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.