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Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Odds For 2020/21

October 13th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat lost just three games during the first three rounds against their playoff opponents in the East en route to an NBA Finals appearance this year, eliminating three of the top four seeds in the conference in the process. However, Miami’s impressive postseason run hasn’t made the team the favorite to come out of the East in 2021, according to oddsmakers.

At BetOnline.ag, the Heat are listed at +450 to win the Eastern Conference in ’21, meaning you’d win $450 on a $100 wager should Miami repeat as conference champs. The Bucks (+375), Celtics (+425), and Nets (+425) are currently considered more likely to represent the East in next year’s NBA Finals.

The rest of the odds to win the East next year are as follows, per BetOnline.ag:

Raptors: +750
Sixers: +1200
Bulls: +3300
Hawks: +3300
Pacers: +3300
Wizards: +3300
Magic: +10000
Cavaliers: +12500
Knicks: +12500
Pistons: +12500
Hornets: +17500

It’s obviously way too early to forecast the outcome of the 2020/21 season with any confidence. The draft and free agency are still to come, and we don’t know yet which teams will make major splashes on the trade market. If Victor Oladipo is dealt from Indiana to another Eastern team, for example, it could significantly change the conference’s outlook for next season.

Still, anticipated roster moves are at least somewhat baked into BetOnline’s current odds — if the Pacers had a ton of cap room to use this offseason and Oladipo and Myles Turner weren’t viewed as potential trade candidates, it’s a safe bet that they wouldn’t be listed alongside lottery teams Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington on the list above.

So, with the caveat that plenty could change in the coming months to alter the outlook of the East for the 2020/21 season, we want to get your thoughts on the early projections from oddsmakers.

Should the Bucks be considered the favorites to win the East? Should the Heat be listed higher than fourth among Eastern teams? Are the Nets or other teams being overvalued? Are the Pacers or other teams being undervalued? Which team do you like to come out of the East next season? And which club do you view as the best value pick based on the odds listed above?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your early forecast for the Eastern Conference in 2020/21!

Cavaliers Have No. 5 Pick Preferences; Expect Windler To Contribute

October 5th, 2020 at 6:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Cavaliers rookie swingman Dylan Windler, who missed the entire 2019/20 season with a left leg stress fracture, is expected by the team to have a significant on-court role for Cleveland in 2020/21, according to Fedor elsewhere in the same piece. Sources tell Cleveland.com that the 2019 first-rounder is the Cavs’ “most asked-about” player in trade talks, though the team has no interest in moving him.

The Cavaliers have several prospects they would prefer to interview during the ongoing NBA combine, writes Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Virtual interviews commenced last week and wrap up on October 16. Medical exams by the nearest NBA physician and a series of on-court activities completed near the players’ homes are set to take place this month. Fedor reports that Cleveland appears to have a strong interest in talking to top draft candidates LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija and Isaac Okoro.
Cavaliers rookie swingman Dylan Windler, who missed the entire 2019/20 season with a left leg stress fracture, is expected by the team to have a significant on-court role for Cleveland in 2020/21, according to Fedor elsewhere in the same piece. Sources tell Cleveland.com that the 2019 first-rounder is the Cavs’ “most asked-about” player in trade talks, though the team has no interest in moving him.

Garland Looks Sharp In Team's Mini-Camp

October 2nd, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Darius Garland stood out in the Cavaliers mini-camp, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Garland had the look of a “very dynamic point guard,” according to one of the team’s assistant coaches. Garland averaged 12.3 PPG, 3.9 APG and 2.6 TPG in 59 starts as a rookie after being selected with No. 5 overall pick.

Cavs GM Altman On Sexton: "He's Our Cultural Leader"

September 30th, 2020 at 8:53pm CST by Jovan Alford

Cavs general manager Koby Altman was impressed with second-year point guard Collin Sexton as in-market workouts wrap up, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Altman, who drafted Sexton two years ago, said that the young guard is the cultural leader of the team. “It’s really hard to compare him with other guards as that physique, that just speaks to his work ethic,” Altman explained. “It’s all him. We have certainly given him plans for how he wants to grow from a skill standpoint on the basketball floor, but everything off the floor, he’s locked in.” This season, the former first-round pick averaged 20.8 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 33 MPG.

When the NBA postponed its season back in March, the Hawks had a record of 20-47, which was the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, behind the Cavaliers (19-47).

Draft Notes: Achiuwa, Jones, Hampton, Terry

September 29th, 2020 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential top-10 selection Precious Achiuwa has interviewed with a number of lottery teams, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweets. Achiuwa, a power forward who averaged 15.8 PPG and 10.8 MPG as a Memphis freshman last season, has talked to the Kings, Wizards, Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Suns, Spurs, Pistons and Thunder, among others. He’s currently listed at No. 10 overall on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.

We have more on the draft:

Duke point guard Tre Jones has spoken with the Bucks, Suns, Thunder and Timberwolves, among others, according to Kennedy (Twitter link). Jones had an interview lined up with the Bulls, but it was postponed due to their coaching change. Jones anticipates he’ll be a mid- to late-first round pick. He’s currently listed at No. 34 overall by ESPN.
Combo guard RJ Hampton, who played last season in Australia’s NBL, has talked to the Wizards, Kings, Thunder, Pistons, Suns, Trail Blazers, Knicks and Bulls, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. He posted modest stats in 15 NBL games before suffering a hip flexor injury and returning the U.S. Hampton is currently ranked No. 13 by ESPN and Hughes speculates he could be a late lottery steal like Michael Porter Jr., who sat out for a year after getting drafted by the Nuggets.
Stanford point guard Tyrell Terry has interviewed with the Suns, Thunder, 76ers, Raptors, Knicks, Nets, Warriors, Timberwolves and Bulls, Kennedy tweets. He’s pegged at No. 42 in ESPN’s rankings. He averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.2 APG as a freshman.

Kevin Love Leaves Mini-Camp Early

September 29th, 2020 at 6:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers should look to trade down from the No. 5 spot in the draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic opines. Cleveland is in need of more assets in order to complete its rebuild, in Vecenie’s view, and there are some teams who might look to move into its slot. If that doesn’t happen and the draft picks fall in line with current projections, USC center Onyeka Okongwu might be its best option due to his defensive skills, Vecenie adds.

Kevin Love is no longer with the Cavaliers at their in-market mini-camp, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Love had indicated he would leave early but wanted to show leadership by attending some of the mini-camp. Love departed the facility on Saturday, Fedor adds.

Cavs Have Talked To Achiuwa, Terry

September 28th, 2020 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have already talked remotely to Memphis’ Precious Achiuwa and Stanford’s Tyrell Terry, two of the players who will take part in the virtual combine on Tuesday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets. Achiuwa, a power forward, is ranked No. 10 overall by ESPN while Terry, a point guard, is rated as a second-round prospect at No. 42.

Central Notes: Windler, Donovan, LaVine, Casey

September 27th, 2020 at 4:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Dylan Windler‘s return to the court has generated a buzz of excitement within the Cavaliers organization, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes.

Windler, who underwent season-ending surgery in January for a stress fracture in his left leg, has impressed coaches and teammates alike during the team’s mini-camp. The Cavaliers selected him with the No. 26 in the 2019 draft, with the 24-year-old not playing in a single game this year.

“It was amazing for us to see him out there. I know it felt good for him,” Collin Sexton said. “Everyone went crazy because they know how bad he wanted to be out there.”

In addition to Windler, the Cavaliers sport a young nucleus consisting of Sexton, Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. The team also has a number of veterans – including a star frontcourt duo in Kevin Love and Andre Drummond – and the No. 5 pick in this year’s NBA draft.

“It was like, ‘Yeah, that’s the guy. I remember that guy,’” Cavs general manager Koby Altman said of Windler. “He knows how to play. Super efficient. Can really shoot. He’s always around the ball. He hasn’t been hurt in his entire life, so it’s hard to be off that long. He’s excited to be back, doing his thing and when that silky smooth 3-ball goes in we are doing little fist-bumps too. He still needs to get through this week healthy and his body needs to respond the right way and has to get to NBA games and compete there, but we’re excited about him.”

There’s more from the Central Division tonight:

Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic explores what kind of coach Billy Donovan might be for the Bulls. Chicago hired Donovan last week, with the veteran coach coming off a stint with the Thunder. “I look at it as a positive of coaching some different teams,” Donovan said, “because it forces you as a coach to constantly every year have to figure out ways to make the group better. In today’s day and age in the game of basketball, there’s going to be turnover. You want to be able to find a way, however long or short your time is, to make a player better.”
Bulls star Zach LaVine hopes Donovan can be a long-term fix at head coach, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. Donovan will be LaVine’s sixth head coach in seven seasons, and the team’s leading scorer hopes that rate of turnover won’t continue. “I was extremely happy,” LaVine said of the Donovan hire. “Somebody with his track record not just in the NBA but in college as well, a whole ton of players who are proven saying how great of a guy he is and how good of a coach he is. People like me, when you want to be great, you want to be coached extremely well. I gave him a text right when I heard the news. And I told him hurry to get after it. I’m extremely excited. I think the whole organization is.”
The Pistons have looked to create an atmosphere of intense competition in the team’s mini-camp, head coach Dwane Casey said, as relayed by James Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link). “The one thing I’ve seen this week … we wanted the competition, and guys are competing hard, taking charges,” Casey said. “We wanted to create the atmosphere of competition. They’ve responded.”

Cavs Rumors: Draft, Porter, Sexton, Defense, Drummond

September 25th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ last couple drafts have been fairly guard-heavy, with Collin Sexton joining the team in 2018 and Darius Garland becoming a Cav in 2019. However, general manager Koby Altman suggested today that the club isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding another backcourt piece with the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“We’re going to take the best talent,” Altman said. “We like where we are at — No. 5. We’re going to get a really good player.”

Although Altman’s comments suggest another guard is in play, Fedor believes the club is much more likely to take a wing or a big man.

Sources tell Cleveland.com that the Cavs’ top tier consists of LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards, in some order. Assuming those three players are off the board at No. 5, Tyrese Haliburton or Killian Hayes would be the best guard available, and the team is unlikely to view either of those players as definitively better than the backcourt options already on the roster, says Fedor.

Here’s more on the Cavaliers:

The Cavs are extremely high on 2019 first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr., according to Fedor, who hears that the former USC wing is at “at the top of Cleveland’s young player hierarchy.” The organization has been so averse to the idea of moving Porter that rival teams won’t even ask about him in trade talks anymore, Fedor adds.
Cleveland also remains “all-in” on Collin Sexton, viewing him as one of their leaders and hardest-working players, says Fedor.
Altman said on Friday that one of the Cavs’ offseason goals is to improve on defense and that the front office is considering how best to do that. “Whether that be adding personnel there, or internally, schematically, we know we need to look ourselves in the mirror and get better on that end,” Altman said, per Fedor. “… It’s not going to happen all at once. We’re not going to go from (30th) in the league to top five, but we need to see steady growth on that side of the ball. And I think the guys realize that and we need to hold them more accountable and do it that way. But ourselves as a front office, does that mean we need better personnel on that side of the ball or different pieces to help some of our guys? We’re looking at (that).”
While Andre Drummond isn’t attending the Cavs’ in-market mini-camp due to a personal matter, the club has stayed in frequent contact with him and isn’t concerned about his absence, according to Fedor. Altman said today that he doesn’t know whether Drummond will pick up his 2020/21 player option, though I’d be shocked if he opts out. A source confirmed to Fedor that Drummond is “highly likely” to exercise that $28.75MM option.
In case you missed it, Altman also said today that there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the Cavs and Tristan Thompson.

Altman Confirms Mutual Interest Between Thompson, Cavs

September 25th, 2020 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Tristan Thompson‘s days in Cleveland appeared numbered following the Cavaliers‘ acquisition of center Andre Drummond in February, but reports throughout the summer suggested that a new deal between the Cavs and Thompson is still possible, with Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com citing a source this week who says there’s “a lot of mutual interest” between the two sides.

With free agency around the corner, Thompson isn’t participating in the Cavaliers’ in-market bubble mini-camp this week. However, general manager Koby Altman made it clear that’s not a sign that the big man won’t be back, confirming that a reunion remains in play, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“I think it’s fair to say there’s mutual interest for sure,” Altman said. “He’s been with this franchise his entire career since we drafted him. He’s won a championship here. Obviously, he means a lot to the players on the team right now.”

Thompson’s veteran teammates in the frontcourt are among those who would like to see him back, as Fedor relays. Larry Nance Jr. said that re-signing Thompson would be his “top priority” this offseason, while Kevin Love said Thompson is “so valuable for this team and this organization.”

Still, according to Fedor, one source believes a new deal between the Cavaliers and Thompson is just a “50-50” proposition, since there are some obstacles that would complicate matters. Given Cleveland’s cap situation, re-signing the 29-year-old may limit the club’s ability to use its mid-level exception. And if the Cavs draft a big man with the No. 5 overall pick in November, the frontcourt might be too crowded to fit Thompson.

“It has to make sense,” Altman acknowledged. “There are some events coming up — the draft, free agency — where we have to see if it makes sense for him. He’s earned the right to be an unrestricted free agent and explore opportunities at this point in his career. So, we’ll see.”