Around the Leagues

-  The New York Knicks, despite all of the roster changes over the past year, are worse off now then they were before.  There is no point guard, and even if Baron Davis comes back healthy I don't know if he is the answer.  There is no defense, even with Tyson Chandler in the middle alleviating the one area that has plagued the Knicks since Patrick Ewing left, a big man who can play defense.  Carmelo Anthony has not been the answer to compliment Amar'e Stoudemire.  STAT has looked miserable since Melo arrived in New York and now rumors are out there, whether or not they are true, that Philadelphia is interested in trading for Stoudemire.  This season has not gone as many Knicks fans hoped it would.  They went to bed at night with dreams of an improved team ready to go deep in the playoffs.  However, it looks like this team might not even make the playoffs.  Coach Mike D'Antoni has to go.  If for nothing else than to find someone who can coach defense, develop an offensive system that can distribute the ball to open scoring options, and pull this team out of a funk.  D'Antoni is not that guy.  He never wanted Melo.  He wanted the younger kids like Danilo Gallinari, and a point guard that was thriving in his system like Raymond Felton.  He now has Carmelo Anthony who would have been better off staying in Denver.  Melo doesn't fit in the philosophy.  D'Antoni's system is based on movement through the point guard, not the small forward.  Look at Steve Nash in Phoenix.  The guy won two MVP's under D'Antoni.  Look at what Raymond Felton was doing before he was traded from New York.  Now, the Knicks don't have Felton.  They don't have Chauncey Billups, who was released for financial reasons.  The Knicks don't have a point guard.  Sure, Baron Davis is rumored to be a Knick but he has been injured since before they signed him and his road to recovery hasn't been as quick as some have hoped.  Even if he does make it back there is no guarantee he will fit into D'Antoni's system.  A quick look at the Knick point guard position will show you exactly what is wrong with this team.  They don't have anyone able to create plays off the dribble.  Toney Douglas is averaging 2.7 assists per game.  Mike Bibby has looked old and confused at times.  This is not a team.  There doesn't seem to be a system in place that can work with these players.  Exhibit A:  The Knicks' performance against the Miami Heat.  They launched 43 three-pointers.  43!  They made 18 which is actually a nice percentage of 41.9% but the fact that they threw up that many three's in a game they lost only by 10 points is confusing.  Hell, the Knicks were only down by four at half-time.  Does that seem like a team that needed to toss up that many three's?  Bill Walker led the team off the bench with 21 points in that game shooting 70% on his three pointers.  He went 7-10 from three-point range.  Toney Douglas went 4-8 from beyond the arc.  It just doesn't make any sense.  This team has talent.  Loads of talent.  Landry Fields is the kind of scrappy guy fans love.  Tyson Chandler is a force in the middle, something the Knicks have lacked for years.  Amar'e Stoudemire is a threat inside on offense.  Melo is Melo and, when healthy, should be better than he has been this season which has still been good.  Bill Walker is a perfect guy to come off the bench at any guard position.  Iman Shumpert looks like he could be a very good player for a very long time.  What's missing?  A point guard.  There is none.  Toney douglas is NOT a starting point guard on any team in the NBA but the Knicks.  Baron Davis should be the starting point guard but who knows when he comes back and what he has to offer.  The Knicks should have signed Shane Battier this offseason.  At least he would have offered defense and leadership on the floor.  There is none right now.  Not even on the bench in the suit.  Is it too late to ask Jeff Van Gundy to come back?  Time for the Knicks to bit the bullet, either they get players D'Antoni wants (not likely since they ignored him when they traded for Melo) or they fire their coach.  Whatever they do they need to do it quickly.

-  Great job by the NHL this past weekend with their skills competition.  Adding in a little flare to attract some younger fans was a good thing.  It has worked for the NBA with its Slam Dunk contest so bringing it in to the skills competition could only help a sport that has struggled to attract fans.

-  The New York Rangers were on full display at the NHL All-Star game.  Marian Gaborik won the MVP and Dan Girardi became the first ever Rangers defenseman to score a goal in the All-Star game.  Also, allowing the players to choose their team is a great idea.  It can be fun for fans to see Marian Gaborik skating against Henrik Lundqvist and other stars against teammates.  It is different and fresh which is exactly what the NHL needs to be.

-  The New York Yankees are reportedly interested in Bill Hall according to Ken Rosenthal on Twitter.  Hall hit .211 last year with 2 home runs.  He also plays multiple positions, ranging from 2nd, 3rd, and the outfield but he doesn't play any of them especially well.  His best season came in 2006 when he his 35 homers, drove in 85, and hit .270.  He is not that player anymore.  He did hit 18 homers for Boston in 2010 but I am not a huge fan of this move.  If this is Eric Chavez's replacement the Yankees are making the wrong move.  Even with his DL time, Chavez is a huge improvement in the field over Hall at third, and is an all-around better hitter.  Hall is a shell of the player he was years ago.  Yes, there is some pop in the bat but he doesn't offer anything else.  He doesn't hit for contact, doesn't walk a lot, strikes out a bunch, and doesn't play defense well.  I'll take Chavez over Hall any day of the week, even if I know Chavez will miss a month with injury.  With the 40-man roster full (Kevin Whelan was DFA'd to make room for Hiroki Kuroda last week) another move would have to be made if this a Major League deal.  If this is a minor league deal then the move makes sense as no roster spot would have to be vacated unless Hall went with Yankees to New York at end of Spring Training.  If this is a minor league deal then hard to argue with bringing in a veteran presence to push younger guys.

-  The NFL Pro Bowl is beginning to be even more irrelevant than it ever was.  Seriously, it's not even football anymore.  All it is is an offensive skills competition.  There is no reason for the game to be played when it is.  Who wants to see an all-star team that is missing the best players from the two teams in the Super Bowl anyway?  Besides, it isn't like people can actually go to the Pro Bowl.  It takes place in Hawaii. What the NFL should do is rotate where the game is played, kind of like what MLB, NBA, and NHL do and allow each NFL city to be rewarded with fanfests and other fun, interactive things with the games best.  It feels so isolated being in Hawaii.  Yes, it's nice for the players who get time in Hawaii with their families but only 48,423 were in attendance.  The capacity for the game is 50,000.  They need to move this game in order to breathe new life into it.  It can't even sell out a college stadium?  Bad news NFL.  Revamp or die.  You are the most popular sport in America right now, there is no reason the Pro Bowl shouldn't be sold out, or at least be near capacity at a PRO football stadium.  Reward the fans of all of the cities who support their football teams, especially the ones that can't get the Super Bowl.  Should the fans of the Patriots, Packers, Giants, Jets (I know MetLife will host one Super Bowl in 2014 but it may only be once), Oakland, San Francisco, etc, etc.  Fans around the country who brave the elements to root for their favorite team should be given the chance to see the best the NFL has to offer and all of the fanfare that goes along with it.  Imagine the Pro Bowl in Lambau.  Cold, yes.  Coll?  You bet.  They did play one game in Florida at Sun Life Stadium in 2009 and drew 70,000+ fans but it has been a Hawaii thing for the most part since 1979.  If the NFL is worried about the cold then play the game in the middle of the season when the weather is more tolerable.  I know the owners and players are worried about injuries but when was the last time you heard of anyone getting injured in the Pro Bowl?  They barely tackle in the game for crying out loud.  Not to mention there are special rules for the game to prevent injuries such as no blitzing, no rushing punts, field goals, or PAT's, intentional grounding is legal, and a bunch of others that protect players.  Even if it stayed an end-of season- thing, then at least bring it around to all of the different venues of the NFL.  Reward the fans, introduce some football history, and celebrate the game.  Don't hide it in Hawaii and keep it as a reward for players only.  Sure, a trip to Hawaii sounds great but if it weren't for the fans in Green Bay, New York, Chicago, Foxboro, etc, there would be no football.

-  The Mets are reportedly interested in OF Rick Ankiel.  Ankiel, you may remember was the flame throwing pitcher who came up with the Cardinals, had a stellar second-half and was pegged as an ace of the future.  Then, he couldn't find the strike zone, lost arm strength, and converted into a fairly successful outfielder.  Ankiel makes sense for the Mets because he isn't expensive, plays both corners and can fill-in in center field, and isn't terrible at the plate.  He won't be a star but he is serviceable.  Serviceable is about all the Mets can afford these days anyway.