PORT JEFF, NY – It’s far too cold out for any pleasantries. Lets get right into today’s topics: Giannis Wants Out, NFL’s Pro Bowl Problem
Giannis Wants Out
After another lost year in Milwaukee, Giannis Antetonokunpo has made it clear he no longer wants to be a Buck and has requested a trade. The Knicks absolutely have to do everything in their power to bring him to New York. This is a once in a generation type player that almost never hits the open market. While the Knicks are in the midst of another very nice season that could very well find them in the Eastern Conference, I think there’s a clear ceiling with the way this team is constructed. The acquisitions of Karl-Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges haven’t exactly been disappointing, both are excellent players and provide tremendous value at their positions. However, I’m not sure they compliment Jalen Brunson in the best way possible.
For decades the Knickerbockers have struck out in their pursuit of superstar level players. Whether it was LeBron in 2010, Kevin Durant several times or Dwight Howard, the Knicks were never able to sway a guy of that caliber to New York.
Things are different now. For the first time in years this is a stable front office that’s consistently put a winning product on the court for several consecutive years. Pairing Giannis with Brunson – in my opinion – would make the Knicks the best team in the East and give them a real shot at beating the Thunder in a seven game series.
NFL’S Pro Bowl Problem
What’s happened to the Pro Bowl? Growing up as a huge fan of the NFL, I always looked forward to watching the Pro Bowl. It was a great bridge between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl and it gave the fans a chance to see their favorite players showcased even if their teams had disappointing seasons. It never felt like a real game but there was at least some honor in the selections and at times the games were somewhat competitive. Now we’ve reached a point where as long as a player finishes the season healthy they’ve got a real chance at being selected.
This week Shedeur Sanders was named a Pro Bowl QBs. Sanders went 3-5 as a starter and had a 7-10 TD to INT ratio. Sanders, by almost every metric, was a well below average QB in every game he played. In almost every other sport they’ve found a way to make their All Star game compelling. It’s very strange to me that the most successful league in sports has seemingly punted away any interest in having its All-Star game mean anything at all.
