SPANISH HARLEM – Whoever loves the snow is having a great time today but for some of us, the spring weather can’t come any sooner. Baseball is right around the corner and nothing says baseball more than snow on the field in New York. Today I will look at the possibility of Trae Young becoming a New York Knick and revisit the debate of who is better for the Yankees, Shohei Ohtani or Giancarlo Stanton.
Knicks
Trae Young has declared for the draft and some people have speculated he could go late in the lottery, right around the Knicks pick. I know the team already has Frank Ntilikina but that won’t stop the masses from thinking about a guy like Young and what he could do for this franchise. In college Trae had people thinking of Steph Curry when watching his games and I must say… the kid played like Curry. He shot the ball from anywhere on the court and hit 3s from some unusual spots but that is where the comparison ends. Curry had a better college career and was truly a special talent regardless of size. The Knicks were one spot away from picking Curry in the draft and many people still look back at the moment with disgust. I agree with those sentiments because its hard to look at Steph’s career and not think of what could’ve been.
The Knicks need more talent, more shooting and who better than the best shooter in college this season. Are there better fits for this team in the draft… maybe but what if Trae Young turns out to be the next big thing in Basketball? Ideally, I would like a versatile Small Forward that can defend and shoot the 3, Mikal Bridges is one that looks like he would fit perfect with this group but what happens if he is already drafted before the Knicks pick… why not take Young and put him next to Frank. I would defintely consider it because right now you have a guy in Ntilikina, who likes to distribute the ball and play defense. In Trae, you have a guy that can distribute and shoot from anywhere on the court. I want guys on the floor that can take the pressure off Kristaps Porzingis and having 2 guards that can distribute and play off each other would do wonders. Also who wouldn’t want to watch Trae Young on fire from 3… sign me up.
Yankees
I have read some articles on Shohei Ohtani this week and found out his stats stink… like really stink… to the tune of .107 average as a hitter and 27.00 ERA as a pitcher. I know Giancarlo Stanton is not hitting well in Spring Training but he is also an established Star Player with an MVP on his mantle. When you think back at the beginning of the offseason, Ohtani was a shoe in to be a Yankee but that never materalized and the organization moved on to the Stanton trade. Was it a blessing in disguise? I can’t say for sure because this debate is far from over but right now I feel confident that Stanton will make this team better today. I’m not sure I could say the same for Ohtani.
Shohei Ohtani was the best international player last season and his stats were remarkable in Japan but its still not the Major Leagues. Some of the best pitchers in Japan have come over and struggled, so it’s always a crap shoot when a foreigner comes to the states to play baseball. Ohtani may turn out to be a great pitcher someday but I still rather have Stanton in my lineup. Another thing to think about… if the Yankees can stay under the tax threshold this season, expect the organization to do whatever it takes to get another pitcher via trade, if need be.
That’s it. Leave a comment and come back tomorrow for something stellar again. Also, you can find us on Twitter @BuddyDiaz19, @MeetTheMatts & @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook pages, Meet The Matts & Buddy Diaz.
