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New York Yankees: What does the slow start from the pitching rotation mean?

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

The New York Yankees are tied with the 3rd best record in baseball and have been playing very well so far this season. Their offense has been top-notch and has shown that they are never out of any ballgame. New York has gotten off to the best start in awhile. But, believe it or not, they could be a lot better. 

The Yankees offense has been the difference-maker so far this year. The Yankees pitching rotation, on the other hand, has been a huge problem. Obviously, Gerrit Cole has been fantastic for the Yankees and is pitching like an ace as usual. However, the rest of the rotation hasn’t lived up to their expectations at all. Jordan Montgomery seemed to be the only one doing well but yesterday, he gave up 5 runs against the Phillies and couldn’t find his stride. Tanaka is still recovering from his injury so he hasn’t been the same. James Paxton has been the worst for the Yankees. His velocity is down a lot and he can’t seem to put away hitters. JA Happ doesn’t look like he got any better from last year and just seems to be at the end of his career. 

Without the help of the New York Yankees tremendous offense, who knows how good they would be. However, I do think everything will get better. The only pitcher that really scares me, is James Paxton. If you put side-by-side pictures from his release of the ball last year as opposed to this year, it’s totally different. This is causing his velocity to go down. He usually relies on his fastball to put hitters away late in counts but with such low velocity, he’s not blowing pitches by anyone. In fact, his average velocity is down by a whole four miles per hour. That might not seem like a lot, but he used to hit 99 on some pitches and this year the highest he’s gotten to is 94. That’s a huge drop especially for a pitcher that relies so heavily on his fastball.

So, what does this mean?

For the rest of the rotation, I think things will start to come around.. Over the last three years, the Yankees have learned that they need a stellar pitching rotation to survive the postseason. They have had a great offense in each of the last three seasons but have always fallen to opposing teams with great pitching rotations. On paper, the Yankees have a top-five rotation in the league. They are very capable of getting to that point sometime this year, they just need to get in the swing of things. You will have some games in which the offense is cold. That’s when you need your rotation to come up clutch. That is what makes teams great. 

New York Knicks hire Kentucky’s Kenny Payne as assistant coach

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New York Knicks, Kenny Payne

The New York Knicks have officially made the first formal hire to new head coach Tom Thibodeau’s staff on Tuesday, as they have agreed to terms with former University of Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne.

Payne, 53, was rumored to the Knicks for months due to his strong relationship with Knicks president Leon Rose and Knicks executive vice president/senior basketball advisor William Wesley. Now he has officially left the collegiate ranks to coach in New York, his first NBA coaching stint.

Payne spent the last 10 years at Kentucky alongside one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, John Calipari. He was named the associate head coach in 2014 and is largely credited with developing stars who played for the program, such as Anthony Davis, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Bam Adebayo. The Knicks are hoping Payne will be able to assist in the development of their young players, especially Kevin Knox, who Payne coached when Knox played for Kentucky.

Here’s what New York Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau had to say about the new addition to his coaching staff:

I’m thrilled that Kenny has joined my staff as an assistant coach. He has an outstanding ability to forge relationships with players and improve their skills. He knows what it takes to win and has learned from one of the best coaches there is in John Calipari. Kenny will be a tremendous addition to our organization.

During Payne’s Kentucky tenure, the Wildcats advanced to the Final Four four times and won the National Championship in 2012. He played a role in leading Kentucky to a 38-0 record in 2015, the first time a team accomplished that feat in college basketball history. Payne was also vital to Kentucky’s recruitment process, which finished in the top three nationwide every year.

Before coaching at Kentucky, Payne spent five seasons as an assistant at the University of Oregon. During his time there, the Ducks made two NCAA Tournaments, including one Elite Eight appearance in 2007 and a Pacific-10 Tournament title.

Here’s what Payne had to say about his time at Kentucky and his new job with the Knicks:

I want to thank John Calipari, Eli Capilouto (University of Kentucky president), Mitch Barnhart (athletic director) and the University of Kentucky for allowing me to be a part of a special program for the last 10 years that truly epitomizes winning basketball. I am a better coach and leader of young men today because of my time in Lexington under the legendary Coach Cal.
I now take the next step in my basketball journey and fulfill my dream of coaching in the NBA. I’m beyond grateful and excited for the chance to work for such a prestigious organization as the New York Knicks under the leadership of Leon Rose, Scott Perry, William Wesley and Tom Thibodeau, who I have such great admiration and respect for.

Payne played four years for the University of Louisville, from 1985-1989, and was a member of the 1986 NCAA National Championship team. He was selected 19th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1989 NBA Draft and played four seasons for them (1989-1993) before going to play overseas.

One New York Yankee Has Quietly Been Dominant

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New York Yankees, Chad Green

The New York Yankees have been on an absolute tear, with 7 straight wins to start the season 8-1. This type of start was last seen by the Yankees in 2003 and 1998, with both teams winning the AL Pennant. With how great the hitting has been with a team 133 wRC+,.489 SLG%, and 20 home runs which leads all teams outside of the Marlins, but the Marlins have only played 3 games. While the offense has been electric with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, and Luke Voit hitting well, the pitching has been solid as well. The Yankees are 9th in team ERA and 7th in team SIERA. This is headlined by good starts from Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, but one guy doesn’t get enough credit.

Out of the bullpen the Yankees have had Chad Green and hit 5.2 innings of 0 runs and 9 strikeouts with a 0.35 WHIP.

Looking Like Vintage Chad Green

People saw Chad Green’s 2019 as a disappointment and his 2.18 ERA from 2017-2018 spiked to a 4.17 in 2019. I think you could chalk that up to his HR/9 spiking up to 1.30 and his Batting Average on Balls in Play going up to .346 from .278 over the 2 year dominant stretch. The thing is that he was unlucky in 2019, as shown by a 3.04 Skill-Interactive Earned Run Average (SIERA) and a 3.56 xFIP. He was still throwing hard and collecting strikeouts, and it looks like he’s back to standard Chad Green form, and it’s shown to not just be a lucky stint as he has a 1.12 SIERA so far.

He’s been dominant out of the bullpen and I think this success will translate for the rest of the year.

Nastiest Slider We’ve Seen Chad Green Have

Chad Green’s fastball is as fast and spins as tight as always. He always was a fastball first pitcher who uses his velocity to blow by hitters. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t need a nasty breaking ball though. Chad Green has always had a good slider, but his slider has seen an increase in drop, as according to Statcast the average drop in his slider went form 33.5 in 2019 to 46.2 in 2020. The spike in his drop can be attributed to his RPM going up nearly by 300 from 2019 to 2020. This combination of a filthy slider that’s tight and spins a lot with a 96 MPH fastball on the black will be unhittable.

Chad Green is poised to bounceback and be elite in 2020, and he’ll be a big part of the Yankees 2020 run in October.

BREAKING: Dwayne Johnson reportedly partners with investor group to buy the XFL

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Dwayne Johnson

The future of the XFL is trending in the right direction, as Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has reportedly teamed up with the investment firm RedBird Capital Partners to purchase the football league for $15 million, according to a news release issued Monday morning.

Vince McMahon’s football league was off to a solid start early in 2020, averaging nearly 2 million TV viewers per game and $20 million in gross revenues, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and shut down the league five weeks in. The XFL then had to let go of nearly its entire workforce on April 10 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 13. This isn’t the first time the XFL was forced to shut down, as the league’s initial launch suffered the same fate back in 2001. However, McMahon was determined to get this league going and invested $200 million in its revival back in 2018, and it probably would’ve lasted had the pandemic not come around.

This new deal has to be approved in bankruptcy court on Friday, but if all goes well, it could be finalized before the end of August. According to reports, The Rock and Dany Garcia, who is his business partner and ex-wife, and RedBird Capital Partners, led by Gerry Cardinale, are expected to be 50/50 partners in the deal.

This is a testament to how difficult it has been for alternative football leagues to survive, as the AAF (Alliance of American Football) league also didn’t make it through one season in 2019.

The XFL was supposed to hit the auction block on Monday, but The Rock and his partners were able to get a deal done before then. It is unclear when the new owners plan to relaunch the league, as the pandemic has made things difficult for sports leagues. So far, the NBA and NHL seem to be having the most success with their bubble format, so that seems to make the most sense for the XFL. Here is what The Rock had to say about the plans for his new purchase:

The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things — my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans. With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.

The Rock played Division I college football for the University of Miami for four years and then became a global pro wrestling legend in McMahon’s WWE. Since he retired from his wrestling career, he has become one of the biggest and most successful actors in Hollywood.

New York Yankees: Looking into James Paxton’s early season struggles

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

Despite having a great start to the season as a team, New York Yankees‘ left-handed pitcher James Paxton hasn’t found himself on the mound yet. In two starts throwing only four total innings, Paxton has allowed six earned runs on 12 hits. Paxton had an extremely successful season last year where he finished with a 15-6 record and was one of the most reliable starters in the rotation for the Yankees. With Luis Severino injured and Domingo German not returning this year, it’s concerning that Paxton hasn’t performed well yet.

Comparing to last year

I looked at Paxton’s delivery last year compared to last night’s outing and there are distinct differences.

Last season, Paxton was finishing downhill with loose arm action and was using his body excellently. Last night, it seemed as if Paxton was stiff while moving towards the plate. It looked like he was relying on his arm rather than his body. This could explain why Paxton’s velocity has been significantly down. He’s usually sitting 96 MPH and can run it up to 98 MPH, however, his last two outings he has been 90-92 MPH.

Offseason injury

Last offseason, Paxton had surgery completed on his back. He rehabbed successfully and has been at 100% for months now. However, watching his last two starts has me thinking otherwise. Analyzing his mechanics from this year to last year, it looks like Paxton may not be back to 100% yet. It’s possible that the reason why he doesn’t have that “whip” is that he’s still coming back from that surgery.

Hopefully, Paxton’s early struggles are simply a mechanical thing that can be fixed easily. It’s very possible that’s the case since sometimes pitchers can get away from their mechanics especially after a long layoff. I wouldn’t give up on Paxton though, as we saw a similar trend last season. Paxton was OK during the first half of the season and was dominant in the second half. He may just be figuring things out still.

Knicks reportedly want to add a number of player development coaches to staff

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New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks are a very young team, and with seven first-round draft picks over the next four years they aren’t getting any younger. Knicks president Leon Rose seems to understand the importance of player development, and according to Ian Bagley of SNY he’s making a big effort to address that department:

There is internal consideration in the organization to hire a significant number of player-development coaches for Thibodeau’s staff, per SNY sources.

To clarify, these coaches would not be replacing the assistant coaches Thibodeau would want to bring in for his staff. Instead, they’ll be hired in addition to Thibodeau’s coaches, which means that the Knicks coaching staff will be expanding.

This is a very logical and smart move by Rose and the Knicks, as the development of their young roster is critical to the team’s success both now and long-term. Thibodeau seemed to be in lockstep with Rose on this, as he pointed out the need for strong player development during his introductory press conference on Thursday.

Begley also mentions how former Knicks head coach David Fizdale had one of the smallest player development staff and coaching staff in general during his tenure. It seems expanding player development coaching has become a common practice around the league, with other teams, especially rebuilding ones, already going down that path in recent years.

Thibodeau also stated that he plans to utilize the G League in regards to player development as well. This is very encouraging and something the Knicks didn’t really take advantage of last year. It was reported over the last couple of days that former vice president of player development Craig Robinson wanted to give some of the young players who weren’t seeing a lot of minutes more time in the G League so they could get more playing time, but general manager Scott Perry, who Rose retained, felt as if it would be too big of a demotion.

Fortunately, it seems as though Rose and Thibodeau are on the same page in that they believe in using the G League more, so hopefully, they stick to that thinking cause it can really be beneficial.

Overall, it seems as though the new Knicks regime is serious about making sure they are able to properly develop their youth, and expanding the coaching staff to bring in more people that specialize in that area is a very wise move. It will be interesting to see who the Knicks add to pair with Thibodeau and the coaches he chooses to join him.

New York Knicks: Key Takeaways from Thibodeau’s Press Conference

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New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau

With the news becoming official on Thursday that the New York Knicks have officially named Tom Thibodeau, the 31st head coach in franchise history, the Knicks had their first virtual press conference to introduce Thibodeau later that day formally. Aside from Thibodeau, president Leon Rose and general manager Scott Perry were on the press conference that was conducted via Zoom. A lot of questions were asked, and a lot of notable answers were given, such as Thibodeau talking about how he is looking to coach the team and how he plans on developing the young roster, so with that, let’s dive into some major takeaways from the press conference.

New York Knicks’ head coaching position is Thibodeau’s dream job

Thibodeau made it clear from the beginning that being the head coach of the Knicks is his dream job and a challenge that he has been preparing for his whole career. Growing up in Connecticut, Thibodeau and his family were Knicks fans. He also has a professional history with the team from his seven seasons as an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy, which was the last time the Knicks were a consistent league powerhouse and championship contender. Here’s what Thibodeau said when talking about how much this Knicks head coaching job means to him (quotes per Marc Berman of the New York Post):

This is my dream job. … Maybe part of that, I grew up in Connecticut. My father, my family, we grew up as Knicks fans. I’ve been there before, I have a great understanding of New York. I think we have the best city in the world, best arena and the best fans. I was there throughout the ’90s and that was an incredible experience.

It’s very cool to see how Thibodeau’s career has come full circle, with him now returning to the place where he got his first major coaching experience for a prolonged period of time. You can tell how excited he is to be back and how ready he feels he is for this challenge of coaching the Knicks back to relevance.

He will work together with the front office staff

A key element to any head coaching tenure being successful is the relationship between the coach and the front office personnel above him. If they aren’t largely in sync with one another and are butting heads most of the time, the team won’t go anywhere, and people will lose their jobs quickly. Luckily, this doesn’t seem like it will be a problem for the Knicks’ current regime, as Thibodeau has a strong, long-standing relationship with Rose and executive Vice President/senior basketball advisor William Wesley from their CAA days and Thibodeau being a CAA client.

Rose repeatedly touted Thibodeau as the “perfect” coach for this Knicks team and for creating a winning culture going forward. When it comes to Thibodeau’s coaching staff, it looks like choosing the coaches will be a collaborative effort. Thibodeau expressed great confidence in the ability of he and the front office to work together in assembling the right coaching staff:

I think you always sit down with your front office to go over the people you think can help…I’m confident that we’re going to sit down, I’m going to listen [to] the people that they have, I’m going to recommend some people that I know. Some of them are going to be on both lists. I’m e comfortable with that. I think we’re going to get a great staff and I’m looking forward to getting started with it.

Thibodeau mentioned that no decisions have been made yet, but it is expected that Mike Woodson, former Knicks head coach, and Mike Miller, the Knicks interim head coach this season, will be two members of the coaching staff. Names such as Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne and longtime Thibodeau assistants Andy Grier and Dice Yoshimoto have been thrown around as well.

RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson receive praise

When asked about the current team and players that may have stood out to Thibodeau, two names were mentioned: RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. He says he doesn’t want to make any qualifications about players until he meets them in person and gets to work with them, but Thibodeau admitted that those two players impressed him when he watched Knicks games from this season:

Based on film, I really think RJ has a very bright future as does Mitchell Robinson. Those are two who stand out. But we have a lot of young talent.

When asked about other players on the roster who have underperformed thus far in their young careers, such as Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, Thibodeau pointed out that they certainly have talent, but have experienced growing pains like many young players do:

With Frank and Kevin, they’re both young guys that have talent…Like most young players, there are growing pains you go through and there’s steps players have to take. Sometimes we measure guys against guys already established and you forget the steps those guys have to take to get to where they are. It’s an important part of it.

Thibodeau noted that a player’s determination and work ethic is how they get to that point and develop their games. When talking about the kind of rebuild he would be taking on with the Knicks, he admitted that there is a lot of work to be done. Rose claimed there isn’t a set time frame for the rebuild, and they will take everything one day at a time.

Thibodeau seems willing to adjust his coaching style

One of the more pressing questions surrounding Thibodeau is his willingness to adapt his coaching style to fit the modern NBA more. When asked about it, he seemed open towards it, which was refreshing to hear.

He was asked more specifically about his past preference of playing two traditional big men and his strong use of the post-up game, which are both seen as outdated in the modern NBA as teams are going smaller with their lineups. While he thinks that utilizing the post still comes in handy on certain occasions, Thibodeau agreed with the sentiment that the league has changed since his coaching days with the Chicago Bulls and even the Minnesota Timberwolves to an extent. He also noted that no coach should ever want to stay the same.

Another big criticism towards Thibodeau that was brought up during the press conference was his reputation for playing his players too many minutes and running them into the ground. He addressed this by talking about the fact that many elite offensive players were playing at least 30 minutes a game back when he was coaching, so he needed to have his top defenders out there in order for his team to not be at a disadvantage. Thibodeau did recognize that with the increased use of load management, those minutes are going down for most players, and therefore he would work with the trainers and sports scientists to make sure the players aren’t overworked.

Now, whether or not he will actually practice what he preached remains to be seen, but Knicks fans should feel good about Thibodeau’s response to those questions and the fact that he didn’t seem close-minded towards the idea of modernizing the way he coaches like many people speculated he might be.

New York Knicks: Devin Vassell Could Be The Perfect Plug and Play Draft Pick

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New York Knicks, Devin Vassell

The New York Knicks will be participating in the NBA Draft Lottery on August 25th, 2020. That event is approximately four weeks from today and there’s a possibility of the Knick franchise luckily jumping into the top three in the draft lottery. There’s also the possibility of the Knicks sliding into the ninth, tenth, or eleventh spot in the first round on draft lottery night. If the latter happens in which the Knicks fall in the draft lottery, there are some interesting prospects to choose from. One prospect that’s intriguing is 6’6″ 195lbs shooting guard by the name of Devin Vassell out of Florida State University. With Tom Thibodeau taking over the reins as head coach of the Knicks, Vassell could be the perfect plug and play draft pick.

The 6’6″ shooting guard is a defensive menace who knows how to use his 6’10” wingspan to anticipate opposing offensive attacks, block shots and play passing lanes on defense. Vassell is an elite perimeter defender.

The point of release on Vassell’s jumper is ridiculously high, therefore, he really could shoot over anybody without getting his shot blocked due to his above-average wingspan. His high defensive IQ and motor are two key attributes in his game Tom Thibodeau would love. In addition to his other valuable offensive skill which is his three-point shooting, Vassell also flashed his ability to finish above the rim. The New York Knicks can’t lose drafting a talent like Vassell. He’d fit right into Thibodeau’s defensive schemes. Plus, offensively he’s a catch and shoot threat with potential to eventually become a deadly overall shot maker.

In college Vassell averaged 12.7-points per game along with 5.1-rebounds and 1.6-assists during his 2019-20 campaign at Florida State University. He shot nearly 42% from three and 49% from the field. He averaged 1.4-steals and a block per game during the 2019-20 season. The defensive-minded shooting guard put up these stats while playing 28.8- minutes per contest.

Overall, Devin Vassell is an athletic piece that’ll fit into the Knicks young core from the jump, and Coach Tom Thibodeau would have a field day in bringing him along and showing him the ropes. Defense and three-point shooting is needed on the Knicks. Devin Vassell is a two-way player and the Knicks must pounce on him if the situation is right.

New York Knicks: Julius Randle Could Be A Dark-Horse Candidate To Improve Under New Head Coach

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New York Knicks, Julius Randle

New York Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau tends to get the most out of flawed yet talented players. There is a possibility of fans being shocked about what Thibodeau is able to pull out of Julius Randle, especially defensively, if the Knicks actually decide to keep Randle and not ship him elsewhere before next season begins.

The Knicks head coaching position is Tom Thibodeau’s dream job. Thibodeau has a phenomenal understanding of New York due to his time as an assistant for the Knicks from 1996-2003 and the fact that as a youngster, his household grew him up as a Knick fan in Connecticut. Thibs will impact the young Knicks core in a positive way. High motor players tend to thrive under Thibs in the past. Therefore, Julius Randle could be a dark-horse candidate to improve under the new head coach.

The brilliant Tom Thibodeau, who spent four years at Harvard during the late 1980s could definitely relate to Julius Randle when it comes to attacking the boards for rebounds. Thibs was a rebounding machine in 1976 while playing for his high school alumni New Britain High.

Thibodeau, a 6’1″ senior at the time, pulled down 22-rebounds during an upset over Hartford Public. George Lynn, New Britain’s coach, called it one of the best wins he ever had in his coaching career. Thibodeau was relentless then, and he’s relentless now. The relentless competitiveness from Thibodeau may rub off on Julius Randle, who’s actually already a competitive player who may need the reigns pulled back for him occasionally. Could Thibs help tone down the often reckless Randle on the offensive side of the basketball court?

Can the New York Knicks find the best in Julius Randle?

Julius Randle is such a beast physically. He can snatch an offensive rebound, finish around the rim, then guard multiple positions on defense. He has great work ethic and a very strong physical upper body and motor. These characteristics will not rub Tom Thibodeau the wrong way. Julius Randle never played for a winning coach in the NBA. Tom Thibodeau would technically be the first winning coach Randle has played for in the National Basketball Association, and it’s finally going to happen in Randle’s seventh year in the league.

Randle and Thibs have some similarities. One similarity the two share is their love of rebounding. The new head coach hiring could be the best thing to ever happen to Randle in his young NBA career. Or it could be a disaster in which the two are so similar that they bump heads often. Only time will tell Knick fans. Stay tuned!

New York Knicks: Mental Fortitude Is Vital For Tom Thibodeau’s System

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New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau

New York Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau‘s style has always been hard-hitting when it came to getting the most out of his players on both ends. However, stingy defense along with hustle plays is what Coach Tom Thibodeau holds near and dear to his heart. The young New York Knicks core will find out real soon how vital mental fortitude is for Tom Thibodeau’s system.

Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School interviewed aspiring journalist Adam Taylor who’s currently the lead writer for CelticsBlog.com. The interview was on July 28th, 2020 on The Hoops Spy Podcast. At the 5:11 segment of the podcast, Jonathan Macri asks Adam Taylor for his opinion on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching in New York. Adam Taylor responded with the following statement:

I was against it when it first dropped. My concern was, with the youth you guys got in New York, I always believed Kenny Atkinson was the guy for the job. I kind of convinced myself that he was going to get it because I believed he deserved a shot at that young core, he was the best for player development. Thibs could be the guy that comes in, slowly brings along these guys and he’s going to test the mental fortitude of the core that’s there and the ones who aren’t mentally strong enough are the ones that are going to go. To be honest with you if your going to win an NBA championship, if your going to be the best then you’ll need that mental fortitude. So maybe he’s in the right place at the right time to weed out the guys that aren’t mentally strong enough to make it to that next level.