SU always looks forward to the NBA draft.  This year features a relatively weak field with reports of most teams looking to move down in the draft vs. trying to secure a better pick.  The Knicks have a rare first round pick as Isiah Thomas hasn’t been able to amass enough power as of yet to move it for Eddie Curry’s expiring contract.

I just stumbled across this article on Bleacherreport.com which features an interview with Phil Jackson:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2488958-phil-jackson-nbas-lord-of-the-rings-faces-ultimate-test-saving-the-knicks

It’s a long read but there were a few striking quotes from Jackson here:

• “What Jackson did talk about at length was his belief in “a structure” or “a format” that involves all five players and emphasizes ball and player movement, whether it’s the triangle or another system. He cited the Spurs and Warriors and Hawks as teams that exemplified the ideal.”
• “When I watch some of these playoff games, and I look at what’s being run out there, as what people call an offense, it’s really quite remarkable to see how far our game has fallen from a team game,” Jackson said. “Four guys stand around watching one guy dribble a basketball.”
• “The game actually has some beauty to it, and we’ve kind of taken some of that out of it to make it individualized,” Jackson said. “It’s a lot of who we are as a country, individualized stuff.”

All fine and right in line with SU’s view of team basketball.  But here is where I am perplexed: Carmelo Anthony, one of the great one-on-one scorers in NBA history, is clearly the opposite of this type of thinking.  Clearly.  Opposite.  As in 180 degrees in the other direction.  Phil Jackson came in before Melo opted out of his contract.  WHY WOULD YOU RE-SIGN HIM IF THIS IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN?  As long-time SU subscriber B. Levine would say, “it makes on sense.”  You sign him to a long-term deal at max money and now you are stuck.  This is not how he plays the game.  And after 12 years in the NBA, it’s hard to see how he would do that now.

If you believe in a system, you need to put players together who want to play in that system.  And by that, I mean skilled players – not the guys currently on the Knicks’ roster.  As stated before, SU is not on the Knicks’ band wagon but even the most passionate fan must be very frustrated by the inconsistency here between philosophy and personnel.

Relatively new SU subscriber Mark N. weighed in this morning: ” …sadly it is really probably Dolan who is the cause of my recent distaste for rooting for the Knicks. I can root for teams when they are down. I just can’t root for teams that are morally bankrupt.”  Lots of frustration out there in Knick Land.

SU caught the end of the US Open last night.  You have to feel for Dustin Johnson.  That was a stunning last 3 minutes.  Hard to think he will be able to mentally ever recover from that.

Happy Father’s Day to the SU intergalactic subscriber base.  Best day of the year and certainly one where it’s harder (but of course not impossible) for men to be wrong.  A few thoughts from SU this morning:

• Impressive performance by Jason Day gutting out 18 holes in the 3rd round of the US Open.  He will be the people’s choice today to win his 1st major.  He is definitely one of the top players to yet bag his first major championship.  SU asks this question about professional athletes playing with vertigo: is there any other sport other than golf where this could even happen?  Football, baseball, basketball, hockey – nope.  Tennis, soccer, auto racing, boxing, ping pong – don’t think so.  Pool?  Yes, you could play with vertigo at the highest level.  SU cannot think of any others.  Just thought that was interesting.
• The Yankees are back to winning as their maddening inconsistent season continues.  Win 5 in a row, lose 5 in a row.  They even won on Old Timers’ Day which never happens.  A-Rod is hot and playing very relaxed after notching his 3,000th hit.  Interesting that none of the Tiger players in the dugout applauded the hit – they didn’t even move.  Their manager said after the game that if it was a single, he was sure that they would have done a polite “golf clap.”  SU understands the reaction of other teams in that A-Rod cheated to gain advantage against them over the years.  Of course, the hypocrisy is that players on every team cheated and no doubt there were players in the Tigers’ dugout who were PED users.  As a fan, the contrast with Jeter’s 3,000th hit and A-Rod’s is very striking.
• Nova is coming off the DL and you will have to put Adam Warren in the bullpen despite his recent success as a starter.  The reality is that the Yankees desperately need another consistent arm in the bullpen and he has done it before.  Cashman’s pick-ups of Martin and Carpenter were both busts but not his fault – relievers year-to-year effectiveness is uneven except for Mariano which makes his greatness that much more incredible.
• Finally, it’s NBA Draft week and the rumors about the Knicks’ pick are flying   Trade it to the Suns for Eric Bledsoe?  That one is interesting as he is a solid player.  SU’s rooting interest for the Knicks will depend on what they do this off-season.  Unlike other NY sports teams, I do not root for the laundry ever since the Isiah Thomas era.  I need to be wooed to get back on the band wagon.

SU is on record that for this year’s Yankee team, the only and I mean only excitement and interest for me comes from A-Rod’s at bats.  I am a life-long, diehard fan and I no longer watch games all the way through.  Brian Cashman has worked hard and he has finally put together a collection of players that can put me to sleep.  He did some pilots the last couple of years –  Andruw Jones; Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells – to see just what a Yankee fan could truly tolerate.  And now he has doubled down to give us Stephen Drew and Chase Headley.  Admit it: when you watch this team, who do you wait to see come to the plate?  For SU, it’s only A-Rod.

I must say the boos this year are much less hateful than what we have seen in past years for him and much less than what I would have expected (except for the Red Sox fans who are hypocritical when it comes to PED users (see your DH)).  A-Rod has done and said all the right things this year.  His approach, behavior and mindset are 180 degrees different from the last few years.  And the fans have forgiven him in New York.  SU says it shows how fans are willing to forgive and forget especially for their own and especially if they produce.  They do it in every sport time and time again.  It’s also why athletes like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Pete Rose, etc. would all have been better served to just come clean and admit the truth in the beginning.  SU would even put Roger Clemens in that category although not for me – he is the worst of the worst in that regard.

The American fan wants to forgive – plain and simple.  SU says it is also why all MLB players who used PEDs should declare a day of amnesty and as a group, admit what they did once and for all.  There would be an uproar for a few days in the media and then we all move on as we always do.

SU will tune in tonight to hopefully see A-Rod’s hit #3,000 and will be happy for him.  He is a cheater, a knucklhead, vain and makes the worst decisions, but he also has a great swing and brings some excitement to a very vanilla team (and I do mean vanilla).

Your thoughts?

Interesting article here today on espn.com as to whether LeBron abused David Blatt in the Cavaliers’ playoff run this year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/3896/lebrons-handling-of-blatt-unbecoming

SU would have to agree with Marc Stein here.  It’s one thing to firmly believe that you are right.  It’s another to set a bad example for your teammates – especially your younger ones who are more impressionable.  If you have an issue with the coach, deal with it off-line or behind-the-scenes.  You don’t do it on full display.  Think about how this would play out in the workplace.  Showing up your boss is not tolerated in most organizations.  I don’t care how good you are – you need to show respect.

As Mark Jackson would say, “Hey, you’re bigger than that!”  Or perhaps LeBron will just be another coach killer (he has plenty of company in the NBA).

SU asks: “What do you think?”

After a pretty boring NBA playoff season, the finals were must-see tv.  What will be our lasting memories?

• First of all, LeBron is a freak.  There is just no-one that can do what he does given his size and muscle.  For the 20 seconds a game when he wasn’t on the court, you could see just how mediocre the Cavs’ roster was for this series without Kevin Love and Kyrie.
• Second, SU has never seen a playoff series with so much whining on foul calls.  It takes complaining to a whole new level and now we have a whole new generation of youngsters who will do the same thing in their games.  When you watch the replays on TV of the fouls, it’s almost comical as 97% of the calls were obvious as guys are getting raked across the arm or grabbed.  SU says that if Draymon Green pulls this act next year during the regular season, he will break all of Dwight Howard’s technical records and will be suspended every 9 games.  Just stop whining.  And when the stars like LeBron do it all the time, it makes all of the teammates get into the act.  Even Mozgov was perfecting his whine – probably in Russian which saved him from getting teed up.  The NBA has to crack down on this next year.
• You knew LeBron was gassed last night when he was too tired to complain on his foul calls.  He just had no legs and tried to get his teammates more involved but to no avail.  Assuming Love re-signs and Kyrie Irving is healthy, they should be back here one year from now.  BUT… SU says that LeBron needs to show Love the love and make him an important part of the offense.  He can be a difference maker but James needs to get him more shots and show him the respect he deserves.  Team chemistry matters.
• Golden State is a fun team to watch but they are not a dynasty – at least not yet.  Truth be told, if Cleveland was at full strength, you could easily make the case that the Cavs win this series.
• Now we start the silly season of NBA free agency.  Role players who had a good run in the playoffs (see Jerome James and the contract that Isiah Thomas gave him as President of the Knicks) look to cash in with maximum size contracts.  Tristin Thompson is a great effort player but he should be smart, take less money and stay where he is.  It’s hard to maintain that level of effort over 5-6 years with pressure to perform.  Draymon Green is another player who thrives in the right system and should stay put for less money.  Of course, it’s hard to pass up the dollars and most players will take the big bucks to win 30 games a year in some small market.

SU is afraid to even comment on the Yankees this morning.  This team is so up and down.  They have now lost 5 of 6 and with Andrew Miller shelved, there is no margin for error in the games that they are leading and need to win.  It’s time for Brian Cashman to step up and make the tough calls.  SU says go all in on the youngsters and just see what happens.  Trade Stephen Drew when he is peaking at .176.  He will be less attractive at .155 which is where he will trend over time.  By the way, if you have a minute, just scan the batting averages that the Yankees put out there every day.  A-Rod and Gardner at .270 are leading the way.  Embarrassing.  And the media are already saying that if Girardi doesn’t get to the playoffs this year, his job will be in jeopardy.  Cashman should be asked to manage this roster just like the guy on the Marlins.

Finally, the Mets are quietly hanging around 1st place and if Alderson is willing to spend a few dollars, they may have staying power into the summer months.  The Nationals are good but not great and that division is winnable.

The Cavs are now down 3-2 in this series and it looks like the Warriors have figured out the formula for winning the championship.  For Cleveland and its fans, there is a silver lining.  Kevin Love has to be watching this thinking that he could have been the difference maker that would have put the Cavs over the top.  Of course, Kyrie Irving is not playing either.  For

Love who will be a free agent, how do you not come back and sign that long term deal to play with LeBron and potentially win multiple championships?  Even Golden State’s most ardent fans would have to wonder if they were good enough to win this series if Irving and Love were healthy.  Assuming Cleveland loses this series, Love must have the competitive spirit to want to stay in Cleveland make some history over the next few years.  This could just be the beginning.

SU is a big LeBron fan – always have been.  However, his comments after last night’s game were cringe-worthy.  He said the Cavs still have a chance because he is the best player in the world.  While this may be true, can’t you just let others say that?  Is it necessary to say it about yourself?  SU predicts that the next thing he will be doing is talking about himself in the 3rd person (this is the natural progression of the big egos).  Keep an eye out for that.

Iman Shumpert is just not healthy.  Aside from his shoulder, there is something going on with his legs.  He cannot finish around the basket.  Knick fans remember him as a leaper and big time dunker but he has had his share of knee injuries.  It’s just another lmitation for the Cavs.  It really is amazing that they still are in this series with so many injuries.  Steve Kerr deserves credit for his small-ball line-up the last couple of games but truth be told, his strategy against LeBron can definitely be second-guessed.  A little more double-teaming and make him give up the ball earlier in the possession is another option.

SU caught some of the Yankees’ game yesterday.  Stephen Drew (batting 6th!) went 2 for 4 and John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman applauded his 2-hit effort.  But if you are paying even a little attention, you would have noticed that he failed with the bases loaded and runners on 1st and 3rd in this game.  His hits came with no one on base.  But he is almost up to .180 now and that must be Brian Cashman’s threshold for giving him a new long-term deal.  SU is criticized for complaining about the Yankees who are still in 1st place but this team is beyond boring.  The Yankees will continue to hover around .500 but someone in the AL East will pull away eventually.  I am not asking them to make trades.  Just bring up some younger players and put them in there.

SU is excited about the women’s World Cup and team USA.  I like watching women’s soccer better than the men’s.  With the men, it feels like you need to perfectly execute 4 or 5 consecutive passes to score a goal and that happens about twice a game.  With the women, it’s a slower moving game and there seem to be more mistakes which leads to more scoring chances.  I am not a huge soccer fan but I pick my spots.

The Yankees just got some bad news.  And no, I don’t mean that Brendan Ryan was activated today.  Andrew Miller is going on the DL with a strained muscle in his forearm.  Clearly he has been hanging around Tanaka too much and look what happened.  They can put Betances in the bullpen but they were already hurting with coverage in the 6th and 7th innings.  SU predicts that once Nova comes back to the starting rotation, Adam Warren will become that guy.  Too bad as he has been doing great as a starter but who knows how long Miller will be out.

LeBron once again put up some gawdy numbers last night as the Cavs hung on in a wild 4th quarter.  The numbers were interesting.  In games 1 and 2, he drove to the basket a lot but looked to pass to his wing men on a number of occasions.  Last night?  Er, not so much (something like 2 passes in 18 drives).  SU says this not sustainable and the Warriors discovered something in the 4th quarter last night (I think it was Stephen Curry’s jumper).  Steve Kerr also dusted off David Lee and he played great.  All the Warriors need to do is score more frequently and make the games more high scoring.  There is no way the Cavs can keep pace as LeBron is now fully committed to doing this all on his own and quite frankly it’s hard for players like JR Smith to get into any rhythm with shots that are few and far between.  SU still believes LeBron needs to cut back on the shots and spread the scoring around a little better.  It’s less wear and tear on him as well.  This has been a very interesting finals after some pretty boring playoff action until now.

SU hates the way LeBron is a one-man isolation machine for the last 5 minutes of every game.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.  But the referees swallowed their whistles down the stretch on LeBron.  SU cannot recall any other NBA superstar who does not get the respect from the officials on the late foul calls.  Last drive in regulation – fouled 3 times.  In OT, raked across the arm right in front of the ref – how can that not be a foul?  On the jump ball, not a foul by Green?

By the way, it’s not true that JR Smith committed a stupid foul during the post-game intervew.  But JR will bounce back in the games 3 and 4.  He can be a knucklehead but he also has a short memory.  Knick fans know.

As a life-long Yankee fan and someone who follows the team closely, I have always felt that I had a good feel for the team, its potential and its issues.  I must admit that this year’s edition has me puzzled.  On paper, they are a .500 team or perhaps slightly better than that if everyone can stay healthy.  But they rarely play at a .500 level.  This team is either red hot or ice cold.  They either field well for long stretches or are as Clyde Frazier would say they are “fumbling and bumbling.”  After losing 3 of 4 to a bad Oakland team, they have now won 6 games in a row and long dormant bats like Beltran’s and Stephen Drew’s are emerging.

SU will stick to its .500 record prediction for the season for the following reasons:

• Mark Teixiera is projected to hit about 49 homeruns and drive in 130 runs as of today.  Now, in the post-PED era, hitting 20 homeruns and knocking in 95 runs gets you on the All-Star team.  There is no way he can sustain this type of performance and for him to stay healthy all year will be achievement in itself.  Therefore, others will need to pick up the slack.  I am not sure who that could be.
• The defense is just not very good.  Chase Headley is on pace for about 40 errors and Didi Gregorius is an adventure at shortstop.
• Brian Cashman has some decisions to make in the next few weeks and SU has a feeling he is going to blow these.  For example, Brendan Ryan is ready to come off the DL.  He cannot hit at all – at all.  Did I say at all?  Cashman is incredibly loyal to Stephen Drew and he actually hit a few homeruns last week although still hovering around .168 for the year.  Perella is starting to hit – had a double and homerun today.  Will he send Perella down, lose the offense and keep having Girardi roll Drew out there?  Or will he trade “high” and move Drew now, put Perella at 2nd base and have Ryan be the utility infielder?  SU would like to see them go younger and this is a chance to do that.  Plus Perella brings some life to a very vanilla team.
• The bullpen is very thin for the 6th and 7th innings.  Betances and Miller have been perfect and you are 5 games over .500.  There is no margin for error at the end of the game.  They need to find pitchers for the 6th and 7th.  Carpenter got desginated for assignment – just had a brutal couple of months – and now it’s a crap shoot.
• SU will not be fooled – I am not getting on the bandwagon.  You can say there is parity in baseball but a handful of teams always rise to the top in the 2nd half of the season.  84 wins will not win you a division or a wild card.

Great French Open and SU was sad to see Djokovic lose in the finals to Wawrinka.  But Wawrinka had 60 winners to 30 for Djokovic and he just played out of his mind.  Right now in men’s tennis, the quality at the top is just so high it’s hard to picture anyone reeling off a string of Grand Slam victories.  It’s hard to believe we will ever see an era like this one again.

SU has been looking forward to the NBA Finals even though I must admit that I pretty much forgot about them during the week and a half interlude.  When teams have that much time off in between games, you can generally expect some poor outside shooting in game 1.  There was some of that last night but for the most part, better than usual.

Steve Kerr won 5 rings playing with Michael Jordan and he had the chance to see how teams tried to deal with a superstar type player in the post-season.  There are usually a couple of approaches.  One is to always send help and leave open the other players and see if they can beat you.  You don’t want the star player to go off and win that way.  The other is to play the superstar man-to-man and not allow the other players to score.  You will give up the 40 points to the superstar but make him earn it with a lot of shots.

Last night, we saw that Kerr has opted for plan B.  LeBron scored 42 points on 38 shots.  Jeff Van Gundy kept commenting that he had never seen so much isolation offense in a game.  SU kept checking to see if Mike Woodson was calling the plays from the Cavaliers’ bench.  It almost worked for Cleveland as LeBron had a shot to win it and Shumpert came oh so close with a miracle attempt at the buzzer.  But SU says on a night when they had a pretty productive Kyrie Irving, this was the wrong strategy.  You need to get others involved and they have to touch the ball to be able to score.  Shumpert only took 6 shots and while JR Smith was firing and missing late and in the overtime, he made three 3’s in the first half but then never saw the ball again until late.  It’s hard to be expected to start hitting shots late when you are not part of the offense.

If Irving is done for the series now which is possible, then LeBron really needs to get others involved.  Only Kobe Bryant would appreciate the approach used last night.  SU says pass the ball.  It was like Carmelo Anthony had sneaked into the line up.  Michael Jordan always found a way to get his teammates involved and while he had Pippen, the rest of his roster really did not measure up to what Cleveland puts out there now offensively.  LeBron needs to not be taking 38 shots.

The playoffs are all about adjustments and we will see what game 2 brings.