WHAT THE BUCK: Giannis Antetokounmpo considering future

BY MARK HALPERN

      Word has spread all through out the NBA the Giannis would consider leaving the Milwaukee Bucks if it were to better his future. Giannis as you may or may not know has played his entire career for the Bucks averaging better than 22 points a game, an average of just under 10 rebounds a game and averaged 5 assists as well. Yes there are much more stats I could go through but, for now the key ones make sense. Any team in the NBA would dream of having Giannis on their team.

    It will truly be up to Giannis if he wants to move on from the Bucks to a team that has a true shot at going to win the title next year. All eyes will be open around the NBA lottery draft to see if any team can put a package together to entice the perennial All-Star to come to them next year?

Dream places for Giannis : Whenever a star is available they will always be linked to teams like the Heat, Celtics, Knicks, etc… but here are a few dream places for the Greek Freak to go

HOUSTON ROCKETS : The Rockets shocked the world by blasting off into the playoffs and giving the Warriors all they can handle. With a plethora of young talent and draft capital the Rockets have what it takes to land Giannis.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER : Yeah, OKC is still alive in the playoffs and have a superstar in SGA. But OKC is the envy of everyone else in the league as they have an abundance of draft picks as well and young  talent, but they have lacked the face of the league since KD left for Golden State. 

SAN ANTONIO SPURS : Ok, just imagine Wemby and Giannis in the same front court. The Spurs also have a lot of young talent and picks, but this might be too good to pass up. Knicks : Hand up, yeah this is biased and I know what I said earlier but the Knicks never pass up a superstar. They did move a ton of picks for Mikail Bridges, but they could move more plus maybe a Mitchell Robinson in this deal.

PICKED UP

BY MARK HALPERN

     The Jerry Jones era as the  owner of the Cowboys started great in the Jimmie Johnson era. Now the Cowboys haven’t returned to the top of the NFL or the NFC since, a lot of that has to do with limited cap space. Every year  it seems either the Offense has been exceptional and the defense stinks or vice versa. As Cowboy fans we want more balance, and after this offseason maybe it changed?

    Last week Jerry Jones kept his promise this year that he was prepared to got get a top receiver that could BE the #2 wide receiver for this team. Now in the beginning the names Metcalf, Diggs (which made the most sense), Adams and Kupp all hit the market and Dallas fans were licking their chops to only to be left salivating as they all signed elsewhere. Cowboy fans hopes were down to only a few names that are still available today such as Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett (who has since signed with the Titans) and Keenan Allen were still there but, Jerry wanted more youth and finally struck a deal.

   The Cowboys traded for Pittsburgh Steeler WR George Pickens. The Steelers get a third round pick in 2026 and a fifth round pick in 2027, while the Cowboys get a sixth round pick in 2027. This is a HUGE acquisition for Dallas who needs the playmaking ability he has. Pickens during his first few years has had 174 receptions for over 2500 yards and 12 touchdowns. At glance view that’s meager for a star in the NFL but, he has never had anyone to be able to throw to him like Dak Prescott can. Pickens has the height, speed and agility to far more that double his entire career in two years playing like he can with a top Quarterback. Pickens is entering the final season of his contract, so we have to wait to see if Jerry signs him now or does he have to prove it throughout the season? We will see what he can do for Dallas on the main stage, as it’s been widely reported that the Cowboys will open the season  against the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

KNICKS UP 2-1 AGAINST CELTICS

BY MARK HALPERN

     There are many good rivalries  in the game of Basketball but, none more electric than the Knicks vs the Celtics. In reality any sport that has a playoff involving New York and Boston its going to be a good series.

    The Knicks won game one on the back of Jalen Brunson but, with great play from OG, KAT, Bridges all participated but when it came to the big shots it was Brunson and a shocker the Knicks won game one. Stealing the first game knowing that games 3,4 and potentially 6 are in NY. So if they leave with just a split then hey now.

  In the second game at TD Garden the Knicks were down and down by over 15+ at time but with great plays from Bridges, OG and KAT and last minute heroics by Brunson and then Bridges stealing the ball again and once again a turn out no one saw coming the Knicks were heading back to the Madison Square Garden up two games. Anyone would tell you if you are the away team and are coming back home where you just have to win 2/3 games to move on to the Conference Championship. Boston isn’t gonna go quietly into the night and neither are the Knicks fans as they took control of TD Garden after the second game win.

  Game three happened Saturday at MSG and it wasn’t the turnout Knicks fans would have hoped for as the Knicks got annihilated by the Celtics and their 3pt game. The Celtics proved they have fight and came into the Knicks home and took game 3 but, still have to come back to hostel MSG for game 4. The Knicks still have the chance of putting this away so they don’t have to go back to Boston but, one more loss and it they will have to win one of the final two if it goes to a potential game 7. But one thing is through the first three games is the Knicks may have won the first two games, but they need to take their game up to another level.

DRAFTING WITH SUCCESS

BY MARK HALPERN

The NFL draft is a spectacle to not only watch on T.V but, even when you are there (Been twice to Radio City when it was held in NY.) Lights and cameras are on, multiple reporters from various networks and platform media are hoping not only either leave with a photo or a statement. Draftees know they are under the spotlight and it’s time to represent the team that drafts you whether you like it or not.

       Going into this years draft the Dallas Cowboys had numerous needs. Like many others I thought the Cowboys would be drafting a Receiver but, once Tet McMillan was off the board the Cowboys switched and grabbed a very talented young Offensive Lineman in Tyler Booker from Alabama. With the retirements of Tyron Smith and Zack Martin the Cowboys needed to draft someone to protect Dak Prescott’s blind side and I loved this pick, protecting Dak is an important job, so they could wait on other needs. 

     While other teams were rearranging their boards after players get taken, the Cowboys took that time to key on an important defensive pick they hoped would be there in the second round. For once luck was on the Cowboys side as they Drafted DE Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College.With the defensive line losing several key pieces including Demarcus Lawrence edge rusher was a need. speaking of edge rushers,  MicahParsons was one of the Cowboys who was commenting on the pick and you could tell he was pleased that he was going to a player that plays like he does. 

 The Cowboy’s secondary was absolutely putrid last season with missing not only Trevon Diggs for the whole season but Daron Bland was out the first 8 games with an injury. There has been rumor of Stephon Gilmore returning. Instead of waiting on that Cowboys bolstered the position with Shavon Revel Jr from East Carolina. Revel will definitely give this secondary speed and good vision on the field. Revel is a first round talent but injury made him slide, a great addition in the third round

 Now the Cowboys addressed a major concern in their depth chart in the offseason with acquiring Javonte Williams in a trade with the Denver Broncos and picked up Miles Sanders two years removed from a promising career in Philly. Drafting a running back I knew would be on the board but Dallas was lucky to be able to draft Jaydon Blue in the fifth round. With two NFL experienced running backs in front of him will give him an experienced backfield to learn from.

Dallas went on to complete their draft with Shemar James LB Florida, Ajani Cornellius OT Oregon, Jay Toia LB UCLA, Phil Mafah RB from Clemson (This was the one pick I didn’t agree with) giving the Cowboys four running backs going into OTA’s and preseason I would be very surprised if they have 4 going into the season and with the last pick in their draft the Cowboys grabbed Tommy Akingbesote DT from Maryland.

   Dallas had a good draft all around but, lacking was a WR and they had their shot at Matthew Golden at 12 but, changed and went another way and gave the Cowboys a very solid Draft for the first time in years.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

BY MIKE RIFKIN

It was an exciting first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that had everything. Goals, physical play, and the dramatics of two epic game sevens. Now, we are one step closer to see who will hoist the Stanley Cup. 

ATLANTIC DIVISION : PANTHERS VS MAPLE LEAFS 

REG SEASON : PANTHERS WIN 3-1

 PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2023 PANTHERS WIN IN FIVE GAMES

Combined these two teams led the Atlantic Division for 174 days. The Maple Leafs have not been to the Conference Finals since 2002, while the Panthers are looking to get to their third straight Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams are coming off defeating a rival in the first round, the Panthers eliminated the Lightning in five games, while the Leafs got rid of the Senators in six. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will miss game one due to suspension for a hit on Bradon Hagel of the Lightning. In the five game series in 2023, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 1.89 GAA and a .943 save percentage. At the trade deadline the Panthers added Leaf killer Brad Marchand, Marchand has 29 points in 28 playoff games against the Leafs. For the Leafs in that five game series Auston Matthews was held to two assists, Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists, and William Nylander had two goals and an assist. 

PREDICTION : PANTHERS IN SIX

METROPOLITAN : CAPS VS HURRICANES 

REG SEASON: 2-2

PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2019 CANES WON IN 7

The top two teams in the Metro will face off for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, a place the Caps haven’t been since they won the Cup, and a place the Canes are looking to get over to achieve their first Cup since 2006. Both teams won their respective first rd series in five games, The Caps took care of the Canadiens and the Hurricanes dispatched the Devils. Alex Ovechkin had four goals in the 2019 series, but has lit the lamp 56 times against the Canes (including playoffs) in his career. There are three major keys in this series for me

  1. Goaltending : Logan Thompson has been sensational for the Caps all season long, but we know Carolia’s game plan which is to fire pucks from everywhere, so will Thompson tire out? On the other side Pytor Kochetkov has been solid since coming in for an injured Freddie Anderson, can Kochetkov steal a game or two here.
  1. Tom Wilson : Tom Wilson ran roughshod over the Canadiens in the first round. His physical play was a big factor, now Carolina will not let Wilson do the same thing. But can Wilson keep his head on straight and frustrate Carolina’s defense enough to force them into mistakes. 
  1. Special Teams : These two teams were in the top five of penalty killing through the regular season. So whichever one can get their power play going quicker can win this series. 

PREDICTION : CANES IN 7

PACIFIC DIVISION : GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS OILERS

REG SEASON 2-2

PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2023 SECOND RD KNIGHTS WON IN SIX

For the second time the Knights and Oilers will play in the playoffs. For the Oilers they came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the LA Kings and the Golden Knights were able to oust the Minnesota Wild in six games. For Edmonton their fortune changed when they went to backup goalie Calvin Pickard. It was also important for the Oilers to get Evander Kane back in the fold. Kane can bring offense and physical play into a series and gives the Oilers some added offensive depth. For Vegas, they won a series where Jack Eichel and Mark Stone combined for three goals, but both look like they are about to break out. We can talk all we want about the goaltending, but this series should be determined on which stars can lead their team to victory. 

PREDICTION : KNIGHTS IN 6

CENTRAL DIVISION : JETS VS STARS

REG SEASON : 3-1 JETS

PLAYOFF HISTORY : NONE

Both of these teams won epic game sevens to advance to the second round. The Stars’ dispatching of the Colorado Avalanche came on the back of former Av Mikko Rantanen, who had a hat trick in game 7 and had five goals and 12 points against his former team. A massive key for Dallas is that they might get Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen back from injury, as both have been skating regularly with the team. Kyle Connor led the Jets in the regular season with five points against Dallas, but with injuries to Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele, the Jets are going to need more from their stars. But the big story is going to be the play of Connor Hellebuyck, who had his struggles in the first round against the Blues. Hellebuyck vs Jake Oettinger, might not only dictate who wins this series, but who will be the goaltender for team USA at the Olympics next year. 

PREDICTION : STARS IN 7

A POLAR VORTEX HOVERS OVER CITI FIELD  BY MARK HALPERN

    Pete Alonso had made it pretty clear that he wanted to stay in New York with the Mets. The way things were going Mets fans were starting to believe that Alonso might go elsewhere cause he wasn’t getting the contract “he wanted.”

     The reason for the quotes is because his agent wanted him to get a monster deal like his counterpart in the Bronx Aaron Judge got. Not one team, not even the Mets were entertaining that and maybe it’s because Pete turned down a sizable offer from the Mets the year before or because his agent told him he was gonna cash in. In the end everyone got what they wanted. Pete gets to continue to be the starting first baseman, The Mets keep a fan favorite and the agent still gets paid.

    Arguably, Pete is having the best start to any season of his career. The reason for this is because of the addition of Juan Soto batting in front of Pete. Pete is not only seeing better pitches but he has become very patient at the plate working counts and taking his walks. Pete is also not really chasing pitches, and Pete’s approach seems to be using right and right center field. Now, while Soto isn’t putting up the numbers most expected in the first month of the season, he is getting on base or moving runners for Pete to bring in. That’s a team player and yes if they pitch around Soto then you have to pitch to Pete and it’s only time until Soto gets hot and then the “New Bash Brothers” will arise in Queens. Pete’s better play doesn’t just go to his offense. He might be playing the best defense of his career.  He is able (I am not sure how) to stretch even further for balls out of his reach and being able to dig balls that short hop before they reach his glove. Pete’s play has improved greatly with addition of certain new factors but his energy is felt all over the diamond.

   A lot of people have gone out of their way to point out that Alonso can opt-out and go for more money on another team. He had the opportunity to do that last year but have basically no other team than the Mets any type of negotiation because this is where he wants to be. I truly believe that David Stearns and Steve Cohen have had this talk multiple times already about extending Pete longer but, right now keep his attention to the field and the game and not his wallet right now. 

WHAT TO DRU?

BY MIKE RIFKIN

It was a rough season for the New York Rangers. Going from winning the President’s Trophy to missing the playoffs as a whole. Changes have already occurred as Head Coach Peter Laviolette and assistant coach Phil Housley are both out, while Dan Muse and Michael Peca will have an opportunity to remain with the club. On Wednesday, the team announced a multi year extension with GM Chris Drury. Now, while it’s fair to ask why Drury gets to hire a third coach, I think it is fair to say he has to get this one right. Now here are some things for Drury to consider in a massive offseason for both himself and the organization. 

DRUS

  1. Believe in the young talent – The Rangers saw a bit of a youth movement on the ice during this season. Getting first hand looks at players such as Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Gabe Perrault. But two guys who had down seasons were Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller. The Rangers took Lafreniere first overall in 2020 and he has taken strides and was the Rangers’ best player in the playoffs in 2023-24. But he did have a down season this season, but he’s 23 years old and after seeing what happened after they traded Kappo Kakko, should give the Rangers some pause. As for Miller, he is an RFA and had a tough season. Part of that could have been the rotation of partners he had or was he thinking about his contract? Either way I have a hard time giving up on a 25 year old solid skating defenseman. They’re also going to have to re-sign Will Cuylle after his career season.
  1. Trade Chris Kreider – This one is hard, Kreider has been a Ranger throughout his career, even sticking around after the letter and eventually his number 20 can hang in the rafters at MSG. But the Rangers are entering the offseason with a little more than nine million dollars in cap space. Kredier has two seasons left on his deal at 6.5 million per year. Trading Kreider can be difficult as he has a modified no trade clause and had an injury plagued season, but did score 22 goals in 68 games played. 
  1. Figure out the Artemi Panarin situation (on ice) – Artemi Panarin has been one of the best free agent signings in Ranger history (on ice). As he enters the final season of his contract, Drury needs to either lock him into an extension or seek a trade. He really can’t let this linger, especially after what took place this season. But, Drury also knows he can’t lose his most dynamic player for nothing. Panarin had 37 goals and 89 points this past season, so he is still playing at a high level. It’ll be more about the term for a player who will be 34 next season. 

DRU NOTS

  1. HIRE JOHN TORTORELLA – Torts was let go by the Flyers at the end of the season, and could be one of the more sought after coaches on the market. Torts was already the coach of the Rangers (08-13) and made four playoff appearances. Even though Torts has adapted to the current NHL, he can wear thin, and this is a Ranger team that needs to figure out a long term coach. 
  1. Be afraid to take a shot – With their cap situation being what it is, the Rangers are not likely to be in on major free agents, which is fine. One of the things the Rangers can do is throw out an offer sheet to restricted free agents to teams who are cap strapped and see what occurs. The Blues offer sheeted Dylan Holloway from the Oilers and he had a fantastic season. If the Rangers wanted to take a shot on Bowen Byram, Matthew Knies or someone it could absolutely benefit Chris Drury. 

Directionless

By Mike Rifkin

It’s being widely reported that the Miami Dolphins and Cornerback Jalen Ramsey are mutually exploring trade options to send the star corner out of Miami. Ramsey, who will turn 31 in October, was acquired by Miami after the 2022 season from the LA Rams in exchange for a third round pick and Hunter Long. 

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Dolphins, remember after the final game of the season, Tyreek Hill said he wanted out, and has since walked that back, but still it’s a distraction. The Dolphins lost safety Jevon Holland in free agency, and have let players like Calais Campbell walk out the door. The Dolphins didn’t have a lot of money to spend in free agency, though they could’ve had more had they restructured the contract of Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which they didn’t.

It’s easier for teams to acquire star players while their quarterback is under their rookie deal, but if you’re Chris Grier I think it’s fair to ask why did you wait until a week prior to the draft, to trade Ramsey? Had they done this sooner, they might have been able to retain Holland. The Dolphins are a team with a lot of needs, now add cornerback to the list, and everything will have to be addressed during the draft. 

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game in a quarter century, and let’s be honest the team hasn’t been really relevant since Dan Marino retired. Coach Mike McDaniel is entering his fourth year as the Head Coach, he did lead the team to the playoffs his first two seasons, before missing last season much in part to Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion. If trading players like Ramsey and maybe even Hill, is the start of a rebuild is McDaniel going to be a part of it? One thing I am sure of is that if this organization is going to start over, Chris Grier is not the guy I want leading it. This fanbase deserves a lot better than what they’ve gotten over the years, and at the end of the day this organization remains directionless. 

CHA-CHA-CHANGES

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Last season the New York Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy and were six wins away from securing their first Stanley Cup since 1994. This year has been an entirely different story, after an 8-5 loss to the Flyers, the Rangers find themselves on the brink of elimination, and let’s be honest, it’d take a miracle for them to make the playoffs regardless.  So what’s changed over the past year?

One thing that can be taken away from this team is that last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final was the last dance with this core group of players. What this team has shown over the past few weeks, with their season in the balance, is that this team is not as close as we think they are, they haven’t won three games in a row since November. The team’s response after the Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba trades have not been good at all. But after this disappointment of a season there has to be some sort of change. 

I’ll start with the coach Peter Laviolette has been successful everywhere he has been. And while this is a down year for the Rangers, I cannot blame all of this on him. The other problem I have is that as an organization you cannot keep recycling coaches every two years. The other thing about dumping Laviolette would be who is coming in to replace him. The dream for GM Chris Drury would be to hire Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, but with him still under contract, it’s a tough move. And I don’t see John Tortorella or Bruce Boudreau as upgrades over Laviolette. 

The roster is where some changes will be seen. With the contract extensions of Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin kicking in, they will still be around. One of the names that won’t be around most likely is Chris Kreider. Kreider, the Rangers first round pick in 2009 is top 10 in franchise history in games played, goals, points, (All three goal categories : power play, short handed and even strength). Kreider will have two years at 6.5 million dollars per season left on the deal following the season. The other core guy I think is playing his last few games as a Ranger is Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad is signed through 2030 at 8.5 million dollars per year. Like Kreider, Zibanejad is top 10 in goals, power play goals, short handed goals, points, and hat tricks. Unless the Rangers find it easier to move Vincent Trocheck, who I think they’d prefer to keep for defensive purposes, I think Zibanejad could be on his way out. 

Whether it’s Chris Drury or someone else, the most interesting decision the Rangers have to make centers around K’Andre Miller. Miller, a first round pick from 2018 has 23 points in 70 games this season. Miller has struggled at times throughout the season, now part of that could be his rotating partners, but do the Rangers want to give up on a 25 year old defenseman, who is still learning the position. The upside is you’d get a lot for Miller, the downside is how do you replace him. I’d be in favor of keeping Miller, unless there is too good of an offer out there. 

This has been a massive failure for the Rangers and I do expect changes to come after the season, but for now these are my thoughts. Who knows, maybe the last few games could change my mind.

LAUNCH THE TORPEDOES – IS IT ANOTHER UNFAIR ADVANTAGE?

By Mike Rifkin

The New York Yankees belted 15 home runs in their season opening three game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bronx. The key to this is the torpedo bat. The Yankees had a MIT Scientist take wood from other parts of the bat and place more wood on the barrel of the bat. Now, we all know this is going to become a thing where all 30 teams will use the torpedo bat, but will Baseball do anything about it? 

Yes, the torpedo bat is legal and it’s not just the Yankees using it, players on the Rays and Twins have been seen using the bat as well. Brewers Pitcher Trevor Megill said “ I think it’s terrible. I feel like it’s something used in slow pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It might be bush (league). It might not be. But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.” 

If baseball wants offense, it will keep the torpedo bat in play. But it’s another unfair advantage towards the hitter. Let’s be honest a lot of the recent rule changes have been advantages to the hitter. We can say the pitch clock and pickoff rules were there for the time of game and it was but it was also for increased offense, as is the runner on second base to start extra innings. But the biggest rule was when MLB banned sticky substances for pitchers and since we’ve seen an uptick in injuries to pitchers. 

Pitchers are now at a severe disadvantage because of these bats. Do I think MLB will do anything on the torpedo bat, probably not. But they should do something to give the pitcher an equal playing field.