Perspective & Thoughts On The Hottest Topics in New York Sports and More w/ Anthony Rushing … Staff Writer, Featured Columnist, and Blogger. Follow Me On Twitter @TonyJVilleTFB
@BryanHoch: Mariano Rivera plans to start throwing in about a week, says his knee feels about “95 percent.” via Twitter
Rivera has been rehabbing his surgically repaired ACL, he tore the ACL in early May of last season so it’s realistic that he’d be ready by April for Opening Day.
Rivera’s 43 years old, however he’s also the career saves leader and arguably the best closer of all-time. The Yankees have had an interesting offseason because of their goal to maintain payroll flexibility moving forward towards 2014. If they can start the season with Rivera firmly back in place as their closer for 2013 it will go a long way towards getting their fanbase excited.
Every now and then Kobe Bryant gives one of those highlight-worthy performances that cause this kind of response … Damn !!!!
Late in the first quarter of the Lakers 107-102 loss to the Clippers at Staples Center, Bryant took advantage of a Chris Paul turnover with a steal and then attacking from the left side of the court with a monster dunk with the right hand over Paul who was trying to prevent the inevitable.
Stat-wise it was another night at the office for Bryant as he finished with 38 points, however it wasn’t enough to knock off Paul and the red-hot Clippers. The Clippers improved to 25-8 on the season while the Lakers fell to 15-17 as they continue to search for some sort of consistency in the win column.
Former Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy (seated here next to Patrick Ewing) is reported to be very high on the radar of the Brooklyn Nets as a potential head coaching candidate. (Getty Images)
ESPNNewyork.com is reporting that according to a league source, Van Gundy is held in high regardby the Nets and could very well be as high as second on their list of choices. Phil Jackson would be their top choice if he’s indeed interested in the job.
Currently the Nets are going with P.J. Carlesimo as the interim head coach and he led the team to a win over the Charlotte Bobcats in his first game.
Van Gundy currently works for ESPN as an NBA analyst and perhaps may see this as an ideal fit for him should he decide to get back into coaching. However, another league source also noted that Van Gundy may instead want to take the Nets job after the season instead of during. This is logical if indeed Van Gundy may feel he needs more time to evaluate the overall makeup of the Nets before he’d take on such a role.
If Jackson is interested in the Nets coaching job, team owner Mikhail Prokhorov should put his money where his mouth is and write whatever check it takes to get him to Brooklyn. However, Van Gundy would be an intriguing number two choice. He knows the area, having established his coaching credibility with the Knicks. Now it’s just a matter of determining just how much Van Gundy is interested in the position. Continue reading →
The Brooklyn Nets didn’t get off to the start they were looking for and now Avery Johnson is now their former head coach. (Ken Godfield/NY Daily News)
This was the year that Avery Johnson had been waiting for as head coach of the Nets franchise. His team finally moved out of New Jersey and into their $1 billion arena in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Nets were opened their 2012 season with a new building, new uniforms, new colors, and high expectations due to the $330 million upgrade they invested into their players. Well whenever high expectations are involved, the need for results is never too far behind.
The Nets ran out of patience waiting on Johnson to find a way to turn their struggling team around and as a result was fired as head coach by team owner and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. It was the team’s performance in the month of December that sealed Johnson’s fate. The Nets were playing like a team without an identity or any emotion whatsoever. At the time of Johnson’s firing, the Nets were 14-14, with a 3-10 record in December. It was a complete about-face from their hot 11-4 start to the season which had their fanbase beginning to buzz with excitement.
Things can change within a New York minute. Johnson went from NBA coach of the month in November to unemployed in December.
For all the positive headlines the Brooklyn Nets were getting in November, they quickly turned into the negative as the calendar turned towards December. The team began to lose and now all of a sudden their franchise point guard Deron Williams didn’t like Johnson’s offense. Kris Humphries and his $24 million that the Nets paid him over the summer was benched by Johnson. A blowout loss to the New York Knicks and then on national television with another blowout loss to the Celtics on Christmas day.
Deron Williams and Avery Johnson could not find a way to make it work together in Brooklyn. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The reality of this is that Johnson’s margin of error heading into this season was extremely thin. He was in the final season of a three-year deal and it appeared that the team gave him no assurances of a new deal on the horizon. The reasoning behind that was obvious, this team wants and needs to win now. The worst-case scenario for Prokhorov and his Nets franchise is that they go through this season looking like the same old Nets who were dreadful to watch play in New Jersey. That’s exactly who they were beginning to look like. Continue reading →
JR Smith does it again with another game-winner for the Knicks. (christian petersen / getty images)
Is that JR Smith or John Starks 2.0? The Knicks have themselves a spark coming off their bench this year named JR Smith. Throughout his career Smith has never met a shot he hasn’t liked and it’s most likely the first thing people would see on his file. However when it comes to the Knicks in 2012 it’s been all about players buying into head coach Mike Woodson‘s system and Smith has definitely done that. Smith’s streaky ways can shoot a team in or out of a game, however lately it’s helping the Knicks win games. In the Knicks 99-97 win over the Phoenix Suns, “Swish” made a tough shot to tie the game with 10.6 seconds left and then with 1.0 seconds left he makes the game-winner with a miracle jumpshot. It reminds me of John Starks in the mid-90’s for the Knicks who played the game with the same reckless abandon that Smith is doing today for them. They both are fearless on the court and not afraid of taking the big shot. We loved Starks when the shots were falling and we wanted to throw him out the building when they were not. JR Smith a.k.a “JR Swish” is cut from the same cloth and it seems only right that he’s doing what he does in a Knicks uniform.
Congratulations to Victor Cruz, Chris Snee, and Jason Pierre-Paul (JPP) of the Giants on being selected to the NFL Pro Bowl. There are some valid and interesting debates that can be had over this year’s Pro Bowl nominations. I think it’s a great individual accomplishment for a professional athlete to be named to an all-star, especially if it’s coming from their peers as well as the fans. That being noted, I have no desire whatsoever to watch the actual Pro Bowl game. I used to look forward to watching All-Star games because it was a chance to see your favorite players all on one field or one court together. However in this era of free agency and super-teams, that luster isn’t really there anymore. The other reason is that these games are just flat-out boring to watch now.
Wide receiver Victor Cruz earned himself a Pro Bowl selection for the New York Giants. (juilo cortez / ap)
One look at the Giants this season and it’s coulda, woulda, shoulda … If their was any team that needed some good news it was the Giants because their 2012 season has turned into a complete mess on the field. Continue reading →
Jamal Crawford has always been one of my favorite players to watch in the NBA and it appears that he’s landed in the right spot this year with the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers. Give Crawford enough time with the basketball and he’s a highlight waiting to happen, as the Denver Nuggets apparently found out on Christmas night with this behind the back move. It was clearly good enough to impress die-hard Clippers fan Billy Crystal. The Clippers just keep on winning, their 112-100 victory over the Nuggets ran their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games. This team is for real. Continue reading →
What Adrian Peterson has accomplished in 2012 is nothing short of greatness. (NY Times)
What Adrian Peterson is accomplishing this season in the NFL is nothing short of amazing. Peterson leads the league in rushing with 1,812 yards, and has scored 11 touchdowns. He has nine 100-yard rushing games, two 200-yard rushing games, and he’s reached triple digits in 8 consecutive games. Those are all great feats, however what makes it astonishing and historic is that Peterson is less than a year removed from needing major surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his knee.
Those amazing numbers Peterson has put up this season has his Minnesota Vikings in position to secure a playoff spot and him in position to make history against the Green Bay Packers in their season finale. Peterson needs 207 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.
While I don’t think Peterson is going to win this year’s MVP award despite carrying the Vikings offense, he deserves to be in the conversation and is clearly the comeback player of the year. Rushing for 200 yards in a game isn’t common in the NFL, however whenever Peterson reaches that mark I’m never surprised. It seems as if he can reach it every week if he wants to. Rushing record or not, it’s been an amazing year for Peterson and should be an inspiration to anyone watching.
Kobe Bryant has the help he’s been waitng for with the return of Steve Nash to the lineup for the revitalized Lakers. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
It is beginning to look like the Los Angeles Lakers have turned the corner. Their 100-94 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas day was their 5th straight win and they are beginning to look like a team coming together at the the right time. The Lakers look much better with Steve Nash back and running the point for them. Dwight Howard‘s defense is a game-changer for them and head coach Mike D’Antoni finally is getting something put of Pau Gasol. I can’t leave out how well Metta World Peace is playing for them this season. MWP looks like he’s in much better shape this season and he’s giving the Lakers that blue-collar toughness that every winning team needs. Throw in the fact that they have Kobe Bryant doing what he does and there is a lot of stuff to feel good about today if you are a Lakers fan.
This has not been a December to remember for the Brooklyn Nets. Coming off their 93-76 Christmas day loss at home to the Boston Celtics, the Nets are currently 3-9 this month and continue to struggle after getting off to a fast start to open the season. Their fast start to the season opened the door to high hopes and thoughts of the playoffs, however they have been exposed as a team that seems to be lacking an idenity. Is this a offense that should be running or is this a half-court and grind it out type of offense? Head coach Avery Johnson is already tinkering with the lineup and it doesn’t seem as if he and point guard Deron Williams are on the same page with the gameplan. If that’s the case then that’s major problem because Williams just happens to be the franchise player and is being paid $98 million to be that. I can’t help but wonder if Johnson is close to being on the hotseat because at the end of the day it’s all about winning. This team came into the season with high expectations and right now they are barely looking like a playoff team that’s losing more confidence with every loss.
It’s not time to worry about the Knicks but …. The red flags are definitely up on the New York Knicks. Losing to the Lakers on Christmas day isn’t the end of the world for a team that has a 20-8 record, however in December the Knicks have not been playing with the consistency that was there in November. Point guard Raymond Felton hasn’t looked right since injuring his hand and his shooting has went south. Felton shot 5 of 19 for 10 points in the loss to the Lakers and he’s clearly slumping with his game right now. If there is anytime that head coach Mike Woodson should consider giving Felton some rest to get healthy then it should be now. There is depth at the guard position with Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni and JR Smith so sitting Felton down for a bit might be the way to go for the long run. The Knicks are also relying a lot on their perimiter game and the live and die approach with all the shots their taking appears to be catching up with them. This team is thin in the post game and opposing teams know this and are beginning to take advantage.
The Knicks need Amar’e Stoudemire to help offset their issues in the frontcourt when he returns, which according to him could be around New Years Day. Stoudemire’s most likely coming off the bench when he comes back although that hasn’t been confirmed, however I think it’s the right move for him and for the team. There is still room for Stoudemire to get his touches and points as the top option off the bench. I still believe that Stoudemire is not going to cause chemistry problems for the Knicks when he returns and that he’s going to embrace whatever role Woodson has for him.
Tim Tebow apparently sees the writing on the wall as his time with the New York Jets could be nearing an end. (William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)
Here’s a shocker … Tim Tebow really is human. It appears that New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow finally reached his breaking point once he found out last week that he wouldn’t be the one to replace Mark Sanchez as the starter against the San Diego Chargers yesterday. Tebow was passed over by head coach Rex Ryan for 3rd-string quarterback Greg McElroy and apparently it did not go over well with him. Reportedly Tebow was bothered by the move so much that he went to Ryan and asked not to be used in the Jets “wildcat” package against the Chargers. The Jets went with wide receiver Jeremy Kerley in place of Tebow, who was dressed to play however didn’t see any time on the field.
The Chargers defeated the Jets 27-17, however the issue once again whenever it comes to the Jets this season is that the more interesting news with them comes from off the field. Tebow’s one year with the Jets has arguably been a nightmare and both sides would be better off parting ways as soon as possible after the season. The Jets clearly had no faith in him being a quarterback for them, otherwise he’d be playing.
I don’t agree with Tebow asking not to be used in the “wildcat” against the Chargers if that’s indeed what happened. At the end of the day, you still have to do the job you are being paid to do. However, I clearly understand the frustration Tebow must be feeling these days. All this guy does is say the right things whenever pressed to answer questions that speak against his belief that he can be a good NFL quarterback. He still believes he can be a good and thought the opportunity finally presented itself when Ryan benched Sanchez.
The fact of the matter is that Tebow finally broke away from all of the politically correct comments he’s been giving whenever asked anything about his time with the Jets. He made it clear he’s not happy there and then he backed that up by apparently deciding he wanted no more parts of the gimmick role they put him in which produced absolutely nothing this season.
I hope Tebow gets what he wants and according to reports that appears to be a move to Jacksonville in 2013. He didn’t go about it the right way, however kudos to him finally confirming to us all that he’s actually human after all.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have the Clippers on the winning track. (Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images)
Christmas day is right around the corner and that means the NBA regular season is about to offically kick into high gear. It’s been a pretty interesting first part of the season with some intriguing storylines around the league. Here are some of my random thoughts and observations …
Is anyone outside of the west coast paying attention to what’s going on in Los Angeles right now? I’m not talking about the soap opera that is known as the Los Angeles Lakers, however I am talking about the Los Angeles Clippers. This team is fun to watch and their loaded this season with depth and talent. It’s not just Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and “Lob City” anymore with the Clippers, they are a legitimate threat in the west. While the Lakers have dominated most of the headlines coming from Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons, the Clippers are flying under the radar and winning basketball games …
The Clippers are currently on a 12-game win streak after their most recent win over the Sacramento Kings. The Kings continue to have problems this season and can’t seem to win on the road either. It also seems that the act is beginning to wear thin in Sacramento with DeMarcus Cousins and his apparent maturity issues. Cousins was benched by Kings head coach Keith Smart for the entire second half of the Kings loss to the Clippers, he was reportedly even ordered to stay in the locker room.Cousins is extremely talented and he did take accountability for the part he played in all of this, however the Kings are going to have to decide if his growing pains are worth it for the best interest of the team. This is just the latest in a series of incidents involving Cousins and it might be time to just trade him while he still has value …
It’s become obvious after watching the Chicago Bulls play that their style of play isn’t exactly pretty to watch, however it’s effective. Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau has his team playing ugly and gritty basketball while they wait on their franchise player Derrick Rose to return from injury. They were not exactly pretty to watch with Rose on the court, however their blue-collar approach is especially working now and it’s also helped to stabilize them until Rose returns …
In last night’s loss to the Bulls, the New York Knicks lost Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and head coach Mike Woodson all to ejections by the referees. The Knicks are off to a great start this season, however with that success will come adversity and they must do a better job of handling those situations. That being said, the refs seemed to be very quick with the whistle last night instead of just letting the two teams battle it out. Watching this game left me with the impression that this could be a very intriguing seven-game series in the playoffs.
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