Lin-Sanity Heads to Houston

            The Knicks have just made official what many already thought: they are not going to match the Rockets offer to restricted free agent Jeremy Lin. This move actually makes sense for both sides. However, if you look at this move economically, it will hurt the Knicks. Lin was easily one of the most popular players in the league, and this will undoubtedly hurt the Knicks in terms of attendance and season-ticket holders. But, if you look at this from an actual basketball standpoint, the move makes sense. It makes sense because Mike Woodson is the new coach and Carmelo Anthony remains on the team. Lin is best described as a "system point guard." This means his style of play works well in a certain system, but not necessarily well in others. He fit perfectly in Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun system. Mike Woodson focuses more on a slower tempo and defense, neither of which are strengths for Lin. Raymond Felton, who the Knicks acquired from the Blazers, seems to be a better fit for Woodson. Also, Lin played his best when Carmelo Anthony was out due to injury. Once Melo came back, there was an increase in Lin's turnovers and decrease in assists. This is most likely because Melo needs to have the ball to have success, because he is an atrocious defender and is not a team player. I think he actually hurts the Knicks, but that's for another blog.  Bottom line, Lin not a good fit for Mike Woodson. On the other hand, the Rockets get the point guard they need, having lost Goran Dragic to the Suns. They also get a sure-fire attendance booster, which they sorely need.

Trout Deserving of Attention

        When the season started in April, barely anyone outside of LA knew the name Mike Trout. That is hardly the case now. Mike Trout has captivated the nation with his fantastic play since being recalled to the show in April. He is bidding to become the first player since Ichiro in 2001 to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Some believe he should, others believe he shouldn't. I believe he should. But, we need to go back to what the definition of an MVP is in order to understand why I feel this way. MVP is most valuable player. This means take away the player from the team and the team is a shadow of who they really are. Since his recall to the bigs on April 28, the Angels are 42-24. Before his call-up, they were 6-14. Trout doesn't do just one thing, he does it all. Not only does he lead the AL in batting average (.341 at the All-Star break) he also has a rookie-leading 12 home runs and leads the AL with 30 stolen bases. He should get as much credit as anyone for Albert Pujols' improving numbers. His presence in the lineup and on the basepaths takes a lot of pressure off Pujols at the plate. He revived a beyond-struggling Angels’ offense, which was, before his call-up, described as "dead" by manager Mike Scioscia. By far, he has been the MVP of team. Albert Pujols might have been the biggest off-season pickup, but he's not even the best player on his own team this year. That honor goes to Trout. Now, to be fair, he is a rookie. As time goes on, pitchers will get a better feel for how to get him out. Also, he needs to show he can put up consistent impressive numbers. But, time will give us the answer for that. For now, just marvel at the fact that a rookie can be doing these things. Appreciate what he's doing, because it’s almost unprecedented. This doesn't look like a fluke. This guy should be around for a long time.

Suns Free Agency

     The impossible is happening. Honestly hell might be freezing over. The Suns are actually spending money in free agency?! No, this can't be happening, not the Suns. This is the same team that two summers ago let a superstar go because he wasn't worth paying for. This is the same team that just let Joe Johnson walk out the door. The Suns don't usually spend money and when they do, it's usually on the wrong players like Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick, and Josh Childress. The money they've spent thus far in free agency I think has been well spent. They've got a commitment from Eric Gordon, and although the Hornets can match it, it seems like he will come to the Valley. Gordon is the versatile wing scorer that the Suns lack. He thrives in open-court, fast-paced action. He has the opportunity to be a star for the Suns. Secondly, the Suns brought back Goran Dragic. I was upset when we traded Dragic to the Rockets. I think he is a great player whose style of play goes hand-in-hand with what the Suns do. Plus, he learned from one of the best in Steve Nash. Lastly, the Suns added Michael Beasley. Beasley has a ton of talent, but hasn't quite lived up to the expectations of the #2 overall pick. But, Alvin Gentry is known for being a player's coach. He is very good at working with players with troubled pasts. I believe he will get the most out of Beasley. The Suns spent money in free agency this time, and let's hope it works better than the last trio of players they spent money on.

Nash Leaving Not All Bad

        After the initial shock of thinking of Steve Nash in a Lakers uniform wears off, if you look at it closely the Suns actually come out of this deal looking pretty good. First off, the Suns were not going to keep Nash. It just became a question of where he would actually go. The Suns are trying to rebuild and get younger. No matter how good Nash is, he is old and while he can aid in the development of Kendall Marshall and Goran Dragic, it would be in the Suns best interest to play the young guys now. Secondly, the Suns are not going to win a championship before Nash retires so it was best to let him go. Also, in the deal the Suns got draft picks. Extra draft picks for a rebuilding team is like finding water in the desert. It's a huge deal. It's another opportunity to rebuild a struggling roster. So, while its disappointing to see Nash go, let's be honest we knew it was going to happen. At least the Suns learned from the departure of their last big star, Amare Stoudemire, and got something in return this time.

Winners & Losers from the NBA Draft

Winners

·         Sacramento - They only had one pick but they made it count. Thomas Robinson is going to be an absolute star in this league. He is relentless in the paint. I believe he could turn into a Kevin Love type player in his career.

·         Cleveland - The Cavs got Kyrie Irving some weapons. They picked up a versatile player in the first round in Dion Waiters.  He is an excellent defender. In the second round, they grabbed who I believe could be the steal of the draft in Jae Crowder, and a solid defender who could blossom into a star with Bernard James. Look for an improvement on defense for the Cavs next year.

·         Orlando - They understand Dwight Howard is probably not coming back. So, they prepped for life without him. Andrew Nicholson has the talent to be a very solid player in this league, and can make fans forget about Howard and all the headaches he caused.

Losers

·         Toronto - I've never been especially high on Terrence Ross. Ross has always had talent around him, and in Toronto there is very little of that. Quincy Acy could be good, but he needs to show more consistency than he did in college.

·         Detroit - The Pistons needed a wing scorer. With many on the board, they selected Andre Drummond? You can't even make the argument he was the best player available at the time. Khris Middleton and Kim English are solid players, but they need to be set up in order to score, and that's where a wing player would come in handy.

·         Indiana - I don't understand the selection of Miles Plumlee when the face of your franchise is Roy Hibbert. Plumlee certainly won't start right away, and the Pacers could have used help on the wing.