What the NBA blueprint should be for the Mets and Yankees

If you are a regular visitor here, thank you, of course. And since you are here, you probably know I cover baseball — this coming week, I leave for my 35th spring training — and perhaps you have picked up from a reference or 20 that I have a fascination with the NBA.

I often think in terms of basketball analogies.

For example, it hit me this winter that Gleyber Torres reminds me of RJ Barrett. They are both very talented and really good, but we are always going to think that because they started young and flashed big talent there is a next level they could reach. They are going to hint at getting to that next level, which creates anticipation and frustration. But it just might never happen in New York — maybe it is happening in Toronto right now for Barrett.

Recently, I have been thinking about which teams the New York baseball clubs should aspire to emulate. And what I kept returning to is the Knicks for the Mets and the Clippers for the Yankees.