Oct 19, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Barclays Center. 76ers won 106-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

His latest comments were pointed at the Knicks point guard situation, with Raymond Felton being an upgrade over Jeremy Lin.

“I would say Raymond Felton is a better point guard than Jeremy Lin, in my opinion,” Williams said at the Nets’ practice facility over the weekend.

After watching the preseason, it’s awfully difficult to argue with him, as Knicks’ fans must finally buy into the fact that the front office just may have made the right decision in allowing Lin to walk.

Lin has struggled big time in the preseason, especially when it comes to shooting the basketball.

He ended his preseason on a high note, scoring 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting (including three, 3-pointers) in a win over the Magic on Friday night. Prior to that night, though, Lin wasn’t exactly lighting it up in Houston. He’d made just 22.2 percent of his shots, having a tough time adjusting to teams being focused on stopping his attempts to get to the rim.

He’s showing zero confidence in his jumper and teams are taking away him getting to the rim and forcing him to shoot the jumper, but Lin is still forcing things going to the basket instead of settling for the mid-range jumper.

In addition, more teams have been overplaying him to his right, forcing him to go left; something he can’t do at this point in his career.

Overall, Lin averaged 6.3 points, 6.0 assists and 2.5 turnovers in the preseason. He shot 28.3 percent from the floor.

Felton, on the other hand, was solid in the Knicks’ six preseason games. He scored 11.3 points per game on 42 percent shooting (38 percent from beyond the arc), dishing out 5.8 assists and grabbing 2.3 rebounds a night.

When he’s been on the floor, he’s effectively been able to push the pace in the Knicks’ offense and has the look of a guy that is ready to have a pretty decent season in the Big Apple.

I often don’t pay too much attention to preseason numbers, but in this case I think they speak volumes.

The scouting report is out on Lin league-wide now. That, with the added pressure of living up to a $25.1 million contract is going to be a lot to adjust to for Lin. If he struggles out of the gate for the Rockets, there will be a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Felton on the other hand is a point guard with something to prove and he’s approached things thus far in that manner.

It may be too early to early to confirm if the Knicks made the right decision, but all indications are pointing to the fact that they did.

D-Will is convinced and it’s awfully hard to argue with him.

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As we enter modern day sports, there are superstars on every team. Yankees and Mets have Derek Jeter and David Wright (for now), the Giants and Jets have Eli Manning and Darrelle Revis, and the Rangers and Devils have two studs between the pipes in King Henrik and Marty Brodeur.

There isn’t much of a rivalry with baseball and football besides the media hype and fans trash talk since each superstar’s team is the complete other conference or league as the others. The Rangers and Devils rivalry was ignited again last season and we all hope we see some great hockey out of these two teams again, especially from Hank and Marty. With saying this, with no disrespect to the other superstars, what we are about to see with Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams is going to take the city by storm.

It’s no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are trying to take over the New York sports scene. They re-signed their franchise player in Deron Williams, have a new hungry fan base, built brand new state-of-the-art arena in the heart of Brooklyn, partly owned by marketing genius and entertainment mogul Jay-Z, and have a whole borough buzzing. Deron is an elite point guard, a gold medal Olympian, and a flat out superstar. If D-Will didn’t choose to resign with the Nets they might have never became relevant in Brooklyn and New York and would have been right back in the horrible cycle they were in while in New Jersey.

There might be a new dog in town but New York has had its basketball team for a long time now and they call Madison Square Garden home. The New York Knicks are a legit contender for the first time in almost 15 years of being the laughing stock of the NBA.

 A huge reason why the Knicks have turned it around is Carmelo Anthony. Melo is one of the best scorers in the NBA and is now entering the prime of his career in his 10th year in the league. After being a key player in the Team USA’s gold medal run, I believe Carmelo now understands the difference between being a winner in this league and being a great player. I fully expect Carmelo to be the unquestioned leader and play some defense this year. Melo is now comfortable in the big city and it is now his team and will being making sure it’s still his city no matter what Deron and the Nets say or do.

Now New York City is big city and there are a lot of different things to choose from. If you like Italian food, there are hundreds of Italian restaurants. In the mood for some diner grub? Choose from one out of the thousand diners out there. But if you love basketball sorry, there’s only room for one team and one superstar. If you want to join the Nets bandwagon go ahead and jump ship right now because once the season starts you have to ride and die with one New York basketball team. So who’s going to own New York this year, Carmelo or Deron?

Basketball superstars are different than any other head to head superstar matchup. In baseball unless it is a pitcher and a hitter, which when they still only face each other about 4 times a game, there is no direct competition. Derek Jeter isn’t striking out David Wright or going against him every play. In hockey we have two amazing goalies but they do not directly play against each other. They can go great save for great save and put on a goalie duel, but it’s nothing like basketball. In football two superstars of a team rarely are on opposite sides of the ball and if they are, they have 10 other teammates with them so it’s hard to “own” a single player. Basketball is the only sport in New York where the superstars can directly affect who “owns” the city. Basketball player can go bucket for bucket, make plays that spark their team, and keep making big shots and challenging the other. No other sport can compare to what basketball rivals can do to each other.

When the Nets open up the Barclay’s Center against Knicks on November 1st, a new era will begin in New York sports. The Knicks own this city and Carmelo is right now a huge part of this. Deron is amazing but the Nets have a lot to prove to sway basketball fans away from the Knicks. If the Knicks come out stumbling out of the gates and the Nets come out firing, this can very much happen. Deron will take the city by storm and make it hard not to root for the new kids on the block and Deron would be the coolest kid.

If Carmelo comes out scoring 28 a game and the Knicks start off hot, this will continue to be his and only his city. Whatever Nets fans want to say and believe, the Knicks are the better and more proven team. This is Carmelo’s city to lose and it will be pretty drastic if he loses it. The ultimate test of whose city it is if these two New York squads clash in the first round. Whoever wins that will own New York City basketball.

Deron is right now the little brother who’s growing up and ready to beat up his big brother, but everyone knows in the end the big brother always wins. The big brother always knows when to turn it on when the little brother is catching up to him, and Carmelo won’t allow Deron to take his city.

Winners:

Brooklyn Nets – Whenever you can lock up your franchise player when he is entering his prime for five more years it automatically makes you a winner. Adding a true scorer in Joe Johnson might give the Nets the best backcourt in basketball. Keeping Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries gives the Nets what most teams are looking for – chemistry. Starting a new life in Brooklyn is just what this franchise needed.

New York Knicks – All the Knicks did was improve this offseason. Their glaring need a point guard was fixed by signing future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire’s pick and roll buddy Raymond Felton. Depth in the frontcourt was also addressed by signing veteran Marcus Camby. Retaining Steve Novak, JR Smith, and head coach Mike Woodson were also good moves, giving the Knicks some familiarity and consistency for once. This team still will only go where Carmelo Anthony takes them, but they did improve this offseason.

Miami Heat – You really can’t lose when you have the best player in the world on your team, but Pat Riley found a way to improve his champion Heat team. Adding the best three-point shooter of all time in Ray Allen will make the Heat even harder to defend. LeBron and Wade will be slashing to the hoop and you will have two choices: double team them and watch them kick it out while Allen sits back like a fat cat in the corner, or watch them slam it on you. Adding another shooter who can just sit in the corner in Rashard Lewis isn’t too bad either.

Losers:

Apr 07, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the Sixers 88-82. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Orlando Magic – How can this team give Dwight Howard a uniform and have the PA announcer announce his name with any sort of excitement on opening night? He clearly does not want to play for you so why would you force your fans to watch a big baby try to force himself to like you? Get a package, send the big headache away, and start new. It’s not like you were winning with him anyway.

Chicago Bulls – Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls still had the best record in the East mostly because they had such great chemistry. They didn’t lose any of their core in Rose, Luol Deng or Joakim Noah, but lose key role players in Kyle Korver, Omir Asik, CJ Watson, and Ronnie Brewer. What the Bulls lost in depth, the Knicks gained. I expect the Bulls to take a couple steps back this year. This isn’t the team that can beat the Heat.

West Winners:

Los Angeles Lakers – There was no secret in La-La land that the Lakers needed a guy who can run the show smoothly. A leader who can knows when to give the ball to Kobe and Bynum at the right time. Steve Nash is that guy. Before he was Kobe’s teammate, he terrorized the West and was a nightmare for the Lakers. You would be a fool if you think Nash isn’t still one of the best point guards in the league. Major win for the Lakers. Imagine this team with Dwight? Scary

New Orleans Hornets – Might be a little premature, but you have to put the Hornets as a winner this offseason. Winning the draft alone should give you the title as a winner, thanks to David Stern. I don’t think he will be such a heavy impact as everyone thinks he is going to be because he is as skinny as a pole, but Anthony Davis improves this team. Along with Austin Rivers who has big upside has a smart and gritty player, and retaining Eric Gordon, the Hornets are defiantly winners this offseason.

Los Angeles Clippers – A common trend this offseason was to build a team and depth around your already established superstars, and that is exactly what the Clippers did. Signing a spark off the bench in Jamal Crawford and veteran Grant Hill will help this team. A deal breaker here is Lamar Odom. If he can turn back into the 6th man of the year Lamar Odom since he is back with the Kardashians Lamar Odom and not be depressed, I don’t care about basketball Lamar Odom; the Clippers can make a run in the West.

Losers:

Dallas Mavericks – After striking out on Deron Williams, the Mavericks offseason was all downhill from there. Losing Jason Terry to the Celtics hurts as well as Jason Kidd. Losing 4 main pieces to their championship run when you include Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, the Mavericks don’t scare anyone. It’s not the losses that hurt; it’s the non-existent addition of players. Yeah OJ Mayo, Darren Collison and Chris Kaman are nice, but they aren’t beating the best teams in the West. Dallas will take major steps back this year.

July 12, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; United States guard Deron Williams (8) against the Dominican Republic at the Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

With offseason additions, both teams should be much improved and contenders, not only in the NBA’s Atlantic Division, but in the Eastern Conference as well.

While the 2012-13 schedule won’t be officially announced until Thursday night, one thing we do know is that the Knicks will open up the season in Brooklyn as the Nets first opponent in the brand new Barclays Center.

While there aren’t many rivalries left in the NBA similar to what the Knicks had with the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers in the 90′s, Nets’ point guard Deron Williams may have accidently poured some fuel on the fire in what could turn out to be a heated, physical rivalry for the future.

Williams told several media outlets when the news broke that the Knicks would open the season in Brooklyn:

“I would be more excited if we were playing Miami.”

Was Williams intentionally trying to slight the Knicks or call them an inferior opponent?

Likely not, but that doesn’t mean the Knicks have to take it that way.

Chances are that no one will remember Williams’ comments by November 1, but they should serve as classic bulletin board material for the Knicks. Nothing would be sweeter than ruining the Nets opener. Games in New Jersey always seemed like an extra home game for the Knicks. That may not be the case anymore but the Knicks can’t allow the Nets to take over the city.

November 1 is a long way away, but it’s not too early to develop a little bit of hate between the two teams and their fan bases.

Today’s NBA is missing great rivalries.

While nothing may resemble the Heat-Knicks or Knicks-Pacers, now that the Nets and Knicks are even closer neighbors than before, the chance for bad blood is even greater.

The recent comments from Williams are just the first of what I expect to be many jabs taken from each side.

When it’s all said and done, the two teams won’t have to wait very long to get at each other. Maybe the Knicks can give Williams a friendly reminder of why New York is still their city.

No matter who comes out on top opening night, it would be nice to see a little bit of bad blood and physical basketball and possibly the next great NBA rivalry formed.

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With that being said, let’s dive right into the latest buzz around the association after the first day of free agency.

Dwight Howard: Has requested a trade to the Brooklyn Nets (stop me if you’ve heard this one before). ESPN’s Chris Broussard reports that Howard met with new Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan and demanded a trade to Brooklyn.

Dwight Howard met with new Magic GM Rob Hennigan Friday in LA. Howard told Hennigan he wants to be traded to Brooklyn Nets, sources say.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 1, 2012

Toronto Raptors: ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting via Twitter that the Raps are shopping point guard Jose Calderon so they don’t have to amnesty his $11 million or another large contract on the roster. Toronto is also aggressively trying to sign Steve Nash, offering him a deal that pays $12 million a year accoriding to SI.com’s Sam Amick.

Raps still meeting w/Steve Nash in NYC as we speak. Also: Told Raps already trying to trade Calderon so amnesty not needed on expiring deal

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2012

Roy Hibbert: Is leaning towards signing a max-deal offer sheet with the Portland Trail Blazers, which would give the Indiana Pacers three days to match, something you would think they would have to do.

Source: Portland GM Neil Olshey & team prez Larry Miller visited restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert tonight in DC, offered max deal

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 1, 2012

Nicolas Batum: The Minnesota Timberwolves are making a very hard push to sign the restricted free agent.

Mar. 16, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash during game against the Detroit Pistons at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Pistons 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Steve Nash: In addition to the raptors making a strong push for the two-time MVP, Marc Berman reports that the New York Knicks are exploring sign-and-trade options to acquire the future Hall of Famer.

Joe Johnson: Yahoo Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks are discussing a deal that would bring Johnson and his huge contract to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn and Atlanta are engaged in talks on a possible Joe Johnson trade, sources tell Y! Nets plan would be to pair with Deron Williams.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2012

Gerald Wallace: Howard Beck reported that Wallace agreed to a four-year deal with the Nets.

As reported elsewhere, Gerald Wallace and Nets agree to 4yr/$40 mil deal. Source says all 4 yrs guaranteed.

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) July 1, 2012

 Boston Celtics: Having already re-signed Kevin Garnett, Celtics president Danny Ainge says re-signing Ray Allen is the team’s No. 1 priority, according to mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. If that doesn’t work, Boston will target shooting guards, Jason Terry, O..J Mayo, Jamal Crawford, Nick Young and others.

Deron Williams: Appears to be leaning toward re-signing in Brooklyn, according to several sources, but will meet with both the Mavs and Nets on Monday.

Jason Kidd: Appears to be signing with whatever team Williams does as he wants to be his backup.

Goran Dragic: Wants to be a starter and a slary that starts at $10 million, reports CBS Sports Ken Berger. I like Dragic a lot but not that much.

While we’re on the topic, league sources say free-agent PG Goran Dragic also is looking for a deal that starts in the $10M range.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 1, 2012

Pau Gasol: The Minnesota Timberwolves are the team hottest after Gasol, but I would expect a lot of teams to start to get into the sweepstakes.

Luis Scola: The Rockets tried to deal Scola in last year’s nixed Chris paul trade, but Stein reports that the Rockets are aggressively shopping Scola in different packages to attempt to land a franchise player.

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1.    Deron Williams: Unrestricted/Brooklyn Nets

Apr 14, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Boston Celtics at the Prudential Center. The Celtics won 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Indeed the only way this could ever happen would be in trade iinvolving Carmelo Anthony. Although I believe in Anthony’s talent (when motivated) he just not the right “fit” for the personnel in New York. Just like Phil Jackson stated, Amar’e Stoudemire (and the rest of the Knicks) are geared to play in a certain way—a more up-tempo way.

Obtaining Williams would allow the Knicks to run a more efficient offense, one that will see Stoudemire produce All-Star numbers once again.  While in Brooklyn, the Nets’ front office could build a team around Anthony properly with their available cap space.

2.    Steve Nash: Unrestricted/Phoenix Suns

An acquisition that makes a lot of sense, especially since Nash lives in New York during the summer and has recently stated he would definitely consider coming to the Big Apple. If Nash came to the Knicks, he could probably figure out a way for both Anthony and Stoudemire to be utilized productively on offense.

On the flipside, how can the New York brass convince Nash to take less money (with only a mid level exception as a bargaining chip) to play for the Knicks when he could get a lot more money from another contender.

Along with this, Nash would be a short term fix at point guard with Nash being able to play at a high level for probably two more years. The Knicks will be scrambling for a playmaker once again.

3.    Goran Dragic: Unrestricted/ Houston Rockets

April 21, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Goran Dragic (3) lays in a shot against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

Steve Nash’s protégé back in Phoenix is oozing with potential—first witnessed in his amazing fourth quarter performance against the Spurs in 2010 playoffs.  Since then Dragic has shown that he’s more than a undersized two guard, but can actually run a team with his leadership in Kyle Lowry’s absence this season for the Rockets. Dragic has shown he can start in the league on the Knicks he would be a younger option that is more than capable running the offense in the city that never sleeps.

4.    Ramon Sessions: Unrestricted/ Los Angeles Lakers

The combo guard is versatile at either guard position. He can score off the dribble and live in the paint just like Lin while also facilitating and getting his teammates involved. I still believe Session still has room to grow and would be a nice addition to the Knicks providing scoring punch and stability at the point guard position.

5.    Raymond Felton: Unrestricted/Portland Trail Blazers

Two year’s ago Felton had great success with the Knicks and can do it again if he’s back at the Garden. This is because he will have something to prove. He would  motivated to show his season in Portland was an anomaly and he will come back to the Knicks’ in better shape and ready to get this team into the playoffs.

Here are three reasons why the future with the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets could be NBA’s best.

1. It will bring about another Subway Series.

Feb. 20, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (17) is double teamed by New Jersey Nets power forward Shelden Williams (33) and point guard Deron Williams (8) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Nets won 100-92. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Although an immediate Knicks and Nets rivalry won’t have the typical World Championship setting–but will someday–it has all the makings of a competitive bout.

Firstly, the diehard fans in New York will fuel this series to prominence. Just like the Giants and Dodgers before them, the Knicks and Nets will  have the same gimmick as next door borough competitors and fans will most certainly will take pride in this.  Both sides already garner celebrity fans, Jay Z and Beyonce for the Nets and Spike Lee and Chris Rock and will gain more as the season rolls on. These fans will escalate the rivalry when they attend their games, rock their gear, and cheer their tails off from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Secondly, these borough bouts will always have playoff atmosphere in whatever building they’re played in. These pressurized games will mean more than just Atlantic Division edge but for the prestigious title of “best” team of the Big Apple.

2. The Rivalry will showcase “Star Power.”

The Knicks already have two All Star talents in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. The former a prolific one on one scorer, and the latter one of the most explosive players in the league and both have proven to have enough “star power” to put butts in seats.

On the other hand, the “star power” in Brooklyn at the present moment is in jeopardy with  the uncertainty of Deron Williams’ future. But let’s assume here that the Nets can retain Williams, this will put them great position to nab Dwight Howard. The pairing of Williams and Howard would not only be a  dominant pick and roll threat but also a great crowd attraction.

Howard and Williams pairing would also be formidable opponents for Melo and Amar’e  adding more competitiveness to these games. Throw in defensive player of year Tyson Chandler  and former  All Star in Gerald Wallace, New York basketball fans will be more than entertained when these two teams finally meet.

Feb. 20, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Recording artists Beyonce and Jay-Z attend the game between the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

3. Everything and anything is popular in New York City.

In the city that never sleeps, anything or anyone can become relevant–just ask Jeremy Lin. With New York being one of the biggest markets in the NBA, a Knicks and Nets rivalry would have a ton of promotions for their games. These promotions will draw great fanfare because the history tied to Madison Square Garden and polarizing pedigree of Jay Z. And   even if the Nets can’t rival the “star power” in Manhattan, the Nets will still have enough spirited fans to make every game seem like a playoff game.

Feb 4, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) reacts after scoring against New Jersey Nets during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks beat the Nets 99-92. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-US PRESSWIRE

I can still hear the Knicks crowd chanting his name…. WHAT. A. GAME for the 3rd string point guard-it was unreal! Back when the Knicks signed Jeremy Lin, Earlier in the season, I wrote about how excited I was that we picked him up. Last night’s game was an exciting one. The Knicks were booed in the 1st, but when Jeremy entered the game, the mood changed IMMEDIATELY! He filled up the stat sheet with career highs, 25 points, 7 assists, just to name a few. What was even more impressive was that he did it against one of the most elite point guards in the league, Deron Williams!

If you have been following Lin this season with the Knicks, he was only playing garbage minutes. Then, he was sent to the D Leaugue and was finally brought back to the Knicks to only play more garbage minutes. Then, all of a sudden, he came into the 2 quarter of the Celtics game and played some solid minutes against the veteran team. I figured he would come back in the 3rd, but never returned. But yesterday, I guess the coaches saw something in Lin’s game and he played over 35 minutes against the Nets. And he made the most of it. He must have been listening to Eminem’s Lose Yourself, because he took full advantage of the opportunity. Lin’s play put smiles on all Knick fans, players and coaches.

We wanted a point guard and it has been answered, well, at least for last night’s game. Now, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the kid’s got potential. His penetration was solid, something we have been lacking for quite sometime. Once he starts hitting down the outside shot on a consistent basis, the sky’s the limit for him. I’m sure D’Antoni is ecstatic and a little relieved because when and if Baron Davis is available, we could possibly have our point guard issues answered.

This was the first time we got to see how effective this team is with an actual POINT GUARD who can penetrate. The Knicks fans, analysts, sports writers and coaches kept repeating the obvious about what the Knicks are missing and it looks like the answer was sitting on our bench the entire time. Congrats, Jeremy Lin!

As you can see, some of the featured players are Amare Stoudemire and Monta Ellis to the Nets, Deron to the Knicks, and  Brook Lopez and rookie, Marshon Brooks to the Warriors. Let’s starts with the Knicks: Getting Deron will make us a MUCH better team. We will have a young floor general for years to come teaming up with Melo and Tyson. Yes, Amare would be missed, but we have Tyson and I feel he can fill in for Amare, working the pick and rolls. Just imagine a trio of Melo, Deron and Tyson. That would be a heck of a team.

As for the Nets, they will have two superstars in Amare and Monta; not a bad duo and they would represent the team in Brooklyn. Plus Amare gets to team up with his boy, ex-Knick, Shawne Williams.

Finally, the Golden State Warriors will have a low post player in Brook Lopez and a solid rookie Marshon Brooks who has a lot of potential. The team would be well-balanced with Curry leading the way.

The Knicks need a point guard in the worst way. We hoped to get Cp3 and that fell through; however, we possibly have another shot at a superstar point guard and he is, Deron Williams. Lets go get him! Any thoughts?

Since Free agency talk began about a week ago, there have been a few teams that have been talked about as having interest in Tyson Chandler, and the Knicks were not one of them. Not until today.

According to multiple outlets, the Knicks are now chasing Chandler, presumably under the premise that landing Chandler will give them a better chance at getting Chris Paul.  The Knicks could make some moves in order to free the space to land Chandler; this would probably mean either amnestying Chauncey Billups or including him in a sign and trade with the Mavs. (more…)

Before the dust floated down to Manhattan’s bustling streets, and before the buzz of conversation surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s name had been reduced to a mere echo, the New Jersey Nets stole their fare share of headlines by grabbing what many thought was one of the league’s most untouchable players. Deron Williams for a New Jersey Nets platter that included a has been and several unknown—promising—entities had the basketball world spinning on Mikhail Prokhorov’s gangly index finger. (more…)

Carmelo Was Hypnotic In The Third Quarter (AP)

Taking a page from Will’s brilliant recap the other night, tonight’s will read like a live self-chat had with myself; bullet points galore. Heeeeeere Weeeee Goooooo!

(more…)

Carmelo Anthony is the NBA's best crunch time shooter

For all the hatred spewing from these so-called sports experts across the country that complain about Carmelo Anthony not being a franchise player, not being a superstar, not being a good fit in New York, not even being as good a signing as Deron Williams, Melo is (point of fact) the NBA’s best crunch time scorer, and he’s proving to be a hell of a signing for the New Look Knicks.

(more…)

Amare – 12-15 FG, 31 Pts in 24:13 (WOW!)

Carmelo – 12-16 FG, 34 Pts in 30:11

When asked in the post game press conference whether now we should expect nights like this on a regular basis, Carmelo laughed at the silly question, looked down at the box score in front of him and said something to the effect of, “Ain’t gonna be too many nights that the two of us miss only 7 shots”. Damn right about that, but it was pretty damn fun to watch anyway. You can credit the awful Jazz defensive effort some for the inflated stat line, but clearly Anthony and Stoudemire are tow of the most gifted offensive talents in the NBA and are capable of combining for 65 points on any given night.

Here are a few other intriguing things that came out of Carmelo’s mouth. He talked about how he and Amar’e are beginning now to play off of each other. This revelation was apparent very early on in this beatdown, as Melo assisted on three Amar’e buckets in a 3-minute stretch of the first quarter. The best part of Carmelo’s dishing and Stoudemire’s swishing was that STAT’s buckets came from different spots on the floor. One 19 footer, one layup at right next to the rim, one short 7-footer.

To me, this showed that Melo is beginning to recognize where Amar’e is on the floor on different offensive sets and he using his ability to draw attention of more than one defender to “get” Amar’e open. In fact, Anthony said as much in his post game comments, explaining that since defender tend to gravitate toward him and not leave him to double team someone else, other guys (Stoudemire and Toney Douglas) will be open. It’s just a question or them knocking down shots, which they did early and often tonight.

Stoudemire actually took to the podium first. He basically brushed off the astounding shooting performance by the two stars and said, “Myself and Carmelo can score one-on-one with ease. Offense is not a problem for us”. It most definitely was not against a seemingly disinterested Utah squad that is obviously in shambles since Jerry Sloan stepped down and Deron Williams was dealt to New Jersey. Amar’e went on to echo some of the same sentiments as Carmelo in regards to the two of them being able to open up shots for the rest of the guys:

“The goal is to always keep the ball moving, and always keep the defense on [its] toes. They can’t quite guard us. If we keep the ball moving like we did tonight and other players get involved and make open shots, then it’s going to be hard to guard us”

Landry Fields put it best in the locker room when asked about his two superstar teammates, something to the effect of, “When STAT and Melo are playing like that, there’s not much anyone can do. Toney Douglas acknowledged that he knew it was up to guys like to knock down open shots when Melo and Amar’e are cooking like they were last night, because there would be opportunities aplenty.

I know it’s one game and the Knicks still have a ton of holes on defense and still struggle against squads/players with a big interior presence (case in point: Al Jefferson’s 36 pts tonight), but when was the last time this team had a laugher like this? After so many nights I sat in MSG, cringing at the poisonous atmosphere created by the Isiah’s Thomas’ reign of terror, last night was a blast. The always heady Garden fans chanting for Andy Rautins to enter the fray. Watching Stoudemire cheer lead for his boys continuing to pour it on the hapless Jazz in the final quarter. Seeing Renaldo Balkman swish a trifecta, fresh off the bench. Pure joy.

Yes this team has been enigmantic, and will likely continue to be so through the last 20 games of the regular season, but the the Knicks are relavant once again. Going to a game at Madison Square Garden is special again, and that’s the damn way it should be in this hoops town.

Do We Really Need To Be Teammates?

Tonight’s Eastern Conference matchup with Orlando is equally important as Sunday’s win over Miami. I know, I know, every game counts, but facing another possible first round opponent with the new look roster is especially momentous. There isn’t much to say in breaking Knicks related news that we didn’t cover yesterday; right now, I’ll let the links do the talking:

* Tonight’s game isn’t crucial, but this stretch of schedule is.

* Just as New York’s ramping up for the tough road ahead, Orlando realizes they need to stay afloat and reaffirm their Eastern Conference supremacy.

* If you’re a betting man, the Knicks might not be your pick tonight.

* So goes the culture of today’s NBA, should small market teams have something legitimate to worry about?

* A brief rundown of last night’s news and notes all across the league.

* Is there a slight overreaction to the Knicks defensive performance on Sunday night?

* A touching sendoff to fallen soldiers Eddy Curry and Timofey Mozgov.

* Are the Nets a bigger threat than first realized?

* People want to dress like Carmelo Anthony.

* Another piece on Anthony Carter from our friends over at The Knicks Blog.

* Forget about the three stars, how does everyone else fit into a championship seeking puzzle?

* More on the Mozgov wedding. You better grab a seat for this one.

Superstar arms race has begun between NY & NJ

The New York Knicks, under Donnie Walsh, are 3 years into a plan to form a Big Three to rival the Boston Celtics and Miami Heats’ star trios. With the arrival of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire they now have a pair of stars, and now have their sights set on the summer of 2012, when Chris Paul and Dwight Howard can potentially change teams and change the fortunes of franchises. The New Jersey Nets are attempting to change that 2012 forecast, launching a preemptive strike today by forcing Deron Williams to New Jersey in a trade with Utah. So now two questions stand, where previously only one stood. Will the Knicks sign Chris Paul next summer & can the Nets trade for Dwight Howard next season? (more…)

Clearly, we all know about the story that has developed over the past week or so since Howard Beck of the NY Times penned this piece back on January 31st. Donnie Walsh, who has been the driving force behind rescuing the Knicks from the depths of NBA/Isiah Thomas hell the past  2 1/2 years, is in contract limbo. He has an option for 2011-2012 that James Dolan must pick up by April 3oth or his current deal will expire on June 3oth. The enigmatic Knicks owner has not talked to the media in four years and his PR lackeys have given no comment on Walsh’s tenuous contract situation.

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Will Al Jefferson replacing Carlos Boozer on the Utah Jazz be an upgrade or downgrade? (source: Yarbarker.com)

In this final chapter of our series we’ll be finishing up with the teams of the Northwest: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.  For the first five parts, check out our reviews for the Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Pacific and Southwest Divisions.  Once again, for the newcomers, here are the rules:

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As always, I do not support or stand by Shai in any way, so any issues you have with his choices should be completely directed at him.

#	Team	Player	Pos.	School
1	New Jersey	John Wall	PG	Kentucky
2	Minnesota	Evan Turner	SG	Ohio State
3	Sacramento	DeMarcus Cousins	C	Kentucky
4	Golden St.	Derrick Favors	PF	Georgia Tech
5	Washington	Wesley Johnson	SF	Syracuse
6	Philadelphia	Greg Monroe	PF/C	Georgetown
7	Detroit	Al-Farouq Aminu	SF	Wake Forest
8	LA Clippers	Patrick Patterson	PF	Kentucky
9	*Utah	Cole Aldrich	C	Kansas
10	Indiana	Ed Davis	PF	North Carolina
11	New Orleans	James Anderson	SG	Oklahoma State
12	Memphis	Xavier Henry	SG	Kansas
13	Toronto	Damion Jones	F	Texas
14	Houston	Ekpe Udoh	PF/C	Baylor
15	Milwaukee	Gordon Hayward	F	Butler
16	*Minnesota	Avery Bradley	PG	Texas
17	*Chicago	Quincy Pondexter	SF	Washington
18	Miami	Solomon Alabi	C	Florida State
19	Boston	Willie Warren	SG	Oklahoma
20	San Antonio	Lance Stephenson	SG	Cincinnati
21	Oklahoma Cty	Daniel Orton	C	Kentucky
22	Portland	Hassan Whiteside	PF/C	Marshall
23	*Minnesota	Donatas Motiejunas	PF	Lithuania
24	Atlanta	Eric Bledsoe	PG	Kentucky
25	Memphis	Larry Sanders	PF/C	VCU
26	Oklahoma Cty	Stanley Robinson	F	UConn
27	New Jersey	Paul George	F	Fresno State
28	Memphis	Gani Lawal	PF	Georgia Tech
29	Orlando	Elliot Williams	SG	Memphis
30	Washington	Luke Babbit	SF	Nevada

Shai’s Thoughts/Explanations:

I realized that if I just wrote a phrase or two about everyone projected for the first round, it wouldn’t be very interesting, and the non-top-10 picks I don’t know intimately (Editor’s note: I assume by “intimately,” Shai didn’t mean in the sexual sense, but who knows?). Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton from Kentucky, for example, didn’t get much pub last year because John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were so ridiculous. Bledsoe is like Jrue Holiday at UCLA, pure potential (but more of a classic PG), no one really knows what he’ll do. I don’t even know what Orton looks like, but he’s a #10-#20 projected pick based just on flashes. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebs in 13 minutes a game. Who knows?

It’s an interesting year for the draft. Last year everyone agreed Blake Griffin was #1, but they also agreed that the rest of the draft was quite weak. Instead, a number of rookies played major roles on their teams. Tyreke Evans averaged 20, 5, and 5, which only three guys did their rookie year: Jordan, LeBron, and Oscar. Nice company. Stephen Curry broke the record for threes made by a rookie while shooting 43% from there. Brandon Jennings, as I write, is the starting PG for a team that is ahead of the Hawks 3-2 in the playoffs, after losing their best player to injury. Darren Collison, Thornton, Lawson, Taj Gibson…they are not stars, but they are certainly contributors. A lot of people would love to have DeJuan Blair on their bench right now. I thought Blair was too undersized and raw to do much in the League, but he’s doing a lot of the things he did at Pitt, all on offensive rebounds and putbacks. (In Game 4 against the Mavs, Blair had 7 and 7 in 11 minutes. Not bad.) Also, I have learned that energy is a talent. Lackadaisical college players are likely to be lazy pros. Someone with a bounce and a nose for the ball, like Blair, will show up in the League. Looking back, last year’s draft looks pretty solid, and that’s with the top guy not playing. So I think a lot of GM’s are wondering if their outlook and selection strategy is accurate.

So this year, there is a clear-cut one and two, and I will argue no different. The only way you pass up John Wall is if you have a proven top shelf PG. The comparisons to Derrick Rose are fair. Wall is a better shooter and better defender, but Rose is more powerful and a better finisher. Wall’s ceiling is in the Dwayne Wade range, though I think he will continue to play point, with all these new super-athletic PG’s in the league.

#2 is Evan Turner. This season, he came back from a broken back early and immediately started playing out of his mind. Triple-double machine. 6’7″, solid athlete, excellent rebounder, good passer, good defender. Has ‘star’ written on him too. At that height, their team had him at the point. He’s getting fair comparisons to Wade, better rebounder, not as good an athlete, but really an all-purpose player. Needs to work on his release. Caron Butler is a great comparison for Turner, but Turner is a better passer and rebounder.

Now it gets hazy.

The next group of players is DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson, and Greg Monroe. Cousins is a huge thick PF, a bit under-sized at 6’11″ because he’s not a great athlete, but he’s so big he powers through. He and Wall on Kentucky just ran people out of the gym this year. …but he’s slightly nuts. He was regularly caught on TV yelling at his coach, and the usual whispers of him as a thug. But I bet no NBA manager asks if his mother is a whore. Uncool Jeff Ireland. Derrick Favors is a pure PF at 6’9″ 250 (Cousins is 280), and he is very strong and athletic. The funny thing about him is that Georgia Tech’s guards were so terrible at getting the ball to their big men, no one really knows how good he will be. He’s pretty raw. But his frontcourt mate is also a prospect this year. You’d think a team with one decent guard could get two NBA first-rounders past the NCAA first round. I’m a big fan of Wesley Johnson. I just realized Joe Johnson is a good comparison, maybe Grant Hill in his prime and with range. I think he’ll be very good. 6’7″, good shooter, a little thin, had a huge game in the NCAA first round. Greg Monroe I loved in college, but the concerns about him are accurate. Lamar Odom-like handle, shot-blocker, most skilled big in this draft, but disappeared for long stretches in games big and small (hello again Lamar). This is why Georgetown bounced in and out of the Top 25 all year; GT is in the Big East, so they play tons of games against top teams. They would have done much better if Monroe comes up big regularly, instead of inconsistently.

There have been a couple of super-talented players that came into the league recently and coasted, so GM’s are a little nervous. I’m thinking of Rudy Gay and Charlie Villanueva. (Both UConn guys. Will Stanley Robinson follow a similar path? Great athlete, some fire, but a massive regular disappearing act. Still, he’s a projected first-rounder.) CV hit some 3’s, rebounded, got a big contract and sat back down. Rudy is probably going to get overpaid by someone who loses the LeBron sweepstakes this summer, but his ceiling is Luol Deng. Anyhow, that makes people a little nervous with Monroe.

The next couple are Aminu, Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, James Anderson, Xavier Henry, Damion James, and Ekpe Udoh. Aminu is still a pretty raw PF at Wake Forest, skills have improved, excellent athlete. His progress has been retarded by his terrible coach. Patrick Patterson was the elder statesman at Kentucky, put up great numbers (scoring and rebounding) in his previous years. Still had a solid year at KY with Wall and Cousins dominating, and extended his range to 3. Also showed himself a character guy, both by restricting his game with the influx of talent, and being a senior leader on an immature, ragged team. I think he will be overlooked in this draft a bit, but he could be a Millsap with better shooting touch.  I don’t like Cole Aldrich. He was a good shooter at Kansas, nice energy, shot-blocking and rebounder, but he has an insanely ugly shot, is not a great athlete or finisher despite his touch. I’m thinking of Eric Montross, the star white center at UNC, drafted in 1994 in the top 10, averaged 10 ppg his first year, a number that never improved. Aldrich will be drafted too high.

I like Ed Davis from UNC, looked great as a freshman, didn’t improve much this year, but a 6’11” PF with nice skills, nice touch around the basket, not enough fire in the belly. James Anderson is a skilled wing player, shooter and slasher. Xavier Henry disappeared for stretches, but he and Anderson could be nice contributors from the wing, or could be Mo Pete or Von Wafer guys who barely make a mark in the league. I think Damion James is really talented, was a freshman with Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin (and that team lost in the FIRST ROUND. Man, Rick Barnes is a bad coach). All purpose forward, 6’7” battler on the boards, needs to work on his release and shot selection, but could be a rebounder and scorer off the bench, like a Brandon Bass. My favorite in this group is Ekpe Udoh. I don’t know why he’s not higher. I didn’t get to see him a ton this year, but when Baylor went up against Duke, check out Udoh’s line: 18 and 10 (7 offensive), 6 assists, 5 blocks. 6’10”, good athlete, and he’s got the fire. I rate him higher than any big other than (crazy) DeMarcus.

For late first-round value:  I like Gordon Hayward, but he needs to work on his handle, passing, and fire. I don’t know if he’s really committed to being an NBA player. I like Avery Bradley, an athletic freshman PG at Texas, and Quincy Pondexter, a 20-ppg wing scorer from Washington. Solomon Alabi is a big 7-footer with ups and long arms, he will be a nice weak-side defender off the bench. Willie Warren, the backcourt partner of Blake Griffin in 2009, could be a very good point guard, strength, shooting and vision like Deron Williams. I should also mention Lance Stephenson, who I didn’t see in many first round projections but should be. PG skills at 6’7”, great passer, can shoot and finish and defend. Could he be a Scottie Pippen? I loved the way he seemed to come up big for his team with regularity.

It doesn't matter if you hate Chicago's Derrick Rose. As a Knicks' fan you should root for him to expose Cleveland's Mo Williams so that a certain King will get frustrated and wanna leave the Cavs. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

It’s Fan Appreciation 101 to root for your team to win, but as anyone who’s taken higher classes in Team Supportation knows, that’s just the tip o’ the iceberg.  Sometimes you gotta see the larger picture, which may require you to hope your team actually loses for say a better draft position.  The Indiana Pacers finished the season playing some of their best ball, but that annoyed many true-blooded Indy fans since it destroyed their lottery chances.  Other times, you may root for your team to lose so that the owner finally wises up and sees it has to fire that crappy coach or GM (or both — hello Isiah Thomas and Mike Dunleavy Sr.).

Frequently, as a member of the faithful, you may even have to root for outcomes in games featuring other teams.  Say you’re battling for the 8th seed in the playoffs, then you gotta watch the games involving the other teams in the battle so you can root against them.  Or maybe you’re assured of being in the playoffs, but you know you match up against one team better than another.  Now you gotta cheer for the right teams to win and the wrong ones to lose all so that everything falls perfectly for your one true team.

However, with the Knicks’ eliminated from the playoffs long-ago, what’s a Knick fan to root for?  Things that will help us out in free agency.  I spent the last month of the regular season caring less about the Knicks’ wins/loss total than about the outcome of the Raptors/Bulls’ battle for the final playoff spot.  I figured that if the Raptors don’t make the playoffs, then surely Chris Bosh’s chances of remaining in Toronto drop rapidly.  Does this mean he’s a sure-fire Knick, or even that he’s my top choice?  No, but I like to improve my odds as much as possible.  Had the Pacers finished with the fifth worst record instead of the tenth, they still might not have won the lottery, but it wouldn’t have hurt.

Thus, for a true Knick fan, here are the things for which we should be rooting in order to increase our chances during the free agency period:

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Andrew Bogut, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, David Lee, Kevin Love, Troy Murphy, Steve Nash, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace and Deron Williams.

Me, I was surprised to learn that Gerald Wallace has averaged over 10 rebounds a game this season, but what surprised Ridiculous was the one player I hid:

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(source: Yardbarker.com) Like a little girl in puppy love, New York hopes we're the one LeBron's eyeing.

Seems ESPN has launched ESPN NewYork.com today and decided to promote it by rehashing the ol’ Will LeBron James Go To New York story.  There’s a surprisingly large amount of Nothing New, mixed in with Shameless Sensationalizing, Idiotic Conclusions Based On Personal Feelings, and just Awful Math.  That said, there were maybe a couple of Intriguing Bits to me, but it might all feel redundant to y’all.  Without further ado:

Idiotic Conclusions:

The worst part was where the sportswriters speculated the percent chance of LeBron going to one team or another.  Let’s start with Mark Stein saying there’s a 10% chance that LeBron will go to Dallas.  10%???  10% means 1 in 10!  You’re going out tonight and your choosing between your ten favorite restaurants — that gives each one a really good shot at being chosen.  Thankfully, of the four other Dallas writers, they all only gave it a 1-3% chance.  I like Stein’s writing a bunch, but his thesis his based on this you-can-substitute-LeBron’s-name-with-anyone statement:

I firmly believe LeBron likes the thought of playing with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, trusts Mark Cuban to be an owner who will always spend whatever it takes to contend and loves the city of Dallas and Cowboys football

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Al Harrington passes out exhausted after setting a Guiness Record for "Most Bad Shots In A Minute" (source: Yardbarker.com)

In last night’s game, the Utah Jazz came out not just on fire, but darn near explosive.  In the first quarter they shot 7-for-7 from the three-point line, whipping up 44 points in just 12 minutes.  It seemed like another blowout.  However, the Knicks kept fighting, miraculously tying the game in the third.  In fact, they even had a shot at taking the lead when Tracy McGrady was fouled on a three-point shot “attempt.”  I use quotes there ‘cuz it was one of those annoying plays where the defender has their arm sticking forward, so the star player forces contact, pretending to shoot.  Yes, I shouldn’t sound bitter ‘cuz it was our star player who got the shots, but I hate that rule.  Players like Kobe, Paul Pierce and Reggie Miller always do this lame move.  And actually Danilo Gallinari’s done it a bunch and will likely continue to incorporate it into his game.  I think they’ve gotta get rid of both that rule and the one where you get your defender to jump into the air on a pump-fake, then jump into him for the foul.  I don’t get why they can’t just tweak the rule slightly so that it’s only a foul if the defender initiates the contact.

Wait, wait, how’d I get into this diatribe?  Oh yeah, the point was that TMac had 3 free throw attempts with the Knicks down by one at the end of the third.  He hit the first to tie it, then just had to hit one of the remaining two to give the Knicks’ the lead for once.  He missed ‘em both.

It was a fitting omen, ‘cuz bizarrely enough what cost us this game wasn’t our defense for once, but our inability to put the ball through the hoop.  In the fourth quarter we only managed 11 points.  The Jazz struck for just 16 points, and those five points were the deciding margin.  What happened?  Well…

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Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

As we discussed after the recent Knicks/Hawks game, JJ has a nice relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their time together in Phoenix, plus the Knicks have somehow managed to look competitive this year in the three games he played against us.  When JJ was on those D’Antoni Suns teams, although he was huge for them, at the time he was considered to be at best their fourth most important player (after Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire & Shawn Marion).  Joe rightly felt he could be more, a centerpiece, and he wanted to be paid accordingly.  Having achieved all that with the Hawks, he now has reached the point most vets get to: the main thing he wants now is the chance to play for a championship.  He is even one of the few stars who has literally put his money where his mouth is and has stated he’d be willing to take a bunch less money to be on such a team.

Now don’t misunderstand: he knows he has a very good thing going with the Hawks and that they are a really, really good team.  He’s not gonna just leave them to play on a mid-level Knick team.  So ignore this quote in the NY Daily News:

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With a few of them likely to sit out this summer so they don’t injure themselves before they get a new contract (in other words the guys the Knicks would chase after: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, plus A’mare Stoudamire who made the pool too), it does provide some openings.  Not to mention that say a banged up Kobe might need to take the summer off to get his body healthy again.  Of course, included in those free agents-to-be are none other than David Lee, so he himself might have to bow out.  Oh, and another thing in Lee’s favor is that once again the Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni will be one of the assistant coaches on the USA team.  It’s always nice having someone on the inside to help plead your case.

Anyway, the remaining invitees include the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups, LA Lakers’ Lamar Odom, plus a who’s-who of all the young and upcoming players in the NBA according to ESPN: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (pretty much a lock to make the final roster since he almost made it last time and he’s only gotten better), Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose,

Minnesota‘s Al Jefferson and Kevin Love; Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo of Memphis; Philadelphia‘s Andre Iguodala; Boston‘s Kendrick Perkins; Indiana‘s Danny Granger; New York‘s David Lee; New Jersey center Brook Lopez; Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook; Portland‘s LaMarcus Aldridge; Charlotte‘s Gerald Wallace; and Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

The Americans will choose a group from the roster to take part in their minicamp in Las Vegas in July. They are expected to play an exhibition game in New York before heading to Turkey for the world championships, which they haven’t won since 1994.

Um, Jared, for a bounce pass you're supposed to bounce the ball on the ground, not your butt...

However, the Knicks seemed fairly disinterested for much of the first half.  Kinda like they’ve looked in general.  One amazing exception was Larry Hughes, who got an early call off the bench and decided to play with energy this time instead of sulking.  He played well enough to get minutes in the second half too, and afterward D’Antoni said that if Hughes keeps playing like that then he’ll keep getting minutes.  Of course the bigger more important question is whether this means Hughes will shave his beard.  Early word says he’s not ready to commit to that just yet.  We’ll keep you on top of this vital news as soon as more information breaks.

Hughes: "One, two, step, kick and... jazz hands!"

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