SU has been a long-time fan of Novak Djokovic going back many years. I don’t agree with everything he says but as an old person, I have learned to not love or hate on athletes based on what they say (although I do have my limits). However, I have always admired his fight and what he has achieved over the course of his career – especially against Federer and Nadal. Basically, every match he played against them was an “away” match with the crowd solidly behind the other guy across the net. Given the quality of competition in this era, he is deserving of the GOAT status in my opinion.

He is now 39 and hardly plays outside of the Grand Slam events. You have to give him credit: he has been making the semifinals of pretty much every tournament but generally runs into Alcaraz or Sinner, and his body just can’t stand up to 7 rounds of best of 5 tennis anymore. Lately, if there is any humidity in the air or if the temperature is above 70 degrees, he basically gets sick on the court almost immediately. Over his career, he has struggled to play in heat and humidity so it’s really nothing new. But at age 39 and not being in the best shape due to lack of competition, he gets sick after a handful of games.

SU believes Djokovic has a choice now: play more tournaments and get yourself in better shape stamina-wise to compete or retire. Last night, he was throwing up all over the court and then his body locked up in the last couple of sets. I am sure he has a lot of pride and does not want to put out this type of product in the first round against journeymen type players. It’s possible there is some type of medical condition at play here but again, he has struggled in heat and humidity going back to his early years. The difference is that his body could adjust on the fly and he would rally during those matches. Appears to not be the case anymore.

SU prediction: he will want the swan song tour and will look to exit at Wimbledon, 2027 – perhaps the US Open. I would be shocked if he just decided now to hang it up. But let’s see…

The Yankees showed me something this weekend. True, the effort Saturday afternoon was weak but we have seen that type of game going back the last 3 months. Credit to Will Warren yesterday for pitching the best game of his young career when the bullpen was shot and they needed innings. The Yankees benefited by the non-overturn of a great catch in center field and the Red Sox imploded from there. Not that they didn’t complain about it after the game. And their radio announcers? Outraged, I say outraged, by Jazz Chisholm stealing 2nd and 3rd in the 8th inning of a 7-1 game. Boston elected to not hold him on at 1st base. SU has seen enough games this year where teams have staged late comebacks and the Yankees did not have much depth in the bullpen yesterday. It was absolutely appropriate to try and score more runs and it’s not up to the Red Sox to say that they are waiving the white flag. SU had no problem trying to score more runs there. The radio announcer wanted them to hit Wells as he was the next batter. No doubt fines are to come for this guy.

Neither the Yankees or the Red Sox are great teams. Each is flawed and SU does not see either of them winning it all this year. The Yankees flashed some offense the last 2 games and maybe, just maybe, that carries over to the upcoming road trip out West. For SU, the problem is that if you start winning games and your starting pitchers are going 5 – 6 innings, you need to get 3-4 innings from the bullpen and they do not have enough quality relievers to do that – especially in close, low scoring games. Headrick has been great but he is giving up runs now in each outing. Severely overused.

Heliot Ramos had enough of the hating from SU and credit to him for hitting a big home run yesterday. But he should be the odd man out once Judge returns although SU suspects Boone is going to DH Judge and Ben Rice may also lose some starts.

Keep an eye on the return of Anthony Volpe in September and SU believes he is going to have some big moments down the stretch.

Bottom line: we hate the Red Sox and that was a huge win yesterday to help secure home field for the Wild Card series come October.

In the 2026 MLB season, you really don’t have to be that good to win the AL. You just don’t. A mediocre team that takes care of business against the bad teams can come out with the best record and advance to the World Series.

Cue up the Yankees. Now, their pitching is actually elite – especially the starters despite the continued injuries to Fried and now Weathers. And the bullpen, while lacking 1 – 2 pieces, has been solid. However, it is clear to SU that the “trusted” relievers are a man short and they are going to be overused and gassed come October. The more you win, the more you call on these guys to pitch and it will not hold up. The Yankees desperately need to move one of the starters there – hopefully it will be Weathers as he is already at a career high for innings pitched and he has done it before.

All the Yankees need is just a little offense. And that is a good thing as this roster can only produce a little offense. Spencer Jones is showing signs of being a productive, everyday player. It will come down to whether Aaron Boone (pressured by Brian Cashman to put in one of the guys he just traded for) sits Heliot Ramos. He is epically bad – no shame in admitting that. Can’t perform in New York. He joins a list of many. SU would just play Jones every day and not pinch hit for him ever. He hangs in vs. lefties and while he strikes out a lot (clearly the Yankees groom their youngsters to do that in the minor leagues and don’t give a sh*t), no one really cares. It’s all about the upper cut swing and hitting home runs. Of course, this won’t work in October against the better pitching but perhaps the analytics department does not have stats for the post-season?

SU’s point is that the Yankees have the pitching to have the best record in the AL. The loss of Stanton for the rest of the year (most likely) is not a big deal. His return would have just created a logjam at DH with Rice. Btw, SU does not hate on Stanton – he is a good guy, always talks to the media and is accountable. His body has given out on him and that is too bad. SU wishes him well but I would also not bring him back for the last year of his contract. Time to move along for both sides.

Right now, the key is to sit Ramos. The actual order of batters makes no difference. Seriously. No one hits for average, no one ever hits based on the situation (see extra innings futility) and moving runners along is a foreign concept. But they do need to hit more home runs and SU does believe that Ben Rice has a hot streak in him. It’s coming.

The key now is to show up next weekend against the Red Sox and remember that you got swept by them in Fewnway not that long ago. How about playing with a chip on your shoulders and not hugging the opposing players when you see them on base?

My long-winded point: the Yankees are majorly flawed on offense but there is no excuse now to not win the division and have best record heading into October. They are still unwatchable but it is time to perform.

Brian Cashman made his first major move by trading for Luis Garcia, Jr. from the Nationals who by all accounts hits home runs, is a lifetime .268 hitter and has never struck out more than 90 times in a season. On paper, he is not a good fit with the Yankees based on those statistics. Makes too much contact, gets hits – what were they thinking?

No doubt the Yankee hitting coaches will teach him to hit with an upper cut (see Anthony Volpe flail time after time) and not worry about not moving runners along. Better to go for the home run and not play situational baseball. Better to lose every extra inning game by playing mindlessly.

I know: just another arrogant Yankee fan who complains about a team with the 2nd best record in the AL. But SU has watched enough games this year and since Bellinger is now down to go along with Stanton and Judge, they have zero offense. Worse than that: Ben Rice is the only player worth watching come to the plate. Seriously, who else might actually put the ball in play for a hit? What is extra frustrating is that their starting pitching is excellent and their bullpen has somehow pieced it together even though they need at least one or two quality relievers. The AL is there for the taking this year.

SU is not familiar with Garcia but he can hit from what I see. Goldschmidt will be the odd man out as he plays first base but this lineup is so anemic right now. Bellinger is out until mid-September and Stanton may get hurt walking to the bathroom tomorrow. Not clear Judge even returns this year. Jasson Dominguez has been such a disappointment. Seems like a good kid but he has 15 RBIs for the season. And cannot play the outfield. SU says his shortcomings on defense are appalling as they have had him in their system since he was 16. He still throws to the wrong base.

SU gives Cashman credit for developing Rice, Spencer Jones (he shows signs and is athletic) and Schlittler (and Judge) but Volpe is now a bust and the rest of the lineup all came from other places. He has until 6 pm today to add pieces to the bullpen and maybe get a right handed hitting catcher. We know the prospects are always overrated so other than Lombard, figure anyone is expendable.

Luis Arraez just got traded to the Phillies. Always hits .300. And always gets traded. SU is clearly not up on the most important analytics but I still can do the eye test. You can put a .300 hitter on my team – thank you very much.

Right now, they are unwatchable. Strike out at an alarming rate. SU does not blame Boone as he does not have the players who can hit. Boone will continue to make questionable decisions regarding relievers but this season is not on him. How is it that the Dodgers farm system is so stacked?

The net result is that SU, a lifelong Yankee fan, cares less. They have worn me down. Boston is going to pass them soon enough and losing in the wild card round is not acceptable for this team. Starting pitching is just so good – it’s crazy they are this lame offensively.

Aaron Boone thinks this year’s roster is ready to win it all. He also said the same thing about last year’s team which SU would say was fanciful thinking. No doubt Brian Cashman agrees given how few off season moves there were for the Yankees.

Getting swept up in Boston against a bad Red Sox team is clearly not good. But losing with such little offense in a stadium built for offense was embarrassing. It seemed like they were being no hit deep into every game. The Yankees have injuries but so does every other MLB team. SU has a handle on what this team lacks – it’s not hard to identify the issues. But the AL is so, so mediocre this year – no excuse not to get to the World Series. Here is what is going on:

1. The offense has been carried by Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Rice for most of the year. Judge was mediocre while he was in there. Grisham had come on of late prior to his injury. But offensively, there are several positions where the Yankees get almost no production. You can get away with the holes if you have great pitching though.
2. Starting pitching has been excellent. The injury to Max Fried hurt but he should be back soon and that will allow them to put Weathers in the bullpen where he is badly needed. As in badly. Doval can’t pitch in New York – we have seen enough there. The bullpen was an issue in Spring Training and no doubt Cashman will add to that come the trade deadline. SU does note that aside from Bednar, he fanned on Doval and Bird last year so not a sure thing. The Yankees do have some youngsters who can be elevated this year.
3. Yankee prospects are always overhyped and overrated. Amazingly so. Dominguez has shown some flashes and SU is glad that he is playing every day now. But given all the hype, e.g., “the Martian”, he is looking a bit more worldly. Spencer Jones is athletic but can his minor league home runs translate in the major leagues? Very unclear. Volpe probably deserves to play somewhere else rather than keep being tortured by Yankee fans who will never be satisfied with him.
4. Sounds like Judge is out until late August and Stanton – well who knows? Even if he returns, he will be an injury waiting to happen even if he is jogging to first base. As SU has said for about 8 – 9 years, that was a bad addition. True, he is a great October player and he’s a stand up guy but given how much salary space he occupies, not worth it.
5. Bellinger has generally been great for the Yankees but he is slumping now and you have to worry that he might relapse into a mediocre player which he was for a number of years with the Dodgers and Cubs. I do think he will snap out of it though. Rice is slumping but you have to roll him out there every day. Goldschmidt is showing signs of overuse – need to pick your spots with him.

Bottom line: they are now down 5 in the loss column to the Rays and play them in a big 4-game series in Tampa next week. The offense needs the most help when it comes to upgrades. SU would not fire Boone although if they do not snap out of this losing streak, no doubt a change will come. Rob Thompson has Yankee pedigree and would be a nice fit here I think. Anyone will be a better in-game manager than Boone who is epically bad. Boone is a very good communicator – that is his strength.

Mitchell Robinson is getting paid by Boston to the tune of $47 million for 3 years. Good for him. SU says they are overpaying for a guy who will only play 40 games a year but he’s a good dude and happy for him. SU agrees with Dolan not to go into the 2nd apron as it really restricts your moves with trades, draft picks, signing free agents, etc. I don’t think it was a money issue for Dolan.

Celtics trade of Brown for Paul George is very odd. George is older, injury-prone and clearly on the downside of his career while Brown is younger and in his prime. They are both overpaid – around $50-60 million a year (crazy salaries in the NBA these days). But Boston is built to win now and seems misguided not to go all in this year.

SU also does not understand why the Raptors want to bring back Kawhi Leonard who is always either injured or on load management restrictions. And I don’t understand why the Wizards feel it’s so important to hang on to Anthony Davis who is also always hurt and on the downside of his career. I clearly do not understand being a GM in the NBA but on the other hand, most of these teams keep losing so there is that.

SU is all in on the USA Soccer team. Red card on the star scorer last night was a joke and it can’t be reviewed now so he is out for Monday’s game. Interesting to see the ineptitude in officiating extends beyond the NBA to soccer although with FIFA, you have the extra level of mystery for sure. I have watched a bunch of World Cup games and am starting to get a better taste for soccer. I do like the 2-hour windows for the games and I can appreciate that the penalty kicks are not layups by any means. Not sure I can watch beyond the World Cup but this has been a fun tournament.

Jalen Brunson does not possess the physical talents of many other NBA players. Not a leaper, certainly not the tallest and not the quickest. But he is the best prepared and the hardest worker. It’s his footwork – so practiced for every move and he seems to add to his repertoire every off season.

SU did feel he was taking too many shots over the first 3 games of the series with the Spurs and that perhaps San Antonio was perfectly happy with that. But Brunson figured something out the last 2 games and carried the Knicks to the championship. Especially in game 5 where KAT had 2 points and the bench produced almost nothing. 45 points is Jordan-like and the Knicks needed every one of them. You wonder if the Spurs regretted not sending 2 defenders at him for the entire 4th quarter to make him give up the ball? Brunson is truly the finisher and the closer.

SU had a few observations on this series:

1. Wemby is a generational player and the NBA will build around him going forward. Unique talent, international, only 22. He is what the doctor ordered. However, he is a bit of a dirty player. Some of that is having defenders lean on him constantly and getting frustrated. But he also likes to flail his arms and elbows and the League needs to control that.
2. You can say that the officials let the players play in game 5 and swallowed their whistle in large part. SU would say they missed so many calls and allowed things to get too physical. Even the announcers were commenting on that. For the NBA, you want the free flow of movement and the high scoring. SU does too. But you need to maintain that level of consistency in the playoffs. There was a play in the last minute where Brunson was hounded moving sideways at half court. Harper fouled him 2-3 times and there was no call. Almost had a back court violation. Harper in particular as well as Castle are excellent defenders but their actions crossed the line and were fouls. Refs allowed that all series. The NBA needs to clean that up for next season.
3. Wemby got away with throwing Brunson to the ground in game 3 and then stepping into his landing area in game 5. Both were non-calls. If there had been a game 6, he should have been suspended and that play reviewed to upgrade it to a flagrant. SU was curious if they would have had the backbone to do that.
4. The Spurs are young and super talented. It’s easy to say that they will win it all next year – maybe they will. But no guarantees and they need to figure out who is the “man” at the end of games. They led in the 4th quarter every game. They were great in the 1st quarter but really fell short late.

Just a great playoff run for the Knicks who are a true team. No doubt off season free agency will weaken this roster but hopefully any new additions will buy into what they are doing there. Mike Brown deserves tremendous credit. He was not close to their first choice as coach but the Knicks brass lucked into getting him. He used the regular season to figure out who could excel in the playoffs and got the players to check their egos at the door. In the today’s NBA, well, no one is doing that.

SU has never blamed the refs for wins or losses. It’s an easy trap to fall into when your team is losing or you fall short in a big game. The Knicks lost game 3 in New York and yes, you can certainly point to the free throw disparity in the 2nd half (24 for the Spurs vs. 8 for the Knicks). To Mike Brown’s credit, he did not say that the Knicks were not fouling. But he was wondering if the Spurs somehow were not fouling in a game where they played very physical defense. What is going on here? SU has the answers for you:

1. Apparently, the way it works is that different refs are used for each playoff game. I believe they are paid a bonus for being selected to work the finals and therefore, it’s financially rewarding for multiple refs to work the games. SU wonders if having so many different refs creates different environments for calling fouls as let’s face it: a foul in one game is not always a foul in another game. Might it be different if the same refs called the entire series? Something to consider.
2. The Spurs have been playing very physical defense in all 3 games as SU has pointed out. Their guards pick up at half court or even full court on Brunson. He is bumped, grabbed, pushed – no calls. What happens in basketball is that the aggressor is rewarded for being aggressive with no fouls called. It’s wrong, it’s not fun to watch and in the end, the teams that play motion offenses are hurt. It makes the games unwatchable and it’s not what we see in the regular season. And Wemby gets away with flailing elbows and no calls. He tossed Brunson to the ground at one point – no call. Mike Breen even said in the 2nd quarter that the refs had to get the game under control as it was so physical. We all see it. A foul in January is a foul in June.
3. But here is the bigger issue for the Knicks. Brunson is taking 25 – 30 shots a game, and KAT is marginalized on offense. In fact, the Spurs are putting a smaller player on KAT to prevent him from getting the ball up high and being able to orchestrate from there. To do that, they grab and hold him – no calls ever. BUT… the problem for the Knicks is that Brunson is just dribbling out the clock at mid-court and then going one on one. The Knicks only had 18 assists last night. Way too much of this offense. Way too Brunson-centric and they are going to lose the series if it continues. He is getting his points but they come at the expense of his teammates who are not getting in any type of rhythm. SU expects this to change in game 4 which now becomes a very crucial game for each team.
4. The playoffs are all about adjustments game to game. Brown will surely do that now and the refs will start to call fouls on the Spurs in the 1st quarter for the grabbing and holding. SU is old and I have seen it before. Ask Phil Jackson.

SU fully expects the Knicks to win game 4. If you think about it, the Knicks played poorly for 3 of the 4 quarters last night and still almost won the game. The Spurs cannot play much better. On the other hand, the Spurs have outplayed the Knicks for the majority of minutes across the 3 games, and the Knicks are fortunate to be up 2-1. Change the Brunson-dominant offense and all will be well.

Thoughts? Or did the Knicks get jobbed and Brunson is the star and needs to be the focal point? The floor is open.

SU was emotionally prepared to see the Knicks lose game 1 of this series as a week and a half layoff is ridiculous for athletes who are used to playing every other day. Predictably, their shooting was way off most of the game, and the rust showed. Jalen Brunson took 31 shots (more on that later) with only a third finding the mark. But they rallied from a 14-point defiicit in the 3rd quarter (hey, this is the NBA where no lead is safe ever) and executed better down the stretch. Here is what stood out to SU:

1. The Spurs are really young – certainly for the guys that play. They are fast, athletic and some love to trash talk (looking at you Harper and Champagnie). Btw: I know it’s the NBA and there is a lot of trash talking all the time but please shut up. Champagnie had a lot to say in the 1st half when he was red hot from 3 but not as much yapping in the 2nd half when he scored 1 point and did not hardly even shoot. One thing about the Knicks: they go about their business for the most part. SU does not see much trash talking from this team. I know: I am old school and a dinosaur but just play the game the right way. Not so much to ask.
2. Who is the Spurs’ go to guy down the stretch in a close game? Wemby is a superstar who is still learning but not sure you clear out to let him do his thing just yet. Something to watch in this series.
3. SU hated Brunson taking 31 shots. This Knicks’ team is at its best when the ball is moving and they are running. Sure, he was Captain Clutch in the 4th quarter although at one point you could see him shooting them out of this game when he missed 4 in a row.
4. KAT and Hart were outstanding. Hart is so good rebounding, defending and pushing the ball up the court. The points are a bonus although if he can hit a few 3’s, the series is over. KAT played a complete game and avoided racking up the dumb fouls.
5. Note on refs: SU knows this is incredibly hard. These guys are flying all over the place and the game is so fast. But… in the 1st half the Knicks were driving to the basket regularly – including Brunson – and had 1 foul shot for most of the half. Ridiculous. Call the game evenly. SU will never blame a win or loss on the refs but they seem to be influenced by the home crowd sometimes.
6. I know physical play is the norm in the playoffs but as a fan, do I enjoy guards being bumped and held at mid-court on offense? Rarely are fouls called and it slows down the offensive game so much. I mean, who wants to watch that? It’s actually a foul – so call it and players will stop doing it. Btw, the WNBA allowed that so much last year that they changed how the game is called this year as it was also unwatchable. The NBA should do the same. We are 30 years removed from the Pat Riley era in NY when playoff games were in the 70s.
7. Wemby is a freak. No doubt about it. Incredible talent – especially on defense with the blocks. Teams try to muscle him and he does lash out sometimes on his blocks. Is he a dirty player? SU doesn’t think so but keep an eye on that. He was ejected in a game earlier in the playoffs as he can get frustrated. Definitely some follow through going on with his arms.

Finally, you have to tip your hat to Coach Mike Brown. Win or lose this series, he played a lot of guys during the regular season. His rotations often varied but the net is that he can slot in different players in the playoffs who had meaningful minutes during the regular season. Tom Thibodeau did not do that – great coach but he had his guys and not much more than that. Brown also has the luxury of changing up the flow of a game by subbing and not every team can do that.

For the Knicks, game 2 would be nice but they did what they had to do last night in a game, given the layoff, was a steal.

Quick comment on the Yankees before I go. They are not competitive vs. teams with a winning record. Pretty obvious at this point. 3-10 for the season. True, a small sample size but they fail the eye test.

You have to tip your cap to the Spurs who won a game 7 on the road against the defending NBA champions. Now the Thunder were a bit undermanned with some injuries but they are a deep team and can slot in reserves for significant minutes more easily than most teams. But the Thunder became a bit too SGA-centric in this series. He showed up for game 7 but did not get much support.

If nothing else, it shows how hard it is to repeat in the NBA. The Spurs are incredibly young and of course, very talented. Is it too soon for them to win it all now? They have home court advantage for the finals. Are their young players ready to take the next step?

It’s an interesting contrast with the Knicks who have dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs although against one could say were inferior matchups. They avoided both Boston and Detroit but as the saying goes, you can only play who is on the schedule. SU does not like the long layoffs as it can adversely impact your shooting and rhythm. The Knicks should be glad that game 1 is on the road as there is less concern if you drop that one. The Spurs could be tired from a grueling and pressurized series against the Thunder but they get 3 full days of rest now. SU says not a factor.

SU did notice how emotional Wemby was to win this series. That tells me that he might actually be a little emotionally spent heading into this series and it’s possible he might be “glad to be there” as they say. The Knicks are much more playoff tested and have experienced the disappointment of losing to the Pacers last year. You learn from that for sure and that is a factor.

The pinky injury to Mitchell Robinson is a factor in a non-basketball event by the way. But he wants to play. SU says tape the pinky to his 4th finger and it certainly won’t hurt his foul shooting. Time to break out the underhanded foul shot? As long as he can dunk, he should be good to go. They definitely need him for this series.

The series goes 2-2-2-1-1-1 which works in the Knicks’ favor to have game 6 on their home court. SU says experience wins out in this series and predicts the Knicks in 6 games. They should have had enough time to figure out how to defend against Wemby and let the other players beat them. He is a generational talent as they say. It’s amazing how he never turns an ankle the way he flies around the court and drives to the basket. Something to watch there.

Anyone care to weigh in with their own prediction for this series?

Full transparency from SU: in the first quarter last night, I was not a fan of Josh Hart potentially taking 25 shots in the game. They were not covering him at all on the outside, and the big men were collapsing on Brunson on every drive. Hart missed his first 4 3-pointers and it did feel like Kenny Atkinson was outcoaching Mike Brown.

Well, Brown stuck with Hart and his usual rotation and Hart found a way by driving to the basket and then taking the 3-balls and making them – especially in the 3rd quarter. It’s a smart strategy and SU thinks Cleveland will tee it up again in game 3 tomorrow night. The Knicks’ bench really struggled to the point that Brown put the starters back into the game with 10 minutes left to protect the big lead which was shrinking quickly in the 4th quarter.

Brunson became a playmaker last night and did not force the offense which was huge. SU believes KAT has another gear he will show in this series and look for him to pick up the scoring in game 3. If he can hit some 3-pointers, it will open up the lane for Brunson. Harden is a huge liability on defense.

Mikael Bridges has been huge in the last 9 games in the playoffs. He is a versatile defender and they need his offense. SU believes Cleveland will show up in game 3 and you know Strus and Merrell will shoot better at home. A long way to go and as Pat Riley says, no playoff series really begins until one team loses at home. Amazing that the Knicks are on a 9-game winning streak in the playoffs.

Have you watched SGA on Oklahoma City in the playoffs? He flops to the ground on almost every shot trying to draw the foul call. He already gets favorable treatment from the refs but this is over the top. Hopefully the refs are wise to this tactic – something to watch tonight in game 3 vs. San Antonio. Those are both great teams.

SU knows it’s early but the Yankees are actually now down 6 games in the loss column to Tampa Bay. Big series starting tonight with Gerrit Cole making his return. The starting pitching is solid but the offense is so uneven – something that is exposed when Judge goes through a dip that we are seeing now. Brian Cashman is looking to prove that you can win a championship starting 6 position players who hit .210 or lower. Guess he is just showing off. The bullpen is still missing pieces but rest assured, that will get addressed. Not sure if the offense will even with Stanton returning at some point.

You have to give credit to the Rays who are putting up amazing numbers with a roster of relative no names. Guess you can do a lot without tying up $35 million a year in players like Stanton who play 80 games each season.

SU is still waiting for the Mets to show some sustained signs of life. You have to figure they have 4 weeks or so until ownership becomes sellers in July. Wondering if Juan Soto signed up for this?

SU says the Yankees are overrated. Their record year-to-date is not reflective of the talent on the roster, and they are in the process of “regressing to the mean.” Stated another way, over a period of time, a team’s record will move closer to where they were expected to be at the start of the season.

SU checked the Yankees’ record against teams who are .500 or better this year. It’s 1 win and 8 losses. Not only is it the worst record in MLB, but it’s also the fewest games against teams with a better than .500 record – by a lot. Now, part of that is explained by the awfulness of the American League so far this season. And yes, the Yankees are comfortably positioned in the Wild Card and it’s way too early in the season. All true. So, some would say, “what are the entitled Yankee fans complaining about?” I get all that.

However, SU has watched its share of games so far and you can see the holes. The bullpen is pretty terrible. Bednar has been a rock but he is now showing cracks. Boone does not have a #2 reliever that he really trusts – you could see that Friday night where he had Bednar pitch the 9th inning with a 4-run lead. As SU has pointed out previously, that is all on Cashman who felt last year’s roster was SO great that there was no need to upgrade.

The lineup has no production after Jazz batting 5th. I mean, Ryan McMahon is batting 6th now. They are rolling out Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez but as we all know, Yankee prospects are always overhyped. Jones, in particular, is a free swinger.

And extra inning games? Jeez, somehow teams that go to the plate looking for home runs all the time do not produce in extra innings. And that same issue occurs in the playoffs.

SU will not get overexcited as it is early and the team is projected to win 97 games. But they have not played the better teams as of yet. And yes, Stanton is injured but every team has injuries – look at the Mets who by the way, are only 6 games below .500 now.

The Knicks have been off for over a week since taking out the Sixers in 4 games. SU has major concerns about the long layoff although certainly good for Anunoby who got more rest for his hamstring. Game 1 vs. Cleveland is tomorrow night and you have to expect the Knicks’ long-range shooting to be off. The Cavs can definitely steal one for home court although that may be overrated in this round given the quality of both teams. The Knicks have won 7 in a row in the playoffs – very impressive. They get a break as Detroit was a tougher matchup for them – especially if the refs allowed the grabbing and holding. If nothing else, this should be a more pleasing series to watch offensively. Knicks in 5 games.