3 Up And 3 Down: Who's Hot And Who's Not In New York Sports
By Daniel Friedman
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Taking a look at who's hot and who's not on the local sports landscape:
THREE UP:
1. MSG Rookies
Kristaps Porzingis and Oscar Lindberg are both international imports, as well as key contributors to their teams during their first seasons. It's exciting stuff.
2. Rangers
They've won eight games in a row, Henrik Lundqvist is a Vezina candidate to this point and Mats Zuccarello is clicking at a point-per-game pace.
3. Brook Lopez
Brooklyn's big man is averaging eight rebounds and nearly 20 points per game. Unfortunately for the Nets, human cloning is not yet feasible.
THREE DOWN:
1. Garth Snow
The Islanders' GM has to figure out how to move his best young defenseman while trying to get commensurate value in return, now that it's been revealed that Travis Hamonic requested to be traded. Snow has reportedly been trying to negotiate a solution ever since the start of the regular season.
2. Jets — On and Off the Field
Things aren't looking good for the Jets as far as their playoff aspirations are concerned. Additionally, former Gang Green running back Matt Snell announced he will skip his Ring of Honor induction ceremony, continuing to hold a grudge that has persisted for 30 years. Nobody's sure why he's upset with the organization, but plenty of theories -- from being snubbed for a job offer to rising season-ticket costs -- are out there.
3. Brook Lopez's Team
One step forward, three steps back. That appears to be the mantra this season for the Nets, who lost their 10th game of the season on Wednesday night after getting their second win the previous contest.