There is plenty of talent to be had if the Nets can sneak into the top three during tonight's lottery selection process.

The Brooklyn Nets will attempt to improve their current roster through the 2012 NBA Draft, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 28, at the Prudential Center in Newark.  Selection of NBA team draft order for lottery teams will be held today (May 30).

Based on the current lottery standings, the Nets stand a 7.6 percent chance at obtaining the number one draft pick from this year’s draft.  The team has a 25.3 percent chance at top three draft choice as well.

The Nets have to obtain one of the top three selection spots in order to participate in the first round of the draft.  If they do, they will have an interesting time deciding who to select as the player for their team.

Should the Nets receive a top three selection, they should select the following players:

Pick 1.  Anthony Davis (PF, Kentucky).  This is an obvious choice.  Davis was arguably the most athletic big man in college basketball last season, averaging 14.2 points per game on 62% field goal percentage.  The nineteen year old big man, with a 7-4 wingspan, also averaged 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game (both team highs).  He is, perhaps, the most impressive blend of athleticism and physical talent in the NBA draft this year.  The Nets are in dire need of some athleticism in the frontcourt to play alongside Brook Lopez.  He would be the perfect fit.

Pick 2.  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, Kentucky).  Kidd-Gilchrist was a beast at Kentucky.  He has the necessary skills and versatility to be an outstanding NBA swingman for the Nets team, which they desperately need.  His most prolific skill-set is getting out on fast breaks and pushing the basketball in transition. Although his numbers were not as impressive as Davis’, his aggression, size, quickness, and physical nature make him a force going to the basket, and would be a headache for any team he faces.  He would be a tremendous wing addition to the Nets team going into next year.

Pick 3.  Andre Drummond (C, UConn).  As stated before, Nets need to improve their frontcourt going forward in order to remain competitive.  Drummond would be a good option in this regard if they were picking at 3.  The 6-11 center has many strong qualities.  Drummond averaged 10.0 points and 2.7 blocks per game during the 2011-12 season.  His combination of power, size, athleticism, mobility, and explosiveness was unmatched at the college level and will translate well into the NBA with time.  Partnered with Lopez (or Humphries when coming off the bench), the Nets would undeniably have the best frontcourt in the eastern conference.

Players like Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas), Jarred Sullinger (PF, Ohio State), and Perry Jones (PF, Baylor) excelled in college, but do not possess talent that can translate well into the NBA.  They were great college players but will only become serviceable NBA players.  Bradley Beal (SG, Florida), Jeremy Lamb (SG, UConn), and Austin Rivers (SG, Duke) are great players, but the Nets do not necessarily have a need at that position and should not invest their only first round pick for these players.

The Nets certainly have their work cut out for them when deciding who they should select for their team for next season.  This pick may very well determine the fate and success (or lack thereof) of the franchise for years to come.

Zach Parise (L) or Dustin Brown will be the first American born captain to raise the Cup since 1999.

So, not only is John Denver full of you know what, so is Bing Crosby. The most wonderful time of the year starts at 8pm on May 31^st when the New Jersey Devils host the Los Angeles Kings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals at The Prudential Center.

Devils fans have been patiently waiting for another chance at Lord Stanley since reaching the finals against the Colorado Avalanche in 2003-2004. For some on the Devils roster, it’ll be their first chance to bring home hardware that they’ve been dreaming of since they first heard tape unraveling off a roll, skates slice the ice, and watch their own heroes of the game lift that 34.5 lb most prized trophy in the sports world. For other Devils skaters, it’ll be a chance to add a 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th ring to the shelf while one member of the coaching staff, Larry Robinson, will have his name potentially etched for a 10^th time.

Martin Brodeur well be playing in his 200^th Stanley Cup Playoff game tonight.

“I didn’t know that,” Brodeur said. “I’ve been playing a long time, it’s always nice to compete, especially in this situation. For myself I always approach my game the same way, from Day 1 until now. I want to give my team the best chance to win. I’m probably not gonna steal too many games, but I try not to hurt my team and be there for them when they need me, and go on with what I do. I think it’s working out pretty good, I don’t put extra pressure on me. Especially now – this is fun. I’m really enjoying the moment probably more than in the past because of the situation.”

Marty knows more than anyone that the experience is the experience of playing the game. There’s one constant carrying over in the 4^th and final round. Each player knows what’s at stake. Someone’s going home a winner and someone isn’t. Now is the time to put everything you have into every shift you take. Anyone playing the game knows you never know when you’ll have another chance to play for a Stanley Cup. Seize the moment and take advantage of the opportunity.

Every Devils player is healthy on the roster, as are the Kings. Come 8pm tonight, the predictions, the assumptions, and unanswered questions will start to be put to rest.

While Martin Brodeur is clearly the most seasoned guy on the ice, there’s no lack of hunger for any first timers making a cup appearance. Both Dustin Brown and Zach Parise, who are the locomotives of these clubs, have quite a bit of history and know that one of them will be the first American born captain to lift the cup since Derian Hatcher did for Dallas back in 1999.

I see very similar styles of play in both of them. While Brown possesses more of a get under your skin type of game, Parise brings an extremely tough, in your face, never give up forecheck and work ethic. Both players will offer everything they have to give as Brown tries to end his city’s cupless history and Zach tries to make his mark in an already successful franchise and maybe lock up a long term contract in the Garden State come summer of 2012.

“There’s so much that has to be done before you can even start to think about that [raising the cup],” Zach stated. “It’s a great game in the U.S. and that says a lot for American hockey.”

Both Brown and Parise have rich history together and tons or respect for their individual games. Both work hard, both play passionately, and both create plays when they are on the ice. Zach likes to show up early for practice and end late. Players are seeing that and feeding off what he brings to the table. Just as Scott Stevens brought that same intensity and work ethic out of everyone captaining the team to three cups, maybe Parise can do the same for the future of Devils hockey in NJ.

There is a lot of talent on this roster and it’s going to be a fun final to watch. Ilya Kovalchuk will also appear in his first Stanley Cup Final. For a player who’s never made it past a first series win, this has been a dream season for him as well now leading all players in post season points at 18. He knows it doesn’t get any easier going forward.

“They won’t give us anything for free,” Kovalchuk said.

If Kovalchuk can elevate his game even more, it’ll make the Devils that much more dangerous for the Kings.

So what will the Stanley Cup finals get to offer those awaiting for puck drop? You’re going to see two remarkable goaltenders battle it out, physical play from both defensemen and forwards on both benches along with some fast paced hockey to keep you on the edge of your seat. While the Devils come in as underdogs again, here are my 3 keys for the Devils to lock up a 4^th title.

1)    Defense – The Kings have 18 of 20 players who’ve registered a point or more this post season. While the Devils defense has done a pretty good job through the last 2 rounds preventing pucks from being banged through Brodeur’s pad, they are going to have to be ready to clear out a Kings team that plays in your face and likes to crash the net. They need to be calm and play solid positioning and not give the Kings any chances to beat them to Marty.

2)   Goal tending – Everyone knows this will be a huge topic of conversation for the finals, and it already it. Jonathan Quick is probably quickly, see what happened there, running away with the Vezina trophy, and Martin Brodeur is not showing any signs of a 40 year old goaltender. He’s playing better than expected and giving his team a chance to win night in night out against some impressive offensive teams. With Jonathan Quick registering a .946 save % and Brodeur a .923 save %, don’t count on any blow outs, despite teams full of offensive studs.

3)    Pressure, pressure, pressure – The Devils know they have to do one thing going forward: play the game that’s made them so successful. The Devils know how to throw a team off their game, but relentless forechecking, puck control in their offensive zone, and help from their defense through the neutral zone and along the blue line. The Devils will face the same challenge with Jonathan Quick as they did Henrik Lundqvist. A goalie that doesn’t make many mistakes at chances he sees all the way. Devils will have to put traffic in front and just keep firing away the puck. They need to be over the top with their pressure on the Kings in their end hopefully crack their confidence coming into the Prudential Center 9-0 on the road this post season. They need production and pressure to come from all 4 lines. 

My prediction. Devils win in 7 games.   

Terry Collins and the Mets have begun a tough 25 game stretch against teams above .500.

The Mets are two games through the 25-game gauntlet and, so far, are 1-1. The next 23 will be against teams above .500 and teams that all look like contenders at this point, including AL teams which can blow your doors off with the DH in the lineup.

The first game loss to Cole Hamels and the Phillies was just insult to injury when Justin Turner went down. The depth at shortstop is so bad that they had to move David Wright there to finish the game. He played shortstop in high school, but this is several years later. Ruben Tejada is still feeling a little twinge in the hamstring, and Ronnie Cedeno is hurt (again). So, the Mets called up Omar Quintanilla, who I thought was a joke of a signing this offseason. However, he’s looked good so far in Buffalo (Triple-A) and helped win the second game against Philadelphia.

Jon Niese looked lost in the first game. I don’t know what to think with him at this point. I thought he turned the corner, and so did the Mets, as evidenced by the contract extension. Lefties are usually late bloomers, so there’s still hope. Niese has the pitches but, so far, he’s been up and down.

Jeremy Hefner got another chance on the mound and, this time, he was not going to be denied a win. He even hit a homerun to help his cause. Hefner came up and had two good appearances followed by two bad experiences. The last one was blamed on not knowing how to get ready again after a rain delay. I guess I can accept that answer for now, but it’s a weak one. Last night, he carried the Mets to a win.

Wright and Lucas Duda broke out of their slumps and Daniel Murphy is continuing to come out of his. Without production from these three, it could be an ugly month. Josh Thole should be back next week and Tejada is hopefully close as well. I could mention Jason Bay, but, personally, I don’t care. He has done nothing since he signed with the Mets and will probably do nothing until the end of the contract.

This month will be a true measuring stick for the Mets. Even if they go .500, it won’t be so bad because they’d still be six games over .500, but that doesn’t scream contender even though teams have won it all with less. The St. Louis Cardinals did it at 83 games a few years ago.

The division is within reach right now and, hopefully, the Mets management will kick it into high gear if they get to the top. The Phillies are about to die a slow death with Utley, Howard and Halladay all out with injuries. The Braves are smoke and mirrors when Chipper Jones is out, and the Marlins and Nats aren’t ready for prime time yet.

Let’s Go Mets

The 2012 Eastern Conference Champion, New Jersey Devils

From the fans to the players, this series lived up to the hype. What better script could be written than defeating two division rivals en route to a 5^th Stanley Cup Finals? The only ending I could see suitable is with the good guys lifting Lord Stanley.

You knew Game 6 in Newark with the New Jersey Devils hosting the New York Rangers would deliver. And deliver it did. The atmosphere in the building was energetic long before the puck dropped at center ice. It started in Championship Plaza, up the escalators, and in the seats. Devils fans were ready to make noise and ready to send the Rangers home early.

If there was ever a new headline that needed to be written, it was the Devils ousting the Rangers in 6 games at home in order to play for the Stanley Cup. This team hasn’t showed any love towards each other in the past 30 years. The Rangers wanted to control the tempo of the game, but failed to do so. While some ping pong like play kicked off the first period in the neutral zone, the Devils were quickly able to control their nerves and took complete control of the first period. Just about half way through the 1^st period at 10:05, Devils Ryan Carter changed the scoreboard. The 4^th line has given every team headaches thus far and, for Henrik Lundqvist, that didn’t change.

The Devils drew first blood and were relentless on their forecheck yet again. If that didn’t hurt, Devils were able to grab a 2-0 lead on a power play goal by Ilya Kovalchuk that beautifully touched every players stick on the ice and was one timed home by the Russian stud. While the hockey universe was stunned with the Devils level of play in the first 20 minutes, two usual characters had to crash the party.

Ruslan Fedotenko & Ryan Callahan both netted goals in the second period to hush the crowd at Prudential Center. I watched a Devils team go from dominant to reckless as they couldn’t clear the zone and couldn’t answer the Rangers energy for most of the 2^nd and 3^rd periods. While the Devils and Rangers both put 14 shots on goal in the 1^st period, Rangers put on the heat by out shooting the Devils 21 to 12. So, if an epic game was going to end, why not have it end in overtime? For the first time this series, both teams found themselves in a very interesting situation. Devils win, and play for a 4^th Stanley Cup. Devils lose, and they go back to MSG which I don’t think anyone wanted. Nevertheless, big moments create big memories.

What was probably the 2^nd most important goal of his career, Adam Henrique, 1:03 into overtime, sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals. He kept the Devils cup run alive by scoring the double overtime goal in Game 7 versus the Panthers and now does it in the Eastern Conference finals against their cross river rivals.

“That’s a big one. That’s one you dream about,” Henrique said. Peter Deboer also knows that everything happens for a reason. “I mean, this kid is in just the right place, at the right time. The two biggest goals of the playoffs come off his stick. That’s not accidental,” Deboer mentioned.

While 99% of Ranger fans out there will say the Devils got lucky and still put their team in a higher elite status than the Devils, the fact of the matter is, luck didn’t win this series and the #1 seeded Rangers will be on the outside looking in as a cup drought will now extended to 19 years.

This series could have easily gone either way by how tight all 6 games were played despite two shutout wins by the Rangers. It’s been an amazing run for Jersey’s team and the best is yet to come. On to the cup finals we go as the puck drops Wednesday 8pm at The Prudential Center for Game 1.

Mark Teixeira has been a hot hitter of late for the New York Yankees.

A mere week ago, the New York Yankees were mired in an energy-zapping slump that saw the team fall to .500 after losing seven of their last ten games. Panic was set to red alert for the first time since they began the season 0-3. Deciding who would replace Mariano Rivera and David Robertson as closer seemed moot, since the Yankees could barely score a run, let alone carry a lead into the ninth.

However, several things have happened in the past week that not only contributed to a five-game winning streak, but indicate to us impatient and demanding Yankee fans that maybe everything is going to be okay after all:

• Mark Teixeira started heating up. For weeks we heard the excuse that Teixeira was suffering from bronchitis, compromising his game. But, as his fever declined, the mercury in his bat shot straight through the roof. In the last seven games, Teixeira is 11-for-21 with 10 RBIs, silencing critics who lambasted him for his recent failure to hit with runners in scoring position. Tex has also hit four home runs in his last four games. When asked what he was doing differently, Teixeira simply said, “I just go up there, see the ball, and try to hit it really hard.” Let’s hope he keeps doing just that.
• The Yankees completed an entire rotation cycle with each starter delivering a quality performance. Things go especially smoothly when no one has to step up and be the stopper. They say good pitching is infectious (and so is good hitting, bad hitting, and bad pitching) and the Yankees proved that this past week. During their five-game winning streak, Yankee starters pitched 35 total innings, averaging seven innings a start and gave up only nine runs. Phil Hughes began the winning streak last Tuesday against the Royals, but was touched up by the Angels last night for seven runs in 5.1 innings, including four in the first inning. However, he is 3-1 in his last five starts, which is a huge improvement over his 1-4 start to the season, and many considered him to be the rotation’s biggest question mark.
• Brett Gardner and David Robertson began workouts in Tampa. The Yankees have missed Gardner’s speed immensely; without him they have few, if any, base-stealing threats. Yesterday he began taking dry swings to test out his strained right elbow and, according to manager Joe Girardi, “Everything went well.” Gardner will likely play a few rehab games in the minors before the decision will be made to reactivate him, and he probably won’t return to the lineup for at least two more weeks. Robertson played catch and experienced no discomfort from his strained oblique, a promising sign. He won’t rejoin the Yankees on their current road trip, so his earliest return date would be June 5 at Yankee Stadium.

Things in Yankee Land have been looking up lately. Their pitching seems to be settling in, and the eight runs their offense put up last night are the silver lining to a frustrating loss.

The Yankees will try to beat the Angels tonight and tomorrow as they hope to turn their west coast trip into a California dream.

Angle claimed that he would try out for the 2004 Olympic Games, but he never did. Now (yet again) he’s talking about trying out for the 2012 Olympics. At 43 years old, and after sustaining a litany of debilitating injuries, includuing spinal trauma, the overwhelming perspective is that Angle is just posturing for publicity’s sake. In a recent poll for PWI, a vocal 15 percent believe that Angle genuinely wants to return to Olympic competition, even if he’s a longshot to make the team. Many believe that Angle has fought against the odds his entire career. After all, if George Foreman could return to boxing at 45 years old, who’s to say that Angle can’t make another Olympic run?

On the flip side of the coin, Angle has also been known to desperately seek media attention. Since arriving on the scene at TNA Wrestling, Angle has had numerous run-ins with the law, including several DUI/DWI arrests, as well as some responses for domestic disturbances with an ex-girlfriend. There have also been several public outbursts via his social media Twitter account, which he later claimed was hacked.

Could it be that Angle’s desire to return to a legitimate competitive stage is yet another attempt to get into the good graces of the media and his fans? Has TNA Wrestling’s lack of growth caused concern for the aging performer whose body is about to tap out after years of enduring career threatening injuries?

Fans hope that this isn’t a desperate ploy to grab publicity for his name – but what else is left for him to do in the twilight of his career to maintain relevant? The last thing fans want is for Angle to wear out his welcome and embarrass himself much like Ric Flair has been doing for the last 10 years. Angle is arguably the best pound for pound wrestler in the world, and, for him to diminish his legacy for the sake of marking out for himself would be a shame and a painful reminder that there is no old timers day in a sport that chews up its athletes or pushes them to a breaking point.

The more he pushes himself, the more fans will beg him to walk away gracefully. Unfortunately, in this business, it is one of the most difficult things to do.

In the main event, Mir failed to become the second person in UFC history to hold the heavyweight title three times when dos Santos at 3:04 won in round two via TKO. The fight made dos Santos the first person to successfully defend the heavyweight title since 2008. In his last fight in the Octagon, it took dos Santos only 64 seconds to win the title and proved it was not a fluke victory.

Mir was not originally scheduled for a title shot, but replaced the number one contender Alistair Overeem who failed a prefight drug test a month earlier.

Dos Santos is known for his one punch knockout ability and Mir, who was fighting in his home state of Nevada, is known for being a submission expert. Mir’s submission ability did not matter as he was unable to take dos Santos to the ground once and, instead, decided to trade blows with his opponent. This caused Mir to have no control of the fight and the quick powerful shots from dos Santos helped him win easily against a veteran of the sport.

Mir tried early in round one with his only attempt at a takedown, but was unsuccessful. Mir knew his best chance of winning this fight was from the ground and, when his takedown failed, it led to easy win for dos Santos.

Dos Santos, in the post-fight press conference, said his plan was to tire Mir out in round one and then finish him in round two, which worked in the champion’s favor.

In the semi-main event, the man who lost his title to dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, made a statement when he defeated a bloody Antonio Silva after finishing him off at 3:36 of round one via TKO. In the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White said Velasquez is likely to be the number one contender and will have a chance to avenge his only MMA loss against the reigning champion dos Santos.

The always joking Roy Nelson only needed one shot to defeat Dave Herman at 51 seconds of round one via KO to not only win “Knockout of the Night” honors, but to save his job after coming into the fight with a 1-3 record. Prior to the fight, both fighters said they wanted to stand and trade blows, a statement Herman probably now regrets after being defeated so easily. For Nelson, this fight was one filled with uncertainty as Herman was the third replacement opponent because of reshuffling of the card due to Overeem’s suspension and an injury to Gabriel Gonzaga. The change clearly didn’t affect Nelson.

Both Stipe Miočić and Shane del Rosario entered the Octagon undefeated, with Miočić winning at 3:14 of round two via TKO, despite lots of foot work from del Roario. This fight also marked the UFC debut for Miočić, who was coming off 15 months of inactivity after being hit by a drunk driver. He showed little signs of ring rust.

The opening match of the main card featured the nearly seven foot tall Stefan Struve handing Lavar Johnson his first UFC loss. Lavar, fresh off his victory over Pat Barry four weeks ago at UFC on Fox 3, did what he does best when he put Struve against the cage early in the fight and connected with his powerful uppercut. It didn’t last long before Struve took him down with an armbar to win at 1:05 of round one to win via submission and to take home “Submission of the Night” honors.

The highlight of the Preliminary Card on FX saw Dan Hardy break his four fight losing streak to also win “Submission of the Night Honors” and, after a six years hiatus from the UFC, Jamie Varner KO’d the undefeated rising star Edson Barboza.

It’s no secret that the heavyweight division has been lacking the past several years, a statement White confirmed during the post-fight press conference, but, after UFC 146, it appears that the division is back towards the supremacy it once held after a night of hard hitting action.

Justin Cassel gave the Somerset Patriots the pitching performance it needed Friday night.

The Somerset Patriots got back on the winning track with a 4-0 win over the Camden Riversharks at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night.  Losers of five of their last six games, (including a bullpen-induced defeat Thursday afternoon), the Patriots needed a solid pitching performance.  Somerset starter Justin Cassel came through and got early help from the offense.

Jonny Tucker led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an infield single and Freddie Bynum extending his hitting streak to 16 games with a double to left-center field.  With runners at second and third and one out, Jeff Nettles earned an RBI on a groundout to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead.

While the Patriots bats were working early, Cassel was doing his part on the mound.  Cassel, who came into the game winless, struck out the side in the second and third inning and totaled seven strikeouts through three innings, while only giving up one hit.

Somerset extended their lead in the fifth inning with timely hitting from the bottom of the order.  Lou Santangelo led off with a single to right field and Rex Rundgren bunted Santangelo over, giving the Patriots runners at first and second.

With Tucker up, the Patriots called a double steal that worked to perfection, advancing Santangelo and Rundgren to second and third.  Tucker doubled to center field, scoring two runs and increasing the Somerset lead to 3-0.

Bynum continued his solid hitting with a sacrifice bunt that ended up being dropped by Camden first baseman Brian Burgamy.  Tucker advanced to third and went home in the commotion.  Burgamy threw the ball over the head of catcher Scott Knazek, allowing Tucker to score the fourth run.  After five innings, the Patriots were up 4-0.

Cassel’s night was over after seven shutout innings, striking out nine, surrendering four hits and two walks in the process.  TJ Hose pitched a clean eighth inning before handing the ball over to Josh Rupe for the ninth.

Rupe, who gave up the game-winning home run to Drew Macias on Thursday afternoon, came in for the ninth inning.  Marquez Smith and Burgamy would get on with singles to left and right field respectively.

Jake Eigsti grounded to Rundgren and he threw to third for the fielder’s choice.  With runners at first and second, Macias came up with a chance to cut the lead to one.  However, he would ground into a game-ending double play.  Cassel took his first victory of the season while former Patriot Kevin Reese took the loss for Camden.

The Patriots continue their series against Camden tonight with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch and a 1:05 p.m. start on Sunday afternoon.  After this series, Somerset goes on the road for eight days against Lancaster and Camden – playing four game series against both teams.

Game Notes

• Johnny Drennen is day-to-day with a chin laceration and concussion-like symptoms after his attempt to field a fly ball in the eighth inning saw him run into the right field fence.  Drennen was down for a short period but got up under his own power after the play.

• Jesse Hoorelbeke was pulled from the lineup just before Friday’s game due to migraines.  Adam Donachie took over for Hoorelbeke at first and batted seventh in the lineup.

Former Rutgers star, Jack Egbert, has been called up by the New York Mets and will get a chance out of the bullpen.

As you all know by now, Ike Davis can unpack his suitcases and parka.  There’ll be no trip to Buffalo for him. But, the New York Mets have made a few other moves, with a few more looming in the near future.

DJ Carrasco was designated for assignment about 10 days ago and, since there was no activity, they let him walk. Good riddance to a waste of a contract.

Without getting much of  a chance to show what he has, Robert Carson has been sent back to Buffalo. He gave up two runs and three hits in three innings, so nothing spectacular.

Jack Egbert has finally been called up. The former Rutgers star has been doing well in Buffalo and it was expected he’d get a chance at some point, but he is another righty. So, with Carson going down, that leaves Tim Byrdak as the lone lefty in the bullpen.

Everyone has been asking for Josh Edgin to come up, but he’s been shaky since his move to Buffalo. It looks like he got his control back, but it happens to all relievers over the course of a year. No reliever will be perfect all year. He’ll get a shot, but Egbert is first.

One move I was surprised they didn’t make was on Manny Acosta. He’s been horrible, except for a few sporadic moments of success. If he keeps bombing then Edgin may get that chance after all.

Ruben Tejada, Josh Thole and Jason Bay have all returned to baseball activities. Tejada and Thole may actually be back within the next week. Bay’s return depends on their plan for him. The Mets still look at him as a strong right handed bat, so I doubt he’d have a long rehab assignment like he should to find his stroke again (if he can), since he’s lost bat speed.

Rob Johnson has been filling in for Thole and doing an okay job. Ronnie Cedeno has taken Tejada’s spot and done well. Jordany Valdespin was in that spot, but he didn’t get a chance to really play much. Vinny Rottino is also up. He was hot when they brought him up, but now he’s riding the pine.

The Mets don’t have the depth they used to have, but the young guys are holding it down as best they can.

While still early in his career, the question is already being asked. Is Jon Jones the greatest MMA fighter of all-time?

The year 2011 was arguably the greatest year for any fighter in the history of the UFC with Jon Jones racking up four impressive wins and capturing the UFC light heavyweight title in the process, making it look natural along the way.

The New York native is currently 16-1, with his only loss coming by disqualification against Matt Hamill for an illegal elbow in a fight that Jones was clearly winning. Having the longest reach in the company at 84.5 inches certainly helps, but it’s more about the ability of Jones which has brought him to where he is in the sport. Every fight he enters, his confidence seems to grow, and rightfully so, after what he has done so quickly.

Impressive might be an understatement for what Jones has accomplished. He is the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old and the youngest to defend his title at 24, but his supremacy against some great fighters inside the Octagon is what makes him so special.

Since winning the title, he has successfully defended it three times, all against former UFC light heavyweight champions. Not only did he win, but it was done in dominating fashion.

For Jones, he first erupted into the mainstream of MMA when, in Feb. 2011, he was given the ultimate opportunity.

After submitting Ryan Bader, Jones was offered a title shot in a post-fight interview on live TV to replace his then injured teammate Rashad Evans in six weeks against then Light Heavyweight Champion Maurício Rua. Despite the short lapse in fights, Jones destroyed a growing veteran of the sport, making his title victory look easy.

Next, he would be the first person to make the ever vocal Quinton Jackson submit in a bout where Jone’s foot work came into play.

Less than three months later, Lyoto Machida and his karate style gave Jones his first instance of trouble in the opening round. This fight tested how well Jones could take offense from an opponent with Machida being one of the first fighters in the UFC to land some serious punches before passing out in round two from a standing guillotine choke (a move often performed on the ground).

In his last fight, Jones defeated former teammate Evans via unanimous decision in his first ever five round fight. Jones won with ease and showed he has the endurance to go five rounds.

Because of the magnificent 2011 year Jones had, he won “Fighter of the Year” from several top sporting companies with ESPN and Sherdog being the top two to honor him with this title.

On May 19, Jones was charged with suspicion of DUI after crashing his car against a utility pole at around 5 a.m. His first court date is scheduled for May 29. His management team issued a statement confirming that he was in an automobile accident and they were investigating the reason. Jones issued an apology to his fans via Facebook days following the arrest, which was deleted the next day. He is still scheduled to defend his title on Sept. 1 at UFC 151 against Dan Henderson. While this is certainly troubling news for Jones, it’s another challenge.

If 2011 and the first half of 2012 is a preview of what is to come from Jones, the MMA world is looking at the future of the sport.