Just a while ago, the Warriors came off a wild win against the Boston Celtics. Curry, who delivered 20 points in the fourth quarter while also contributing in overtime, was the key player. Before his clutch moments, he found himself in foul trouble and spent most of the third quarter on the bench. He finished the game with 33 points, 6 3-pointers, and 6 assists.

Despite this win, there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered for the Warriors as the season moves on.

Klay Thompson Regression

It has been clear that shooting guard Klay Thompson has been regressing this year for the Warriors, which explains their recent struggles. Part of this is due to him just averaging 17.1 points a game while shooting 37.3 from the three-point field. His shots just seemed not to go in as much as they have in the past. However, he did start the season hot, shooting 40% from long distance through the first three games. Since then, Thompson’s shooting percentage has dropped significantly.

It may also be time to bring back the headband Thompson version to get him going again. His headband seems to bring him good luck when he wears them. Five years ago, he was able to set a single-game NBA record by making 14 3-pointers, surpassing teammate Curry, who had held the record two years previously. For the Warriors to reclaim their former glory, Thompson must regain his form.

He can keep the beard pic.twitter.com/74lkajbM8p

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 30, 2018

Not Enough Supporting Cast

In order to get back to winning ways, the Warriors need other players to step up. They cannot continue to rely on Stephen Curry daily. One of the players that need to step is forward Andrew Wiggins. This season, Wiggins has averaged a career-low 12.3 points per game while also shooting 42.0 % from the field, which is also low. The Warriors need him to return to the player he was two seasons ago.

Another player that needs to step for Golden State is center Kevon Looney. His numbers have dropped significantly this season on both the defensive and offensive sides. He has dropped from 9.3 rebounds to 7.0 and 7.9 points to 5.4. His field goal percentage has also dropped down to 56. Last season, Looney was a very impactful player among rotation regulars. He had the third-best net differential among the rotation. This year, he has the third-worst on the team, minus 9.2. It is obvious that Looney needs to step up his game to help the Warriors get to where they need.

Time To Get Younger Once Again

When the Warriors traded guard Jordan Poole for another guard named Chris Paul, they thought it would work out. The trade has been a bust for both sides. The Warriors just got significantly older, which explains their recent struggles. As a matter of fact, the Warriors are the third-oldest team in the NBA. The problem with this is that Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul are all past their prime.

Paul, this season, is averaging a career-low 8.5 points. In addition to that, he is also shooting a career-low 39% from the field and 31% from long distance.

Overall, the Warriors need to step their game up. If no moves or changes are made to this organization, it’s fair to say their chances of missing the playoffs are likely. It’s up to them to save themselves from a failure season.

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The New York Yankees recently acquired outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, a top priority for them this offseason. The team traded Soto for SP Michael King, SP Drew Thorpe, C Kyle Higashioka, SP Jhony Brito, and SP Randy Vazquez. In addition, New York went all in for another move that no someone saw coming. They were able to acquire OF Alex Verdugo from their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. These moves were just the start to the offseason. GM Brian Cashman stated that his vision with these moves was to make the Yankees the “Mecca of baseball“.

With the acquisition of Soto and Verdugo, the Yankees turn to another top priority for them this offseason. Their next priority is to go land SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is coming off a dominant pitching season in which he has earned himself another MVP award. Just recently, the Yankees were able to meet with him last week along with Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman. But the Yankees are not the sole competitors for Yamamoto. Other teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston all remain in the competition for the stellar ace.

Reunite With Jordan Montgomery

The Yankees are no strangers when it comes to SP Jordan Montgomery.  Montgomery played with the Yankees from 2017 to 2022. He is coming off a solid season where recently he just won the World Series with the Texas Rangers. He was acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals prior to this year’s trade deadline. Monty turned out to be a great acquisition for Texas once the postseason arrived. In just six appearances in the postseason, he posted a record of 3-1 with an ERA of 2.90 and striking out 17 batters.

Signing someone like Montgomery to a short-term extension shouldn’t hurt the Yankees. They need pitching considering how bad the starting rotation was thanks to injuries that had an effect on the entire staff. Luckily, they were able to stay in the top 10 of ERA. Overall, they have finished tied ninth with the Cleveland Guardians with an ERA of 3.97. Like the old saying goes, “you can’t have too much pitching”. That is the problem with the Yankees. They’re hesitant to add depth to a rotation that’s prone to injuries besides from SP Gerrit Cole.

There is some concern with signing Montgomery to be starter for the Yankees. He can be prone to injuries as well. During his run with the team back then, he suffered many major injuries on the upper body. Back in 2018, Montgomery was forced to sit out for an extended time thanks to Tommy John surgery on his elbow due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

The other concern is how well are the Yankees going to use Montgomery. In other words, are the Yankees going to let Montgomery pitch the way he did with Texas or are they going to run it back to what they had back in 2022?

Sign Left Hander Blake Snell

The Yankees also have the option of signing left-handed pitcher SP Blake Snell. Snell is coming off a phenomenal year where he earned himself a Cy Young award for the second time in his career. He also won back in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays. This season, Snell led the National League with an ERA of 2.25 while also finishing second behind SP Spencer Strider with a strikeout rate of 31.5 percentage. He won the NL’s Pitcher of the Month honors in both June and September.

Another thing to note, Snell is no stranger to Yankee Stadium. He has faced the Yankees various times back when he was with Tampa Bay. And of course, he did have some success back then. That is something the Yankees should look at when determining whether or not to signing him. Overall, he fits perfectly well at Yankee Stadium. His experience says it all.

Test the Trade Market

A third option the Yankees could be testing the trade market. There isn’t much available in the trade market for the Yanks but there are some decent pitchers who could be available. One pitcher that comes to mind to trade for is SP Shane Bieber. Now it is pretty clear that the Cleveland Guardians aren’t close to competing in ’24. After the hiring Stephen Vogt as the team’s new manager, it may seem that the team is in rebuild mode. The Yankees could consider trading for Bieber if the other plans fail. The good thing about trading for Bieber is that the Guardians won’t ask for much in return. While he is still a good pitcher, Bieber is far from his peak form that won a Cy Young award.

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Despite their slow start to the season, the New York Knicks have finally found their own pace in the last couple of games. Expected to be a top-three team, they now hold the fifth position in the Eastern Conference with a 12-7 record. Considering the last couple of games have been against teams with records below .500. The team is currently coming off a tough loss where they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks while playing in the In-Season Tournament. While this run means a good sign of what is to come, things get tough in December. From Dec. 5-30, their next eight opponents all have records above .500, including the Milwaukee Bucks. If the Knicks can continue the trend they have going so far, it may be time to come back to the conversation of extending Tom Thibodeau for the longer term.

The next couple of games could determine the direction the team might head, so it may be interesting to see if the Knicks have found their long-term coach based on their performance.

Find A Way To Improve Against Decent Teams

It is clear the Knicks struggle against teams with better records than them. They lost seven games, including two against the Los Angeles Clippers in James Harden’s debut and a game against the Miami Heat, who blew an 18-point lead with 10 minutes left in regulation. That’s the thing about being a good basketball. It’s not just about dominating weaker teams but stronger ones as well. New York has not yet shown that they’re capable of doing that. Something has to change if the Knicks want to improve moving forward. December does not get any easier for this team. Eight of the games during that month are against teams with better records than the Knicks. With that being said, this month would be crucial for the team trying to find a way to dominate once again.

Show More Consistency With The Shooting

Not enough players have been consistent enough with their shots. One of these players is guard Quentin Grimes, who’s been struggling for most of the season. Thus far, Grimes is just averaging just 5.8 points per game. What’s even worst is that he is not making enough shot-making plays when the opportunity presents itself. He is just shooting 35.9 from the field. As the season continues, I expect improvement from him.

Josh Hart, who was acquired by the Knicks last year, hasn’t found his rhythm either. He did turned out to be a fan favorite last year because of his impact on the team. Nothing as of yet this year hasn’t been impressive. Tom Thibodeau handed him a role change, leading to that. Lately, Hart has not received a lot on the ball but has been given more time in the power forward position.  Moving forward, the Knicks need to change this if they want to see more consistent shooting from their role players.

Give More Playing Time To The Young Stars

Yes, giving more playing to the young stars is crucial if the Knicks want to win games. One player who deserves more playing time is guard Immanuel Quickley. This season as of yet we haven’t seen much action much from yet. Currently, he has been coming off the bench as a 6th man role. The Knicks are much better on the court when he’s not in the bench. In addition, Quickley is just averaging 24 minutes a night. Something has to change because the Knicks can easily take off when a young talent like Quickley is on the court.

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After a disappointing 2023 season, the New York Yankees were desperately trying to get back to their own winning ways. It did not even take long to accomplish this goal. Earlier this week, the Yankees were able to land two outfielders in separate blockbuster deals that no saw coming. The first deal came along with their long-time rivals Boston Red Sox in which they came to agreement on bringing LF Alex Verdugo to New York.  Then came the second deal which probably sets off the entire offseason. The Yankees and San Diego Padres came to terms on acquiring RF Juan Soto. The deal did sting a bit as the Yankees had to surrender RP/SP Michael King, SP Drew Thorpe, C Kyle Higashioka, SP Jhony Brito, and SP Randy Vasquez, but the bottom line is that the Yanks added a superstar.

But this comes as no surprise. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said everything, including trades and signings, would be “on the table” at the Winter Meetings. It does sound that the Yankees are trying to go on a spending spree this offseason. Last time they have done so dates back to 2008. That offseason, the team had signed SP CC Sabathia, SP AJ Burnett and 1B Mark Teixeira. The rest was history.

Question is, can the New York Yankees become the Evil Empire they were once were? Time will tell.

The Ability to Pass the Tax Threshold

It has been very clear that the Yankees really want to go all in during this year’s offseason. In other words, after picking up both Verdugo and Soto through trades, signs are pointing to the team spending big in other important needs. Spending resources effectively may include adding another starting pitcher as one of the important needs. Yes, an ace starting pitcher is another huge step in taking the Yankees to the place they want to go, which is the World Series.

In the search for a starting pitcher to lead this team, one name that comes to mind is SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto is expected to sign this offseason after his NPB team posted him. Achieving success won’t be an easy bid, though. The San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and possibly the Los Angeles Dodgers are all contending teams to acquire Yamamoto. The Yankees may have to bid to over $300 million if they were land him, which is a fair price. That being said, overspending may result in resetting the taxes.

There may be consequences, as well, as a result of passing the tax threshold.  One of them is that the Yanks may lose comprehensive draft picks in future drafts. This happened before many times. The most memorable one dates back to the time in 2009 when the Yankees missed on the potential for OF Mike Trout thanks to the signing of Mark Teixeira back in 2008. It is hard to complain, though, since Teixeira helped bring the Commissioner’s Trophy back to the Bronx.

The Opportunity to Lock Up the Future

There is a very decent chance that the Yankees may very well start locking up key players towards long-term extensions. This is a trend the Atlanta Braves popularized back in 2022. Players that they locked up include 3B Austin Riley, 1B Matt Olson, SP Spencer Strider, CF Michael Harris, and C Sean Murphy. Some of these players turned out to be homegrown players, but others were headline acquisitions.

The Yankees may have the opportunity to do the same thing when the time comes. The players they must lock up for sure includes Juan Soto, 2B Gleyber Torres, C Austin Wells, and CF Jasson Domínguez. By doing so, it keeps the team competitive for years to come even with competitive tax issues ahead. Torres and Soto are entering their final years of team control, so they won’t come cheap.

Not to mention this move also allows the Yankees to benefit financially. By locking in contracts early, the team may avoid inflated market prices for in-demand players. This can be especially advantageous in the context of rising player salaries and the competitive nature of free agency. It can give the team the ability to allocate resources more efficiently. More importantly, this kind of financial move benefits in regard to strategic budgeting and planning for other aspects of the team, such as player development, scouting, and facility upgrades. The committed cost of players allows the front office to make informed decisions and maintain a balanced budget.

The Opportunity to Redeem Themselves

Following the disappointing season, the Yankees may have another opportunity to give the fanbase what it desperately needs. And that need is change. This team needs major changes in order to compete with other teams that currently lie ahead of them. It’s been 14 years already that this team hasn’t gone to a World Series. But with these moves on the horizon, look out: the old New York Yankees that we’ve known may be back once again.

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So far, the Los Angeles Lakers have delivered a so-so performance. In a year when they’re anticipated to be among the top teams, they currently occupy the eighth position in the Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Unfortunately, injuries have caused the team to lose crucial games, placing them at the bottom of the standings. The slow start has been disappointing, but plenty of games remain left to play. Darwin Ham’s questionable coaching decisions have contributed to Los Angeles’s ‘ struggles thus far.

Recently, the Lakers are coming off a tough loss handed to them by Joel Embiid and The Philadelphia 76ers. While it’s no surprise, thanks to the increase in injuries, More importantly, the 44-point loss also became the worst experience for LeBron James, who is playing his 21st season in the NBA. He led the team with just 18 points, going 8-12 from the field and five assists. Surprisingly, he did not have a single rebound at all.

What’s next for the Lakers as the season goes on? We need lots of answers moving forward.

Inconsistency

Inconsistency has been one of the main reasons why the Lakers have been struggling as of recently. Part of this is due to the length of the schedule. There would be times when the team would have hot/cold nights during back-to-back games on a nightly basis. Additionally, there would be games where the Lakers have not been leading after the first quarter, which is a reason for their losses in crucial games. Winning the first quarter is crucial if the Lakers want to improve more efficiently. This season, they own a net rating of -5.0 in the first quarter, which is 30th in the league.

Forward Anthony Davis, who’s entering his fifth season with the Lakers, has also shown inconsistency for most of the season. He hasn’t been making a lot of shot-making plays that he should been every night for the Lakers. There’s a reason why Los Angeles had resigned him this offseason to a three-year worth $186 max extension. They believe that Davis could be a difference maker for the long-term future. Right now, he’s not living up to those expectations due to the inconsistencies/injuries he’s had with the team thus far. Though early in the season, Davis must improve his A-game.

Not Enough Supporting Cast

The Lakers have not seen a lot of from effort on a daily basis from players like Austin Reaves. Reaves, who was recently resigned to a four-year, $56 million extension, has not been the best since last year. Currently, he is averaging 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. Additionally, his shooting is at 46%, which is okay but can improve. Still, he’s proven effective when coming off the bench. In the last nine games, the Lakers are 7-2 when Reaves comes off the bench while also possessing the league’s 7th-best point differential.

Forward Taurean Prince needs to step up as another shooter for the Lakers. The Lakers signed Prince for one year worth $4.5 million early this offseason. So far this year, the team has not witnessed consistent effort from him; he’s shooting just 40% from the field and a career-low 27.4% from three-point range. To improve, Prince must maintain aggressiveness on the ball, translating to an increased number of shots. The team, however, has not lost confidence.

What Changes Need To Happen

Continuing to play the young kids is a must if the Lakers want to get back to their winning ways. So far, we haven’t seen much action from guard Max Christie and center Jaxson Hayes. The Lakers know that both players can make an impact on the team moving forward. It would be nice if the Lakers could give them more playing minutes and have them in the starting lineup more often.

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For the first time since 2016, the New York Yankees missed the playoffs following a disappointing regular season. Despite winning 82 games and finishing over .500, it just wasn’t good enough for them to nab a playoff spot.

Frustration has also come to fruition for a fanbase that hasn’t seen this team make a World Series appearance in 14 years, ever since the opening of the new Yankee Stadium. Major changes need to come sooner rather than later.

The construction of the 2023 roster, filled mostly with veterans, played a part in this disappointing season. Journeyman veterans like 1B/OF Jake Bauers, 3B Josh Donaldson, and OF Billy McKinney were all involved in it.

What is next for New York as the 2023 offseason progresses? We need lots of answers moving forward.

Pitching Woes

One of the biggest weaknesses the front office needs to address this offseason is the starting pitching. Heading into the 2023 season, the Yankees were expected to have elite pitching throughout the year. But that wasn’t the case for this year’s team. Injuries and poor pitching performances have all contributed to their struggles this season. The staff as a whole finished 10th in ERA. Their biggest star of the rotation all year long was SP Gerrit Cole, who was outstanding. As a result of his hard work, Cole earned his first Cy Young award, becoming the first Yankee to do so since SP Roger Clemens back in 2001.

There were other pitchers that deserve some credit for their contribution to the rotation this season. One of them is SP Clarke Schmidt, who was solid for the most part of the season. Despite having an ERA over four, Schmidt proved to become a huge factor for the Yanks as they went through their highs and lows. His combination of cutter-slider-sweeping curve was what led him to seeing better results this year than last year. All proved to be effective pitches. Then there was SP/RP Michael King, who looked outstanding in the final remaining games of the season. In just eight starts, King posted an ERA of 1.88 with 48 strikeouts in just 38 1/3 innings pitched. This just shows the kind of impact King is capable of as he continues to make his case for a spot in the rotation for next season.

SP Carlos Rodon, newly signed Yankee for six years at $162M, did not make a good first impression. In his first full season in pinstripes, Rodon started just 14 games. This was due to injuries that has limited him in the past. But that doesn’t take away from his poorly pitched season.

Last but not least is SP Luis Severino. The 2023 season for Severino was a disastrous one. Though he did manage to throw 19 games for the Yankees this year for the second straight year after just appearing in just 7 games from 2019-2021, he plummeted to a 6.65 ERA.

Inconsistent Offense

The ability to rely on OF Aaron Judge all the time was an issue for the 2023 Yankees. As soon as the team learned about the “freaky” injury Judge suffered versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, the dynamic of the lineup wasn’t the same anymore. They had to rely on stars such as 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Gleyber Torres, and DH Giancarlo Stanton. Unfortunately, some of the stars were not making the case to carry on the workload. As a result, the Yankees finished with a record of 25-31 without Judge in the lineup. Additionally, they owned a batting average of .225 combined without him. That just shows how much of a difference maker Judge is to the lineup.

Unfortunately, general manager Brian Cashman decided to stay pat at the trade deadline even with Judge sidelined for a while. He stated that the team is “in to win” despite no major moves being made. That’s what made the team even worst. The veterans as mentioned earlier did not make a difference either. As the midseason got worse, the Yanks even had to make a change regarding the hitting coach duties. They hired MLB Network analyst Sean Casey as the interim hitting coach, replacing Dillon Lawson.

Despite the offensive struggles from the team, there were some positives takes from the team as September arrived. The call-ups of UTIL Everson Pereira, OF Jasson Dominguez, SS Oswald Peraza, and C Austin Wells all provided a spark, which was something the team needed for a while. The rookies rewarded the team in some positive ways by helping them get back to their winning ways. It will be exciting to see what these young kids bring to the table next season.

Ideal Offseason

The Yankees definitely need a couple of left-handed batters in their lineup. Two of the biggest names that come to mind are OFs Cody Bellinger and Juan Soto, both of whom are linked to the Yanks. By acquiring these two stellar players, the Yankees may finally get over the hump of their 14-year World Series drought. It’s all on the front office if the Yankees want to make these splashy moves.

Starting pitching may also be an important need this offseason for the Yankees. After what happened to Rodon and the other pitchers in the rotation, the Yanks may need to considered going all in for another pitcher once again. The pitcher that solves this problem is NPB ace SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will sign this offseason.

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