen bagels from Queens' Bagel Oasis.  
     Bloomberg stated, "After Sunday, Niners fans will be left with a taste as sour as their famous bread."  Mayor Lee replied with, "Giants will have to leave their hearts and their Super Bowl hopes in San Francisco."
    

O.J. Mayo, Nets Talk Heat Up; Win Against Warriors

     The New Jersey Nets seem to have found a recipe for success.  The recipe calls for 20 points from Deron Williams and another 20 from Marshon Brooks. The Nets are now 4-11 and all four wins have come when both players had 20 points. In last night's game, Deron Williams had a near triple double; he scored 24 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds.  Marshon Brooks added 22 points of his own, a career high.

     Breaking the losing streak was not as easy as it seemed, especially against an offense lead by Monta Ellis.  After losing in Los Angeles to the Clippers on Monday, New Jersey had an off day Tuesday that they desperately needed.  The day off seemed to charge the batteries of the Nets, especially the two guards.  Kris Humphries is adapting to being the number one hated athlete as well; he scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Things may be coming together for the team destined to hit Brooklyn next season, but it will take time.  
      Lets not be fooled. The Nets still need help if they really want to be taken seriously. Somebody's been telling the management's plan.  According to SportsIllustrated.com, New Jersey offered the Memphis Grizzlies two possible trade scenarios that would land O.J. Mayo in Newark, New Jersey.  A straight up trade swapping Mayo for Nets' Anthony Marrow was one possibility.  The other was Nets' guard Jordan Farmar and a draft pick in exchange for Mayo, the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 draft.  Although the offense showed up last night, the Nets are still in need for a rugged, scoring, power forward, and with Mayo's role being reduced to a bench player, a deal could very well happen.


Golden State Warriors: 100
New Jersey Nets: 107
   

Nash a Possibility for D'Antoni, Knicks

     The Knicks need help at the point guard position.  Clearly a scoring one guard is not the key to a successful D'Antoni offense.  Evident in tonight's loss to the Phoenix Suns, the head coach is in need of a true point guard, someone like Steve Nash.  No coincidence here that Steve Nash would fit the Knicks' offense because its the same offense that D'Antoni ran in Phoenix four years ago.
     Well get back to New York's point guard necessities in a minute, but right now I wanna talk about the loss to Phoenix.  Iman Shumpert ran the offense, and he scored 20 points and dished out a mere two assists; however, defensively, Iman pressured the opposing ball handlers and managed to swipe four steals.  Landry Fields had a good game as well.  He had 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists.  Carmelo Anthony really was not a factor in this game.  He had 12 points and went 5-22 from the field.  That's not the Carmelo that New York traded for last season, so clearly something is bothering the forward.
     Overall, Phoenix was more prepared and played a full four quarters.  The Suns shot 46% from the field, and they held the Knicks to 37%. The Knicks three ball was not there at all today.  They made four shots, but took 15 total.  On the contrary, Phoenix was hot from beyond the arc; the team combined for 58% going 7-12. With this loss, the Knicks added another one to the left column, making them 6-8 for the season.

     The spotlight was on Phoenix's point guard, 37 year old Steve Nash.  Not only was he the Sun's top performer, but the rumor mill has Knicks' management targeting Nash to come to the Big Apple.  In last night's game at Madison Square Garden, Nash scored 26 points and 11 assists.  Imagine if Nash's permanent playing field was in New York? Sounds like a recipe for a title, and considering that Nash's age is getting to be a concern, a team where he does not have to be the leading scorer could very much be what the point guard needs to get that ring on his finger.  We already know that he can facilitate the ball well, especially with Amar'e running the pick and roll.  Throw in Melo's offensive abilities and Tyson Chandler's defensive demeanor, and you just might be hoisting the O'Brian trophy at the Garden.


Phoenix Suns: 91
New York Knicks: 88