Knicks Playoff Preview (Round One)

For the fourth season in a row, the New York Knicks are in the playoffs; and for the third season in a row, they've won at least 50 games. Without question, this is the best team since the one Pat Riley took to the finals in 1994.

And like that '94 team that didn't have to face Michael Jordan, this Knicks team was the prohibitive favorite to come out of the East going into the season. That's because both Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum suffered Achilles injuries and were presumed out for at least a year.

Well, a funny thing happened. While Haliburton never came back, Tatum did, making a Boston Celtics team that was already having a surprisingly good year without him an even more imposing threat. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Detroit Pistons, the team the Knicks beat in the first round last year, came out of nowhere to win 60 games. Oh, and I almost forget to mention that the Atlanta Hawks, who went 21-9 over the last 30 games, deliberately tanked their last game so they could fall to the 6th seed and play the Knicks in the first round.

So much for a glide path to the finals. If this Knicks team is going to win its first championship since 1973, it is going to have to do so while going through a gauntlet that would make walking through a mine field seem like a stroll through the park.

The good news is that they should have more in the tank than last year's team. Under Mike Brown, the starters averaged roughly three minutes less per game than they did under Tom Thibodeau. More good news: from January 21, only the Oklahoma City Thunder had a better defensive rating than New York: 109.1 to 109.4. For the season, the Knicks were a league-best +11.7 in the fourth quarter, the highest ever recorded in the modern play-by-play era. Over the last three postseasons, Jalen Brunson has more 40 point playoff games (8) than Nikola Jokic (6) or Anthony Edwards (5); and Karl-Anthony Towns had more double doubles this season (56) than Jokic (55).

Now the bad news? The Knicks two best scorers (Brunson and KAT) also happen to be their two worst defenders. And while this year's team is better than the one that went to Eastern Conference finals last year, it has also been plagued by inconsistencies. The same team that routed the Nuggets in Denver also barely survived the Nets in Brooklyn. I have written about this several times and it bears repeating: the Knicks are capable of going all the way to the finals; they're also capable of being ousted in the first round. And the most frustrating thing about them is that you don't know which team will show up Saturday night at the Garden.

Notwithstanding those concerns, what are the keys to the Knicks beating the Hawks? It comes down to three.

1. Get KAT involved early and often. As good as the Hawks were in the second half, they have no one who can guard Towns in the paint. The Knicks must get the ball to him, no excuses. He is capable of dominating this series. 20 plus points and 14-15 rebounds per game is a must for New York to advance. 

2. Control the boards. It's no secret that when the Knicks win it's usually because they out-rebound their opponents, particularly on the offensive glass, and this leads to second or third shot attempts. This is where Mitchell Robinson factors in. I expect Brown to play him and Towns together on the court, especially in the fourth quarter. If New York controls the boards, they will win this series.

3. Don't let Brunson shoulder all the load. While there's no doubt Brunson will be the best Knick in the series, he can't beat the Hawks all by himself. Other players, like Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Deuce McBride will have to step up and contribute on the score sheet. The Knicks averaged 27.4 assists per game this season; to beat the Hawks, they are going to have to meet or exceed that average.

In case you haven't noticed, the Knicks have a history of drawing tough first-round opponents in the Leon Rose era: The Cavaliers in '23, the Sixers in '24 and the Pistons last year. The Hawks are no exception. Contrary to what many in the fanbase are saying, this will not be a quick series, or an easy one. They won't say it publicly, but to a man the Knicks would much rather have played the Toronto Raptors.

That being said, the Knicks, if they bring their A game, should dispense with Atlanta. If they don't, heads will roll. New York in six.

Here's how I see the rest of the first-round matchups going:

Eastern Conference: 

Detroit over Orlando in five. The Magic bludgeoned a flawed Hornets team in the Play-In just for the privilege of playing the Pistons.

Boston over Philadelphia in five. Even with a healthy Joel Embiid this would've been a heavy lift for the Sixers. Without him, it's impossible.

Cleveland over Toronto in five. The Raptors caught a break when the Hawks tanked in their last game. It won't make enough of a difference against the Cavs.

Western Conference:

OKC over Phoenix in five. The Thunder needed an easy first round opponent to defend their title. They got one in the Suns.

San Antonio over Portland in six. I'm probably giving the Trail Blazers more credit than they deserve, or maybe it's because this is the first postseason for the Spurs in seven years.

Denver over Minnesota in six. I know the Ant Man has historically done well against the Joker, but there's something about this Nuggets team that makes me think this could be their year. Plus, I have them in the finals against the Knicks.

Houston over Los Angeles in five. This would've been a great series if Luka and Austin Reaves had been healthy. Without them, the Lakers are toast.

As in past years, if the Knicks advance, I'll preview the second round. If they don't, my pick is the Nuggets to win it all. 

We Need To Talk About Lindor

Through 17 games, Francisco Lindor's slash line is .176 / .291 / .250.  He has no home runs and no runs batted in. That was not a misprint, folks. The man who almost became the captain of the New York Mets has been hit by a pitch (1) more times than he's driven in a run (0). I've heard of slow starts, but there were glaciers during the last ice age that moved faster than Lindor has begun the season.

But as bad as his hitting has been, his fielding and base running have been equally atrocious. He was picked off first base while adjusting his glove, forgot how many outs there were on a ground ball that should've been a double play, failed to cover second base on what also should've been a double play, and was tagged out trying to get back to third on an ill-advised scoring attempt. And to think we're only half way through April.

If these were the actions of a rookie, you could almost chalk them up to inexperience or nervousness. But Lindor has been in the majors twelve seasons. He has no excuse for this level of play. What's even more frustrating is the indifference he exhibits in his postgame interviews. Tone deaf doesn't begin to describe it.

When David Stearns assembled this roster over the winter, there were many questions I had about it, most of them sadly coming to the forefront. But the one constant I thought we could all agree on, the one "put in the books" player the Mets had was Lindor at shortstop. His two-run, 9th inning homer against the Braves in game 161 of the 2024 season got New York into the postseason, and his grand slam against the Phillies in the 8th inning of the NLDS, got them to their first NLCS in nine years. When the team won 101 games in 2022, Lindor had his best season as a pro, batting .270 with 26 HRs and 107 RBIs.

This is no scrub, or rookie, or bench player we're talking about here. This is an elite ball player in the prime of his career who is off to a hellish start, and whose nonchalant attitude over his performance is entirely inappropriate given his team's place in the standings, which at the moment is dead last in the National League East. 

I know it's still early, and I also know that no team wins a pennant in April. But the way this team is playing - particularly Lindor - the season may be over by Memorial Day, if not sooner. Something's gotta change. And that something has to be the lineup. Carlos Mendoza came under fire last season for the way he handled his pitching staff. But he's also been way too lenient with his players in general. Why on Earth Lindor hasn't been benched is beyond me. The example this is setting for everyone in that dugout is that it's ok to play like this. And that is unacceptable for a team that went into the season with playoff aspirations. Jesus, even players managers would know when to draw the line.

If Mendoza won't hold Lindor accountable, how the hell is he going to hold the other 23 players on his roster accountable? How does he justify sitting Carson Benge, who at least has 1 HR and 3 RBIs? Players aren't stupid; greedy, yes, but stupid, no. They can tell when a player is being given special treatment. It would be one thing if Lindor just had a couple of bad games; benching him would be an overreaction. But this isn't just a couple of bad games we're talking about; this is a trend that if not nipped in the bud threatens to derail the entire season. For the good of the team Mendoza must bench Lindor.

It doesn't have to be for long; one game should be enough to send a message. And that message is it doesn't matter who you or how much money you make. Every one is held to the same standards. You perform, you play; you don't, you sit. Period.

Lindor undoubtedly won't like it. Tough. It's not about him anymore; it's about a team that is seriously underachieving at every aspect of the game: hitting, pitching and fielding.

Enough with the excuses; enough with shrugging off unacceptably bad performances. It's time for some tough love.

Harry Truman used to have a sign on his desk that read, "The Buck Stops Here." Maybe Mendoza should get one for his desk.

Ya Gotta Have Hart

Don't let the Debbie Downers spoil the moment for you. Last night's game between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics at the Garden was huge, and not because of playoff seeding. Barring a miracle, the Cleveland Cavaliers have pretty much resigned themselves to a fourth place finish in the Eastern Conference, all but guaranteeing the Knicks and Celtics will meet in the second round; assuming, that is, both teams beat their respective first-round opponents. 

It was huge because this team, which has been the sports equivalent of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde most of the season, badly needed a statement win before going into the playoffs. And they got one. By beating the Celtics 112-106, the Knicks won the season series 3-1 and improved their record against teams with winning records to 29-22; last season, they were 0-4 and 12-22 respectively.

The difference isn't just in the won / loss column. Since January 21, the Knicks have the third best defensive rating in the league at 109.3. Last season, it was 11th best at 114.3. This season, they have a fourth quarter point differential of plus 236; last season, it was minus 82. Some of their wins have been epic: 114-89 over the Spurs and 142-103 over the Nuggets, while others have been pedestrian: 93-92 over the Nets and 110-107 over a depleted Warriors team. I've heard of keeping your powder dry, but this is ridiculous.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if the team that throttled the Spurs and Nuggets shows up in the playoffs, they'll make it to the conference finals, maybe even the league finals. But if the team that squeaked by the Nets and Warriors shows up in the playoffs, they'll go out in the first round. Now you know what I mean by Jekyll and Hyde. They're either ascending to the top of Mount Everest or they're sinking to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. There's no in-between. And the scary part is that on paper, only the Oklahoma City Thunder are deeper and more talented.

That's why these wins against teams like the Celtics are so crucial. The Knicks have a habit of playing up to or down to the level of their opponents, and beating a playoff-bound team that many are picking to win the East will do wonders for their psyche.

Last night it was Josh Hart who was the hero. He scored 23 of his game-high 26 points in the second half - including two three pointers in the closing minute - to propel his team to victory. To quote Stefan Bondy, "The Celtics dared Josh Hart to beat them. He obliged." But as clutch as Hart was, he had help. Jalen Brunson had one of his better games of the season with 25 points and 10 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored seven of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. It is essential that these two players work well together for the Knicks to have any hope of a deep playoff run.

Overall, New York outscored Boston 46-32 in the paint, and outshot them 54-45 percent from the field and 43-37 from three-point range. They also had a season-low seven turnovers to the Celtics 11. The only stat line they struggled with was on the boards, where the Celtics out rebounded them 42-30. As for Jalen Brown not being dressed, you play against the team that's on the court. If we're going to start qualifying Knicks wins, what about all those games Brunson, Towns, or Hart missed that the Knicks lost? Can we award them a couple more wins for being shorthanded? The bottom line is if a team can't win without its best player in the lineup, it doesn't deserve to be called a contender. 

Anyway, it was a win; an important win. And that's all that matters. 

John Harbaugh's First Test

John Harbaugh was having a pretty uneventful first few months on the job. He had assembled his coaching staff, signed some notable free agents like Isaiah Likely, Tremaine Edmunds, Jason Sanders, Jordan Stout, Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney and Cam Jones, and was preparing for what many Giants fans are hoping will be the first of many NFL Drafts as head coach and de facto president of football operations.

Then two days ago, Dexter Lawrence decided to spoil Harbaugh's honeymoon. The 340 pound defensive tackle, who was the 17th pick in the 2019 Draft, demanded a trade. Suffice to say the timing could not have been worse. While no one knows for sure what Harbaugh will do with the 5th pick, hold onto it or trade back to get additional picks, the general consensus was that he was leaning towards keeping Lawrence rather than moving him for additional draft capital. Now those plans appear to be up in the air. If Harbaugh can't satisfy Lawrence's contract demand - and the assumption is he's looking for a new one - he might have no option but to accommodate his wishes.

So, what would Lawrence fetch in a trade? If last year's Quinnen Williams deal is any indication, then the Giants should expect a first and second round pick, plus a defensive player. Of course there's one small problem with that analogy: the trade between the Jets and the Cowboys was made at the deadline, which is typically a seller's market. No such market exists here. Just the opposite, in fact. Every team in the league knows the spot the Giants are in. The last thing they're going to do is make it easy for them. If the best Harbaugh can get is a first round pick for Lawrence, he should take it and run. 

Of course he could wait until Draft Day. There's always a team out there looking to bolster their interior defense. And if Harbaugh can get an additional pick on top of a first for Lawrence, it might be worth the gamble. However, the reverse is also true; teams might try and lowball him, hoping to get a steal. In that event, Harbaugh would be up a creak without a paddle.

Lastly, Harbaugh could always call Lawrence's bluff. After all, he is signed through 2027 to a very team-friendly contract. $26.9 million may be below market value for a player with his talent, but it's considerably better than nothing, which is what Lawrence would get if he sat out the season. 

But does Harbaugh really want a player on his roster who's disgruntled, especially one as important as Lawrence? While he may have had an off year in 2025, he is still considered one of the better defensive tackles in the game. And for a team that struggled mightily against the run last season, I'm not sure Harbaugh wants that kind of headache in his first year on the sidelines.

So the choices appear to be a) pay him what he wants, then write the contract in a way so that the cap hit is less than what it is now; b) get what you can for him in a trade, even if it's less than what he's worth; or c) call his bluff and hope he doesn't sit out or tank.

If I had to guess, I'd say Harbaugh opts for Plan A. At 28, Lawrence still has several good years left before his skills begin to diminish. A three-year deal at $100 million, with the first two years guaranteed, should do it. Both sides get what they want. The Giants solidify their defensive line with a manageable cap hit, and Lawrence gets the security he's been looking for.

If Harbaugh still needs to shed more salary, he can always trade Kayvon Thibodeaux. Indeed, prior to Lawrence's demand, the smart money was on the Giants moving Thibodeux on Draft Day for a second round pick. Now that's almost a certainty.

You know what they say: the best laid plans of mice and men.

Mike Brown's KAT Problem

"I'm still trying to figure out where I could impact our team and winning the most."

- Karl-Anthony Towns

75 games into the season and the Knicks number two scorer still doesn't know what his role on the team is. I don't want to sound like an alarmist here, but we're way past the point where this should be an issue. Typically, this late in the season, teams are fine tuning their systems, not redesigning them. If someone as valuable as KAT is saying something like this publicly, I can assure you Leon Rose cannot be happy. And if Rose isn't happy, you can bet the ranch James Dolan isn't either. 

I have given Mike Brown the benefit of the doubt on more than one occasion. In my opinion, he has been an improvement over his predecessor Tom Thibodeau. He has cut down on the minutes the starters were playing, has increased the number of players in his rotation and, most notably, gotten a team that was fourteenth in defensive rating last season to seventh this season. Indeed, since January 21, the Knicks are first in the NBA in defensive rating.

He has also managed to do something Thibs couldn't do: get Towns and Jalen Brunson to defend. Since January 21, KAT's defensive rating is 104.5 and Brunson's is 111.9; last season, it was 110.3 and 118.2 respectively. It was no secret that in last year's Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers took advantage of both players whenever they were on the court. So bad was it that Thibs was forced to move KAT to the 4 and start Mitchell Robinson at the 5 once the series shifted to Indiana.

But while Brown deserves accolades for the defensive turnaround, there's no excuse for one of his players not knowing what his role is. We're not talking about a bench player here. We're talking about a 7-0 center who, last season, averaged 24.4 points per game and shot 42 percent from three-point range. Only Nikola Jokic averaged more points per game at that position.

There's also no excuse for Brown pulling that player out of a game in which his team was trailing by two late in the 4th quarter. Sunday night in OKC, the Thunder were leading 95-93 with 5:41 left in regulation. The Knicks were on a 12-3 run with Towns accounting for nine of their points. Thanks to a turnover by SGA, New York had the ball. That's when Brown inexplicably pulled his star center and inserted Mitchell Robinson in his place. Though the substitution was short-lived, the momentum had ostensibly been killed. KAT never scored another point. OKC would go on a 16-7 run to close out the game. 

It is incumbent upon a head coach to communicate to his players what his expectations are and what their roles will be. For most of the season, Towns has looked lost out on the court. He passes up shots that are there while forcing shots that aren't. Against the Thunder, he took only nine shots. To put that in perspective, Jose Alvarado took ten off the bench.

This was not some blow out; this was a close game that was winnable. The first rule in sports is you always go with your best lineup when the game is on the line. KAT was on a roll; no way he should've been substituted. While Robinson has many talents, offense isn't one of them. He had no business being on the court in that situation. His turnover two possessions later opened up the flood gates for OKC.

This isn't the first time Brown's tinkering with the rotation has been questioned. You could say it's been a season-long preoccupation of his. There's just one problem: this isn't November or December, it's March, about to become April. The tinkering should be over. The way this team is playing, they'd have a hard time making it out of the first round, let alone getting to the finals. And if they end up facing the Pistons in the conference finals, they might very well get swept.

Mike Brown was hired to get the Knicks over the hump. They entered the season as the prohibitive favorites to win the East. As of now, they're more likely to finish fourth than first. Not all of what's wrong is his fault; but the part that is he must fix, and fix soon. Otherwise, this season of high expectations will go up in smoke.

Just like all the others. 

ELIMINATED!

It was fitting that on a night when the Rangers actually played one of their better games of the season, it was their goaltending that let them down. Well, at least they had more than 10 shots on goal.

How the mighty have fallen. To think that only two years ago the Blueshirts won the Presidents' Trophy and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. In spite of what the analytics community was saying, they were legitimate Cup contenders, even if their window was one of the shortest in franchise history. 

And now, for the second straight season, there will be no playoff games at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were officially eliminated from postseason contention last night in Toronto. They are currently second from the bottom in the NHL standings. So much for "No Quit in New York." I hope J.T. Miller kept the receipts for those T-shirts. Maybe he can get a Happy Meal for them.

As you probably noticed, I haven't been writing much about the Rangers this season for two reasons: One, the Knicks have been a far better story; and two, there's only so much bile I can spit up. Watching this team brings new meaning to the term self abuse.

There are many culprits in this tragedy, but none more egregious than J.T. Miller. Captain Clunker is now sadly part of two of the worst trades in Rangers history: the first was when he was dealt to the Lightning in 2018 for a package that included Brett Howden; the second was when he was reacquired last year from the Canucks for Filip Chytil and a first round pick. Jesus, talk about double dipping. 

With a few rare exceptions, Miller has been brutal this season. How brutal? Without him in the lineup, the Rangers are 7-5-2; with him in the lineup, they're 21-30-7. Since his return from I.R., he has no goals and only 4 assists in seven games. During that span, New York is 1-5-1. Prior to that, they had won their last three games.

This wasn't what the Rangers envisioned when they brought him back to Broadway. Clearly, something is wrong. If he's injured, he shouldn't be playing; and if he isn't injured, there's no excuse for his performance. Either way, there's no justification for keeping a player making $8 million AAV through 2030 beyond this season. Chris Drury may not like retaining dead cap space on the books, but in this instance, he really has no other choice. He must buy out Miller's contract over the summer and rid the organization of an albatross that will cripple his efforts at rebuilding the roster.

Here's what a potential buy out for Miller would look like:

2026-27: $2.92m

2027-28: $5.42m

2028-29: $5.42m

2029-30: $2.92m

2030-31: $1.92m

2031-32: $1.92m

2032-33: $1.92m

2033-34: $1.92m

At first glance, this may seem like a lot of money to eat, but with the salary cap scheduled to go from $95.5 million to $104 million next season and $113.5 million the following year, it's not as bad as it looks. By year five the cap hit would be less than what a bottom six forward would cost. The alternative is keeping a subpar player on an aging contract who will only take valuable minutes away from a younger, more promising prospect. Better for Drury to cut his losses than to continue throwing good money after bad. This would be the no brainer of the decade.

Speaking of no brainers, it is imperative that the Rangers find out what they have in their pipeline. Continuing to dress players like Taylor Raddysh and Conor Sheary when you have players in Hartford that could be called up and looked at is absurd. With ten games to go in the season, Drury and Mike Sullivan need to give as much ice time as possible to these players.

To some extent, they've already begun to do that. Tye Kartye (who was claimed off waivers from the Kraken) has been a pleasant surprise, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 games with New York, and averaging 14 minutes per game playing on the third line. Jaroslav Chmelar is another young player who has 2 goals in 18 games. And last night, Adam Sykora made his NHL debut.

But the biggest, most pleasant surprise has come courtesy of the top six. Gabe Perrault has 4 goals and 9 assists this month; Mika Zibanejad, with 32 goals and 37 assists this season, is playing his best hockey since 2022-23; and Alexis Lafreniere has 11 goals and 10 assists since Artemi Panarin was traded to the Kings in January. Five of those goals have come on the power play. Over the last 13 games, the trio has 20 goals and 26 assists. In an otherwise lost season, they've been one of the few bright spots on this team.

Vincent Trocheck - who was almost traded - has 3 goals and 6 assists since the deadline. If Drury doesn't get a good enough offer for him over the summer, he should keep him. A 2C making $5.6 million is very manageable in this league, especially one who averages 60 points per season and wins 57 percent of his face offs.

Look, there's no way to sugar coat this. The Rangers are a bad team, and they will likely be a bad team for the foreseeable future. The best thing Drury can do is not make the same mistakes his predecessor made by taking short cuts. He needs to build through the draft, develop his young prospects, and when appropriate, make smart trades. That's the way most successful teams have done it. 

It's the way the Rangers did it under Emile Francis and Craig Patrick. 

2026 Mets Preview

Boy, David Stearns had himself a very busy offseason, didn't he? The Mets President and GM ostensibly turned over almost half of the roster from last year. Gone are Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, Ryan Stank, Ryan Helsey, Tyler Rogers, Cedric Mullins and Frankie Montas. Replacing them are Devin Williams, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr, Luke Weaver, Freddy Peralta, Richard Lovelady, Tobias Myers and Carson Benge. 

If you were vacationing the last four and a half months in a place that didn't have internet access - the moon, for instance - you're in for one helluva shock when you get your yearbook.

That 2025 was a huge disappointment would be putting it mildly. After signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15 year, $765 million contract, the Amazins were expected to not only make the postseason, but go all the way to the World Series. Instead, they endured a historic four-month implosion that began in mid-June. Clearly, some changes had to be made. The only question is will those changes be enough to wash the taste of last year out of the organization's mouth.

Frankly, I have my doubts. Don't get me wrong, the additions of Bichette, Polanco, Semien and Robert Jr will bring balance to a batting order that was top heavy last season. And for the first time in four years, the Mets finally have an ace in their starting rotation in Peralta. I'm also very high on Nolan McLean and think he has the potential to be an elite pitcher in the majors. 

But when I look objectively at this roster, there are some red flags. For one, defense. Robert Jr will be fine in center, as will Semien at second. But Bichette is a natural shortstop who's never played third, and if you thought Alonso was an adventure at first, Polanco has played exactly one inning - actually one pitch - at the position his entire professional career. For a GM who stressed run prevention at the conclusion of last season, you'd have to admit, that's a pretty odd way of addressing it.

Then there's the bullpen, which was the primary culprit in last season's implosion. Losing Diaz - the best closer the franchise has had since Billy Wagner - to the Dodgers for what amounted to $3 million over three years is THE definition of malpractice. Hoping Williams regains the form he had with the Brewers is the biggest gamble since Custer said, "One more for the road, boys."

The starting rotation is also problematic. After Peralta and Clay Holmes, the drop-off is immense. As I said above, I think McLean is legit, but what if he isn't? What if he needs another year at Syracuse? And then there's Kodai Senga. Can he rebound from a disastrous 2025, or is this it for him? As for David Peterson and Sean Manaea, who knows what to expect from them. You'd have to be an incurable optimist to think this rotation can carry a team all the way to a World Series. 

And then there's the manager. While Carlos Mendoza wasn't the architect of last season's train wreck, he has to shoulder some of the blame, most notably how he handled the pitching staff. Should this team get off to a poor start, like it did in 2024, it's hard to see him surviving to the All-Star Break. Fair or not, the expectations for this franchise are still high. A second consecutive season missing the playoffs will not be tolerated by Steve Cohen. 

Now for my predictions. Last year, the Mets finished 83-79; the year before that, they went 89-73. Mike Puma of The New York Post has them going 95-67 this season and winning the National League East. I'm a bit less bullish. I have them going 88-74. While that won't be enough to win the NL East, it should be enough to clinch a Wild Card spot. And if Senga and Williams regain their previous form, they could challenge the Phillies for the division. However, that's a big if.

Here's how I see each division breaking down:

NL East:

Phillies

Braves

Mets

Marlins

Nationals

NL Central:

Brewers

Cubs

Cardinals

Reds

Pirates

NL West:

Dodgers

Padres

Giants

Diamondbacks

Rockies

AL East:

Blue Jays

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Rays

AL Central:

Tigers

Guardians

Twins

Royals

White Sox

AL West:

Mariners

Rangers

Astros

Angels

A's

NL Wild Cards: Braves, Mets, Cubs

AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Red Sox, Guardians

World Series: Blue Jays over Phillies 4-2

As with all my predictions, take them with a grain of salt. 

A very large grain of salt. 

Will the Real New York Knicks Please Stand Up?

Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. Just when you think you've figured out this Knicks team, they throw a curve Sandy Koufax would be proud of.

23-9, 2-9, 8-0, 4-4, 4-1, and now 1-2. 

I give up.

How can the same team that was responsible for the only loss the San Antonio Spurs have suffered since the beginning of February need a second-half comeback against a Utah Jazz team that was fined $500,000 by Adam Silver for tanking? Your guess is as good as mine. 

Exasperating doesn't begin to describe it. This team plays with all the consistency of a ship without a rudder. One minute, it's a championship contender; the next, it's a borderline play-in team. And the most frustrating thing about them is you never know which team is going to show up on any given night.

Even last night, the Jazz pretty much had their way with the Knicks in the first half, shooting 54 percent from the floor and 67 percent from three. Jalen Brunson went 1-8 and was a minus 16, while Mikal Bridges - the MIA player of the year - went 1-5 and was a minus 17.  If it hadn't been for Karl-Anthony Towns (5-9 / 15 points) this game would've been over by halftime.

Fortunately for the Knicks, they were playing the Jazz. That sense of urgency which had been missing in the first half, as well as against the Lakers and Clippers, suddenly appeared in the third quarter. Brunson woke up and scored 18 points, and Jordan Clarkson had himself a nice homecoming, scoring 19. In all, New York outscored Utah 78-52 in the second half and won going away.

But why did it have to come to that? Why does this team, which everyone agrees is loaded with talent, insist on playing down to the level of its opponents? That is the sixty-four thousand dollar question that must be answered satisfactorily by the playoffs or this dream season will come to a nightmarish ending.

It starts with having heart. No, not Josh Hart, who was out because of left-knee soreness, but good old-fashioned heart; the kind that championship-caliber teams display on a regular basis. If you can beat teams like the Spurs, Boston Celtics or Denver Nuggets handily, you should have no problem beating lottery teams like the Jazz or Indiana Pacers, who upset the Knicks at the Garden last month. 

The fact is games like this should never be in doubt. Yes, I realize that even the best teams occasionally have an off night or two, but with the Knicks, it's become something of an occupational hazard. You can almost predict when the next slump will occur. It typically happens right after a good stretch of games. If ever there was a team that couldn't stand prosperity, it's the Knicks. 

I have defended Mike Brown numerous times in this blog. In my opinion, he is a vast improvement over Tom Thibodeau. The proof is the Knicks record against the best teams in the NBA. Last season, they were 0-10 against the Cavaliers, Celtics and Thunder. This season, they're 4-3. Even with these last three games, the Knicks still have the best defensive rating in the league over their last 24 games.

But if there is one criticism that you can levy on Brown - and it is one that has plagued him throughout his coaching career - it's that he wants to be liked by his players. You can tell by his demeanor on the bench. He rarely, if ever, calls them out, even when they deserve it, like they did after that horrendous first quarter. Being calm, cool and collected is all fine and dandy, but every once in a while, you gotta be the bad cop. I'm not saying he has to be the second coming of Hubie Brown or Bobby Knight, but Jesus, even Thibs occasionally lost it now and then. There are worse things than hurting your players feelings; being eliminated in the first round, for instance.

One player whose feelings desperately need to be hurt is Mikal Bridges. The small forward has been a virtual no show the last three games, scoring a combined total of 12 points and posting a minus 34. So bad was he against the Jazz that Brown benched him in the fourth quarter. It is simply unacceptable for someone as valuable as Bridges to play that poorly. And let's be clear, this isn't the first time the player Leon Rose traded five first round picks for has gone AWOL. In fact, you could say he's been a repeat offender. 

The irony is that Bridges, for all his disappearing acts, has had some memorable moments. It was one year ago tonight that he had one of his best games as a Knick, scoring 33 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, including the deciding three pointer to propel New York to a 114-113 OT win. Earlier that season, he scored 41 points against the Spurs on Christmas Day at the Garden. The man has the talent; it's the will that's been lacking.

Brown must find a way to unleash that will. He has to risk hurting Bridges feelings so that the talent that's in him comes out more consistently. Mike Keenan was one of the toughest NHL coaches ever to work behind the bench. The man was, for all intents and purposes, a hard on. But in the Spring of 1994, that toughness was exactly what the Rangers needed to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. Nice guys don't always finish last, but they seldom finish first.

Mike Brown doesn't have to be as tough as Mike Keenan in order to win a championship; but being Fred Rogers isn't going to cut it.

16-5

When last we checked, the New York Knicks had just gone 2-2 and appeared headed towards another skid, similar to the one they went through in January when they went 2-9. They had gotten their ass kicked by the Detroit Pistons - the third such beatdown this season - and had phoned it in against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In between, they needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Houston Rockets at home, and barely won against a Bulls team in Chicago that had lost eight in a row. As I wrote in my last piece, they could easily have gone 0-4.

Well, as the Monkees once sang, that was then, this is now. The Knicks have won four of their last five games, with three of those wins not remotely close. They routed a Milwaukee Bucks team that was 8-2 in their last ten, shocked a San Antonio Spurs team that had gone 11-0 in the month of February, and handed a Denver Nuggets team yours truly picked to go to the finals their worst home loss in more than two decades. The collective margin in all three of these wins was 383-290. The lone loss was a 103-100 thriller against the OKC Thunder at the Garden that would've been a win had the Knicks made just one extra three pointer and one extra free throw.

This is not a small sample size. We're talking about a quarter of a season here. Over the last 21 games, the Knicks have gone 16-5, and they've held their opponents to under 100 points ten times. Their defensive rating of 104.4 is the best in the league, per StatMuse. To put that in perspective, the Boston Celtics are second at 107.8, followed by the Spurs at 107.9; the Knicks have beaten both teams.

Last season, New York struggled against the top teams in the NBA. They were a collective 0-10 against the Celtics, Cavs and Thunder. So far this season, they're 4-3 against those teams. With last night's win in Denver, they're 17-10 against the top six teams in each conference; they've won four games by 35 or more points (a franchise record); seven games by 30 or more points, and eleven by 25 or more. The Thunder, last season's champions, have three, eight and 13 wins respectively.

While this has been a team effort, the biggest turnaround has come from none other than Karl-Anthony Towns. The much maligned center has been reborn under Mike Brown. It has taken a while, but KAT is playing his best basketball since he was acquired by Leon Rose in the summer of 2024. His offensive production may be down five points per game from last season, but he's been a force to be reckoned with in the paint. His defensive rating during this stretch is 100.3. Last season, it was 110.3.

Another player who's enjoyed something of a metamorphosis is Jalen Brunson. The Captain and NBA clutch player of the year last season, has become a distributor of the ball recently. Over the last three games, he has 40 assists, including 15 a piece against the Nuggets and Thunder. Getting Brunson to play more off the ball has been a goal of Brown since day one. Not only does it make it harder for opponents to double team him, it gets his teammates more involved in the offense. How effective has this strategy been? New York led Denver 65-52 at the half and Brunson had only two points. In all, the Knicks had 44 assists in the game, one shy of the franchise record.

Speaking of getting other players involved, Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet have been invaluable coming off the bench. The former is Rose's best deadline acquisition since Josh Hart and the latter was all but forgotten under Tom Thibodeau. With the depth on this roster and the emphasis on defense first, the Knicks are a legitimate threat to go deep in the playoffs. They've already proven they can hang with almost any team in the league.

Look, there's still plenty of time left in the regular season. As good as the Knicks have played during this stretch, they're still in third place in the Eastern Conference. one and a half games behind the Celtics, who now have a healthy Jayson Tatum back from an ACL injury he sustained in last year's second-round series against New York. And the Pistons - the Knicks kryptonite as I called them - are still solidly in first place. If these two teams meet in the conference finals, the winner could well be the next NBA champion.

Buckle up; shit's about to get real. 

Regular Seasons Matter

All throughout the 2022-23 regular season, the New York Rangers were a model of inconsistency. There were moments when they looked like the best team in the NHL, and then there were moments when they looked like a lottery team. And the most frustrating thing about them was you couldn't tell which Rangers team was going to show up: the world beater or the bottom feeder. Despite having arguably the most talented roster in franchise history - and that includes the '94 Cup team - the Blusher's finished in the third place in the Metropolitan division.

The players, for their part, didn't seem overly concerned. They were convinced that once the playoffs started, they would sort it all out. And who could blame them? After all, they made it to the Eastern Conference finals the year before. Who were we to question their strategy? 

Well we all know what happened. The Devils wound up beating the Rangers in the first round and Gerard Gallant was fired as head coach. The moral of the story was that regular seasons matter. The inconsistencies that plague teams during the regular season don't miraculously vanish once the postseason starts. There's no switch teams can throw that automatically catapults them to another level. You either have it or you don't. That year it was clear the Rangers didn't have it and they paid dearly for it.

Fast forward to 2025-26. The New York Knicks have had more ups and downs than a bipolar patient at Bellevue. A 23-9 start, followed by a 2-9 skid, followed by an eight-game win streak. They've beaten such teams as the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Denver Nuggets and the L.A. Lakers, and they've also lost to the likes of the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings. At times they resemble title contenders; at others they resemble the sort of team Adam Silver was referring to when he addressed the issue of tanking in the NBA.

Sound familiar? It should. 

Like that Rangers team three years ago, this Knicks team is one of the most talented in franchise history. Indeed, you have to go all the way back to the Red Holzman era of the early 1970s to find a more talented roster. But as they used to say in Manhattan, that and a subway token will get you a ride on the 7th Avenue Express. If talent was all you needed, the Rangers would have at least four more championship banners hanging in the rafters at Madison Square Garden, and the Knicks would have at least two more. 

The truth is what you do in the regular season follows you into the playoffs. If you are inconsistent during the regular season, you are most likely going to be inconsistent in the playoffs. Even if we go back to last year's postseason run, the Knicks had to come from behind seven times: three against the Pistons, three against the Celtics and one against the Pacers. And in two of those comeback wins against the Celtics they were trailing by 20 points. They also had without question the worst fourth-quarter collapse in NBA history against the Pacers in game one of the Eastern Conference finals. As good as the Knicks have been under Leon Rose these last four seasons, they have been equally frustrating to watch.

Case in point: After routing the Sixers in Philly 138-89, the Knicks were manhandled by the Pistons at the Garden 126-111, needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Rockets 108-106, almost blew a game they had no business losing to the Bulls in Chicago 105-99, and scored a paltry 11 points in the third quarter of a 109-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

While they went 2-2, they could easily have gone 0-4. Like I said, frustrating. The sad thing is when the Knicks play with a sense of urgency, they can beat almost anybody; when they don't, they are capable of losing to almost anybody. And that dichotomy is the single biggest concern I have about their prospects in the postseason. Which Knicks team is going to show up in April? If it's the former, they have a shot of getting back to the conference finals, maybe even the finals; if it's the latter, they could be eliminated in the first round.

Now to be fair, you could say the same thing about any playoff team in the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB. The annals of sports history are filled with talented teams that failed in the postseason. But for a franchise that last celebrated a championship during the Nixon administration, it's an ominous warning; one that Mike Brown would do well to heed.

The first-year head coach was hired specifically to fix the shortcomings this Knicks team had under Tom Thibodeau. So far, it's been a mixed bag. There's no doubt that bench scoring has gone up under Brown. Last season, it averaged 21.7 points per game; this season, it's averaging 31.5 points per game. Brown has also increased the  number of players in the rotation. Last season, the running joke was that Thibs wouldn't use nine players in a baseball game; this season, Brown has utilized as many as eleven. 

That isn't the only improvement under Brown. Last season, the Knicks defensive rating was 115.3 (11th best in the NBA); this season, it's 114 (9th best); and over the last 16 games, it's 105.7 (first overall). Obviously, whatever struggles the Knicks are having do not appear to be affecting their defense. In the loss to Cleveland, they held a Cavs team that is averaging just under 120 points per game to 109 points, 74 over the last three quarters.

So what exactly is the problem? Despite the increase in scoring from the bench, the starting five has had a hard time "figuring out" Brown's system. Karl-Anthony Towns in particular has struggled the most. It's no secret that when Rose traded for KAT in the summer of '24 he was not getting the second coming of Bill Russell. The Knicks needed a center who could score and score he did. In his first year on Broadway, Towns averaged 24.4 points per game and 42 percent from three-point range. This season, he's averaging 20 points per game and 36.7 percent from three.

But it isn't just his overall production that's slipped; it's his involvement in the offense. Against the Cavs, he took only five shots the entire game. To put that in perspective, Mitchell Robinson took six. By no means was this the first time KAT went MIA. Against the Celtics earlier this month, he went 3-9 for 11 points; against the Raptors in January, he went 3-11 for 8 points; against the Sixers, he went 2-4 for 10 points before fouling out; and in New York's first game against Detroit, he went 1-4 for 6 points. 

There's no getting around it, the Knicks need their all-star center if they have any hope of going deep in the playoffs. Forget about the Pistons, without a productive Towns, they'd have a hard time beating the Orlando Magic. Brown has to find a way to get him unlocked or this season of high expectations will go up in smoke.

And not just Towns. Mikal Bridges was supposed to be the biggest beneficiary in Brown's system. But that hasn't been the case. He's averaging 15.7 points per game this season, down two from last season. We're way past whether he was worth the five draft picks Rose gave up for him. Bridges, like KAT, must get more involved in the offense.

Look, it's not too late. There are 23 games left in the regular season, more than enough time for the Knicks and their head coach to "figure out" what's wrong and to fix it. But one thing's for certain: talent alone won't save them.

Knicks At the All-Star Break

The New York Knicks entered the All-Star break in third place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 35-20, a half game behind the Boston Celtics and six games behind the Detroit Pistons. They are 10-2 over their last 12 games; the two losses coming at the hands of the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers. 

During this recent stretch, the Knicks have beaten the Philadelphia 76ers (twice), the Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets and the Celtics - all playoff teams. They've allowed an average of 101 points per game while scoring an average of 118.5 points per game. Their defensive rating of 102.9 and offensive rating of 120.7 are tops in the league. They won the NBA Cup in December, and are widely viewed as the deepest and most talented team in the East.

And yet even with all that, their toughest opponent remains the Pistons. In the two losses against Detroit, New York was outscored 239 to 170. That's a difference of 69 points, making Thursday night's game at the Garden as close to a must win as the Knicks will have this season.

Leon Rose has done a masterful job assembling this roster. His acquisition of Jose Alvarado at the trade deadline and the signing of Jeremy Sochan a few days later has made the Knicks a formidable contender; one that, in my opinion, is capable of beating almost any team in their conference; emphasis on almost. 

Let me be clear: these Pistons are not the Celtics of last season. That team lived, and eventually died, with the three pointer. This Detroit team doesn't beat you from the perimeter; they beat you in the paint. They're about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. To quote from my last piece, "It's no secret that they are the most penalized team in the NBA; when they foul you, you know you've been fouled." They didn't just beat the Knicks; they mauled them.

Which is why it's essential that the Knicks win this game. If nothing else, they need to prove to themselves that this Pistons team is beatable; that they're not the second coming of that infamous Bad Boys team of the late '80s and early '90s. Waiting until the Eastern Conference finals to do it could prove fatal to their championship aspirations.

There's another reason why this game is so essential for the Knicks to win. They need to plant a seed of doubt into the collective conscience of a Pistons team that, ever since they lost to them in the playoffs last season, has been chomping at the bit to get even. They and their fans have been running their mouths all season long. It would be nice to shut those mouths, if only for a couple of days.

And finally, there are the standings to consider. While New York currently sits in third place, they are only one game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Like the Knicks, the Cavs have been hot, winning nine of their last ten games. Should the Knicks finish the regular season in fourth place, they would face the Pistons in the second round. But if they finish in second or third place, their likely opponent in the second round would be the Celtics. If I were the Knicks, I'd much rather face Detroit in the conference finals than in the second round. 

Look, can the Knicks still beat the Pistons in the playoffs if they lose to them Thursday night? Yes, but it will be a lot more difficult. 

Nick Saban once said that success can become "addictive." The same is true for failure.

The Pistons Present a Real Problem for the Knicks

I suppose after winning eight in a row, it was inevitable that the Knicks would lay an egg. And last night in Motown they laid a beaut: a 118-80 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. The only bright spot was that coach Mike Brown was able to rest his starters in the fourth quarter. Actually, he could've pulled them at half time.

There will be those who will be tempted to dismiss this loss, arguing that with Karl-Anthony Towns, O.G. Anunoby and Deuce McBride out with injuries, the Knicks were shorthanded. The problem with that argument is that all three players were on the court a month ago when they got smoked by this very same Pistons team, which I would point out was missing its number one center Jalen Duren last night. 

Then there will be those who will point out, perhaps with some validity, that regular season games don't mean all that much. After all, the Knicks went 0-4 against the Boston Celtics during the regular season last year and look what happened in the playoffs. That is certainly true, but I would counter that the Celtics were a flawed team that had become over reliant on the three, and it finally came back to bite them against the Knicks. 

This Pistons team has no discernible flaws. True, they're not the Chicago Bulls of the '90s, or the L.A. Lakers of the '80s; hell, they're not even as talented as the Knicks. But, pound for pound, they are the toughest team in the NBA to play against. They pushed the Knicks to six games in last year's playoffs and they are more than capable of beating them in this year's playoffs. 

What is it about this Pistons team that makes them such a dangerous opponent for the Knicks? In a word, it's their size. They are big and they play big. If they wore skates, they'd be the Philadelphia Flyers of the '70s. They aren't merely content with beating their opponents; they want to send a message: enter the paint at your own peril. It's no secret that they are the most penalized team in the NBA; when they foul you, you know you've been fouled. No slap on the wrist or tug on the jersey. Your ass is on the court. To quote Eddie Murphy from 48 Hours, "Did that hurt? It looked real painful from here."

Much as I applaud Leon Rose for not gutting the team to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, and for acquiring Jose Alvarado at the trade deadline, the failure to add size in the front court could come back to haunt him in the postseason. What good is having another ball handler on the bench when your starters are getting mauled by a more physically dominant opponent? And don't kid yourself; while Cade Cunningham is one of the most talented guards in the league, the majority of his teammates would make the Broad Street Bullies blush with pride.

Barring an early round upset, the prohibitive favorites to advance to the NBA finals will likely have to go through Detroit to get there. And that's a problem because everything the Knicks do well, the Pistons excel at preventing. Beating the Celtics last year came down to making adjustments, especially in the fourth quarter. But how do you adjust for height and weight? 

In the late 1980s and early '90s, the NBA was forced to endure a reign of terror. A Pistons team led by the likes Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman ran rough shot all over their opponents. The infamous fight between Laimbeer and Larry Bird in game three of the '87 Eastern Conference finals remains to this day a stain on the sport. There are parallels between that Pistons team and this one; parallels that the league - and especially the Knicks - would do well to take notice of.

In the 1990s, New York was one of the best teams in the NBA. But their Kryptonite was the Chicago Bulls. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't beat them. This Knicks team is also one of the best in the NBA. Will the Pistons end up being their Kryptonite, or will they find a way to beat them and hopefully put an end to a 53 year-old curse?

Don't Do It, Leon

“You're never as good as you think you are when you win; and you're never as bad as you feel when you lose.”

― Joe Paterno

This has certainly been one of the strangest Knicks seasons we've seen in a very long time. A 23-9 start that had fans thinking championship; followed by a 2-9 skid that had them jumping off a bridge; and now a 6-0 streak that has them giddy all over again. There are roller coasters that have less excitement. 

While it remains to be seen whether these last six games are indicative of who they are as a team, there are some very encouraging signs that this latest win streak just might be the real deal. 

For instance, their average margin of victory has been an impressive 23.6 points. True, one of those wins came against the lowly Nets. But even if you subtract that game, the margin is still 17.6 points. To put that in perspective, last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had an NBA best 12.9 point differential while going 68-14.

Secondly, their defensive effort during this stretch has been simply off the charts. They've allowed an NBA low 91.8 points per game. Conversely, during their 2-9 skid, they allowed 119.8 points per game. A dramatic turnaround. 

And lastly, Karl Anthony Towns has become a new man. The 7-0 center had been struggling this season to find an identity in Mike Brown's system. Over the last three games, he appears to have found it. Check out his slash line below:

@ Tor: 8 points / 22 rebounds / 0 PF / +19 

vs Por: 14 points / 20 rebounds / 1 PF/ +17 

vs LAL: 11 points / 13 rebounds / 3 PF/ +23

That averages out to 11 points / 18.3 rebounds / 1.3 PF / +19.7 per game. It's those last two stats that jump off the page. During his tenure with the Knicks, KAT has been known for getting into early foul trouble and being a sieve on defense. Before these last three games, he was averaging 3.7 personal fouls and a plus 3.58 per game this season. If Towns can keep up this pace, the Knicks will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

Which brings me to the number one topic on everyone's mind: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

I have been adamant that unless Leon Rose can convince the Milwaukee Bucks to accept KAT straight up for Giannis, he should just walk away. Now I'm convinced that even if the Bucks agree to a swap, Rose should still walk away. And for two reasons: One, the Knicks need a shutdown center who can score. Much as I love Mitchell Robinson, there's no guarantee he will be available every game, and even when he is, he's a liability offensively. Secondly, and I cannot stress this enough, Giannis is injury prone. He's had four calf injuries over the last 19 months; two of them non-contact. Imagine trading one or more of your best players at the deadline for a player who gets injured right before the playoffs begin.

And even if Giannis is healthy, I still don't get all the hoopla over him. True, he's a dominant player in the paint, but from the perimeter, he's anything but. Compare and contrast his career stats with Nikola Jokic. 

Antetokounmpo:

Jokic:

There's no comparison. Now if the Denver Nuggets ever call up the Knicks offering to trade Jokic to them, the first words out of Rose's mouth should be, "pick any three players not named Jalen Brunson and I'll send a private jet to pick him up."

But I seriously doubt the Nuggets will be calling anytime soon. Would you? Me neither.

So why would the Bucks be willing to trade Giannis? Teams only trade their stars when they conclude that they can no longer win with them. And if the Bucks no longer believe they can win with Giannis, why would the Knicks believe they can? Why on Earth would they want an injury-prone power forward that, since he last won a championship in 2021, has exactly one playoff series win in the last four seasons?

And then there are the players to consider. Think about the effect Giannis will have on a Knicks locker room that was two wins away from its first finals appearance since 1999. This isn't Mark Messier in '94; not even close.

I’ve been watching the NBA since the ‘70s. I’ve seen the greats like Julius, Walton, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, Steph, KD and Joker. With all due respect to Giannis, he doesn't belong in that group. Great players make other players around them better, like LeBron did with the Cleveland Cavaliers and KD almost did with the Nets.

I've seen this movie before: New York team - fill in the blank - trades for an established star to put it over the top. It never ends well.

Here's the bottom line: Rose either believes in this team or he doesn't. If he does, he needs to let it cook. If they fail to make it to the finals, he can always revisit Giannis over the summer, assuming he's still available. 

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

This Was the Shortest Window in Rangers History

When Jeff Gorton sent out his letter on February 8, 2018, informing the fanbase that the Rangers were going to be sellers at the trade deadline, it took everyone by surprise. Despite losing seven of their last eight games, the Blueshirts were still in contention for a playoff spot. This was a team that had made the playoffs seven straight years, advanced to two conference finals and one Cup final. Certainly there was a move or two the Rangers GM could've made to make it eight straight years.

But Gorton could see the writing on the wall. Even before the 1-7 skid, there were tell-tale signs that this core had run its course. As difficult as it was to pull the plug, he did what he thought was best for the franchise. We can debate how the rebuild went down, but not why.

Fast forward eight years. Chris Drury, like his predecessor, could also see the writing on the wall. So he sent out his own letter to the fanbase, giving them the bad news. However, this current Rangers team, in no way, shape, or form bears any resemblance to the one Gorton tore down. Two seasons removed from winning the Presidents' trophy, this team is in year two of a steep decline. Not only are they not in contention for a playoff spot, they are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference. The only thing keeping them from last place in the league are the bottom feeders in the Western Conference. 

Going all the way back to the 1967 expansion, I can't remember a shorter window for this franchise. All the Rangers have to show for a four-year rebuild is two trips to the conference finals and one bitter first-round exit at the hands of the Devils. Three fucking years! If your financial advisor gave you that kind of return on your investments, you'd fire him. Fortunately for Drury, he works for James Dolan, where loyalty is valued over competence.

When the final chapter is written on this team, its legacy will be that it relied way too much on special teams and goaltending to mask its flaws; flaws that were exposed by better teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022 and the Florida Panthers in '24. Their sudden rise and fall should serve as a warning to every GM in the league that there are no shortcuts when it comes to building a championship team. You either have the stomach to do it the right way or you botch it, like Drury did.

Not that there weren't some good moments. If Jacob Trouba doesn't take a holding penalty in the second period of game three against the Bolts, the Blueshirts probably win that game and take a 3-0 series lead. Who knows? Maybe they would've advanced to the finals. But as Don Cherry said when the Bruins lost to the Canadiens in the '79 semifinals, "If my aunt had nuts she'd be my uncle."

So now what? Carson Soucy was the first to be dealt: to the Islanders for a third-rounder. Next up will be Artemi Panarin. The winger has been a healthy scratch the last two games due to "roster management," which is short for your ass is outta here as soon as we find the right team. After that, who knows? Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Braden Schneider, all could be gone in the next couple of weeks. The guy I feel sorry for is Vladislav Gavrikov. The 6-3, 220 pound defenseman undoubtedly left money on the table to come here and play with his buddy Panarin. With Panarin gone and the prospect of the Rangers being in rebuild mode for the next few years. I wouldn't be surprised if Vlady ends up asking for a trade; right after he fires his agent. 

As for the rebuild, the biggest problem Drury will have is Dolan. Let's face it, the man handles bad news about as well as a vampire handles a sunrise. He fired John Davidson and Gorton because he grew impatient with the progress of their rebuild. Well, guess what? Rebuilds that take less than five years are not rebuilds; they're retools. Take a good look at the Detroit Red Wings. It took Steve Yzerman seven years to complete his rebuild, and now the Wings are in second place in the Atlantic division. In Anaheim, Pat Verbeek is in year five of his rebuild, and the Ducks currently hold the last wild card spot in the Western Conference, albeit with the help of two Rangers castaways: Trouba and Chris Kreider. 

To paraphrase a well-known song, you can't hurry success. In the cap era, the four most successful teams have been the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Lightning and the Panthers. All four have won multiple Stanley Cups and all four had cores that were built primarily through the draft and later supplemented through trades and a few free-agent signings. The Rangers attempted to do it the other way around, in essence putting the cart before the horse.

The trade for Trouba and the subsequent signing of Panarin in the summer of 2019 - celebrated at the time - in retrospect, short-circuited a rebuild that needed more time. That affected the development of Kaapo Kakko and Lafreniere, both of whom were consigned to bottom six roles on a team that now had unrealistic expectations foisted upon it. The acquisitions of Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves in Drury's first offseason were the direct result of an overreaction to the Tom Wilson incident at the Garden; and that spelled the end of Pavel Buchnevich's career on Broadway; which in turn led to a litany of deadline deals to fill the vacancy on the Mika Zibanejad line. Indeed, virtually every transaction Drury has made during his tenure as GM and President has been reactionary and was done to accelerate a process that in his heart he had to have known would be short-lived, if it worked at all.

And now that reality has caught up with him and the franchise, the sixty-four thousand dollar question is this: Will he and his boss finally admit that they fucked up and do it right this time? Or will they repeat the same mistake? Knowing this organization, it'll probably be the latter. But let's be optimistic for a change. After all, Dolan finally cried uncle with respect to the basketball operation and hired someone who actually knows how to put together a roster the right way. Say what you want about Leon Rose, but over the last four seasons, the Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA. Frankly, they haven't looked this good since the 1990s. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let your employees do their jobs.

So how does Drury excatly "do his job?" By stripping it down to the studs, that's how. I realize that'll be hard with Zibanajad and J.T. Miller holding no-move clauses, but you can still rebuild around them. Trade as many veterans as you can regardless of the fallout; accumulate draft capital; and, above all else, resist the temptation to go on a spending spree this summer or next. In other words, no more Panarins for the foreseeable future.

Next, play the kids, and by play, I mean in the top six, not the bottom six. Play them on the power play; play them on the penalty kill; play them at 4v4; PLAY THEM. It's time to find out whether Gabriel Perrault is the real deal or whether there was a legitimate reason why twenty-two other teams passed on him in the 2023 Draft.

This will be painful, especially if Panarin gets traded to the Islanders and they re-sign him to a five year extension; the Devils aren't going anywhere; and the nightmare of the late '90s and early 2000s is still fresh in the minds of many fans, this one included. Well, at least the Rangers will have solid goaltending during the rebuild, thanks to Drury signing Igor Shesterkin to an eight year, $92 million contract extension last year. Jesus, talk about having a Porsche in your driveway.

You know what they say: no pain, no gain.

Rangers fans have seen more than their fair share of pain; it's the gain that's been missing.

Leon Rose's Next Move Will Be His Most Consequential

With the Rangers in the midst of their second rebuild, retool - or whatever the fuck Chris Drury is calling it - in eight years, the Knicks approach this year's trade deadline with one purpose: to get a team with championship aspirations across the finish line.

This will be Leon Rose's sixth trade deadline since he was hired by James Dolan in March of 2020 to run the franchise, and it will be, by far, his most consequential. With the Eastern Conference wide open, Rose cannot afford to waste this opportunity. But he also can't afford to panic, which is pretty much what every Knicks fan on Twitter has been doing since the NBA Cup. How some of these people are allowed out in public is beyond me.

Let's face it: the roster Rose assembled in the summer of 2024, despite knocking off the Boston Celtics in the second round of last season's playoffs, clearly has flaws. Yes, they've won their last two games, but prior to that, they had lost nine of eleven and looked more like a play-in team than a title contender. The question isn't whether some changes need to be made, but how many and to what extent. 

Mike Brown was hired to transform an offense that had become predictable as dirt under Tom Thibodeau, and for a while there it looked as if he had accomplished the impossible. The starters weren't logging as many minutes as they were the last few seasons; the bench, long an afterthought under Thibs, was making significant contributions. On the surface, everything appeared to be going smoothly. After beating the Pelicans on December 29, New York was 23-9, one game behind the first place Detroit Pistons. To quote Clyde Frazier, the Knicks were "movin' and groovin'."

And then everything began to fall apart. The Knicks blew a late fourth-quarter lead to the Spurs in San Antonio; they were then routed by the Sixers at home and the Pistons in Detroit; they even lost to the lowly Kings in Sacramento. They now sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While there are many issues besetting this team, the most egregious appears to be Karl-Anthony Towns. After an impressive maiden season on Broadway, the 7-0 center has had a rough time adjusting to Brown's system. He is averaging only 20.5 points per game, down four from the previous season. Worse, he has looked disjointed at times and even sullen. In his last game against the Sixers in Philly, KAT fouled out after a season-low 16 minutes, scoring a measly 10 points and grabbing six rebounds. Had it not been for Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks might very well have lost that game.

Towns has been the ultimate enigma. On the one hand, there's no denying his talent; on the other, no player on this team is more frustrating to watch. Fouls have plagued him throughout his NBA career. It is inexplicable that after eleven seasons he still doesn't know how to set a screen. Adding insult to injury, Towns has the audacity to complain when he gets called for the foul, as if the ref was Mr. Magoo. If it weren't so sad, it would be hysterical.

Almost as frustrating as his foul troubles is his inconsistent offensive production. When facing teams with big front courts, he tends to struggle. It's no coincidence that two of his worst offensive performances this season came against the Sixers and the Pistons; two teams that the Knicks could well face in the postseason.

The problem for the Knicks is that when KAT isn't scoring, he's pretty much useless on the court. The man can't defend to save his life; indeed, the one thing Brown and Thibs both have in common is that they would often substitute Towns for Robinson late in the game with a lead.

By no means is Towns the only culprit when it comes to defense. Jalen Brunson isn't exactly Gary Payton. But unlike KAT, Brunson doesn't wilt in big moments. If anything, the tougher the opponent, the more he seems to rise to the occasion. There's a reason why he's referred to as Captain Clutch. 

The sixty-four thousand dollar question for Rose is, can this Knicks team win with a seven foot center who is erratic offensively and takes stupid fouls? If the answer is yes, then I expect he will just add a depth piece at the deadline. If the answer is no, I wouldn't be surprised to see Towns traded.

But for whom? You can forget Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak recently suffered his second calf injury this season - fourth in the last 19 months - and is out four to six weeks. Rose would be nuts to trade for a player who, despite his physical prowess, might not be available until mid March. And, besides, the Bucks have already turned down a proposed swap involving KAT. In other words, it ain't happening.

Another player that could be on the move is Guerschon Yabusele. After averaging 11 points per game for the Sixers last season, he has been a major disappointment for the Knicks this season. With a $5.5 million cap hit, I expect him to be included in a package for a guard or a forward regardless of whether they keep Towns or not.

One thing is certain: as presently constructed, this team will not beat Detroit in a best of seven series. The Pistons are bigger and deeper than the Knicks. To have any shot of advancing to the finals, the Knicks will have to get tougher and smarter. 

Nine days to go till the trade deadline. The pressure couldn't be higher on Rose.