Buster Olney has tweeted that Kazmir is considering six teams and the Mets are one of them. The Mets are interested in seeing him throw.

I guess my thought of taking a chance on the guy wasn’t that far from reality. You have nothing to lose if he goes to the minors and is ready as a reserve or he flames out and you lose a prorated amount on a minor league contract. Who knows, maybe they’ll find out what’s wrong with him and why he lost his speed.

If he is being counted on right now to be a savior then it’s the wrong move but if it’s just to give him a chance and see if he can be fixed then go for it.

In these parts, and perhaps it’s already known throughout the league, the best of the best is the Nets’ playmaker Deron Williams. We all knew the Nets received a super star when they traded for D-Will in the middle of the season last year, but I’m not convinced that everyone knew exactly the talent that New Jersey grabbed.

If there were any doubters, non-believers or people who just didn’t know, Deron Williams made his name known last night in the Nets’ brilliant 100-92 win over the Knicks. In the land of Linsanity — where fans, suits and celebrities filed in to catch a glimpse of New York’s phenom and the return of Carmelo Anthony — Williams emerged as the brightest star, torching the rival Knicks for a career-high eight 3-pointers and 38 points.

Williams made it known before the game that he wasn’t at all engrossed with the media hype surrounding the Knicks and Jeremy Lin. D-Will was well aware that the Lin-led Knicks started their captivating run two weeks ago against the Nets, and he was well aware that Lin outplayed him when the Knicks won that game earlier in the month. It’s safe to say that he was sick and tired of hearing about it.

Williams doesn’t play for media attention, especially since he balls in the same town that shares focus with the big brother Knicks. But D-Will certainly deserved better coverage than what he got since the first February meeting with New York. Since that loss, Williams has averaged more than 25 points a game and basically carried the Nets for the whole season. He even powered the team to a surprising win over the Chicago Bulls last Saturday.

But Williams has been an elite point guard for more than just a two-week stretch, he’s been doing this for most of his seven-year NBA career. He had been a 19-point, 10-assist man at Utah ever since he was inserted into the Jazz’s starting lineup in 2006-07, and he elevated his game even more in 44 playoff appearances out west. And he’s been nothing short of brilliant in his time playing at the Prudential Center. Though he had his season cut short last year because of an injury, his overall body of work proved that he was among the best point guards in the league.

This year is no exception. Yes, Jeremy Lin has been a savior for the Knicks and has brought that team back to life. But he cannot be placed into the elite point guard category yet. I’m not saying he’ll never make it there, but when push comes to shove, guys like D-Will, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook are in another stratosphere.

I’m a born and raised Knicks fan, so I’m not a hater, but the fact is that there are many blind Knicks fans who believe their guy is better than Williams. Well, if Williams’ performance last night didn’t open everyone’s eyes to his greatness, then wait for his likely encore performance when the Knicks come to Newark in April.

In case you missed it, here’s the point guard comparison from yesterday’s Nets’ win over the Knicks. Jeremy Lin: 36 minutes, 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting (2-for-4 from 3-point range), nine assists, minus-1. Deron Williams: 33 minutes, 38 points on 10-of-22 shooting (8-for-14 for 3-point range), six assists, plus-12.

Parnell may be in the same boat since he has an option left as well.

The Mets brought in three guys who are definitely getting spots in the bullpen (Rauch, Ramirez, Francisco) and have two who are just about guaranteed spots (Acosta, Byrdak).

DJ Carrasco has a contract but who even wants him around. Herrera had a decent showing but I feel he’s more of a novelty that gets old quick.

The Mets will probably bring someone along like a swingman (Batista, Schwinden, Olson, James or Hefner). With the uncertainty around Santana and you never know when an injury might occur like Niese’s yearly mishaps. The 6^th man will probably end up being very important.

This leaves one spot which can go to a situational lefty like Robert Carson or one of the others on the 40 man roster or they can bring along one of the young hard throwers but I have a feeling both of them will be in Buffalo.

If Beato is sent to Buffalo, I’d probably try to convert him to a starter again. He has four pitches he can throw at any time. Parnell has pitches but for some reason he becomes very hittable at times. The knucklecurve was working for him towards the end of the year so maybe he has that other pitch to get people off the heat.

Neither player is guaranteed a spot but they can make it. Who knows, someone else may flame out or someone may get traded since the Mets do have three guys with closing experience in Rauch, Ramirez and Francisco.

The Knicks would take the momentum from that game and get Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis in the lineup. However, they would drop what looked like a ‘W’ on the schedule to the New Jersey Nets.

Some notable statistics were Deron Williams 38 points. Jeremy Lin had another great statistical output with 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and only three turnovers while shooting poorly at only 7-18. The poor shooting also touched Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire as they only shot 4-for-11 for 11 points and 7-for-17 for 21 points respectively.

The Knicks had no answer for Deron Williams as he dropped in 38 points, including eight three pointers.

Now before we go and throw Melo under the bus, he admitted that he was rusty. Anybody that watched the game could see that Melo did not look sharp and that’s fine because he was making somewhat smart decisions while not overly disrupting the flow of the offense. The difference is that he shot poorly but did not necessarily take that many poor shots. You know he’s going to take poor shots but with his scoring ability you’ll have to live with that as a healthy Melo can get you 25 points on any given night.

Another thing to note about last night’s game is that Iman Shumpert did not dress. I don’t think Deron Williams would have scored as often and efficiently as he did tonight if Shumpert was in the lineup. It was clear that Deron was hot but Shumpert would’ve been able to hound him with his aggressive and effective on ball defense. This would’ve made him give up the ball rather than sink 8 threes on the Knicks defense.

Now that the Knicks have their full compilation of players I think the minutes should be distributed similarly to tonight. However, Baron Davis and J.R. Smith as they get more accustomed to the team should see an increase. I feel that the addition of J.R. is huge and could be extremely vital to the Knicks success as the season continues. I have always said that J.R. is one of the most natural and gifted scorers in the game. At times he can carry a team and the Knicks will have to ride his hot streaks out and live with the cold ones.

Let’s start with Sunday’s game, a 92-85 loss at home to a mediocre Milwaukee Bucks squad. Deron Williams dropped 26 points and six assists, and Anthony Morrow went 7-for-11 for 17 points off the bench, but the story of the day for the Nets was the return of All-Star center Brook Lopez.

Out since December with a broken foot, Lopez saw immediate action and was in the starting lineup. His numbers weren’t outstanding at all, and he would earn criticism had this been any other night. He played in limited time in his first game of the season, a total of 21 minutes while shooting just 2-for-7 from the field and a dreadful 5-for-11 from the free throw line (nine points total). But he gets a pass for obvious rationales — the rust of not having played a meaningful regular season and lack of in-game experience with guys like D-Will and MarShon Brooks, among other reasons.

There’s going to be an adjustment period for Lopez to get back into game shape. Physically, Lopez might be ready to play and run up and down the floor, but other areas of the game — setting a pick, taking a charge, boxing out — will take time getting used to. Getting in these three games before the All-Star break was a good move by Nets’ brass; Lopez will have time to heal up and further prepare for the second half.

But adjustments are also required by Lopez’s teammates, for guys like D-Will and Brooks especially. For much of the season, D-Will and Brooks have carried the brunt of the team’s scoring. With Lopez, the Nets now have three legitimate scorers (Lopez is a career 17-point man, in case you forgot). D-Will has gotten everyone involved throughout the year, but he should have no problem consistently going to a third scorer every night, especially since the new option is an inside post player.

And without question, guys like Kris Humphries and Shelden Williams are going to have an easy time adjusting with Lopez back in the paint. With Lopez as the number one option inside, Humphries and Williams won’t be counted as much for post scoring, and their rebounding on the offensive glass should likely increase. Case in point, Williams had 15 rebounds against the Bucks, nine of which were on the offensive end.

Of course, Lopez’s return won’t mean much to the Nets’ season if it doesn’t translate into wins. Already, the Nets are 0-1 since Lopez returned to the lineup. Shooting remains the Achilles’ heel: as a team, the Nets shot a dismal 34 percent from the floor, including 21 percent from 3-point range. D-Will got his shots (all 24 of them), but he only drew the bottom of the net on 10 of those shots. Brooks (not Brook Lopez, sorry if I confuse ya!), the Nets’ other consistent scorer shot just 3 of 14 from the floor. I’m sorry, you can bring in Dwight Howard but you’re still not going to win if your starting backcourt goes 13 for 38.

The Nets’ showing against the Bucks was the complete opposite of what happened the previous day against the Central Division-leading Bulls. Against Chicago, the Nets seemed to have everything going for them — scoring, rebounding, defense and a Derrick Rose injury.

I don’t fully recall what I was doing at the time, but I randomly tuned into the YES network and caught the opening of the game in Chicago. At first glance, I couldn’t believe my eyes and I ended up doing a double take. Maybe a triple take. Kris Humphries had just threw down a rim-rocker to put the Nets up 24-5 in the first quarter.

What!? The Nets had 24 points and there was still more than 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter!? The Nets actually had a 19-point lead, let alone any lead, against the Bulls on the road!? The Nets didn’t blow the huge lead and held on to win, 97-85.!?

Apparently, it was all true.

Remember when I called the Nets the league’s most enigmatic team in the league? The loss to Milwaukee and the win over Chicago is the perfect example. I went through the dismal numbers of the Bucks’ game, now look at the stats from the win over the Bulls. As a team, the Nets shot 40 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from 3-point range. D-Will was 5-of-9 from behind the arc and scored a game-high 29 points. Humphries had a monster of a double-double, with 24 points and 18 boards. Brooks had a stellar game with 19 points, and Shelden Williams chipped in with eight points and 14 rebounds.

Granted, Derrick Rose was absent from the game, but in the games that Rose has missed, the Bulls have still picked apart opponents and shut down teams even without their star guard. The Nets win was a game in which they proved that on any given night, they can run with the best of them. They can do that because they have the All-Star point guard and quality shooters and rebounders around him.

Now, the Nets have an above average post player to join that All-Star guard. There’s nothing really stopping the Nets from moving up the ladder in the Eastern Conference. It’s probably too late to think about the playoffs this year, but we now know what this team is capable of accomplishing.

But it’s likely that the biggest accomplishments will come next year.

The media hurricane surrounding the Knicks phenom has overshadowed the other noteworthy New York sports news story of the week. After all the offseason speculation about piecing together the Yankee starting rotation, there was one notable absence at camp: A.J. Burnett. The troubled righty was traded earlier this week to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for two minor leaguers.

The trade came as a relief to many Yankee fans, myself included. We’re looking forward to seeing what new additions Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda can bring to the rotation.

Burnett, pending a physical, will be sent to Pittsburgh in exchange for reliever Diego Moreno and outfielder Exicardo Cayones. The Yankees stand to eat $20 million of the remainder of Burnett’s contract for the privilege of dumping him on the Steel City.

Many seem to think the low-profile setting will be the best thing for Burnett. Signed to the Yankees at the same time as close friend CC Sabathia, he never seemed to fall into a comfortable groove in the Big Apple. Burnett was 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA as a Yankee.

With Burnett history, the Yankee starting rotation will most likely shape up as follows: Sabathia, Kuroda, Pineda, Ivan Nova, and Phil Hughes/Freddy Garcia. Kuroda should win the coveted number two slot over Pineda and Nova strictly because of sheer experience. However, expect the two young right-handers to bring their A-game to spring training.

The fact that the Yankees have four-fifths of their rotation basically set in stone is worlds away from where they were at the end of last season. At the time, it seemed as though Sabathia was the only sure thing, what with the ever-present Burnett question marks, Hughes’ health problems, and the second-half mediocrity of Garcia and Bartolo Colon. (Colon has not been resigned.)

The beefed-up rotation also takes some of the pressure off the slimmed-down Sabathia. (He lost ten pounds. It’s a start.) In a sense, if the mighty should fall, the Yanks won’t have to wait four games before hoping for a win.

Let’s face it: Linsanity is going to die down one of these days. If it doesn’t and the Knicks win the championship, it’s a sure sign that the apocalypse is upon us. But in all likelihood it will, and all we’ll have left is the Yankees.

So get that Jeter jersey out from the back of your closet. Spring has sprung.

He had his tryout and unfortunately he was not able to hit over 88 MPH with his fastball. Some scouts seem to have him at 91 but all the guns are different so who knows. Scott Kazmir did have other pitches so maybe he learned to use them effectively but you never know until he gets the chance to prove it.

Dillon Gee barely hits 90 but he’s very effective.

Looks like Rick Peterson and others were right about Kazmir getting injured at some point. He did have some very good years before the injury however.

Kazmir might be a good low risk, high reward guy for some team. I would sign him to a minor league deal and see if he ever gets it back. Or let him go get PRP, it worked for Bartolo Colon.

After Shane Mosley met Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in New York City the day after, he was still a popular fighter. As he took a walk around Times Square fans would tell him that he was a champion. Mosley would hear that it was a fight he won, and he would still be a factor in the welterweight title mix.

“Boxing fans in New York know I won the fight,” Mosley would say. But, the judges thought otherwise about the welterweight title fight in November of 2007. Two of the three had Cotto winning the unanimous decision by a round, and there was a split consensus from media at ringside. Mosley could have won the fight or scored a draw with a good and final 12th round.

After that Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sergio Mora and Manny Pacquiao have been in the ring with Mosley. So, there can’t be talk that “Sugar Shane” has avoided anyone, or that he quit in his quest to continue on as a three-time division champion. He is headed to the Boxing Hall of Fame though no longer considered the best pound-for-pound fighter.

“This is more of a fight to prove to myself that I still have it,” said Mosley when it became official last week that he would be opposing the junior middleweight title holder Canelo Alvarez, May 5th at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Mosley and Alvarez is one of the highlight undercard bouts prior to the Miguel Cotto-Floyd Mayweather main event at 154.

“This is another chance for me,” commented Mosley (46-7-1, 39 Kos) from his home outside of Los Angeles California. Golden Boy Promotions, where Mosley has some business interests, with Oscar De La Hoya, approached him about the fight. Alvarez was available when he did not become the opponent for Mayweather.

So how seriously should fight fans take to Mosley? He looked like a finished and old fighter last May 11th after losing every round in a title fight with Pacquiao. Mosley went down in the third round and could never recover. Mosley said he went in the ring with an injury to his left foot, later revealed as an Achilles tendon.

The Achilles seemed to be an excuse, though medical reports confirmed that Mosley fought Pacquiao with an injury. “I did not want to disappoint the fans, HBO, or the promotion and did what I could do against Pacquiao,” he said. “One thing I have learned in this sport is to always give your best no matter what the circumstance, and I believe fans now know that I did my best as an injured fighter that night.”
Under the circumstances that can be permitted as a valid reason as to why Mosley may have looked like a diminished fighter. His age is also a factor, leading many to believe that taking on Alvarez, a much younger fighter at 21, will put Mosley into retirement. Alvarez has become one of the rising stars in the sport and for him there is more to come.

“I want to get in the ring, fight a world champion and get another title,” said Mosley. “He is tough and young, I know that. The fans know what Alvarez has done at his age and that is also a credit to his talents. He is good for boxing. There are a lot of guys who would love to be in my position and I am taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Gone are the rumors and talk, the evidence of a Balco steroid case. Mosley has always avoided the question about using body enhancement drugs. No fighter or athlete in the steroid era could avoid the issue. However, Mosley faced the questions and continued his quest to the Hall of Fame. He has been through adversity, with his former wife and business partner, and has a good working relationship with Golden Boy after a brief separation because he took the fight with Pacquiao and Golden Boy rival Top Rank.

“I wanted this fight and did what I had to do to get it,” he said. Alvarez had to agree at first because of his contract with Golden Boy and how he gains revenue from a fight. Mosley is not the main event, and it could very well be with Alvarez, and that does not seem to be an issue.

Another factor is, Alvarez could be the first to stop Mosley. He has become the newest sensation in Mexico with talk he will move up in weight and take on middleweight champion Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. He respects Mosley, and is enthused about taking on an experienced opponent on Mexico cinco de Mayo weekend. “It’s youth against experience,” says Mosley. Maybe it could be a defining moment or walk into the sunset for the future Hall of Fame inductee.

First year head coach Kyle Flood will bring his squad down to Fayetteville on September 22nd of this season. Arkansas will become the first SEC team to play Rutgers in Piscataway when they make the return trip in 2013. Rutgers has played six previous home games against SEC opponents, but all had been played at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. The Scarlet Knights are 5-11-2 all time against the SEC.

“It is a constant priority to secure marquee scheduling opportunities for our football program and our fans,” Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti.

Arkansas went 11-2 last season with it’s only losses coming at the hands of National Championship game contestants, LSU and Alabama.  Arkansas should once again compete on the SEC and National level. The Razorbacks will be returning a top quarterback in Tyler Wilson. They also have a top notch defense.

Rutgers had two openings on their 2012 schedule after TCU and West Virginia backed out of the conference. The agreement with Arkansas now leaves the Scarlet Knights with one opening left to fill.

The Big East is holding out hope that they can convince one of their future additions to join the conference immediately. Those options would be Boise State, Houston, Memphis, Central Florida, SMU, or San Diego State.

It’s certainly been an exciting time for Rutgers and their new head coach. Flood was able to keep the programs best ever recruiting class together, then overhaul his coaching staff, and now secure a top level out of conference opponent.

Scheduling has always been a sore spot with Rutgers fans. Former head coach Greg Schiano never seemed willing to really go out and pursue a marquee matchup. Fans have recently been talking about how Schiano played and scheduled not to lose. Excitement is starting to improve around Flood and the Rutgers program both now and for the future.

Arkansas joins a nice of big names on the future schedules for Rutgers football. The Scarlet Knights already have agreements to play Penn State, UCLA, and Miami in the coming years.