Barrett gets to return back home to Canada, as he was born in Toronto. This was a bit of a head-scratching trade for the Knicks, as many Knicks fans were shocked and frustrated with Quickley being involved in the deal. Quickley was a solid guard to run the bench unit for the Knicks ever since he was drafted in 2020 and was on the All-Rookie team. Quickley’s role intensified last season, and as a result, he witnessed a career-high year and should have won Sixth Man of the Year.

Why the Trade Happened?

The reason Quickley was part of the trade was that he was a pending free agent and was looking for a contract similar to his former teammate Jalen Brunson‘s. Leon Rose simply did not want to give that large of a contract to a bench player. Also, Rose and the front office have been high on Anunoby for over a season, and they almost acquired him at the trade deadline last season.

Another reason the trade happened was it was time to part ways with Barrett. Recently, since returning to the lineup after a bout with migraines, he has been playing some bad basketball, with the exception of the Christmas Day win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Barrett was drafted third overall in 2019 to be a star and the number one option, but instead is an inconsistent third option.

How Does This Trade Benefit The Knicks?

The Knicks may have actually won this trade in both the short term and long term, as Anunoby is one of the best two-way wing players in the league with his solid defense and shooting ability. Anunoby is averaging 15.1 points per game this season, and he led the league in steals last season. Anunoby is a better player than Barrett, giving the Knicks better defense and more consistent scoring.

Also, the Knicks were not going to give Quickley the payday he wanted, so it was better to trade him and get value back for him. This trade also saves the Knicks a lot of money that they can use to bring in a superstar. Anunoby already said he is willing to take a pay cut for that to happen.

Achiuwa is a solid addition to the Knicks. He replaces Taj Gibson as the backup center to Isaiah Hartenstein with Jericho Sims injured and Mitchell Robinson out for the year. In his five games, Achiuwa has four steals and four blocks, impacting the defensive end.

Grade: B+

How Does This Trade Benefit The Raptors?

Similar to Quickley, the Raptors were not going to re-sign Anunoby, so they made the right move to trade him and get assets back. Barrett and Quickley were too solid additions to the team that can be young staples to build from for many years to come. A change of scenery was much needed for Barrett. He and Quickley now have a much more expanded role—especially Quickley, as he most likely replaces Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup.

Also, the second-round pick is going to be better as it is not the Knicks second-rounder but the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons second-rounder essentially is a late first-rounder due to the Pistons being one of the worst teams in basketball and currently on a 28-game losing streak.

Grade: C-

What the Future Holds For Both Teams

This trade will most likely ignite a rebuild, as the Raptors have already made Pascal Siakam available. Both teams will not be done making trades this season. However, their trajectories are different.

The Knicks will look to finally make their splash and acquire a true number-one superstar to the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, or Joel Embiid, depending on whoever is available. Jalen Brunson is playing like a superstar this year. However, he is most likely a 1a player. After this trade, the odds of the Knicks winning the Eastern Conference increased to +2,400.

On the other hand, the Raptors will look to start rebuilding their rebuild by getting younger, creating cap space, and acquiring draft capital. The Raptor’s next move should be dumping Siakam. A contending team certainly will be interested in Schroder as a veteran point guard. With a few more moves, the Raptors are setting themselves up for a bright future and a successful rebuild after hitting the reset button.

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After four games, the New York Knicks see themselves at 2-2. They had two impressive victories over the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks continue to own the self-proclaimed “King of New York” as Trae Young struggled mightily, going 4/16 from the field and six turnovers. Young is now 9-14 against the Knicks, including the playoffs.

The Knicks’ other win was Tuesday night over the shorthanded Cavaliers. However, the Knicks still played phenomenally and continued to own the Cavaliers, who they also eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Their losses were against a very solid team in, the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Celtics game was fine as it was a close game, and they still almost won despite Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle struggling. On the other hand, the Knicks were flat against the Pelicans as it was so far the worst game they played this season, as they were held to under 90 points. They also lost most recently to the Cavaliers in a rematch Wednesday night, where they were once again held to under 90 points.

Inconsistency & Tough Schedule Hurting The Knicks

Part of the inconsistency the Knicks are facing so far this season is due to a rather difficult schedule. Opening night, the Knicks played against the Celtics, who are not only one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference but also one of the best teams in the league, and only lost by four points. The Knicks should have won that game if they did not miss 12 free throws.

The Knicks played other solid teams such as the Hawks, the Pelicans with a healthy Zion Williamson, who are an under-the-radar team, and the Cavaliers twice, who are also very formidable opponents. However, even though it was just five games and against good teams, the Knicks cannot continue to trade wins and losses.

Some Starters Pulling Their Weight

Brunson continues to impress and build off of his career-high 24 points last season. This season, he is averaging just 20.6 points due to his struggles in the losses against the Celtics and Pelicans. However, he is shooting the ball so far at a career-high from three at 46.4%. Historically, Brunson has not been a good defender; however, this season, he has looked better, averaging 1.2 steals per game and a +/- of +10.

After entering year five, RJ Barrett has finally looked like the player Knicks fans had hoped he could become when he was drafted third overall in 2019. He leads the team with a career-high 21 points per game. He is also shooting the ball at a great rate, with career highs in field goal percentage (45.3%) and three-point percentage (42.9%). On Back Sports Page’s basketball “Cut The Nets,” I have referred to Barrett a few times as “StarJ,” as he has been promising. Hopefully, he can continue to play at that level for the rest of this season and in the postseason.

In addition to his offense, Barrett’s defense has been spectacular so far this season. Especially on opening night, when Barrett was the primary defender, opponents shot just 3/11 for 27.3%, which is great.

Up and Down Bench Contributions

Immanuel Quickley is looking for vengeance for two reasons, one of them being robbed of Sixth Man of the Year last season after a career-high 15.8 points per game last season. The other reason he is motivated to have another solid season is due to he and the Knicks failing to reach an extension before the deadline. Quickley is looking for a contract similar to his teammate Brunson’s, whether it was with the Knicks or not. Isaiah Hartenstein is going nuclear off the bench in offensive rebounds. He is the only bench player in the top 20 for most offensive rebounds this season, placing him 16th in the league.

Donte DiVincenzo, the newest Knick on the roster, was awful in his Knicks debut, going 0-4 from the field and 0-3 from the charity stripe in 15 minutes. However, he responded nicely in the win against the Hawks, scoring 16 points with a steal and a block in 20 minutes.

This is what I said back in the off-season. Josh Hart should not be the backup power forward. He should not be on the block in the zone and was late to contest a Dean Wade three who is five inches taller. pic.twitter.com/YkbdlUHY7s

— Brian Ramos (@Brianramos0219) November 2, 2023

The other bench wing player from Villanova University, Josh Hart, has been awful so far to start the season. He is averaging a career-low 4.8 points per game as well as career-lows in field goal percentage (36.8%), assists (1.2), and steals (0.5). Hart also has the lowest +/- on the team at a -16 on the team. Hart’s defensive struggles have mainly been due to going up against players bigger than him, such as Dean Wade.

What Changes Need To Happen

One of the biggest changes the Knicks need to make is Julius Randle needs to step up. Randle is averaging just 13.2 points per game. Even worse, he is not taking smart shots and shooting career lows from both the field (27.6%) and three (25.8%). As the second-best player on the team and a reigning All-Star and All-NBA player, he needs to step it up.

There were a few other one's in last night's loss but these are shots Quenten Grimes needs to make pic.twitter.com/DbWwadRvAe

— Brian Ramos (@Brianramos0219) November 2, 2023

Another change that needs to happen is Quentin Grimes needs to play better. His three-point shooting is supposed to be one of his specialties, and he is shooting a career-low from three this season (30.8%). The more frustrating part is he is missing the wide-open threes that are generally easy shots for him.

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Kara Arbadji is a performance chef for the New York Jets. However, she is a woman of many talents as she also does hospitality and social media work for the Jets culinary department as well. She is a recent college graduate from the University of Delaware with a degree in food science operations and management.

First Stint With The Jets

Two summers ago, Arbadji first worked with the Jets as she applied to a bunch of jobs in the area and the Jets were one of the first companies to get back to her. Her first phone call was with FLIK Hospitality who was hired by the Jets. Her first phone interview was more generic and more questions about her. However, her second phone call interview was with head chefs Jess and Patty and they clicked from there.

Her role or roles for that matter was a little bit of everything. She did a little bit of everything for them ranging from social media and graphics in house of content for Instagram and TikTok. For her work in hospitality, she was making sure the refrigerators were full as well as the coaches quarters. On the culinary side, she was prepping food and action stations where it is build your own bowls.

Even though she did mostly culinary, she is confident in her culinary experience and wants to expand her horizons and go above and beyond. So in addition to culinary, she also wanted to see how far she could go with her other passions in social media and hospitality.

Manifestation Is Key

Landing a job after college can be difficult especially depending on the field. It is even more difficult to land a job in the sports industry. However, she believes she manifested this job five years ago her senior year in high school. Her senior year capstone project was on nutrition in high school athletes and she spent the year creating different recipes and working with the team captains of the different teams to create something that would benefit them.

She mentions now it is crazy she is working for an NFL team and that she most likely wants to stick with professional sports.

Second Stint With The Jets

When she was done with her internship, the Jets offered a full-time position but she was going back to school for her senior year at the University of Delaware. They reached out to her this past summer but she wanted to focus on going to researching and developing food products. However, due to her struggling to find jobs in that field when September started, she called back asking if they were still hiring.

She is currently there part-time which allows her to focus on other interests such as working as a fitness coach and personal training stuff. Another reason she wanted to go back is she loved the atmosphere there and she loved her boss.

What Got Her Into This Unique Field?

Two of her biggest passions are health and fitness. The Jets were a perfect match for her as she gets to look at meal plans and try to help athletes recovery and the best types of food to help fuel their bodies to ensure they perform at their absolute best.

Day In The Life

Arbadji’s day in the life at work changes depending on her hours. Sometimes she will go in at 6:30 in the morning to prepare for breakfast which is from 7-9 am. Some of her tasks are putting out the breakfast foods and preparing for the day. Also, she at times makes overnight oats for the players to go fridge and other to go items.

Or, she may be tasked for setting up and preparing lunch which is either 11-3 or 12-3 pm where she prepares and cooks the food. Sometimes she gets to interact and engage with the players while building their meals.

Freedom & Specialty Dish

Now that she has been in her second stint with the Jets, Arbadji has a lot more freedom and flexibility which she is very grateful for. She made up a protein doughnut recipe and her chef gave her free reins as she knew Arbadji is looking for a research and development position which allows her to build her portfolio.

Out of all of the dishes she has made, both cooking and baking she prefers baking because she likes taking desserts and putting a healthier spin on them and making it more performance based. Her favorite thing she has ever made was the doughnuts and she mentioned they were a hit.

However, the process of making the donuts was a long one as it took awhile. Usually, she is only used to making around six while she is at home, but now it is a much larger scale as she had to make 120 which took a total of four or five hours.

Surreal Moment

She mentioned working for the Jets was definitely a surreal feeling as she gets to interact with and see the players daily. She also mentions, it is exciting that she feels like a part of it and almost playing a role.

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A few days ago, the New York Knicks signed Ryan Arcidiacono, who makes the fourth player on the Knicks to attend Villanova University. The other three former Wildcats on the Knicks are Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the off-season signing of Donte DiVincenzo. That makes 27% of the Knicks roster went to Villanova.

Villanova Brotherhood Continuing to Grow?

27% of the roster is not good enough for Knicks wing Hart. He has been constantly tweeting at Mikal Bridges, telling him to call him back and to come to New York. Bridges is currently on the cross-town rival Brooklyn Nets and is locked up until 2026. The Knicks could trade for him, but it will most likely cost a lot as Bridges is coming off a career year averaging 26 points, and he is only 27 years old.

The Knicks have a lot of draft capital and a young roster. A trade package for Bridges would have to start with at least RJ Barrett and two or three first-round picks. However, are the Nets even willing to trade Bridges, as they already denied a trade for him? They seem to be committed to retooling with Bridges and Cameron Johnson at the forefront.

It is nice and cool to be teammates again with their college friends. However, this could be a little too much. Arcidiacano and Hart each won the National Championship in 2015-16 at Villanova. In addition to the 2015-16 championship, Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Bridges won a second national championship in 2017-2018.

Even though each of them won at least one national championship at the collegiate level, there is no guarantee they can win one in the NBA. Each of those players are different now and going up against bigger and better competition. They would already have chemistry established, which is good, but who knows if they can win an NBA Championship together.

Jalen Brunson Expanded Role

In his first season with the Knicks, Brunson took over, was dominant, and was also the best point guard the Knicks have had in over a decade. He had career highs in points (24), three-point percentage (41.6%), assists (6.2), and steals (0.9). He also played a huge role in the Knicks winning a playoff series for the first time since 2013.

After that career year, Brunson was somehow robbed of both being an all-star and all-NBA player. Brunson needs to continue that success and then some to earn those accolades and prove to the doubters that was not a one year wonder. It is possible Brunson could improve to average 27 or 28 points per game this upcoming season.

What Will A Full Season For Hart Look Like?

Hart, in just 25 games with the Knicks, had career-highs in field goal percentage (58.6), three-point percentage (51.9), and steals (1.4). Now, in a full season, how will Hart play? He will most likely not shoot that well, as that was a small percentage, but Hart will still be an effective player off the bench. Hart will still average double-digits off the bench as most likely the seventh option and continue to provide that defense and tenacity.

Due to the Knicks loss of Obi Toppin and not signing a backup power forward to replace him, he will most likely be the backup power forward. Head coach Tom Thibodeau at media day said Hart can play anywhere from the 2-4 position.

How Does DiVincenzo Fit?

The DiVincenzo signing was definitely not the signing Knicks fans wanted, as they were hoping for a superstar. However, he quietly fits the needs on this team, which are three-point shooting and perimeter defense. He shot a career-high 39.7 from three while also averaging 1.3 steals.

The new Knicks wing will play both the shooting guard and small forward position coming off the bench. His three-point shooting and defense should improve the Knicks in their most significant weaknesses that were exploited in the second round against the Miami Heat.

What Is Arcidiacono’s Role?

Arcidiacono is returning for his second stint with the Knicks. In two seasons, he has played a total of 21 games. He will not play unless there are injuries or earning garbage time minutes. However, he is an extra body in practice and is a good guy to have in the locker room and cheering on his teammates during the game.

Villanova Knicks Debut Coming Soon

DiVincenzo and the reunited college teammates make their regular season debut October 25 against the Boston Celtics.

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Gut otherwise known is Nick Guthre is a senior student at Ithaca College studying sports media. Playing his high school football at Souderton, the Harleysville, Pennsylvania native was a running back as well as a linebacker. He was very successful at both positions earning league honors. He also was a former football player for both East Stroudsburg University as well as Ithaca. His love for football started when he first started playing at six years old. He was named Nick for the sole reason that his mom thought it was a cool football name.

Recruited as a running back, after transferring to Ithaca, he made the switch to defensive back. He made the switch to defensive back because he felt it was best for him and the team as it gave him more opportunities to see the field and help his team get better.

After two years, he decided to transfer to Ithaca mainly because of how well of a media program they have. However, he also loves their football program as when he was recruited back in high school Ithaca and East Stroudsburg were his top two schools. Gut mentioned transferring was a win-win scenario as he “tiered across for football and tiered up in the media field”.

How Did He Get The Nickname Gut?

Besides it being the first three letters of his last name. Gut also earned the nickname from one of his football coaches in Pee-Wee football due to the amount of kids named Nick on his team. The only people that call him Nick are his parents, close friends, and his girlfriend. He has been called Gut for 80% of his life.

Family Athletic Strong suit

Gut is not the only talented athlete in his family as he got the athletic genes from his mom. In addition to playing football, he also played lacrosse. His mom is a huge football fan but a former lacrosse player. In matter of fact, his mom was on the women’s world cup team for lacrosse. His mom pressured him to play lacrosse around middle school as baseball was always his favorite spring sport.

Playing both football and lacrosse, allowed him to focus heavily on contact, footwork, and conditioning. Also, personally, it helped him become a better leader.

Hung Up The Cleats Early

After multiple injuries including a torn labrum twice, after talking about it with his doctor, he thought it was best to stop playing. However, his lifelong love for football did not go away, as it helped transition into a career in sports. Since his freshman year of high school he has always loved the editing and commentating side of football and wanted to pursue that.

At East Stroudsburg, Gut also had a coaching minor. Although he does not have the coaching minor anymore, he still takes it seriously as he coaches kids in the summer for football. He coaches around 12-15 clients running drills and conditioning. He has looked into it and has coaches at East Stroudsburg have given him the opportunity to coach down the road.

Other Career Experiences

Before BDGE, he had other roles at ESPN and Walterpicks. At Walterpicks, he took over as the Titans Walterpicks creator on TikTok for about a month before deciding to stop due to other commitments such as BDGE and school.

At ESPN, he job shadowed the host of one of the Gymnastics and cheerleading competitions in February of 2019. The host he shadowed Richard Curtis was actually his high school teacher as well. He got to learn a lot from the production side and just picking people’s brains for behind the scenes about how a show is put together.

Process to BDGE

BDGE is a media company that thrives with football content such as football trivia, fantasy football advice and videos, and much more. They are mostly followed on TikTok and YouTube, but have other platforms as well.

After following Nick (the CEO of BDGE) for awhile he decided to apply and send in a video of BDGE. However, he was not confident he would be hired as thousands of people would apply and he did not think he would be hired. For Gut’s video he mentioned it was generic and he only did one take and just set up his phone and mentioned why he would be a good hire.

Role At BDGE

Gut was featured on-air a few times in some of the videos. However, off-air he was working behind the scenes coming up with cool ideas, editing and posting content on their social media accounts and working with Jaymo editing and posting his videos. Also, he works diligently to find ways to grow as a company and the channels including using their sponsorship with Underdog to do a giveaway and grow the company’s discord.

His main role is editing and he is super eager to keep on learning and improving each time. Gut mentioned it is important for the content creator and editor to be on good terms and have good chemistry. He expresses that with Jaymo as he edits his videos and compared the relationship to a quarterback and wide receiver as they always need to be on point to produce at the highest level and in a timely manner.

Gut is still with great terms with BDGE as he was at the office this past Sunday and he hopes to get an offer from them full-time after graduation. He mentioned Nick wants him long-term and is looking to make that happen.

Great & Deep Football Knowledge

Everyone in the company has a great knowledge of football. However, Gut claims to know the least amount. He thrives off of knowing systems and schemes due to his history as a player. He uses his knowledge of the game to make videos on how people fit in systems such as Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell.

His first five or ten games he did not win and now he is competing. The grids and the constant trivia has helped him as the names stick in his brain.

Strong Production Background

He has always enjoyed shooting films and documentaries. He enjoys being in control of setting up the plot and letting it develop as well as setting up shots. The party weekend and draft weekend at BDGE in terms of planning was thanks to Gut.

Career Goals

His career goals is to grow his accounts and expand their media for both his personal account and at BDGE. He would love to expand BDGE to basketball, baseball, and soccer content. On a personal level, he wants to grow and get his name out there and have people ask him for advice on fantasy football or questions about scheme. He loves working with the community and receiving comments and direct messages on advice for fantasy football or wandering how people would fit in a scheme.

Advice To People In The Industry

With the sports industry and sports media industry being a tough field, Gut mentioned try different things because you will not know what you like and do not like until you actually try it. He also urges to be consistent and if you want to create content post everyday and slowly grow your platform. Gut also mentioned do not be discouraged if your videos flop and focus on slowly building a community.

Keeping the same community and interacting with consistent people is some of the things that Gut loves. Consistency, work ethic, and getting through the most difficult times are some of the most important traits to succeed in that field.

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Once again, the Atlantic division features a litany of playoff teams. Last season, four out of the five made playoffs, with three advancing to the second round. While some things have changed, the landscapes are similar to years past.

Follow along over the next two weeks to see an analysis of the outlooks for teams as they head into the new season.

(The writers featured in this preview are Brian Ramos, Anthony Yip, and Meyer McCaulsky)

Boston Celtics Preview

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Last Season Record: 57-25, 2nd place in Eastern Conference (Lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to Miami Heat 4-3)

Players Added: Kristaps Porzingis, Jordan Walsh, Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens, Dalano Banton

Players Lost: Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Danilo Gallinari, Blake Griffin

For the fifth time in seven years, the Boston Celtics failed to make it to the NBA Finals and have lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. This past season, they lost to the Miami Heat after almost completing the 3-0 comeback. At home, the Celtics were embarrassed 103-84 in large part due to an awful game from Jaylen Brown. Brown went 8-23 from the field and also had eight turnovers. It is embarrassing to have as many field goals as turnovers, especially for an elite player like Brown.

Everyone was having a field day on social media clowning Brown for his turnovers and his ability, or inability, for that matter, to dribble with his left hand as it happened in the previous playoffs, and he was targeted by the Heat. Also, he just signed an extension, making him the highest-paid basketball player of all time. However, to the Celtics’ credit, they battled through a lot of adversity. 

Head coach Joe Mazzulla was elevated abruptly in his first season. Mazzulla, his whole coaching tenure, has always been an assistant, starting out at the Division II level and working his way up to assistant coach of the Celtics since 2019. He showed flashes of being a rookie coach, but with the situation he had to step into, he did fine. The biggest knock on Mazzulla was the lack of playing time Robert Williams got throughout the playoffs. Williams would have helped tremendously on the defensive end as well as rebounds as the Heat were running with a smaller lineup. However, for some reason, Al Horford was the go-to guy, playing 20 more minutes than Williams in Game 7.

The Celtics had one of the more interesting off-seasons in the NBA. They traded for power forward Kristaps Porzingis. In addition to the recently extended Porzingis, they received a 2023 and 2024-first round pick. Adding Porzingis is a fine move. He is a solid two-way player who can be the third scoring option behind Brown and Jayson Tatum. However, the two negatives of getting Porzingis are having to deal with his injury history and, more importantly, trading their defensive anchor, who is one of the best defensive players in the league and the leader of the locker room, Marcus Smart.

The Celtics look to replace Smart with White and Brogdon, as both were double-digit scorers who were also solid defenders. However, seeing how Brogdon will handle almost being traded will be interesting. The Boston Celtics will once again crumble and fail to make it to the NBA Finals. 

-Brian Ramos

Brooklyn Nets Preview

(Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports)

Record Last Season: 45-37, 6th place in Eastern Conference  (Lost in the first round to Philadelphia 76ers 4-0)

Players Added: Noah Clowney, Darius Bazley, Dennis Smith, Lonnie Walker, Dariq Whitehead 

Players Lost: Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Yuta Watanabe

The fresh-faced Nets are young and hungry after the departure of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. Mikal Bridges is a cornerstone for the new-look Nets that is full of young talent.

The budding star averaged 26 points a game with the Nets last season while shooting efficiently. The future of the Nets also relies on Ben Simmons. The 27-year-old former All-Star has struggled with his health and shooting. He has the ability to shine with a change of scenery and hopefully return to form as an All-NBA level defender. The Nets hope to return to the playoffs this year while developing their youth and establishing roles. Whether Bridges takes a true step into superstardom will determine how far the Nets can go. 

Older talent such as Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie have playoff experience. Their leadership is needed for an inexperienced team that does not have defined leaders currently. Defining roles within the offense will be huge for the Nets, as Bridges and Simmons are defining their costar roles within the team. The younger talent is also trying to see how their skill sets best fit the team as well. Cam Thomas has shined in games; whether his role is as a starter or bench spark plug will also be defined this season. 

Head coach Jacque Vaughn was great after taking over for Steve Nash early in the season. His ability to identify the best possible lineups and getting the most defensively from his team is a future recipe for success in Brooklyn. The Nets should make the playoffs as a lower seed. However, don’t be surprised if they knock out a favorite in the playoffs.

-Anthony Yip

New York Knicks Preview

(USA TODAY SPORTS)

Last Season Record: 47-35, 5th place in Eastern Conference (Lost in the second round to Miami Heat 2-4)

Players Added: Donte DiVincenzo

Players Lost: Obi Toppin, Derrick Rose

After missing the playoffs in 2022, the Knicks responded by adding fuel to their roster with the signing of point guard Jalen Brunson. Even though he was snubbed of an All-Star and All-NBA appearance, Brunson had a career year averaging 24 points, 6.2 assists, and almost a steal per game. Another Knick, Julius Randle, was an All-NBA member after averaging 25.1 points and 10 rebounds. This Knicks team was going to make the playoffs, but the big question was, would they be a play-in team, or would they be top-six?

The Knicks’ main weaknesses in the playoffs were perimeter defense and three-point shooting. Therefore, a target for them in free agency was a player like Donte DiVincenzo, who averaged over a steal and shot 39.7% from three this past season. DiVincenzo, who is also a former Villanova Wildcat, joins college teammates Brunson and Hart. The Knicks, despite not having a star player, have a balanced and talented enough roster to make it back to the playoffs. Their biggest questions are: can they hang with some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference defensively? Lastly, can their shooters make threes?

Now that the Knicks have three Villanova Wildcats, will the Knicks pursue another one in Mikal Bridges? Back to the task at hand, the Knicks need to figure out who will be the backup power forward after shipping off Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers. As of now, Hart is the leading candidate, but his size will be a limiting factor in the post. A player the Knicks could have pursued during free agency was Christian Wood. However, on a more positive note, expect wing Quentin Grimes to have a breakout season for the Knicks. This past season, Grimes had career-highs in points (11.3) and field-goal percentage (46.8), as well as assists and rebounds.

The Knicks will not drastically improve as they are right around the fifth or sixth-best team in the Eastern Conference, but should still make it out of the first round, depending on their matchup. One thing that remains a possibility for the Knicks is acquiring a superstar player to add to their core. The options are increasing by the day as speculation around Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid have been rumored to be the next ones on the market. 

-Brian Ramos

Philadelphia 76ers Preview

(Kyle Ross/ USA Today Sports)

Record Last Season: 54-28, 3rd place in Eastern Conference ( Lost in the Second Round vs. the Boston Celtics 3-4)

Players Added:  Patrick Beverley, Mohamed Bamba, Danny Green, Kelly Oubre Jr. 

Players Lost: Dewayne Dedmon, Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton, Georges Niang 

 As presently constructed, the 76ers look like a contender in the Eastern Conference. They appear to have all the ingredients of a championship-caliber roster based on their star power and their supporting cast on paper. Along with that, they hired former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. As a coach, he won an NBA Championship in 2019 and Coach of the Year in 2020. He also brings a reputation of player development with him to the City of Brotherly Love.

However, James Harden, before this preview, publicly made comments about general manager Daryl Morey. The All-Star suggested Morey was a “liar” and never wanted to be a part of the same organization he’s a part of. With that in mind, the 76ers are essentially in the same position they were in two seasons ago in terms of one of the team’s top players requesting a trade. In this situation, Harden doesn’t seem to have much leverage for a trade. 

They’re still a playoff-caliber team, but reigning MVP Joel Embiid will need to continue to play at an MVP level if they want to avoid the play-in tournament.  There will also be more responsibility placed on Tyrese Maxey to become more of a facilitator while also giving them the same scoring production.  Without Harden, the 76ers should finish as a top-six seed at worst. However, their finish could also depend on the return they receive in a Harden trade. Nonetheless, time is ticking on Embiid’s championship window in Philadelphia, and could ask to move on if they don’t get the job done this season.

-Meyer McCaulsky

Toronto Raptors Preview

(John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports)

Record Last Season: 41-41 Record, 9th place in Eastern Conference (Lost in the Play-In Tournament vs. the Chicago Bulls)

Players Added: Gradey Dick, Jalen McDaniels, Dennis Schroder, Garrett Temple

Players Lost: Dalano Banton, Will Barton, Fred VanVleet, Joe Wieskamp 

The Toronto Raptors have appeared to be in a state of limbo in terms of the direction of their organization since the end 2020-2021 season. They’ve made one playoff appearance within the last three seasons. However, fans should expect them to remain competitive and compete for a spot in the third annual Play-In Tournament.

The Raptors have an abundance of wings on their roster and could look to trade two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam along with OG Anunoby and build for the future. Gary Trent Jr. and Jakob Poeltl could also be expendable for contenders trying to add depth to their roster. However, they added 30-year-old veteran Dennis Schroder to replace Fred VanVleet. The latter signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Houston Rockets. Schroder recently led Germany to a gold medal during the FIBA World Cup. The 11th-year veteran adds playmaking, speed, and aggressive scoring to this young Raptors roster.

As of the writing of this preview, the Raptors are reportedly in the mix to trade for Damian Lillard. A Lillard addition world brings shades of the swing the organization took with Kawhi Leonard a few seasons ago. Toronto would have to part ways with one of their core pieces (plus draft capital). Ultimately, it could be the kind of swing that propels them into the mix of contenders this season.

In terms of the future, the development of third-year forward Scottie Barnes is a situation to monitor, as well as recent draft picks like Christian Koloko and Gradey Dick. The Raptors also hired rookie head coach Darko Rajakovic. Rajakovic spent nine seasons as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and Memphis Grizzlies.  Whether the Raptors decide to remain competitive or rebuild, they aren’t a team to underestimate.

-Meyer McCaulsky

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This past Sunday, the New York Jets struggles led them to a 30-10 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. There was a lot wrong with that game for the Jets both offensively and defensively. Fortunately, there are a lot of games left and that only counts for one loss.

Zach Wilson May Not Be The Guy

Zach Wilson was not supposed to be the starting quarterback but a torn achilles for Aaron Rodgers just four plays into the season opener caused the plans to change. Wilson has not been good so far in his career as he has a negative touchdown-interception ratio. That continues this season as he threw three interceptions and one touchdown in the loss.

The Jets need to seriously look for a veteran quarterback to either backup or start over Wilson. The perfect backup would be to sign Carson Wentz. However, if the Jets want to be a little more aggressive, they should trade for Kirk Cousins. Cousins is on a contract year and he could either play well enough they would keep him over Rodgers since Rodgers would be 40 and coming off a torn achilles. Or, they just use Cousins as a rental and let Rodgers take over the following season.

Where Is The Run Game?

The Jets who were supposed to be a very run-oriented offense seemed to drop that game plan. Granted, some of that had to do with the Jets losing big so they had to abandon the run game. However, just four carries for Breece Hall is unacceptable especially considering he had 127 rushing yards in Week 1. It is one thing to ease his way back and limit his touches but when he had a solid Week 1, there is no reason to take a step backwards.

Also, Dalvin Cook was a marquee signing but maybe he is regressing. He had just four carries as well for a mere seven yards which is 1.8 yards per carry. Especially with Wilson’s struggles, it is even more crucial the Jets pound the rock and keep the ball out of his hands.

Jets Drama Getting Out of Hand?

With a young team, there is always the possibility of drama as every team deals with it in some capacity. The Jets even had fights during training camp as seen on Hard Knocks. However, after Week 2, Sauce Gardner deactivated his X account. Also, Hall tweeted or X’d four football emojis after getting just four carries.

This is not good to see as two star players are upset and this happening so early as only two games have been played. If this continues to get worse, the Jets are in store for what could be a long season.

Garrett Wilson Still Looks Good But Needs More

Garrett Wilson had a solid game with two catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. However, for a player who is arguably top-ten at his position, he needs more than just two catches.

Jets Defensive System Costing Them?

The Jets defensive system could hurt them. The Cowboys offense took advantage of Gardner strictly playing as the outside corner. This allowed the Cowboys to move CeeDee Lamb around having a field day with 11 catches for 143 yards. Other teams should watch film and do the same if the Jets continue to run that personnel and defensive system. Gardner should be covering the best receivers since he is one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

New Kicker Stepped Up

Greg Zuerlein has been dealing with a groin injury that caused him to miss the Week 2 loss, as well as a few days of practice. To replace him, the Jets signed Austin Seibert who made a PAT and a 34-yard field goal.

Next Contest

The Jets struggle in Dallas as they now see themselves 1-1. However, despite losing by 20, that only goes down as one loss. After spending the week in practice cleaning up their mistakes, they look to bounce back at home on Sunday in a pivotal division matchup against the New England Patriots. The Jets have not defeated the Patriots since December of 2015. If the Jets struggle in Week 3, this could be the beginning of the end for their playoff hopes.

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Heading into this past Saturday’s contest, the Florida Gators have not lost at home to the Tennessee Volunteers since 2003 and that streak continues. The Gators won 29-16 upsetting the at the time, 11th team in the country. They scored 26 unanswered points which helped them deliver the upset.

The Swamp

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium otherwise known as the Swamp coined by former head coach Steve Spurrier, is one of the loudest environments in college football and most difficult to play for an away team. At Gators games, it is a tradition to sing the late Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down”. The energy was unmatched as thousands of fans were singing the song.

The energetic and passionate Gators fans got involved into the game as the Volunteers had ten penalties for 79 yards. The sold-out crowd of 90,751 was just too much for the Volunteers to overcome.

Joe Milton vs. Gators

This was Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton second game against the Gators but, his first start. In 2021, with them losing 38-14, Milton came in for relief of quarterback Hendon Hooker and went 2-8 for 54 yards. Milton’s arm strength is incredible however, his biggest weakness is his accuracy and he has demonstrated that both times against the Gators. In the loss, Milton went 20-34 for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

That interception was thrown to Devin Moore on a deep ball, as Milton was hit by nose tackle Desmond Watson. Tyreak Sapp the nephew of hall-of-famer Warren Sapp, got in on the fun as he sacked Milton as well.

Milton is 0-2 against the Gators and is also 0-2 against Gators quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz and Hilton went head-to-head in November of 2020 with Milton at Michigan and Mertz at Wisconsin. Mertz led the Wisconsin Badgers to a 49-11 with two passing touchdowns while Milton had two interceptions.

Trevor Etienne Is A Baller

Trevor Etienne brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, looks to be one of the best running backs in the nation as he continues to have another dominant game and be the main focal point of the offense. He rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown while averaging 7.5 yards a carry.

However, the other running back Montrell Johnson is also a monster as he had a rushing and receiving touchdown. This Gators running back duo has the chance to make the Gators offense special and take a lot of pressure off of Mertz.

Wide Receivers Need More Targets

However, even though the Gators have two solid running backs, they need to get other members of the team involved. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is very solid and always delivers when needed. Almost 70% of his catches while as a Florida Gator have been for either a first down or a touchdown.

Also, the Gators may have something special in freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson III. Like Pearsall, he had six receptions but for one more yard then him at 44.

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The group of kids got to run through a series of drills, games, and mentorship from McClung and the coaches. The group also got to dunk with the hoops lowered and a different hoop for the younger kids in first and second grade. Also, the kids got to meet and interact with McClung and were able to learn from the reigning slam dunk winner. He also took on some of the campers one-on-one, showing off his dunks as well as a couple of threes made from the logo.

Giving Back To The Community

MacClung instructs campers before the drills at House of Sports in Ardsley, New York, on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/ Brian Ramos)

In addition to the camp, there was a silent auction of sports jerseys and memorabilia, with all proceeds being donated towards Pediatric Cancer. Some of the memorabilia includes an autographed Philadelphia 76ers jersey, an autographed Kevin Durant jersey, an autographed Jalen Brunson framed picture, and many others.

Not His First Rodeo

Unlike Julius Randle, Mac McClung has hosted basketball camps before. He ran a camp back home in Gate City, Virginia. McClung is very happy and feels lucky to have kids sign up for his camp. McClung also mentioned it was awesome, and there is nothing better than that.

Despite not playing basketball until eighth grade, he loves the ability to compete and wants to bring that same energy to the kids. He wants to make sure all of the kids have fun as well.

Slam Dunk Process

McClung is the reigning Slam Dunk Contest Winner. A lot of preparation and thought process goes into the dunk contest to come up with some of the most entertaining dunks for the event. That process started out by going to the gym with his boys and coming up with ideas. They would also try to add certain things to the dunk.

One of his best dunks was where he dunked over two people. That dunk he practiced with his friends from home, and that was not the original plan. In addition to dunking over two people, he was also able to touch the backboard.

Of the many dunks he has had in his career, his favorite was going between the legs in high school. Despite being just 6’2, McClung has some serious bounce with a 43.5-inch vertical.

Georgetown to Texas Tech

After spending his first two seasons at Georgetown University playing for hall-of-famer Patrick Ewing, McClung decided to enter the transfer portal. Despite Texas Tech not being his first choice, he decided to commit to Texas Tech after getting a late call from head coach Chris Beard. McClung loved Beard’s pitch and his plans for him as it felt genuine. He really enjoyed the program and, more importantly, loved playing for coach Beard.

Future Songwriter?

Outside of basketball, McClung is a man of many hobbies. He loves being out in nature and spending time with his friends. In addition, recently, he spent time writing poetry and music due to his agent. However, he does not think he will ever release it due to it being very personal. However, he really enjoys writing poetry and music.

Resiliency is Key

McClung (right) speaks with participants during the camp on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. (Photo/ Brian Ramos)

When asked to describe himself in one word, he went with resilience. His whole life, he has been counted out and always had that underdog as that has made him who he is, and he knows being resilient will help him succeed.

An early life experience has shaped the mindset of the former Bulldog and Red Raider. McClung was fighting for his life at birth as his umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around his neck to the point where he was as blue as a smurf, according to his father. Now, he does not take any day for granted and appreciates being on this Earth and playing basketball.

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Week 1 of the NFL season was something New York Jets fans were supposed to look forward too. Their fan base was very loud and energetic. The Jets finally have a franchise quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and there was a lot of hype they would make the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and even compete for a Super Bowl.

However, unfortunately, their offense and maybe even their season took a drastic turn just 75 seconds into the Jets offense. Rodgers tore his achilles while being sacked by Leonard Floyd. He will now be out for the rest of the season.

The Jets win in overtime by a score of 22-16. However, the Jets will now have to go the rest of the season without their leader and franchise quarterback.

Zach Wilson Redemption Tour?

With Rodgers out, former second overall pick Zach Wilson sees himself back as the starting quarterback for the Jets. He looked fine in the Jets win throwing for 140 passing yards as well as a touchdown and an interception. He also had six rushing yards on four carries.

However, he still looked nervous and afraid to make mistakes. Also, the interception was an awful throw as he basically threw it right to Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano. For the Jets to keep those playoff hopes alive and for Wilson to keep his job, he needs to seriously step it up and be more confident.

In the two seasons Wilson was a starter he has a negative TD-interception ratio as he has 16 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. For the Wilson redemption tour to become a reality, he needs to clean up his turnover issues and be able to make the throws necessary.

Run Game Needs To Continue To Dominate

The Jets had no issues running the ball in their Week 1 victory. Running back Breece Hall looked great after recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus as he had 127 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards.

On the other hand, big off-season acquisition Dalvin Cook did not look impressive. He averaged just 2.7 yards per carry finishing with a total of 33 rushing yards. However, he was able to help in the receiving game adding 26 yards.

It seems like the running backs will be a part of the receiving game as well as the duo combined for 56 receiving yards. Third-string running back Michael Carter got in on the fun and had 12 receiving yards.

Early Catch of The Year Candidate?

It was just Week 1 and there is a lot of football left to be played. However, we already might have catch of the year thanks to Garrett Wilson. Just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wilson snags the game-tying touchdown with just one hand while being heavily contested by former all-pro cornerback Tre’Davious White.

Sauce Gardner Looked Awful

One concern for the Jets defense was reigning defensive rookie of the year Sauce Gardner had the worst game of his career. In 68 snaps, he was targeted five times allowing five receptions for 62 yards. That resulted a passer rating allowed of 118.8.

There was one play in particular where he was caught grabbing the jersey of Stefon Diggs and still allowed the catch. It is just one game so it is not time to hit the panic button, but Gardner needs to step it up next week as he will have the task of guarding another great wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb.

Offensive Line Looked Abysmal

One of the few weaknesses on this Jets roster is their offensive line. They showed that weakness in the victory as they allowed three sacks. One of those sacks caused Rodgers to tear his achilles and have his season cut short.

Jordan Whitehead Already Owned Bonus

Jordan Whitehead was one of the best players on the field for the Jets. He already has a career-high in interceptions after picking off Josh Allen three times. His career-high three interceptions earned him a $250,000 bonus. It is not often players receive a bonus after just one game.

New York Sack Exchange

Normally, the NYSE stands for the New York Stock Exchange. However, the Jets showed it also stood for the New York Sack Exchange. They sacked Allen for a total of five times.

Jermaine Johnson had a sack as well as Al Woods and John Franklin-Myers. However, Quinton Jefferson had a game-high two sacks. Even with a relatively quiet game from Quinnen Williams, the Jets were still able to get after the quarterback.

Hard Knocks Star Gets Game-Winner

Undrafted rookie wide receiver and former Hard Knocks star Xavier Gipson was able to deliver the Jets win in overtime. His incredible punt return for a touchdown led to the Jets starting off the season 1-0. Once he crossed the end zone he was joined by teammates and coaches including head coach Robert Saleh.

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