This Week on the Blog

This was kind of a crappy week for the Giants and Yanks, and a more encouraging one for the undefeated Rangers and Knicks.   Yanks season ends tomorrow, and then the Giants play Monday night.  So they have a chance to right things.  Anyway, the Rangers will continue to get ready, and the Knicks will start their preseason games on Tuesday.

Yanks: The Yanks lost the ability to make the playoff when Baltimore beat Toronto the other night, and played like they were feeling it last night.   Hopefully, they'll just play the kids today and tomorrow, which I believe will be Tex day.  Word started leaking out that the offseason plan will be all about pitching.  Since there are no good FA pitchers that is worrisome indeed.  They cannot start trading their top prospects just because they finally have some, and would be much better off using next year as a testing ground for Severino, Mitchell, Cessa, Enns, Montgomery and the guys who could be ready by mid-season.  Anyway, with the memory of trades for young "studs" like Jeff Weaver and Javier Vazquez x 2, the Yanks should really think long and hard (and effectively) before acquiring another young "stud" at the cost of actual young studs.

Giants: The Giants are doing the things that undisciplined teams do.  The PF's are ridiculous and were also an issue under TC, so many of these players need constant reminding.   That, and a dishonest replay official, cost them the game last year.  Monday, they play the Vikes, who have looked great on D.  There's no way for the Giants to beat them if they keep playing like they have been, and with injuries on the DL and at S, they might not have enough healthy bodies to get it done even if they show discipline.  However; whenever we're supposed to beat the Vikings, we lose, and whenever they're favored to beat us, we win.  So we've got that going for us Monday.

Knicks: Reports have been a little mixed coming out of camp, as far as style of play goes.  The ones and twos apparently look great in Horny's breakneck transition game, but, the new guys especially are having trouble picking up the intricacies of the Triangle in the half court set.  We'll see how this plays out.  KP spent the offseason strengthening his legs and core, and is up to 240.  Be afraid, other teams, be afraid.   Kuz and Willy also seem to be having good campsbut we'll have to see in the games.

Rangers:  The Rangers play again today, so far there's a problem brewing with the Forward group.  Pavel Buchnevich will go back to the KHL if he doesn't make the team.  Thus Vesey and Pirri are sort of competing for one spot.  And though Vesey is the more exciting prospect, Pirri has scored 3 times in two game. Vesey is the only one of the three in tonight's lineup.  This is another situation to keep an eye on and another reason we could and should still see a trade for Trouba or another D.

So there we are. Yanks hotstove starts Monday, and the Giants must win that day, too.  We get to see the Knicks on Tuesday, and I really hope everyone has a great week, around these games and happenings.