Daily Briefing: June 28, 2011

– Today’s biggest news is probably David West’s decision to opt-out of his contract and test the free agency waters.  Could the Nets be interested?  We reported on it a few months ago.  He’s certainly a great fit.  Kris Humphries is still fairly unproven.  Humphries coming off the bench would be great for the Nets’ depth.  That’s where the one-year-wonder belongs on a playoff team.  Now I love Humphries and have defended him since he was acquired.  But I’m just not sold he can be a consistent impact player.  Could he be?  Of course.  But I’d rather have him right now as my second power forward.

– David West leaving the Hornets will almost guarantee Chris Paul will not be a Hornet in 2012-2013.  There’s no way he would have stayed anyway.  Losing West is just another reason to leave.

– Contrary to West, Tim Duncan won’t opt-out of his deal.  No surprises there.  The Spurs are the Devils of the NBA.  They’ll still be good next year, and for years to come as long as Duncan is there.  Think of Duncan as Martin Brodeur.  Once either one of those guys leave, a massive rebuilding/retooling phase will be necessary.  But until then, their teams will be extremely competitive.

– According to sources, Dave Checketts, a former president of the Knicks, will serve as a basketball consultant to the Detroit Pistons.

– Derek Jeter resumed batting practice and running yesterday.  That’s good news for the Yankees.

– Deion Branch and Eli Manning both expressed optimism yesterday for a new CBA.  I think it’s safe to say a deal will be reached, probably within the next two weeks or so.

– I, as well as many others, wholeheartedly believe Brad Richards will be a Ranger come Friday.  I’ve said it multiple times.  However, the Leafs and Lightning still both think they’ve got decent shots.  Still, it will be a major upset if someone can prevent Richards from wearing red, white, and blue next season.

– Chris Drury was not placed on waivers today, which would have been the first step towards buying him out.

– Brooks Laich was signed to a ridiculous 6 year, $27 million per deal by the Caps this this morning.  Hilarious.

– The Penguins hope to reach a agreement on a one-year deal with former Ranger Jaromir Jagr before Friday.

As always, feel free to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest breaking news on all things New York sports.

Three days until Brad Richards is a Ranger.

Celtics Sweep Knicks

It’s over.  The Knicks have been swept by the Celtics.  This is obviously an embarrassing loss, but it should be a fun offseason ahead.  D’Antoni has to go, but we all know Dolan doesn’t have the guts to fire him.  Hopefully the Knicks can land Marc Gasol or convince the Hornets to trade Chris Paul, although the latter is a bit improbable.  I would like to say I’m sure it will all work out for the better, but honestly I don’t trust this franchise to do the right thing anymore.

For more on the Knicks and their future, see my rant this week on them.

The official New York Sports Today "Marc Gasol to the Knicks" campaign starts now.

NBA Power Rankings: July 28, 2010

Based on this year’s offseason and last year’s performace, I have ranked all thirty NBA teams.    When the NBA season begins, I will be doing weekly power rankings.   Feel free to leave a comment and list your own rankings. 

1) Los Angeles Lakers
2) Miami Heat
3) Orlando Magic
4) Boston Celtics
5) Dallas Mavericks
6) Chicago Bulls
7) Atlanta Hawks
8 ) Utah Jazz
9) San Antonio Spurs
10) Denver Nuggets
11) Portland Trailblaizers
12) Oklahoma City Thunder
13) Milwaukee Bucks
14) New York Knicks
15) Charlotte Bobcats
16) Phoenix Suns
17) Houston Rockets
18) Memphis Grizzlies
19) New Orleans Hornets
20) New Jersey Nets
21) Cleveland Cavaliers
22) Philadelphia 76ers
23) Washington Wizards
24) Indiana Pacers
25) Toronto Raptors
26) Los Angeles Clippers
27) Detroit Pistons
28) Golden State Warriors
29) Sacramento Kings
30) Minnesota Timberwolves

I really do see the Knicks as a top 15 team this year.  They should make the playoffs.  As far as the Nets go, they have a tough hill to climb.  I may have given them too much credit here, but I wouldn’t underestimate their young talent.  If Avery Johnson can inspire this team, they can go places.