What the fu**  is wrong with New York City basketball?New York City basketball is at an all time low. The Knicks and Nets are both performing far below expectations. St. John’s, Fordham, and Seaton Hall have been struggling for the last 20 years. Thank god for the MAAC! Iona and Manhattan are holding it down for you. But let’s just say what we are all thinking… What the fu**?

Let’s list you a few of the latest NBA players to come out of the New York Metropolitan Area:

1. Kyle Anderson
2. Andre Drummond
3. Maurice Harkless
4. Tobias Harris
5. Doron Lamb
6. Russ Smith
7. Cleanthony Early
8. Ryan Kelly
9. Arnett Moultrie
10. Lance Stephenson
11. Scott Machado
12. Trey Thompkins
13. Kemba Walker
14. James Southerland
15. Kyle O’Quinn
16. Sean Kilpatrick
17. Devin Ebanks
18. Kevin Jones
19. Charles Jenkins
20. Jimmer Fredette

So what is the problem? How can a metropolitan area with over 23,000,000 people leave so much to be desired?

• Is it street Ball? It is not the early 2000’s anymore. Street ball is not longer working in the league. In fact, it might have died with New York’s very own Sebastian Telfair. Ball handlers are falling by the wayside. Rafer Alston and Stephon Marbury may have been the last of a dying breed. It might be time to switch it up.

• Is it sneaker culture? New York City basketball has always been dominated by parks and out door play. New York game play is what made the basketball so exciting. Rucker Park was and in some way still is the peak of out door play. But no kid wants to play outside in 2015? I know I would not want to scuff up my kicks by playing outside. Ironically, show culture has taken away from its purpose.

•  Is it AAU? New York has some of the best youth teams in the country. The Gauchos, NY Lightning, The Rens, New Heights, Sports U, and The Playaz dominate tournaments all up and down the east coast while the players are young. However, NYC players are not living up to their potential as they are getting older. Is it the development? Is it the high school programs?

•  Is it the pressure? Being the best player in New York City makes you godlike. But more often than not, New York players are a product of hype. Have players such as Sebastian Telfair, Isaiah Whitehead, Lenny Cooke, and Lance Stephenson really lived up to the hype? These players were supposedly the next New York City All Star, what happened?

Can New York City Make A Comeback?

• Players can’t be afraid to play outside. We understand it is hard to find an indoor basketball court for an average kid so take it outside. Get back to what made New York Basketball so great. Players cannot be afraid to workout and develop their game outdoors.

• The public and media needs to stop glorifying street basketball. The love for street ball is killing players. New York City basketball players have always been able to handle, but they struggle with shooting (ex. Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson, Pearl Washington, Jaamal Tinsley). The game has changed. Players have to be able to hit an open shot. Players have to have the basketball IQ to take a pull up instead of over penetrating. Let’s focus less on street ball and more on developing a high basketball IQ.

• Some of the programs need to be restructured. The city is not producing the way it should. The number of Division I players coming out of NYC is at an all time low. There needs to be more of an emphasis on development than winning. We understand there is too many players in NYC. Everyone cannot be a star, it is okay to have a B team. Quality is better than quantity.