A Busy Winter in Queens

Author: Steven Chase

Editor: Aaron Mesco

With the new ownership group led by financial mogul, Steve Cohen, the Mets received a great deal of buzz around them this winter. The Mets were formerly owned by Fred Wilpon, along with his brother-in-law Saul Katz. These two created a reputation of not spending money in the biggest market in sports, which made the Mets the laughing stock of baseball. Cohen, with a net worth of 14.2 billion USD according to Forbes, came into Queens motivated to change this narrative. Cohen and Mets President Sandy Alderson were very successful in doing this via various acquisitions this offseason, making the Mets a threat heading into 2021.

The major move that received the most attention from the New York media was the trade that brought Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets. In doing this, the Mets gave up Andres Giminez, Amed Rosario, and prospects Isiah Greene and Josh Wolf. This was a huge move by the Mets, sending a message to the rest of the league that they are going to be one of the best franchises for years to come. The major reason why this was talked about so much is for one reason: Francisco Lindor. Lindor is an all around superstar, with a slashline of .277/.343/.502 along with a .354 wOBA and 13.7 fWAR (stats from 2018-2020). While the offensive numbers are great, Lindor is known for his defensive metrics, being a 26 DRS and 26.3 UZR. Obviously, Lindor is an elite player, and with his positive attitude he is a guy you need in your clubhouse. Not only did they get Lindor in this trade, but they acquired Carlos Carrsco, a top 20 starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Over the last three seasons, Carrasco has a 3.19 xFIP, 3.32 SIERA and a 7.6 fWAR, along with a 2.91 ERA in 2020. Carrasco will give the Mets a phenomenal one-two-three punch at the top of their rotation, with himself deGrom, and Syndergaard.

Furthermore, in addition to Carrasco, the Mets also acquired various other depth starting pitchers, such as Taijuan Walker, Joey Luchessi, and Jordan Yammamoto. All three of these players have major league experience, and will be great back end starters, and will be essential if the Mets make a postseason run. Moreover, another key addition the Mets made this offseason was Trevor May. May has been one of the better relievers the past few seasons, posting a 3.19 ERA, 3.48 xFIP, and a 3.01 SIERA over the span of 2018-2020. His stats are very similar to Seth Lugo, and these two will be tasked with the job of pitching in the 7th or 8th inning with the goal of getting the ball to closer Edwin Diaz for the save. All in all, with all of these acquisitions in addition to Noah Sydergaard and Marcus Stroman coming back from injury, the Mets have one of the best pitching rotations in all of baseball.

On top of perennial superstar Francisco Lindor, the Mets made other solid acquisitions. The two that are of most importance are Kevin Pillar and Johnathan Villar. With the lack of the universal Designated Hitter, the Mets are forced to sacrifice defense to get all of their bats in the lineup. Both Pete Alonso and Dom Smith need to be in the Met lineup on a daily basis, but the problem is they both play the same position. This forces the Mets to hide Dom Smith in left field, and move Bradon Nimmo to center field. This puts both of these players in an out of position role, making the Mets vulnerable to poor defensive play. Kevin Pillar, who has a 56 DRS and 33.6 UZR over his seven-year career, was a much needed addition to bolster the Mets outfield. Jonathan Villar was also a huge addition. Villar is a threat in many different ways: he has had over 40 stolen bases in multiple seasons, he can seemingly play every position defensively, and he brings a decent bat offensively. Villar has a 95 career OPS+ and .727 OPS, which are average, but his value on the bases and eligibility at various positions make him a key member of the Mets bench. In addition to the veteran acquisitions, the Mets also brought in prospect Khalil Lee. This move showed that the Mets plan to not only win now, but win in the future.

The various acquisitions the Mets made, along with the change in culture in the front office, make the Mets appear to be one of the premier teams headed into 2021. The only negative about the Mets offseason is that they have not yet re-signed Francisco Lindor or Michael Conforto. Despite all of this, it does not matter how good the roster is paper- it matters how the Mets perform. 2021 will be a major year for the Mets to see what they can do for now and the future.

METS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Are the Knicks Finally on the Right Path?

Author: Dylan Nijankin

Editor: Mark Awadallah

What a Win! The Knicks had an awesome second half against the Pacers last night. After struggling in most of the first half the Knicks were able to make a late 2nd quarter run, highlighted by Derrick Rose’s buzzer-beater shot.

Similar to the rest of the Knicks, Julius Randle had a slow start in this game, but by the end, he had another amazing game: 28 PTS, 6 AST, and 10 REB. He had a much better game than Domantas Sabonis, who was also in the race for the all-star game, even more securing his spot in the all-star game.

Just another exciting game, that has now taken the Knicks to the .500 mark, which they have not been at since 2016. If the Knicks win tonight, they will be over 500 going into March for the first time since 2013.

Although there is a lot of excitement around these Knicks, the Knicks cannot lose focus. Below are five areas that the Knicks need to focus on in order to solidify themselves as playoff contenders this season.

1. Big Man, Big Issues

Center Mitchell Robinson’s hand fracture is a huge blow to the Knicks. He was one of their brightest players, and a big piece of their frontcourt, tipping in buckets and blocking shots with ease. With him gone for the next handful of weeks, Nerlens Noel will have to do some heavy lifting. Taj Gibson will also be getting more minutes. This is not a good thing, as centers in the league have easily shown their ability to power past both of these players. The Knicks have to make a move at the center position; even when Mitchell Robinson comes back, he will need help. Tom Thibodeau should immediately be scouting the league to buff up the team at the five. This will also help with what we’ll talk about below.

2. It’s a Matter of Time

Thibodeau has been criticized throughout his career for his management of players’ minutes, going back to how much he played Derrick Rose while with the Bulls. This season, the Knicks’ minutes are all over the place. Julius Randle has been averaging 36 minutes per game, easily the highest on the team. He also has been playing night in and night out. Signing a big new man will help free up Randle’s frontcourt duties, but that is just one of the many issues that need to be addressed. Thibodeau needs to fix the minutes across the entire team. Obi Toppin hasn’t seen a lot of on-court action, which is disappointing. He would be of great help to the Knicks frontcourt in taking the load off Randle. Additionally, Elfrid Payton has been playing better, but he gets a considerable number of minutes and takes away playtime from Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose, who have an interesting dynamic together. Oftentimes, Tom will play two of these players at once, affecting RJ’s minutes. The mismanagement of minutes between these players shows another problem the Knicks have:

3. Guards Galore

The Knicks have an overabundance of players in the guard positions, which creates problems beyond just minutes. Chemistry is hurt by the constant rotation of backcourt players. Rose was brought in to mentor the younger players but can’t play his natural point guard position if Quickley starts there. With Payton often paired alongside Barrett, RJ doesn’t have as much development with Quickley. RJ can also pair with Rose, but if Quickley is in with Rose, RJ can’t be in. It’s just a mess of combinations. This also goes without mentioning Reggie Bullock, who plays a considerable number of minutes at shooting guard. The Knicks really need to have a set team with clear minute scheduling, night in and night out. Once this is figured out, the Knicks can address:

4. Keeping Consistent

If the Knicks want to fight for a playoff spot, they’re going to have to play solid basketball every night. The win against the Timberwolves was a win, but it was barely a win. The Knicks can’t be in control of an entire game and then see the other team fight back, win or lose. The team seems to get very streaky. Sometimes all their shots drain, sometimes none. They’ll win three in a row, only to lose four. At least the losing streak was prevented with the win against the Timberwolves, but the performance still showed how inconsistent the team can be. If they want to continue to win, the Knicks have to maintain consistency. Once this is achieved, the Knicks can focus on the last piece of the puzzle, which is…

5. Finding a Face

The Knicks currently have a solid group of players. Randle has been playing at an All-Star level, Quickley has been incredibly impressive, and Barrett is finally finding comfort in his role with the team. Although these players’ performances shouldn’t be underestimated, help is still needed. The Knicks need someone to be centered around. Someone who can take a leadership role while playing incredible to match. Most superstars have lost interest in the Knicks lately, with the franchise’s foolish mistakes costing them valuable contracts with some of the league’s biggest stars. Times are changing though. The future bright for the Knicks, led by the aforementioned players. It is time for the Knicks to make the move for the big player, who will lead their young players to stardom. The team is decent right now, but it is evident that it is lacking a core. A trade, or even a quick signing, can solve this problem.

New York still has a long way to go until they are a consistently successful NBA franchise. On the bright side, where the team is right now isn’t a bad start. The building blocks have been put in place, between the rising young stars and Thibodeau’s energetic coaching. Key areas in the team still need to be worked on before the Knicks can really break through. Once the Knicks can address these issues, the Garden might see some good basketball. All in all, Knicks fans shouldn’t start getting excited about the team just yet but should deservedly be hopeful for the team’s future.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Resurrection of the Knicks

Author: Will Goldmark

Editor: Mark Awadallah

It goes without saying that the New York Knickerbockers have exceeded expectations throughout the first 32 games of the NBA season. Currently sitting at 15-17, the Knicks would face off against their rivals from across the East River if the season ended today. This team’s roster is not dramatically different from last year. Sure, Austin Rivers has excelled in his leadership role, and rookie Immanuel Quickley has made an immediate impact by displaying his natural knack for scoring in a number of ways. However, the quick turnaround from last year’s 21-45 team primarily falls on the shoulders of two people: Julius Randle and Tom Thibodeau

Randle looks like a completely different human this year. He’s shooting far more efficiently, with his 3P% has improved from 28% to 41%. His playmaking abilities have also been exhibited this year, as he’s been exceptional at finding the open man and refraining from taking contested shots. Randle has had the appearance of the player the Lakers drafted 7th overall in 2014, and he is certainly living up to his $63 million contract that the Knicks doled out the previous offseason.

Of course, Randle deserves plenty of credit for adjusting his game after a rough start to his tenure in New York. However, head coach Tom Thibodeau should also be acknowledged for helping resurrect Randle’s career and for changing the culture of the entire team. No New York Knicks fans are going to lie; this roster is not the most talented in the NBA. However, they play just as hard as anyone, as they are the current league leaders in Opp. PPG and Opp. FG%. This team is composed of young and hungry ballplayers that bring energy every time they step on the court.

Regardless of how fun it might be for Knicks fans to watch their team compete in a night-in, night-out basis, let’s face reality: this team is not going anywhere this year. However, this squad largely resembles the 2018-2019 Brooklyn Nets. That Nets team was not filled with the superstars that they currently have, but rather a core of scrappy players that willed themselves into the playoffs off of sheer effort and cohesiveness as a unit. The league took notice, and the following offseason, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to start the new chapter of their careers there. If the Knicks can hang around .500 this season, while continuing to properly develop their young players, this year will be considered an enormous success.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE