New York

It's a pleasant burden, pinpointing the New York Knicks' flaws, simply because this team has fewer ghastly, grievous, tragically awful infirmities than last year's squad.   

The good news: Perimeter defense and rebounding are not problems this go-round.

The bad news: The new roster has brought back some of the other old troubles.   

Underperforming (Starting) Backcourt

(Glory, glory, hallelujah.) Shooting guard Arron Afflalo is off the disabled list and back in the starting lineup. Afflalo looked solid, not stellar, in his season debut Wednesday, scoring 12 in 28 minutes during a 95-93 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

New York needs Afflalo, because the duo of Jose Calderon and Sasha Vujacic was the lowest-scoring starting backcourt in the league, only averaging 11 points between the pair of them. Versus the Milwaukee Bucks Nov. 6, they combined for only two measly points.

A Vujacic layup in the last 10 seconds saved them from a goose egg.

The Calderon-Vujacic starting five struggled. The electric second unit led by Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway dazzled, making the starting backcourt look even worse.  

Credit where credit is due, though. Calderon is leaps and bounds (at least leaps) better than last season, and he seems to have turned a corner, averaging 11.3 points in his past three games. 

Plus, although Calderon and Vujacic weren't big producers on offense, they weren't huge liabilities either. They didn't turn the ball over. They defended the perimeter. (Ignore that late three Calderon let the Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry sink Tuesday night that shrunk the New York lead to one.) 

Shooting Efficiency and Too Many Jumpers 

The New York marksmen are having a hard time finding the mark. Part of it's just a plain old slump; part of it's bad shot selection. Although the Knicks are doing a far better job driving the lane and posting up this year, they're still relying too heavily on jumpers.  

Despite the Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez put-back slams, despite the Grant and Galloway driving layups, the Knicks score fewer points in the paint than almost anybody (again). The Washington Wizards outscored them there by 16; the San Antonio Spurs by 24; the Toronto Raptors by 26.

Now, that doesn't tell the whole story, of course. While the bricks pile up, the Knicks still feed the scoreboard by getting to the foul line far more often than last season (though the and-1s are regrettably few and far between). Yet, even with free throws factored in, the team's true scoring percentage is crummy. 

I'd be delighted to see the Knicks at the stripe even more often, but of course most fouls are drawn during drives and dunk attempts...not those contemptible mid-range* jumpers.

*Would I still complain if I repped the 9-0 Golden State Warriors? After all, the Splash Brothers live for those pull-up jump shots too...but a lot more of those see the bottom of the net. I think I'd still complain, but not as ardently.

Vanishing Fast-Break Game

A fast-break offense is fueled by defensive rebounds, steals and speed. Last season, the Knicks stunk on all of those things, so they naturally stunk in transition.

This season, however, the Knicks do have D-bounds, steals and speed. What they don't have is any excuse for having one of the lamest fast-break offenses in the NBA. They started November with two back-to-back games without a single fast-break point and average only 9.7 FBPs per game.

It's mind-boggling, because these Knicks have shown their ability to blaze downcourt for electrifying fast-break plays. Derrick Williams, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant make sure we see flashes. When it's there, it's gorgeous. It operates to perfection. It looks like it should be a strength.

All the ingredients are there, they just have to choose to put them together. 

Too Many Fouls 

While I am positively over the moon to see the Knicks attempting more free throws (22.9) than last season, a look at their opponents' free throws (28.7) brings me back to earth again.

It's a weakness that they'll be lamenting when they get into close games. Sure, Wednesday's two-point loss to the Hornets could have been a win if Porzingis' buzzer-beater had actually beaten the buzzer, but it would have helped if Charlotte hadn't taken 21 more free throws than New York. 

The Knicks' talented big men, Porzingis and Lopez, are the two committing the most fouls—not two gentlemen you want riding the pine down the stretch. Porzingis often gets himself into foul trouble early by making typical rookie mistakes and has to cool his heels on the bench. Lopez is craftier, but the chances of him fouling out before a battle in OT are high. Fortunately, head coach Derek Fisher has some good alternatives suited up in blue and orange: Kyle O'Quinn is a beast, and sweet Lou Amundson is back in action. 

The Knicks have got one more problem, and you can help with that one, New York fans. The 4-5 Knicks are just 1-3 at home. Remember, half of these gents suiting up for NYK are still getting settled in at Madison Square Garden. So next time you're in the stands, be nice, make them feel welcome, and leave your boos, your paper bag masks and your signs wooing Kevin Durant at home.  

All stats from NBA.com/stats. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.

In March, 2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Arizona Diamondbacks in a Major League Baseball Opening Series at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia.

Now, cricket greats Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar are returning the favor by bringing cricket to three MLB stadiums this month with drop-in pitches.

The tour has been labeled the "Cricket All-Stars" series and kicks off on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at the home of the New York Mets, Citi Field in Queens, New York.

Each match will feature 29 retired legends of the game from all over the world.

The format is Twenty20 (T20) cricket, which, at roughly three hours a game, is much shorter than the seven-hour one-day international matches or multi-day Test matches.

Twenty20 offers a much more exciting form of the game, according to Warne, and unlike other formats, it cannot end in a draw. 

It’s something he hopes Americans can identify with better. 

“A lot of people say 'oh cricket, it's five days, there's no result, it's boring,'” Warne said. “Well this is three hours. It's quicker than baseball and it's more action packed.”

Speaking from his hotel suite overlooking Times Square at the top of the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, the slightly tanned, blond-haired Australian was animated and enthusiastic when describing the intricacies of the game and how it may appeal to a foreign audience.

“Cricket is very similar to baseball,” Warne said. “It's similar strategy. Like when you talk about bunting to get a guy over to first base, we [do that by] dropping it down for a single. And the pitcher, you've got curveballs and sliders, which is like a spin bowler [in cricket].”

Warne’s green eyes lit up when bringing up the fact that New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard intentionally threw at Royals hitter Alcides Escobar with the first pitch in Game 3 of the World Series.

“Pitchers and bowlers both send messages in a similar ways,” Warne said.

In cricket, the equivalent to Syndergaard’s inside fastball would be the bouncer. It is a pitch, or bowl, thrown around 100 mph that jumps up off the ground towards the batsman’s head. It is a bowl that, in rare instances, can be fatal.

In T20 cricket, the batsman’s goal is often to try to hit the bowler’s delivery out of the park for six runs. Warne is incredibly optimistic that this fact will drive interest here in America.

“It's like baseball in fast forward,” Warne said with a wry smile. “I would describe it as baseball meeting rock and roll, and that's why you'll like it. If you enjoy seeing homers, then it's [like] an adrenaline form of baseball. Does anyone get sick of seeing someone knock the ball out of the park? I don't think so.”

So what should we expect to see on Saturday? Well, in a typical T20 match, there’s maybe one six per over, or “inning” in baseball speak.

But thanks to the smaller dimensions at Citi Field, compared to a regular cricket ground, sixes are going to be a bit easier to come by, Warne said. That means the batsmen will put on more of a show for the fans.

Ben Sturner, president and CEO of Leverage Agency, who worked with Tendulkar to help organize the event, agrees with Warne’s assessment.

“Balls will be flying everywhere,” Sturner said. “There’s going to be a lot of runs, a lot of entertainment.”

While some of the best batsmen of all-time, such as Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting, will be “going for the big shots,” as Warne says, don’t expect the various fast and spin bowlers to take it lightly. 

The competitive nature of the bowlers involved cannot be underestimated, according to Warne.

While some members of the cricket community have criticized the tour for its use of retired players, Warne stands by the plan hatched by Tendulkar and he, citing the immense self-respect of the all-stars.

“Everyone might not be at their absolute peak and best, but they’ve got pride,” Warne said. “They aren't going to let themselves down. They've all been practicing a lot harder than they let on.”

Warne added that every player who signed up is still very physically fit. For example, Wasim Akram of Pakistan, has been coaching and instructing in the years since retiring.

But the pundits may have a point. The average age on the rosters is 43 years old.

Courtney Walsh, 53, is the oldest player competing. Players typically retire from international cricket between the age of 35 and 40 years old. In order to play in the series, you have to be officially retired.

In any case, the project seems to be doing well judging by the amount of excitement generated in the large expat communities in and around New York City.

“We’ve seen a huge spike in ticket sales since the players arrived,” Sturner said.

Over 20,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s match, and Leverage is fairly confident it will get “pretty sold out,” according to Warne.

But, you might be asking, why do this? Why bring cricket to a foreign land that has shown little, if not no interest in the sport in the past?

The answer is twofold, as Warne has always been realistic when assessing the current market in the United States.

He is well aware that there are already four major sports leagues flourishing here in America. The point of the Cricket All-Stars project is not to try and compete with the other sports, but to simply give people the opportunity to see something they have never seen before.

It’s a mindset similar to that held by MLB event planners ahead of the Opening Series in Australia, as they tried to globalize the game more.

For event organizers, it’s a matter of getting American butts in the seats in the hope the action on the field will spike interest. If it does, Warne is optimistic that the International Cricket Council could sponsor free clinics in the U.S. sometime in the future.

“I think a lot of people are cricket curious,” Sturner said. “The passion in the stands, that’s what sets [the sport] apart.”

A second major point of the Cricket All-Stars series is to give Indian, Pakistani, South African, West Indian, Australian and East African fans who have been living in the U.S. their entire lives a way to celebrate the game they love.

“The reason why we are coming to America is that there are so many people here that have never seen their heroes and idols play live,” Warne said. “Now, they've got a chance to see that. Me bowling to Sachin. Akram bowling to Lara. Glenn McGrath bowling to Ponting—the same countrymen!”

Warne and Tendulkar’s draw for teammates took place this afternoon, and here is a look at which all-stars will be playing together:

Here are the official #CricketAllStars teams after our draw today. For more info visit https://t.co/9gJToGvTKn pic.twitter.com/PyHKE88ARi

— Cricket All Stars (@T20AllStars) November 5, 2015

Furthermore, the second-highest TV ratings for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in February were out of America, according to Warne. 

“It's time for expats to introduce their American friends to cricket, and that's what we are hoping for—for them to bring them out,” Warne said. 

All 29 players have signed a three-year contract with Cricket All-Stars, meaning additional tours might be on tap for Warne and Tendulkar.

Other star players who may join the group sometime in the future include Brett Lee, Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist, according to Warne.

They have also looked into the possibility of going to other non-cricket playing countries, such as China and Singapore. But for now, they are just focusing on the three matches to be played this month.

“If this is a success, there's no reason why we won't come back to tour other U.S. cities in coming years,” Warne said. “We aren't looking to just come here once. We want to come back and keep coming back.”

All quotes were obtained by the writer unless otherwise noted.

It's time for a shake-up in the New York Knicks' starting five.

There's talent to draw from on the team's bench, which has outscored opponents in every game. It's so strong some have asked whether the second unit is actually better than the starting one. It's at least maintained a positive +/-, which the starters have not.

While a strong second unit is awfully nice, it only plays together about half as many minutes as a starting five does. So changes must be made.

The problem (once again) lies in the backcourt. Since you can't really do a full five-for-five swap, and put the starters on the bench, maybe the fix is simply to wait for shooting guard Arron Afflalo to return from injury.

Or perhaps a better answer is to steal the second unit's backcourt of rookie Jerian Grant and second-year man Langston Galloway. 

But do you really want to break up that high-performing B squad? Do you really want a starting lineup with two rookies and an undrafted guy you called up from the D-League last year?

Yes. Yes you do.

1. Point Guard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qmZRgGAMoU

Hey, at least you've got to try it. Already Galloway and Grant are averaging more minutes per game than the starting guards, Jose Calderon and Sasha Vujacic—a sign that Knicks head coach Derek Fisher trusts them when it counts.

Galloway is a combo guard, but G2 (as I think of them) are a dynamic duo with Grant at the point and Galloway at the 2 spot. They're one of the best-performing two-man lineups on the squad, with a +/- of +5.0. (The only one better that's played more than a few minutes is Grant and Kyle O'Quinn.) They think and move alike, pushing in transition, driving the lane and creating for teammates. They increase the pace of the game. 

So the goal should be to keep the two on the court together as much as possible. Galloway will also run some point in Grant's stead, alongside Afflalo or Vujacic, but Calderon (sigh) will still need to handle a sizable chunk of time.

I promised I would go easier on Jose Calderon this year. And indeed, he's not as awful as he was last season. Hardly any turnovers. And I can't recall a single shot clock violation. So he's less of a liability than he used to be.

But a starting point guard should do more than not screw up. Grant has simply outperformed him. You want numbers? Jerian Grant has the best +/- on the team right now (+6.0); Calderon one of the worst (-5.0).  

The verdict:

Starter:

Jerian Grant, 26 minutes 

Reserves:

Langston Galloway, 8 minutes as PG + 18 minutes as SG

Jose Calderon, 14 minutes or as little as possible 

2. Shooting Guard

When you need the hustle play that completely turns the momentum around in the Knicks' favor, you put in Langston Galloway. He's the guy who nails the clutch three-pointer, scrabbles on the floor for a loose ball or orchestrates the fast break.

He's currently averaging 11.2 points, 2.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds, and he's the only one in New York presenting any threat from behind the arc (64.7 3FG%). 

In comparison, Sasha Vujacic is a capable guard and talented team cheerleader. He does manage to swoop to the hoop and occasionally gets a hot hand, but for the most part he's tossing up bricks and is more appropriate as a reserve. 

So what happens when Afflalo returns from the nagging hamstring strain that's kept him in a suit and tie so far this season? He is a strong, veteran two-way guard and may slide right into the starting lineup.

But if the starting lineup is really swinging with a new Gallo-Grant backcourt, then Afflalo could help toughen up the second unit again, which will need his typically strong defense once Galloway is gone.

Besides, with Galloway pulling double duty as PG, there will be room for both.

Starter: 

Langston Galloway: 18 minutes as SG + 8 minutes as PG

Reserves:

Arron Afflalo: 20 minutes

Sasha Vujacic: 10 minutes 

3. Small Forward

Surprise, surprise: Carmelo Anthony stays in the starting five and keeps cranking out 32 minutes per game. Even though Melo's stroke has been off—except the night of his 37-point Halloween show in Washington—he's still the man and still deserves the top spot, especially if he keeps bringing the tenacity on defense and banging the boards like he's been.  

The reserve squad is where it gets tricky. After so cruelly stealing the second unit's backcourt from it, should Fisher leave the rest of it as is—Lance Thomas, Derrick Williams, Kyle O'Quinn—or make room for power forward Lou Amundson, who returned from an injury Wednesday? 

That may depend on rebounds and defense. The B squad currently gets five bounds from Galloway and plenty of intangible defensive hustle. Make Gallo a starter and that squad may need a boost on the boards and an extra scrapper. Amundson can certainly be the man for that job. In that case, knock one of the rebounding slouches (Williams and Thomas) out of the way to make room. 

In the immediate future, though, better to leave the trio as it is and tweak it if necessary. Thomas and Williams stay where they are...but they're on notice!

Then there's poor, oft-forgotten Cleanthony Early. He deserves some playing time. But when he's fighting for minutes with Carmelo Anthony, they're hard to come by, and Thomas's strong performances this season have made it tougher. Yet, the only way to develop Early is to regularly give him a solid chunk of non-garbage time and see what he does with it. 

Starter:

Carmelo Anthony, 32 minutes

Reserves:

Lance Thomas, 11 minutes

Cleanthony Early, 5 minutes (in a row) 

4. Power Forward

What more could we ask of rookie Kristaps Porzingis? He's logging 12 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.8 steals. Despite his spindly frame, he even managed not to get knocked around too badly by strongmen like LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan. His three-pointer isn't falling, but if he keeps blocking shots and cleaning up misses with put-back slams over the likes of Aldridge and Kevin Love, then who cares?

KP has earned his right to the starting job. The Knicks should be careful, though; he's still a growing boy, and they need to make sure they don't injure him with overwork.  

As for Williams, he has not dazzled like he did in preseason. There's a new timidity that wasn't there before, almost like he's afraid of screwing up. Yet, he's adequate, still bringing 10.6 points in 15.2 minutes, and the memory of those blazing preseason performances are still fresh. Let him hang in there and see if he can get the magic back.

Amundson has not yet seen the floor. The best time to swap him in for Williams is when the team needs defense or an injection of energy. As the Knicks learned last season, Amundson's scrappiness is infectious. 

Starter:

Kristaps Porzingis, 24 minutes, if he can stay out of foul trouble long enough

Reserves:

Derrick Williams: 14 minutes

Lou Amundson: 10 minutes, unless the team needs more D

5. Center

No need for change here. In Robin Lopez and Kyle O'Quinn, the Knicks are fortunate to have two centers who are contributing on both ends of the floor and giving them respectable rebounding numbers.  

For no particular reason, RoLo likes to put his points up quick. He's been giving the Knicks an immediate burst and an early lead by knocking in a couple of buckets off the glass during the first minute or two. His hook shot is hit-and-miss, but he annoys opponents under the bucket, and he's helping on the boards. 

O'Quinn's got a smoother jump shot than Lopez but otherwise is delivering much of the same and is a reliable backup. As for Kevin Seraphin, he's mostly just a big body when you need one (6'10", 278 lbs), but he also has a soft touch on the ball when he's down low.

Starter:

Robin Lopez, 26

Reserves:

Kyle O'Quinn, 16

Kevin Seraphin, 6

In summary:

Point Guard	Shooting Guard	Small Forward	Power Forward	Center
Grant	Galloway	Anthony	Porzingis	Lopez
--Galloway--	Afflalo	Thomas	Williams	O'Quinn
Calderon	Vujacic	Early	Amundson	Seraphin

Is it good enough to win a title? I think not, but this starting lineup will give New York stronger starts and more to cheer for right away, instead of spending the first half of Q1 gnawing their nails, waiting for the heroes to check in. 

All stats are from NBA.com/stats. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.

New York Knicks fans, you may still be sore and weary from the bloodletting of 2014-15. A 17-65 record like that leaves a mark. 

You need a boost, and naturally, the Knicks' 4-1 preseason record gives you a warm, sunny feeling. But... beating the hapless Philadelphia 76ers and a team from Brazil in preseason isn't anything to construct a tower of hopes and dreams upon. 

That said, progress has been made. So take heart, there are reasons to believe you will not suffer as much excruciating pain as you did last year. Here's why.  

Key Additions/Subtractions

• Additions: Arron Afflalo (free agent), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (draft rights, D-League affiliate), Jerian Grant (drafted No. 19), Robin Lopez (free agent), Kyle O'Quinn (free agent), Kristaps Porzingis (drafted No. 4), Sasha Vujacic (free agent), Derrick Williams (free agent) 
• Subtractions: Quincy Acy (unsigned), Cole Aldrich (unsigned), Andrea Bargnani (unsigned), Tim Hardway Jr. (traded to Atlanta Hawks for No. 19 draft pick), Shane Larkin (unsigned), Ricky Ledo (waived), Alexey Shved (unsigned), Travis Wear (unsigned)

The biggest-ticket free agents on the list are Afflalo and Lopez. They've both previously proven themselves worthy of starting on playoff teams. Afflalo is a strong defender at the 2 guard spot and is a more consistent scorer than Hardaway was. Lopez should give the Knicks some of the rim protection they've been missing and a boundless supply of personality.

The other free agents are also making positive impacts. Vujacic hasn't just been contributing with his game, but with his attitude, playing the roles of both veteran and cheerleader. Queens native O'Quinn is another rough-and-tumble scrapper who fits the culture the Knicks are building.

And Williams, who faltered through his first four disappointing seasons in the NBA... well he's been dazzling.   

Porzingis has been a bit shy shooting this preseason, partly because his teammates haven't been looking for him enough, but he's a willing defender, using his 7'3" frame to block shots. Grant's been excellent with the pick-and-roll; Both he and Galloway work well as a second unit backcourt duo.  

Storylines to Watch

The "Carmelo Anthony isn't a leader" argument springs eternal, but Melo may flip the script this season. He invited his teammates down to Puerto Rico for a mini training camp. He's volunteered to be a big brother to rookie Porzingis. He's even asked coaches to hold him more accountable on defense. Per ESPN's Ian Begley, Anthony said:   

"Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that. By them doing that, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court," Anthony said after the Knicks' 94-88 preseason victory over the Sixers on Monday. "I think it brings the best out of me and if you bring the best out of me, I think it will bring the best out of everyone on the team."

What role will the triangle offense play? Last year, Phil Jackson made it clear that the triangle was the strategy of choice, and Derek Fisher toed the company line, despite the ever-growing pile of losses. Yet, this preseason, Fisher's team has been mixing it up, showing off plenty of pick-and-roll. 

A more flexible offense may suit point guard Jose Calderon, who floundered in the triangle and is trying to nail down a starting job after a season chopped short by injuries. Rookie Jerian Grant is a poised 23-year-old, not a skittish teenager, and could be a threat to Calderon's spot.   

Will Thanasis Antetokounmpo get any playing time? Knicks fans have been curious about this D-League call-up for over a year, because of his famous younger brother—Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks' "Greek Freak"—and because of his exuberant D during the 2014 Summer League. Yet, Antetokounmpo was less noteworthy this summer and so far hasn't done much in preseason but ride the bench. 

And then, of course there are Porzingis and Williams.

X-Factor

Just a few months after being vigorously booed at the draft, New York fans have already warmed to Kristaps Porzingis and Fisher has indicated, per Begley, that he'll be in the starting lineup opening night. 

Perhaps throwing Porzingis into the fire immediately will pay off: he'll develop quickly into a taller, more talented Dirk Nowitzki, and his production will launch the Knicks into the playoffs. Or, perhaps, if the Knicks aren't careful, Porzingis will spend half his time on the disabled list.  

The rookie only played three of the five preseason games so far, because of strained leg muscles. Sure, basketball will give you some mean pains in your quads, but Porzingis isn't just playing ball, he's hitting the gym hard to gain weight and strength.

No argument that he needs extra brawn. Porzingis is definitely not soft, but he's not strong enough, either. The Charlotte Hornets' big man Cody Zeller presented a perfect example of this Oct. 17 during a preseason match-up. With a full head of steam, Porzingis went up for a dunk and Zeller put him right back down (see above).

Porzingis needs the strength training, but if the Knicks don't carefully couple that with nutrition, stretching, massage or red wine baths (sic), Porzingis will be doing his weight gaining by eating nachos on the bench.

Making the Leap

Derrick Williams, the No. 2 pick in 2011 (by the Minnesotat Timberwolves), has been branded a "draft bust" by many. His outstanding athleticism wasn't quite enough to make up for his low basketball IQ, mediocre 3-point shot and lazy rebounding. 

Yet, Williams might finally be turning a corner as he enters his fifth NBA season. In five preseason games he's averaging 4.2 rebounds, 16.6 points per game and is 8 for 17 from behind the arc. Plus, he likes the "equal opportunity" nature of the triangle offense, per the NY Post's Marc Berman.   

He's only 24, still has mind-boggling physical skills—the kind of hops that make you reassess the laws of physics—and his mental development might finally have caught up with his physical development. If so, Williams could not only rewrite the ending of his story (and take Porzingis' spot in the starting lineup), but give the Knicks offense a powerful incendiary weapon. 

Best-Case Scenario

Mocking Melo's foibles on game tape works, and the team distinguishes itself on D, led by Lopez, Afflalo, O'Quinn, Amundson and Antetokounmpo (if he gets any playing time). 

Williams, Porzingis and Afflalo provide enough scoring support to generate Ws even on the days when Melo only scores a measly 20 points. 

The "culture" of team spirit and hard work survives the slings and arrows of a tough season, and powers the boys in blue-and-orange through the playoffs.  

  

Worst-Case Scenario

Everyone's knees give out. 

Phil Jackson pressures Fisher to run the triangle more often, and some reluctant players reject having the offense crammed down their throats. Once a few losses hit, the team spirit fractures, Anthony starts hogging the ball and players try to tune out commentators saying (again) that the team is just too short on talent.

Predictions

It's going to be much better than last year. 

We'll see a different Carmelo Anthony than we've ever seen before: a vocal leader and eager shot-blocker. We'll also see plenty of the Carmelo Anthony we've known in the past, good and bad. He'll still hog the ball and slack off on D sometimes, but we will witness growth.

Williams will redeem himself enough to begin washing away the "draft bust" label, but not quite enough that he'll be a star.

Cleanthony Early's judgment will improve, and he'll scrape together more playing time once he proves he can get through three games in a row without making a bone-headed mistake.  

By January, Grant will be taking some of the starts away from Calderon, and doing brilliantly.

There will be far more reasons to cheer this season, my friends, and the Knicks will be in the chase for a playoff slot... but they'll finish just a little too short. 

• Final Record: 36-46
• Division Standing: third 
• Playoff Berth: No

Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.

The year is 2015, but in New York, it's feeling more like 2006 or 2007. For the first time since then, both the Yankees and Mets have a real shot at playing baseball in October.

To get there, however, the Yankees and Mets may first have to make some moves ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. And on that front, both are dealing with the ol' Present vs. Future conundrum: They could go for it now, but doing so could compromise their capacity to go for it later.

But first, the basic facts.

In the Bronx, the Yankees have a comfortable lead atop the AL East at 51-41. That's a better position than many expected them to be in at any point in 2015, and they're in it mainly because both a lineup and a starting rotation that looked volatile coming into the year have held strong.

Meanwhile in Queens, the Mets' 49-45 record puts them just two games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East. Washington's terrible luck with injuries is partially responsible for that, but there's also how the Mets have gotten all they could have asked for from their talented young pitchers.

But while the Yankees and Mets find themselves in better positions than they were expected to be in, another thing they have in common is the requirement of upgrades.

The Yankees rotation may be surviving, but it's still struggling to shake its "volatile" label. It could use a solid starter who could bring a sense of calm. It also wouldn't hurt for the Yankees to find an upgrade at second base, where they've suffered through nearly four months of yuck.

As for the Mets, their problem is the National League's worst offense. They could use a bat. Or two. Or three. Or a literal hitting machine.

Can the Yankees and Mets make these upgrades? If they want to, sure.

Whether they should want to, though, is as good a question as this trade deadline has to offer.

Between the two New York clubs, it's easier to imagine what grand things the Yankees could do if they fulfill their deadline needs. They'd become a reasonably complete team, giving them an excellent shot at wrapping up the AL East and a valid shot at making it to the Fall Classic.

The question the Yankees are apparently struggling with now, though, is this one: At what cost?

Though the trade rumor mill has connected the Yankees to all sorts of possible fixes—Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, Jeff Samardzija, Ben Zobrist and so on—the man in charge has warned the Yankees faithful not to get their hopes up.

“I would predict [it's] more likely [we're] not doing anything than doing something significant,” general manager Brian Cashman told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

Granted, this could be a classic bit of trade-deadline posturing. But in elaborating on his stance, Cashman sounded more like a sensible man than a posturing man.

“I like our club," he said. "I recognize there are certain areas that could be improved, but the reality of improving could be difficult. The acquisition costs might be prohibitive or that unicorn may not exist."

That last sentence is the key part, as it points toward the inconvenient reality of the summer trade market. With so many contenders out there, it figures to be a seller's market. As such, prices for the players the Yankees have been linked to figure to be especially high.

Specifically, what sellers will be demanding is young talent. To meet that demand, the Yankees may have to liquidate an asset that's gaining in value.

A couple of years ago, Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner looked at his club's farm system and saw a wasteland that even T.S. Eliot couldn't put into words. So, as any smart owner would have done, he made rebuilding the club's farm system a point of emphasis.

Two years later, it's looking like mission accomplished. George A. King III of the New York Post highlighted Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez as a quartet of prospects that's widely well-regarded, and the Post's Joel Sherman heard glowing words from one scout.

“Their system is a lot better," the scout said. "Dramatically better. They have come a long way in the last year.”

With the Yankees' farm system finally looking in good shape, the organization can at last look forward to developing its own young stars rather than continue to acquire other teams' older stars. As the Yankees of the 1990s and early 2000s can vouch, that's a great way to craft a perennial contender.

And this is where we come to the part that likely has Cashman squirming.

If the Yankees were to dip into their farm system to make some additions to this year's club, the organization's vision of champion built on the backs of homegrown stars would go back to being a pie-in-the-sky fantasy. And considering the circumstances, that just may not be worth it.

For one, the players the Yankees would be adding would most likely be mere rentals for the final two months of the season. For two, they would be joining a roster that's older on average than any other roster in the big leagues.

Therefore, breaking up the farm system would pretty much be in service of a last hurrah. If the final result were to be a World Series championship, the Yankees wouldn't regret it. But if the final result is anything short of a championship, the regret would come fast and furious.

The Yankees would be looking at an immediate future consisting of an old major league roster and a diminished collection of talented prospects. They'd basically be in the same boat the Philadelphia Phillies have put themselves in, a possibility Sherman writes the Yankees are very wary of.

But even with all this being said, the possibility of the Yankees saying, "Oh, the hell with it!" and going for it at the trade deadline can't be ruled out.

As proud as the Yankees are of the work they've done with their farm system, they could decide it's foolish to wait on a brighter tomorrow while they have a bright today on their hands. They also have their fanbase to consider. Yankees fans demand winning baseball unlike any other fanbase, and the club is arguably obligated to go all-in on winning after two straight October-less seasons.

In all, the Yankees have some tough calls to make in the coming days. And though they're in a slightly different situation, their crosstown rivals should be able to sympathize.

Way back when, we said the Mets could use a bat or several to pick up their sagging offense.

Well, maybe you noticed at the time, but that was an understatement. It's more accurate to say the Mets are going to be screwed and/or doomed if they don't boost their offense for the stretch run.

According to some rumors, the Mets get it. Those would be the rumors, coming notably from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, that they're aiming high and targeting the likes of Justin Upton and Carlos Gomez.

But rumors such as these may not accurately reflect how Mets GM Sandy Alderson is approaching things. You can take it from Marc Carig of Newsday:

Something to consider: I don't get sense that Mets are approaching market thinking that there's one transformational bat to save offense.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) July 20, 2015

In a full report, Carig correctly notes targets like Upton and Gomez "could command bigger prospect returns, and the Mets have shown little appetite for those kinds of deals." That's a sentiment that echoes what Andy Martino of the New York Daily News said in a recent radio interview (h/t MLB Trade Rumors), as he noted that, in general, Alderson is loathe to part with top prospects.

It's at this point we'll once again acknowledge the possibility of posturing, which is a realistic possibility given that it wasn't long ago Alderson was saying he was prepared to overpay for a hitter.

But it's at least as believable, if not more so, that the Mets are indeed prepared to be that protective of their top prospects.

The main difference between the Yankees and Mets is the Mets look like a team that's flirting with a rise to power rather than an old power flirting with a last hurrah. The Mets are where they are mainly because of youngsters like Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia, as well as a sort of young-ish guy in Lucas Duda. That's a good core, and it could look even better if Juan Lagares gets his act together and Travis d'Arnaud returns strong from his elbow injury.

Coming off six straight losing seasons, this is a good look for the Mets. Making it look even better, though, is the fact that the farm system that has produced all these guys still has some prizes left in it.

Those include hard-throwing lefty Steven Matz, who has already debuted in the majors, and a trio of top-100 prospects (according to MLB.com, anyway) in outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto and shortstop Amed Rosario.

The presence of these guys, however, puts the Mets in the same sort of awkward situation that the Yankees are in with their young guys.

More than likely, teams would need to get one or several of the Mets' top prospects for them to satisfy their need for offense. And if the Mets were to go that route, they'll have effectively ditched the idea of a future homegrown dynasty in hopes of riding a hodgepodge of talent to success in the short term.

Which, given where the Mets are in the standings, would be beyond risky.

Whereas the Yankees would be making moves to try to seal the deal on the division title, the Mets would be making moves to try to chase one down. If the pursuit were to fail, the Mets would have to settle for a wild-card berth and an anything-goes one-game playoff. Or worse, nothing.

They'd thus be flirting with a high probability of failure. Given the Mets have their bright future to fall back on, they need not pursue that flirtation at all.

Or do they?

Given how deathly afraid of being adventurous the Mets have been in recent years, them playing it safe at the deadline would be all too typical. And if they were to uphold their reputation, a Mets fanbase that's already jaded wouldn't be happy. Surely some would sympathize with the club's big-picture goals, but others would stand and accuse the Mets of wasting the organization's best shot at relevance in years. I believe the punishment for that is the Boo Box.

So, that's it. That's the conundrum the Yankees and Mets are facing. They can please the fans by sacrificing their top prospects to make needed upgrades, or they can ask their fans to trust them by keeping their best prospects and hoping everything works out.

That's not what I'd call an enviable task, as Cashman and Alderson will be going out on a limb no matter what they decide. They're either going to try to turn years of hard work into immediate satisfaction, or commit to benefiting from said years of hard work later.

Either way, there's only one thing to say to both of them: Good luck, fellas.

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The New York Mets roll out several young superheroes in their pitching staff and Friday night was Thor's turn to wow the Citi Field crowd.

Rookie Noah Syndergaard didn't disappoint as he pitched a gem against an impressive Diamondbacks lineup, propelling the Mets to a 4-1 victory.  

Syndergaard, in his first career start against Arizona, was absolutely brilliant after getting tagged for an early run in the first inning.

He blanked them from that point on and finished with a career-high 13 strikeouts over eight innings. He also threw a career-high 116 pitches, a benefit of having extra rest due to the Mets' six-man rotation of late. With the third double-digit strikeout performance of his young career, the 22-year-old Syndergaard lowered his season ERA to 3.11.

The Mets supported him with back-to-back home runs by Lucas Duda and Michael Cuddyer in the bottom half of the first to jump ahead 4-1 against Chase Anderson, who lasted only 4.1 innings. Those four first-inning runs were all the Mets would need and the hibernation of their bats over the remainder of the game went seemingly unnoticed during Syndergaard's masterful display.

All three of Syndergaard's pitches were working on Friday night. He fanned six batters on his electric fastball, five on his sharp diving curveball and two on his 88 mph changeup.

With their victory, the Mets moved to within two games of the first place Washington Nationals in the East. The Diamondbacks fell back under .500 and will have to face Matt Harvey on Saturday afternoon. 

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The Yankees may have gotten two players back from the disabled list in Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Miller, but it was a familiar face who propelled them to a 5-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.

All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira had two solo home runs and two defensive gems and saved the day for the Bombers, who took an unconventional route to victory. 

Both starting pitchers were underwhelming to say the least.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi showed he had little faith in CC Sabathia after pulling him after 5.1 innings, but he would eventually get his first win in over a month. The victory pushed his record to 4-8 in what has been a frustrating 2015 campaign for the big lefty.

On the other side, Oakland's Scott Kazmir left the game after just three innings due to left triceps tightness. The severity of the injury was not immediately known, but if Kazmir were to miss any significant time, it could greatly impact his value on the trade market in the coming weeks. The Athletics are expected to move Kazmir, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

Teixeira homers in the fourth and sixth innings ensured the Yankees would stay in front in the middle innings, but things got bumpy in the ninth. After a Stephen Drew home run put the Yankees up 5-2 in the top of the ninth, it looked as if the Yankees would cruise to victory.

A's shortstop Marcus Semien had other ideas, however.

He deposited a two-run homer into the left field seats off of Yankees' closer Andrew Miller in the bottom half of the frame to close the deficit to 5-4. A Gregorio Petit error put the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate, but Miller got Ben Zobrist to ground out to end the game.

Miller had to work hard in his first game back, but he eventually notched his 18th save in as many opportunities in pinstripes. 

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The Yankees and Mets may share the landscape, but it's right there on Page 1 of "New York for Dummies" that the Big Apple is a Yankees town by default. Only in times of great upheaval does the city change its pinstripes.

It's been a while since such a phenomenon has taken place. But it is on that note that we can say this: You might want to stay tuned.

This weekend, the Yankees and Mets will gather at Yankee Stadium for the first of two three-game sets in the annual Subway Series. And though the series has traditionally served as a show of force for the Yankees, it's looking a little different this year.

If you've so much as glanced in the direction of Queens recently, you've seen the Mets piling up the wins. They wrapped up a perfect 10-0 homestand with a 6-3 win against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday and have won 11 in a row to push their record to an MLB-best 13-3.

So after making it six straight sub-.500 seasons in 2014, the Mets are movin' on up. And as ESPN notes here, there's already a faint hint of 1986 in the air:

Mets have won 10 straight in April for 1st time since 1986, when NY went on to win World Series. (via @ESPNStatsInfo) pic.twitter.com/lAUSQDrmiN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 23, 2015

Where the Subway Series is concerned, the 1986 vibes are all too appropriate.

That was smack in the middle of the last great New York upheaval. The Mets averaged 95 wins and won a World Series between 1984 and 1990, while the Yankees averaged just 84 wins and didn't make it to October once. New York's baseball crown rested squarely on the head of the Metropolitans.

But the Yankees won it back in the mid-1990s and have worn it ever since, posting winning seasons every year since 1993 and upping their franchise World Series count from 22 to 27. And from the looks of things, they aren't too interested in giving it up now.

While the Mets have won 11 games in a row, the Yankees just won three out of four in Detroit against a dangerous Tigers team and have won six of seven to push their record to a respectable 9-7.

So behold! It's a rare Subway Series with an actual narrative. On one side is the aggressive new regime that means business, and on the other is the old guard that's not ready to bend the knee.

That's where we are now. And darn it, you can't help but wonder where things will go next.

If there's one thing the Yankees are accustomed to, it's putting the Mets in their place.

Since the arrival of interleague play in 1997, the Yankees are 56-42 in 98 games against the Mets and have failed to win the two clubs' annual showdowns only twice (2004 and 2013). This isn't including the Yankees' win over the Mets in the 2000 World Series, which is also kind of a big deal.

And now, there's a decent chance the Yankees will do their thing to the Mets once again.

Though the Mets are coming in hot, they're going to be playing in a hostile environment for the first time since April 12. One can also argue the Yankees are the first legitimate challenge they've faced. The Mets caught a sluggish Washington Nationals team out of the gate and have since feasted on the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Yankees also have some good pitching lined up for the Mets. Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi easily have the best stuff in the Yankees rotation and will pitch the first and third games of the series, respectively. CC Sabathia is going in the middle game, and he's arguably pitched better than his 4.35 ERA indicates.

If these three help lead the Yankees to a series victory, the Mets will have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse in no time at all. There would still be a lot of season left, not to mention a second three-game set in September, but the message will have been sent: No, the Mets aren't ready for the Yankees' throne just yet. Like a little brother who just can't beat his big brother's high score, they'll have more work to do.

It's in the opposite direction, however, where the really fascinating stuff lies. 

It's not by accident that the Mets have been winning games. With a 2.81 ERA that ranks second in the majors, they've been getting some great pitching. Two guys largely responsible for that are reigning National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and The Dark Knight himself, Matt Harvey, who will both be going against the Yankees.

The Mets have also been hitting a bit. As of this writing, they're one of only eight teams with at least 73 runs. Nobody can get Lucas Duda out, and Michael Cuddyer has been just the kind of veteran bat the Mets were hoping for when they signed him.

If the Mets do, in fact, make a statement against the Yankees, you can count on one thing: They're not likely to make a big deal out of it.

Veteran third baseman David Wright hinted as much to Mike Puma of the New York Post:

I asked Wright which team true New Yorkers root for: "Granderson just left, maybe you can catch him at his car," Wright said.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) April 23, 2015

I told Wright that he gave me the same answer in spring training. "You keep asking the same dumb question," he said.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) April 23, 2015

It wouldn't be surprising to find out that most of Wright's teammates feel the same way he does. For them, measuring the quality of their play against that of the Yankees is pointless. As long as the two remain in separate leagues, it doesn't matter how they stack up against each other.

So, let there be no doubt that this discussion is for fans only. But if the Mets do take this weekend's series from the Yankees in their own backyard, what they'll have told fans is that they are indeed ready to take back New York.

The odds of all New Yorkers being on board with that are about as slim as those of the Knicks winning the NBA Finals next season. But you better believe the majority could be on board in the near future.

You already get the sense that New York is ready for a Mets coup. Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post posed the possibility of such a takeover in spring training, and the idea seemingly hasn't lost any steam since.

“The fanbase is absolutely starving for baseball that isn’t a punch line,” said WFAN radio host Steve Somers to Kirk Semple of The New York Times. “After the opening day you could feel the tide turning and the tone being set that the New York Metropolitans were about to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.”

This is where we grant that talk is cheap and that a newspaper columnist and a guy on the radio don't necessarily speak for all New Yorkers.

But who says New Yorkers need anybody to do the talking for them?

They can do that on their own by telling us who they like to watch, and the answer is increasingly becoming the Mets. While attendance at Yankee Stadium is down slightly, attendance at Citi Field is way up. And according to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, the Mets are now nearly as big a draw on SNY as the Yankees are on YES.

Sandomir's observation that this is because winning is more fun than losing is a tad unfair, given how the Yankees haven't exactly been slouching of late. But if you want to look at that reasoning in light of where these two teams are headed, well, that's a different story.

With Derek Jeter gone, the Yankees are now entirely without links to their glory days in the 1990s and early 2000s. They also don't look headed for new glory days any time soon. Their roster is loaded with old, over-the-hill players like Sabathia (34), Alex Rodriguez (39), Mark Teixeira (35), Carlos Beltran (38) and Brian McCann (31). And both at the major league level and down on the farm, the Yankees are short on future building blocks.

The Mets aren't quite the polar opposite, but they definitely reside on the other side of the spectrum.

Veterans like Wright, Cuddyer, Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon are flanked by talented youths like Duda (29), Travis d'Arnaud (26) and Juan Lagares (26), and deGrom (26) and Harvey (26) lead a pitching staff that should also include flame-throwing right-hander Noah Syndergaard (22) before long. Their roster is not only legitimately good now, but it should stay that way for a few more years.

New York's baseball crown isn't up for grabs yet. It belongs to the Yankees until they show they're no longer worthy of it, and their recent play says that day may not be imminent. If the Mets want it, they'll have to earn it.

But for the first time in a long time, the Mets have the goods to do just that. And if they put the crown on their head this weekend, it may be staying there for a while.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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