NEW YORK KNICKS: SEASON IN REVIEW
By Tristan Magtibay
Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are
solely from the author's opinions and beliefs.
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Throughout this past NBA season, the Knicks became the surprise team of the league as they were unexpectedly the fourth seed in the East with 41 wins and 30 losses. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were added to their roster, building more firepower after a successful 2020-2021 campaign. Unfortunately, this soon became a season where the Knicks missed the NBA play-in completely and dropped to eleventh place in the standings. So what happened?
To start, their leading franchise player, Julius Randle, played a career year in the previous season, earning all NBA second-team honors. His first all-star game scored an average of 24 points per game, including 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game with 46% coming from field goals and 41% from 3-point shots. However, his results this year were disappointing as there was a drop in average of 20 points per game combined with a drop-off in efficiency to 41% field goals and 30% for three-point shots. Randle has shown to be more prone to weak shooting nights with single-digit point totals.
Many other factors also contributed to the Knicks’ poor standings this year, such as their downgraded defense. Kemba Walker is known as one of the worst defensive players in the league and Evan Fournier is known to be a shooter. These two led to a weaker perimeter defense where guards, both shooters and slashers, were able to take advantage of this fact.
Furthermore, basketball is played on two sides. If the Knicks’ defense struggled as a result of the addition of new offensive players, the results do not show that they had an improved offense either. The Knicks’ displayed a mere one rank improvement from 23rd last year to 22nd this season. Julius Randle played a huge role in the Knicks’ poor offense. Other players such as Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, Kemba Walker, and Evan Fournier, all have lower shooting splits between both field goal and 3-point percentages.
This year’s bright spot has been R.J. Barett, who played exceptionally. The change was the result of a more aggressive playing style, shown from his seven free throws per game and a much higher 3-point percentage, nearing 38 percent.
This season has been a disaster with a busy off-season on the horizon. A team with a mix of young players, experienced veterans, and average players all vying for playtime needs to create a more cohesive unit. Questions about trading players like the overpaid Evan Fournier and Julis Randle as well as veterans such as Kemba Walker and Alec Burks have been prevalent throughout the season and will now be answered in the off-season. Whether or not to fire Coach Tom Thibodeau is also something the Knicks will have to consider since he is known to have amazing first years with new teams and mediocre following seasons.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
LOCKOUT ENDS
By Anson Quan
Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are
solely from the author's opinions and beliefs.
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The Major League Baseball (MLB) lockout has finally ended 99 days after it was first announced. This lockout greatly impacted the MLB because players could not be signed or traded, affecting every team in the league; however, the end of the lockout means new and exciting opportunities for players as they can once again be signed to new teams that may offer higher salaries and more lucrative contracts.
Since the conclusion of the MLB lockout, teams have been able to resume normal operations, such as a multitude of trades and signings. According to an article from ESPN titled “New York Yankees Trade Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela to Minnesota Twins for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa” by Marly Rivera, the New York Yankees traded Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins for Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. This is notable because Isiah Kiner-Falefa was first signed to the Twins and was only traded to the New York Yankees 24 hours later. He will likely be a good addition to the Yankees’ roster due to his amazing defensive abilities. Rivera states, “Twins’ president of baseball operations Derek Falvey praised Kiner-Falefa's defensive skills after the trade, describing him as ‘a Gold Glove-level defender.’ ”
Another team that made a notable trade following the end of the lockout was the Seattle Mariners, who traded three of their players to the Cincinnati Reds for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez. According to an article from CBS Sports titled “Mariners-Reds Trade: Seattle Acquires Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez for Prospect Package” by R.J. Anderson, “The Seattle Mariners struck a deal with the Cincinnati Reds that will see them obtain All-Star outfielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suárez. The Reds will receive a prospect package in return that features four players. The teams announced the deal Monday afternoon.” Although this move could be a positive move for the Reds, the Mariners certainly benefited more from this. Anderson goes on to state, “Winker, 28 years old, made his first All-Star Game last season. He batted .305/.394/.556 (140 OPS+) with a career-high 24 home runs.” These statistics could boost the offense of the Mariners enough to potentially pave a way for them to make the playoffs.
The last notable team to make a trade was the New York Mets. According to Jeff Passan on Twitter, Chris Bassit was acquired by the New York Mets in exchange for J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. Chris Bassit is going to be in the rotation with Jacob Degrom and Max Scherzer. With this trade, the Mets could have one of the best rotations in the National League and have the potential to be on a playoff run.
The ending of the 2022 lockout has proved significant for Major League Baseball. Hopefully, we will see different teams making the playoffs to make it more interesting.
THE BATMAN MOVIE REVIEW
By Dylan Gaffey
Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are
solely from the author's opinions and beliefs.
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When a sadistic killer known as the Riddler begins murdering Gotham’s elite, Batman is forced to investigate. Played by Robert Pattinson, Batman uncovers Gotham’s hidden corruption and begins to question his own family’s involvement over the course of his mission. As the evidence becomes increasingly clear, Batman forges new relationships in an attempt to bring justice to those who have abused their power and have long plagued Gotham City.
The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, is more of a noir detective film than an action movie. A scene that truly captures this noir aesthetic is when the Riddler leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues for Batman to find. Batman joins forces with James Gordon, Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, to investigate.
I believe that this is definitely one of the best films of the decade. I would recommend this movie to any action, superhero, adventure, and crime film fans. The Batman is a dark film featuring complex themes, and viewer discretion is advised.
THE GILDED AGE TV SHOW REVIEW
By Abrielis Mejia
Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are
solely from the author's opinions and beliefs.
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A historical drama written by Julian Fellowes, The Gilded Age is an HBO original that first aired on January 24th, 2022. The Gilded Age revolves around Marian Brook, who is left penniless after her father dies, causing her to live in New York with her wealthy aunts Agnes and Ada.
Before buying a train ticket, Marian loses her purse but fortunately finds sympathy from Peggy, a nearby passenger, who pays for Marian’s train ticket. When Marian and Peggy arrive in New York City, they discover that the ferry is unavailable, which means that Peggy will be unable to return home. Marian brings Peggy with her to her aunts’ house, at which, she is initially met with discontent. However, upon learning that Peggy went to school in Philadelphia, Aunt Agnes offers a job to Peggy, which she accepts.
I believe The Gilded Age is one of the best shows to air thus far in 2022. The background and costumes truly capture the ambiance of the 1870s. The way the show presents upper-class society in the late 19th century is marvelous and is worth watching simply for that fact. The drama gradually builds up and when the tension finally breaks, the show gets really exciting.
Bayside High School senior Lucia Rojas expresses, “I hated having to wait for the next episode when it got interesting.”
Correspondingly, Bayside High School senior Angela Liu says, “I liked the drama because it wasn't all romance [based] drama that shows usually do.”
Another enjoyable aspect of The Gilded Age is its suspense. However, others may not find it as entertaining because it takes time to get to the real drama. The show tends to cut down on certain characters’ screen times in the midst of their issues, resulting in a feeling of manufactured suspense.
In conclusion, The Gilded Age is a very interesting show that develops complex characters and requires viewers to be patient with its pacing. The dramas and conflicts in the show are realistic for its time period and I truly believe anyone will enjoy the show.