New York

The New York Mets are the hottest team in baseball right now, sitting atop the National League East following nine consecutive wins, but Mets fans should be cautious as winners are not declared in April.

The Mets currently boast the joint-best record in Major League Baseball at 11-3, tied with the Detroit Tigers. The last time the Mets started off this hot, their season ended with a World Series title in 1986.

The team’s fantastic start is due in large part to their two standout pitchers, Matt Harvey and Jacob DeGrom. Harvey has returned in scintillating form during his first regular-season action since Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old earned wins in his first three starts, striking out 24 batters in the process, including making Giancarlo Stanton look helpless in the at-bat shown below.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year DeGrom is matching suit with a 0.93 ERA and 17 strikeouts through 19.1 innings. Bartolo Colon and Jon Niese showoff ERA’s of 2.25 and 1.59 respectively, leaving people in Queens cautiously optimistic.

“The players we have the staff we have are very pleased with the way we started, especially in the wake of injuries and suspension,” the Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson said to the New York Post’s George Willis. “We’ll see if it continues. It can disappear just as easily [as] it appeared.”

Alderson’s questioning of success moving forward seems realistic with injuries piling up for the Mets. A good start to the season can be completely derailed by a few key losses.

Sunday’s victory over the the Marlins came at a steep price. The Mets’ starting catcher, Travis D’Arnaud, left the game with a broken right hand after being hit by a pitch—shown in the video below (0:36).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-rXXOcFVc4

The loss of their man behind the plate is massive for the Mets. The 26-year-old led the team with 10 RBI and posted a .317 batting average and two home runs before the injury.

Jerry Blevins fractured his left forearm after being hit by a line drive. The loss of the relief pitcher is a blow to the bullpen, as the hard-throwing left-hander has retired all 15 of the batters he has faced so far this year.

These injuries are only the latest that the Mets have to deal with. Star third baseman David Wright is on the the 15-day disabled list after suffering a hamstring injury on April 16.

Zack Wheeler’s need to have season-ending Tommy John surgery during spring training also provided a blow to the back end of the starting pitching rotation. Wheeler proved to be a workhorse for the team last year, ranking third in innings pitched for the Mets with 185.1 and making all 32 starts of his scheduled starts.

Non-coincidentally, the only starter in New York’s rotation performing poorly is Dillon Gee with a 7.59 ERA. Gee would most likely not be in the starting rotation if Wheeler was healthy, showing the Mets could be one more significant injury away from losing their pitching advantage.

The strength of opposition also comes into question through these first 14 games. A win is a win, but which teams did the Mets beat during their early-season success?

Not having faced any teams from outside of their division so far this season, the Mets have beat up on their National League East counterparts. Three of the Mets' wins came against the bottom-feeding Philadelphia Phillies. They also took advantage of Miami’s terrible 3-11 start to the season, sweeping the Marlins in a four-game series.

New York splits the season tally with the Braves 2-2 so far. They hold a slight edge over the struggling Nationals, winning two out of the possible three games from the defending National League East champs.

Moving forward, the Nationals look to still be favorite to bring home the division title, projected to win 99 games with the best record in Major League Baseball, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Chen. This leaves the Mets to fight for a wild-card spot in the National League.

On top of the division winners, the Pirates, Giants and Brewers all finished above the Mets in the race for the National League wild-card spot last year. The last teams into the playoffs needed 88 wins to qualify last season. The Mets finished with 79 wins last season, tied with the Atlanta Braves.

A healthy Harvey and more experienced DeGrom could help the team in Flushing, New York earn a few more wins this year. However, they also have to compete with the rising Chicago Cubs and new-look San Diego Padres. The Mets wre projected to finish third in the NL East with 82 wins in Chen’s preseason preview.

Eleven wins have predictably created excitement around Citi Field, but baseball is a long grind not meant for the short-sighted, leaving Mets fans with a reason for caution.

A seesaw affair between the Bucks and Knicks in the first half, equal parts dazzling and dud, gave way to a dominant third quarter for Milwaukee, who moved their magic number to one with a 99-91 victory over the Knicks at MSG.

The first quarter saw Giannis Antetokounmpo wowing the lively Friday night MSG crowd with plays worthy of his "Greek Freak" moniker.

Coming off his recent benching, Antetokounmpo was bouncing all over the floor like a slim bolt of lightning, his play highlighted by a beautiful series featuring a block on one end and coast-to-coast run culminating in a massive Statue of Liberty dunk on the other.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks took advantage of New York's sloppy play in the early going, forcing five turnovers and several errant shots. But as soon as the starters came out near the end of the quarter, New York livened up and began a run of its own.

Led by the hustle of Lou Amundson and soft touch of Shane Larkin, New York actually gave the Garden crowd something to cheer about with a 19-4 run, leading by as much as six before Kidd reinserted his starting unit.

Milwaukee hit two threes in the closing minute of the half to reclaim a slim 52-49 lead. The half featured over a dozen lead changes, with an unexpectedly feisty New York team fighting to avoid a season sweep. 

Whatever Kidd said to his team at the half seemed to work, as Milwaukee came out and blitzed New York in the third quarter, leading by as many as 19 points during a period they won 29-16. 

The Knicks actually had more rebounds and points in the paint than Milwaukee over the course of the game, but the Bucks' havoc-inducing defense caused 24 New York turnovers and several difficult looks that ultimately decided the game. 

Milwukee's terrific trio—Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams and Khris Middleton—just had too much firepower for New York to contend with on this night. The three combined for 64 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals (Middleton recorded a career-high six). 

The loss, though difficult to swallow as always for the players, allowed the Knicks to maintain pole position in the race for the worst record in the NBA. Should they lose their remaining three games, they'll "earn" the best odds (25 percent) at receiving the No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

The Bucks have three games remaining on their schedule (Brooklyn, at Philadelphia, Boston), but need to win just one to secure their playoff position. With a 7-1 record against those remaining teams, Kidd should have his team—one that was standing right where the Knicks are at this time last year—patiently awaiting their playoff matchup by the end of this weekend. 

Langston Galloway made an immediate impact upon his arrival at the New York Knicks, but his production has plateaued. 

The 6'2" 200-pound guard started his NBA career with authority. For the month of January, he scored 11.9 points per game, grabbed 3.9 rebounds per game and dished 3.0 assists per game. Since then, his impact has been consistent with those numbers—posting an overall stat-line of 10.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 3.0 APG.

At this point, the Knicks know what to expect from the 23-year-old.

He's a solid player that can get into the paint and knock down shots from the perimeter, but he isn't exceptional by any means—he's essentially maxed out his talent as an athlete. 

Excellent Role Player

Asking Galloway to be a starter is doable, but it won't help the Knicks become contenders. At the end of the day, he's an excellent role player that plays hard on both ends of the floor that doesn't command a ton of money. 

Galloway is set to earn $845,059 next year, via HoopsHype.com, if his team option is picked up. A veteran role player of his caliber would cost north of a million. For comparison's sake, Jason Terry is making $5,450,000 with the Houston Rockets this season, and his impact isn't anywhere near Galloway's. 

The Knicks are fortunate to have finagled Galloway into such a cap-friendly contract. The guard's been efficient in his limited sample size. He's averaging only 1.2 turnovers with a turnover percentage of 9.9 percent, via Basketball-Reference.com. Galloway's also been good for 1.8 wins produced, in comparison to Jose Calderon's 2.76, via Box Score Geeks. 

His effective field-goal percentage leaves room for desire, however, checking in at 45.7 percent, which is the worst among all of New York's guards. Galloway also struggles inside the paint and along the left side of the court, as indicated by the shot chart below:

From the right side of the floor he's been brilliant, shooting above league averages, but for whatever reason, that consistency hasn't carried over on the opposite end.  

Galloway is underwhelming shooting the ball off the dribble, as well. When he takes zero dribbles, he nails 42.4 percent of shots from the field, via NBA.com. When he takes one dribble or more, he hits only 38.9 percent of those chances.

Shooting over an opponent is another challenge for the youngster.

If a defender is within two to four feet, Galloway shoots only 21.7 percent from the field. When there's four to six feet of space, he shoots 42.4 percent, and if he has six feet plus of space, he's knocking down 48.9 percent of those opportunities. Carmelo Anthony on the other hand, made 41.3 percent of his shots when a defender was within zero to two feet.

Galloway is good playmaker and decent shooter when he's open, but he isn't consistent or successful enough to be a dependable starter. In order for him to be more than a role player, he needs to get better when finishing at the rim and when a defender has a hand in his face.

His Allure

Expecting Galloway to be a starter that puts up 15 plus PPG and dishes more than five APG is a little outlandish. 

But that doesn't mean Galloway isn't worthy of remaining with the organization and fortifying its second-unit. 

In the young guard, the Knicks have an unselfish player that will do anything that's asked of him on both ends of the floor. Head coach Derek Fisher spoke favorably about the 23-year-old, via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports:

He just showed a level of composure and poise for a first-year player that was pretty special. Didn’t seem to get sped up by competition. Even sometimes the guy’s better than him, he still seems to play at a pace that’s comfortable for him. He’s not afraid to take and make shots when he’s open. Doesn’t pass up on opportunities. And he’s not afraid to guard any guy out there.

Galloway is holding his opponents to a defended field-goal percentage of 34.0, via NBA.com. He's not a prolific defender by any means, but he works hard enough to stay in front of his opponents and make their lives difficult. 

New York's defensive rating with Galloway on the court is 105.7, without him it's 107.0, via NBA.com. It's a marginal improvement with him out there, but it still shows the effort and intensity he brings when on the floor. 

The Knicks' assist-to-turnover ratio is also better with Galloway on the court versus off it with a ratio of 1.84 versus 1.31. The same can be said about the franchise's offensive rating, when Galloway is in the game it's 98.6, when resting, it's 92.0. 

Galloway isn't an All-Star by any means, but he's making an impact for New York each time he suits up. To expect him to be a big time athlete for the organization is unfair to him, but as a role player, he's the perfect competitor for a coach. 

The luster may have faded away from the youngster, but he's definitely a competent guard that can be an asset for the Knicks.

Having a guy like Galloway on the bench provides New York with depth on offense and defense. If he can work on his finishing at the rim, become a better shooter off the dribble and when defended closely, he can really make up for the fact that he's currently at his ceiling. 

Can we all agree that we can stop asking who's going to replace Derek Jeter as the "Face of Baseball"?

We should be able to. Depending on where you stand, that's either a question without an answer or a question with two reasonable answers. Officially, it's Buster Posey. Unofficially, it's Mike Trout. In sticking with the body-parts theme, the Face of Baseball label is in good hands with either of them.

However, the Face of Baseball isn't the only throne that Jeter vacated when he hung up his spikes last fall. The longtime New York Yankees shortstop vacated another post that neither Posey nor Trout can fill:

The King of New York Baseball.

Yeah, I know. That sounds like fodder for an insufferable New York newspaper column or talk-radio segment. Actually, it was one of the latter recently. So, yeah.

And yet, it's hard to roll your eyes at the idea when viewed in a historical context.

Go back to any year in the last century, and you'll find the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson and Dwight Gooden occupying the throne. By the time the crown was finally passed to Jeter, it had graced the heads of the biggest of big shots.

And though it can be argued that crown didn't belong to Jeter for every season of his 20-year career, it certainly applied early and often. Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated slapped it on Jeter in only his fourth full season in 1999. By 2014, he bore the title on the heel of his cleats:

a classy cleat pic.twitter.com/y7UBrihhWZ

— ✌️ (@nick_pants) August 5, 2014

At any rate, now what? More to the point, who's next?

Well, it should go without saying that the next King of New York Baseball has to be really good at baseball. That's pretty much non-negotiable. Being a winner also helps. Then there's the personality test. Be it Jeter's classiness or Ruth's brashness, a certain charisma is a must. And last but not least, goodness knows he can't be overwhelmed by his surroundings.

In so many words, Jeter's successor has to be like The Dude in Los Angeles. He's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there.

So, that's what we're looking for. Now all we need are some candidates from the two New York clubs.

Naturally, we have to start with the Yankees. Beyond being Jeter's old team, they're the Yankees. Being the Yankees is what they do. They always lead the league in YAR (Yankee-ness above replacement).

However, therein lies the weird part about these days' Yankees: By Yankee standards, they're not very interesting.

More so than in any year in recent memory, the Yankees are leaning on "meh" players in 2015. Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew are just lucky to be there. Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Chase Headley and Andrew Miller are good, but nobody ever accused them of being charismatic. CC Sabathia, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira were stars once, but not anymore.

Once you get past names like those, you're left with only a few pinstriped contenders for Jeter's crown: Alex Rodriguez, Masahiro Tanaka and Dellin Betances. 

By virtue of his impressive statistical track record and his Tony Montana-like rise to baseball super-villain status, A-Rod definitely has the most star power of the three. He's such a huge star that even his bodily functions are headline fodder.

But since numbers are a must ... well, that's a potential snag. A-Rod is coming back from a year-long performance-enhancing-drug suspension, and he couldn't even manage an .800 OPS in the two seasons before that. If he doesn't find a way to turn back the clock, he'll be more like the Jester of New York Baseball.

After debuting with a 2.77 ERA last year, Tanaka is a much better bet to put up numbers. And the crowds will love him if he does. Every start the right-hander made in 2014 was a Fernando Valenzuela-like event, and his eccentric side made it all the more easy to build up his aura.

But of course, Tanaka will have to stay healthy. Given that the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow may be a ticking time bomb, that's less than a sure thing.

And so, we get to Betances.

Given that he's a 6'8" behemoth with a high-90s fastball who's coming off a 1.40 ERA in 2014, he certainly has a larger-than-life vibe on the field. And as Ian O'Connor of ESPN New York argued, he's a New York native and a homegrown Yankee product with just the kind of fresh face the organization needs to sell a departure from the old and crusty faces of more recent Yankees teams.

One problem, though: Betances is only a relief pitcher. No city inflates star power like New York, but even New York can only do so much to inflate the star power of a guy who doesn't play every day and only plays an inning at a time when he does.

So maybe the next King of New York Baseball won't come from the Yankees. Maybe he'll come from the Mets instead.

With the Yankees being who they are, suggesting that a Met could dominate the New York baseball landscape would come off as blatant trolling most years. But with the Yankees being unusually bland, it really doesn't take much to state the case for Mets Mania in 2015.

With the recent signings of Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer along with the promotion of Travis d'Arnaud and the breakouts of Lucas Duda and Juan Lagares, the Mets have solid bats up and down their lineup. And by the second half of 2014, eventual National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and fellow young right-hander Zack Wheeler were dominating atop the Mets rotation.

But if it's classic New York star power you're looking for, two other names stand out: David Wright and Matt Harvey.

One thing Wright has going for him is that he's basically the Mets' own Jeter these days. He's the team captain, and he doesn't take being a leader for granted. He also desperately wants to win, and believes that a lot of winning is about to happen. In New York, these are good qualities to have.

What Wright can contribute is a good question, however. He's 32 years old and coming off a year in which shoulder trouble contributed to his OPS dropping over 200 points from where it was in 2013. It could be that his window for earning the King of New York Baseball moniker has already passed.

Harvey's window, meanwhile, may be about to become wider than ever.

The 25-year-old is so perfectly designed to be a New York superstar that you'd think he came out of the same New York lab as Captain America. With a 6'4" and 215-pound frame, a high-90s fastball and a trio of deadly secondary pitches, it's hard to imagine a more ideal pitcher.

Harvey is also right where he wants to be. He told David Amsden of Men's Journal in NSFW terms that he rather likes New York and inspired Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated to get all Bob Kane-y.

"In appearance and task, Harvey is the Dark Knight of Gotham," he wrote. "He is here because he believes he was born for it."

Harvey showed in 2013 that he has the goods to make New York love him back. Every start he made on the way to his 2.27 ERA increased the hype of #HarveyDay, and he might have won the National League Cy Young had his elbow not betrayed him and sent him to the operating table for Tommy John surgery.

A strong comeback is not guaranteed. But with Harvey well over a year removed from his operation, such a comeback is hardly unlikely. And if he can do it, there may be no stopping him from taking over New York.

But then again, you never know. Maybe the next King of New York Baseball hasn't even arrived yet.

Rather than Harvey, perhaps top prospect Noah Syndergaard will be the one on everyone's radar when he finally arrives. As a 6'6" behemoth with his own blistering fastball and superhero nickname, he could easily steal Harvey's spotlight if Harvey doesn't regain his 2013 form.

Or maybe Aaron Judge will beat him to the punch. The Yankees' top prospect is a 6'7" giant with a dangerous bat, and he knows how to use it. He's not likely to be along until 2016, but his arrival could see him quickly become New York's next big thing. Literally and figuratively.

But who knows, really? As easy as it is to round up the potential candidates to take Jeter's crown, there's no predicting who will take it and when. The next King of New York Baseball will not be coronated so much as he'll be slowly realized.

Whoever it is will have big cleats to fill. From Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Mantle to Mays to Jackson to Gooden to Jeter, the lineage of New York baseball royalty suggests something Mark Twain once said rings true.

“Make your mark in New York," he said, "and you are a made man.”

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Phil Jackson needs to make a few tweaks to get the New York Knicks on track.

With ample cap space and possibly a top-three draft pick, Jackson has the means at his disposal to rebuild the franchise. The Knicks have a few decent role players on board, but aside from Carmelo Anthony, no one else on the roster is capable of taking a game over if needed. 

New York lacks size, efficient perimeter shooting and is desperate for another ball-handler who can be a playmaker. Filling those voids will turn the organization's fortunes around. 

Drafting a Potential All-Star

Luckily for a change, the Knicks own their first-round draft pick.

If all goes to plan, New York will have the chance to draft Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns or D'Angelo Russell. Each one of those players, although young and a bit raw, has the talent to become an All-Star in the future. 

Grabbing one of those three athletes and plugging him into the triangle offense will be a great step toward becoming a winning team. Okafor is the most polished scorer out of the bunch, Towns is the best defender and Russell is a playmaker. 

New York desperately needs frontcourt help, and a low-block scorer like Okafor will be a tremendous asset. Via Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal, Okafor is not a ball-stopper, "According to SportVU player-tracking technology, he holds the ball for just two seconds per touch. That means he’s getting rid of the ball about 20% quicker than ex-Knick Amar’e Stoudemire, who often got stripped by double-teams."

Okafor is also a solid passer, according to Herring: 

Thanks to his knack for finding the open man, opponents have found it nearly impossible to double-team Okafor—an ideal skill in the triangle offense. His passing is comparable to that of Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins (whose 19.6% assist rate this season is best among NBA players 6-foot-11 and taller), and it often alters defensive game plans.

Adding Towns will also do wonders to fortify New York's weak frontcourt. Unlike Okafor, he isn't as polished offensively, but he possesses a better shooting touch and is a more efficient shot-blocker and defender. 

Towns will need to add some more muscle, which will come with maturity, but he's capable of eventually being a premier rim protector. 

Russell is the best perimeter player in college currently. Jackson spoke favorably about the freshman from Ohio State University, despite being fined for doing so. 

The 6'5" 180-pound guard can split double-teams, attack the rim and find the open man cutting to the basket.

He's a consistent scorer and distributor who will definitely be the playmaker New York needs next to Anthony.

Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell leads all freshman with 6 25-point games this season.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 5, 2015

Adding one of those three players will be the first step toward cultivating a winning ballclub for the foreseeable future. 

If New York has the luxury of drafting Okafor, Towns or Russell, the franchise will be poised to rebalance its roster.

Upgrading the Wings

The Knicks need more consistency out of their guards. Signing someone like Jimmy Butler would do wonders to fill that void. 

Butler is a two-way player who fits swimmingly into the triangle offense and the game plan for any winning team. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to be efficient, and he's competent enough on both ends to be worthy of the max contract he is likely to receive. 

The Chicago Bulls will be at crossroads whether to give Butler the contract he'll desire and if New York could potentially sway the 25-year-old guard, it would be an outstanding pickup. 

If Butler is unattainable, adding a different efficient perimeter player is a must. Prior to Wesley Matthews' recent injury against the Dallas Mavericks (March 5th), he appeared to possibly be an excellent fit for head coach Derek Fisher's system. 

Matthews is an excellent perimeter shooter with an effective field-goal percentage of 56.2 percent, via Box Score Geeks, and like Butler, he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be efficient. However, with his torn Achilles, he may be too questionable for Jackson to rationalize signing—unless Matthews takes a one-year contract at a discount to prove he's healthy. 

Draymond Green could be another option for Jackson to pursue. Adding a two-way player on the wing who doesn't need the ball to be effective is a must for the Knicks this offseason. The triangle needs solid passers who can hit open shots and dish it to the open man—someone like Green or Butler who does that is a necessity.

More Depth Up Front

Regardless if New York is fortunate enough to draft Okafor or Towns, more bigs must be brought in to hold the paint down. 

New York is thin at the 4 and 5 and adding a shot-blocker and rebounder will help the team become better defensively. 

Cole Aldrich and Quincy Acy are solid role players, but they aren't skilled enough to be the head honchos in the frontcourt. Aldrich and Acy could be good second and third bigs off the bench, but New York needs to add some tougher bodies who can be a force defensively down-low. 

LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol, Greg Monroe, Paul Millsap, Omer Asik, Robin Lopez and Brandon Bass will be available this offseason.

Quite frankly, it's doubtful that Aldridge, Gasol and Millsap will leave their respective organizations. Jordan and Monroe will be wild cards on the free-agent market, but it's very possible they stay with the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons, respectively. If New York can sign two players from the remaining crop of free-agent big men, the franchise will be adding the toughness, size and defense it desperately needs. 

Asik and Lopez would be welcomed additions at the 5 who can start for the Knicks immediately, and Bass would be an affordable option as a reserve power forward capable of throwing his weight around and hitting open shots. 

The Knicks need to do everything they can to sign two big men this offseason, regardless of if they draft Okafor or Towns. Size is a must moving forward. 

Adding Another Playmaker

Drafting Russell would remedy New York's playmaking woes. 

However, if the Knicks decide to draft Okafor or Towns, acquiring a 1 is a must. With Goran Dragic and Brandon Knight heading to the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, respectively, two premier free agents could potentially be off the market.

Rajon Rondo could be signed, but his lack of shooting and decreasing athleticism makes his long-term prognosis questionable. Rondo also doesn't fit the triangle, and he's a little too ball dominant to mesh with the brand New York is creating. 

Ideally, the Knicks would add a point guard who can be effective in the pick-and-roll, get into the paint, find the open man and hit jumpers. 

A superstar point guard isn't needed for the triangle, as evidenced by Jackson's success with Fisher and guys like Steve Kerr and BJ Armstrong as his 1s, but someone more talented and effective than Calderon would make a difference for New York moving forward.  

If New York can address its issues at the 1 while adding more size and improving its wings, the franchise will be poised to be a perennial playoff team.

New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash seemed to be all but absent during his showing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. He scored three goals in 25 games, and the Rangers struggled offensively in the defeat to the Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings.

Today, the 30-year-old veteran is the major reason why New York has won seven of the last 10 games. Nash has been nothing less than spectacular for the team in the Big Apple as of late. The Ontario native has scored eight times in New York's 10-game swing and ranks second in the NHL in goals (36).

This included a four-game winning streak that was capped by a comeback overtime 6-5 victory over the New York Islanders on Feb. 16. The game was a statement win that proved the Rangers can compete for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with the crosstown rivals.

His plus/minus statistic is good for sixth-overall in the NHL. When Nash is on the ice, New York has 23 more goals than their opponents this season. 

If Nash can continue to perform at this rate offensively, the Rangers will not have trouble contending with the top teams in the Eastern Conference going forward. He provides a go-to scoring option that the team did not have last season. Nash has long eclipsed his goal total from 2013-14 (26).

He is playing as if he has hopped into the Fountain of Youth this year, scoring goals from all over the ice when New York has been in need an offensive push. Nash needs five goals to tie his career high of 41 in the 2003-04 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Chris Kreider's 31 points have and will continue to provide a lift beside veteran Martin St. Louis on the second line. St. Louis has 26 assists and can be a playmaker as the team heads into the last 20-plus games of the season.

Nash scored the game-winning goal against the Arizona Coyotes, to secure Alain Vigneault's 500th career victory on Feb. 14, and the coach deflected the attention to the great players he has had over the years, according to the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

"I feel very privileged and fortunate to have all those good players through the years," Vigneault told the Associated Press.

Per the AP, Nash credited a player who not many would have expected to have such an prominent role on the team at this point in the season: 27-year-old goaltender Cam Talbot. 

"Cam's been the backbone of our team," Nash told the Associated Press.

Talbot comfortable under the spotlight

When starting goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist suffered a rare vascular throat injury on Jan. 31, the Rangers had a reason to doubt their Stanley Cup playoff chances going forward.

The reason to doubt has turned into a reason to believe, due to the performance of the backup goalkeeper Talbot. Since King Henrik's injury, which is expected to keep him off the ice for over three weeks, New York is 5-1-2. 

Talbot has been the backup to Lundqvist for the past two seasons and has been awaiting his turn. Per Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, Talbot is beginning to feel more and more comfortable as the games continue.

Talbot: "We got one big point tonight, but at this time of the season you never want to leave a point on the table." #NYR

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) February 20, 2015

“I feel really good now, actually,” Talbot told Cyrgalis before the Rangers 5-4 shootout loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. “I took maybe a couple games to get that back, since I haven’t played this many games in a row in a couple years."

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Talbot will be the first Rangers goaltender other than Lundqvist to start eight consecutive games in goal since 2004. 

The Rangers will have to get used to the 27-year-old in the net, as they continue the hunt for the postseason in the competitive Metropolitan Division. Lundqvist expressed to fans on Twitter that he plans to listen to the doctors and will not rush back on the ice:

I can't be on the ice right now,it's disappointing. I'm focused on doing everything I can for a fast recovery with help from our great staff

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) February 7, 2015

New York's defense will have to take some of the burden off of the backup goaltender if the team wants to continue to win games against tougher opponents. The offense has scored three goals or more in the last five matches, but Ryan McDonagh's crew will have to improve going forward.

The Rangers would benefit from making a move for a defenseman before the NHL trade deadline on March 2. Andrej Sekera of the Carolina Hurricanes would be a perfect fit in New York to give the defense a much-needed boost.  

While the Rangers trust the new man in the net, it remains to be seen how he will fare through the end of the season as the pressure continues to build. 

New York's backcourt isn't flashy, but there's plenty of talent present. 

Shane Larkin, Langston Galloway and Tim Hardaway Jr. are cost-efficient athletes with upside. But do these three players have a future with the Knicks?

Larkin is eligible for free agency at the conclusion of this season. Hardaway Jr. could be sought after at the trade deadline, and Galloway has a partially guaranteed contract.

Shane Larkin

Larkin may not have All-Star potential, but he's a reliable role player who's familiar with the triangle offense. The 5'11", 175-pound point guard has been decent for the Knicks thus far, scoring 5.5 points per game and dishing 2.5 assists per game in 22.1 minutes per game. 

He's a very quick player, with and without the ball, and via NBA.com, he moves 4.3 miles per hour per game while traveling 1.6 miles per outing. 

The 22-year-old is still developing and is a bit raw, but he's progressed over the course of the season. He's averaging 5.5 assist opportunities per game, and via Basketball-Reference.com, his win shares have increased from negative-0.1 in 2013-14 to 1.0 in 2014-15. 

Larkin may be a career role player, but that isn't anything to scoff at, especially considering his familiarity with head coach Derek Fisher's offense. If he's willing to re-sign with the organization for a reasonable contract, the youngster is definitely a keeper. 

He has good range on his shot, knocking down 42.4 percent of his field goals and 35.1 percent of three-pointers. Larkin has shown he is capable of developing with experience. When considering New York's desire to maintain salary-cap flexibility, if he's willing to stay with the Knicks for a contract worth around $1.5 million per year, he should definitely remain with the organization. 

Larkin may be expendable if the right trade offer comes around, but the Knicks need youth, especially at the 1, and he provides it. 

Langston Galloway

Sometimes you get lucky and find an outcast who hustles his way into the starting lineup. Galloway, for some reason, was an undrafted point guard who's carved out a niche with the New York Knicks since his call-up from the D-League. 

The 6'2", 200-pound guard has sparked the franchise and reminded its fans what it was like to win a few ballgames. 

In his 12 games he's averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds while posting a player efficiency rating of 13.48, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Like Larkin, he doesn't possess All-Star potential, but he's an excellent role player who fundamentally understands how to run the triangle offense. 

Scheduled to make $845,059 next season, Galloway is without a doubt a keeper for the Knicks. He's a role player who can be a sparkplug off the bench, and his meager contract keeps the doors open for New York to pursue pricier free agents. 

In his limited time with the franchise, via Box Score Geeks, he's produced 0.78 wins. With a full season in New York, he can quickly become a fan favorite for his heart and desire to make big plays when needed. 

Galloway is a scrappy player who can run an offense and get buckets. Even if an intriguing trade offer comes along, New York should keep the 23-year-old on board and let his youth and tenacity provide depth at the guard positions. 

Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Hardaway Jr. is the most talented player in New York's backcourt. He has the potential to average 17 points per game one day, but he needs to refine his shot selection and keep his attitude in check. 

Sometimes, frustration gets the best of him. Sometimes, he's too much of a gunner and focuses only on chucking threes. But those issues aside, he can develop into a reliable scorer in this league for a long time. 

New York will have some interesting deals thrown its way for Hardaway Jr., and because of his inefficiency on offense and defense, he may be expendable for the right offer. But if the Knicks can tolerate his growing pains, he should be a keeper. 

In his second year in the NBA, his numbers have been shaky. His scoring has increased from 10.2 to 11.4 points per game, but his field-goal percentage has fallen from 42.8 percent to 39.3 percent. 

Via Basketball-Reference.com, his value over replacement has decreased from negative-0.1 to negative-0.6, and his win shares have gone from 3.1 to 1.0. 

According to Box Score Geeks, his wins produced is also second-worst on the team at negative-0.7, whereas Pablo Prigioni leads the franchise at 3.04. 

Advanced stats haven't been kind to Hardaway's cause, and that may make him expendable on paper, but his talent and passion cannot be denied. 

He can be too overzealous at times and even a bit hard to deal with, but he's a fierce competitor with a level of fire that every winning team needs. The Knicks should retain Hardaway Jr. for the duration of his rookie contract and see if he can work out the inadequacies plaguing him currently. 

His defense is subpar, and his shot selection could be worrisome. But if he addresses those two issues, he could impact the Knicks positively while not commanding too much in terms of salary for the next two seasons. 

No one is untouchable when you're one of the worst teams in the NBA, but Hardaway Jr.—alongside Larkin and Galloway—are blue-collar players who can be the foundation of a backcourt if paired with the right veterans.