The dust has pretty much settled for many of the NBA bigger name free agents.  D’andre Jordon is going to Dallas and apparently that triggers a move where the Knicks will sign Robin Lopez for something like $12 million a year for 4 years.  Say what??  That is the big name free agent signing?  The Knicks are apparently looking to beef up their defense but the way SU sees it, they are going to be average 72 points a game next season.  This is embarrassing.  SU officially gives the ok for Melo to average 35 shots a game next season.  I mean, who else can even score on this roster?

Other names finding a home.  Corey Brewer returns to Houston as does Patrick Beverley.  Richard Jefferson returning to Dallas (SU fave – I know no one else cares).  The most amusing signing of the day has Rajon Rondo going to Sacramento to play with Demarcus Cousins.  It proves that any of us can be an NBA GM.  How do you put a guard who can barely keep it together with a center who is in the same boat?  Unreal.

Clearly, Phil Jackson is not able to attract anyone to the Knicks.  It’s one thing if you are the coach – another if you are the President.  SU says they are striving to get back to the point where they had Amare playing with a bunch of youngsters just before the Melo trade.  Jeremy Lin is still out there and where he lands will be a big factor in who I root for next season.  The Knicks are on the unwatchable list – it’s official now.  OK – enough.  I’ll stop.

Looks like CC has been taken partially out of the rotation.  He will be starting 1 time in the next 15 games it appears.  Girardi is a tough guy.  Except for Jeter, he has not been afraid to do what is best for the team at the expense of some of his former stars’ egos.  The Mets are running on fumes offensively.  It will be interesting to see if ownership decides to move one of the young pitchers to get a bat for this year.

SU just saw this on the ESPN web site:

Arron Afflalo, Knicks agree on 2-year, $16M deal

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/13186096/arron-afflalo-new-york-knicks-agree-2-year-16-million-deal

Really?  This is the best they can do?  Clearly trying to follow the Yankees’ model of building a boring team.  As Mark Jackson would say, “Come on Phil.  You can do better than that!”

So, Kevin Love decided to go all in and is signing a long-term deal to stay with Cleveland.  He had his pow-wow with LeBron who no doubt translated his tweet this year when he wrote that Love shouldn’t worry about fitting in but should “fit out.”  Hmmm, seems perfectly clear to me.  So, why is that good for the Knicks?

Carmelo is already dying.  None of the top free agents want to come to NY to play with him.  Love will find that he still doesn’t “fit out” after this season and his agent and others will be whispering in his ear that he needs to be the man and not a complimentary piece.  That will enable Phil Jackson to swap Melo for Love at the end of next season.  LeBron will want his buddy Melo playing with him who at age 32 will finally be aching for that championship ring.  Love is younger and can be a major piece to win in NY.  Equal salary more or less.  SU says it’s a perfect fit.  One year from now you can congratulate SU as being right – yet again.

Note that no-one wants to play with Kobe in LA either.

David West who has been rumored coming to the Knicks put that one to bed as we read this comment on Twitter: “West said the rumors about him going to the Knicks are ridiculous; he wants to be with a contender; the Knicks don’t qualify.”  On to Plan B.  SU says the perfect storm is that Monta Ellis is still out there.  He puts the “hog” in “ball hog.”  How smart was Golden State trading Eliis and keeping Curry when they had both of them a few years ago?  Championships are won and lost on those types of decisions.  The most fun scenario would be that the Knicks sign Ellis in a desperation move to appease Melo, Jackson leaves and Isiah Thomas becomes President.  Then it’s 7 years of famine in the waste land.

SU also saw that Nik Stauskus was traded by Sacramento to the Sixers.  I would like to see a study of how undergraduates have fared in the NBA in terms of longevity, career earnings, productivity.  I know many of them come from nothing and want the money because the risk of major injury is out there in college.  But so many guys get their $1 million rookie deal and then just flounder and drift.  Adam Silver and the NBA are considering a 2-year minimum out of high school now before kids can play in the NBA.  That would be a good thing.

SU is all in on the Women’s World Cup for Team USA.  Last night’s game was quite exciting as they finally played a more offensive style.  They dominated the first half and although half-time was 0-0, they had several scoring chances.  In a single elimination tournament, there is a lot of drama and this game had true end-to-end action.  SU says it’s a worthwhile couple of hours.

We contrast that with watching the Yankees on the West Coast right afterwards.  Apparently, YES Network ratings are down again this year as is road attendance which SU believes is a real indicator of just how boring this year’s team is.  In addition, the Yankees will likely not have an All-star Game starter for the first time in many years.  You can say they are battling for 1st place and are second in the league in runs scored but SU speaks the truth: this is a vanilla, dull, unimaginative team.  Whether they make the playoffs or not is not important.  Brian Cashman needs to get younger and start playing the kids for the future.  If they continue this way, get to the playoffs and lose in the first round, this is not a successful season as you haven’t gotten the younger players into the mix.

The Mets cannot hit but they continue to bring up the young, stud starters which is interesting.  Plus this kid Matz can hit to boot.

Finally, SU has been following some of the NBA free agent rumors and signings.  SU fave Jeremy Lin has made it to the Knick rumor list.  How good would that be?  Melo can tell him that his new contract, whatever it is, is “ridiculous” and of course will show him which corner he should park himself in on offense.  But maybe, just maybe, Derek Fisher would design some plays to have Lin do his pick and roll thing and create some excitement back at MSG.  Why not take a flyer here?  The fans would love it as well.  OK, haters: feel free to hate.

SU is troubled by the Greg Monroe rumors.  I just cannot see this guy as a difference maker.  Same with David West.  If you really want to plan for the future, then go younger and go all in.  But even with sizable cap room, you do not see any of the big name free agents flocking to NY.  And why is that?

Relatively new SU subscriber and frequent commenter Mark N weighs in this morning: “The Knicks have always been planning on rebuilding through free agents anyway so I don’t know what Melo was all cranky about in the first place. If they didn’t take Porzingis who reportedly has the most potential upside which may or may not ever be realized – what was the sure thing he suggest they take in his place? Towns, Russell, and Okafor were already gone and he was reportedly whining about not wanting to play with a rookie PG anyway. Phil is going to be successful based on who he gets to sign in the off season and how they operate in the triangle. Your point on Phil likely telling Melo to dial it back on projecting an air of hopelessness is probably dead on.”