Community Shootaround

In the NBA, the point guard is arguably the most important player on the floor, and in today’s era of small-ball, having an effective floor general is growing increasingly vital to the success of any franchise. There are quite a few superstars who man the one spot around the league, though it is certainly up for debate as to whom the top playmaker currently is. We have already looked at John Wall vs. Damian Lillard and Reggie Jackson vs. Eric Bledsoe in past Shootarounds.

Today’s matchup is: Chris Paul (Clippers) vs. Stephen Curry (Warriors). Which of the two point guards would you prefer to start for your team?

Both of these men are not only among the best the point guard position has to offer, but also rank in the upper echelon of players in the entire NBA. Curry is fresh off of an NBA title and a season that saw him earn league MVP honors. His career averages are 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, to go along with a slash line of .471/.440/.900. Curry is also an excellent defender, and is an absolute assassin in the clutch. The only real knock on Curry as a player that I can levy is that his career turnover rate of 3.2 per contest is a touch high for a player with his skill level, but this is admittedly a minor quibble given his stellar production.

Paul’s career numbers are equally impressive, with the 30-year-old averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.9 assists, and owning a shooting line of .474/.364/.861. Like Curry, the Clippers’ floor General is also an excellent defender, and while he may not be quite the threat from beyond the arc that his counterpart is, he certainly has shown himself to be the superior playmaker. But to be fair, Curry is asked to be more of a scorer in the Warriors’ system than Paul is in the Clippers’. The only real negative in Paul’s portfolio is his injury history, which has shortened four out of his 10 seasons in the league.

If you were the GM of a team and were given the choice between the two players, which one would you choose to lead your team? Why did you pick one over the other? Take to the comments section below to sound off with your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has taken quite a bit of flack over the course of his career for his failure to carry any of his teams to the NBA Finals. With the Knicks in the midst of yet another retooling, the prospects for that to change this season seem remote. While Anthony certainly could benefit from more talent around him, another player who was selected in the 2003 NBA Draft who goes by the name LeBron James, carried a Cleveland squad with arguably lesser talent than this year’s version of the Knicks all the way to the NBA Finals during the 2006/07 season.

This brings me to the question of the day: Could LeBron James lead this season’s Knicks roster (sans Anthony) to the NBA Finals?

Here’s the Knicks’ (fictional) projected 2015/16 depth chart that includes LeBron:

• PG: Jose Calderon/Langston Galloway
• SG: Arron Afflalo/Jerian Grant
• SF: LeBron James/Cleanthony Early/Lance Thomas
• PF: Derrick Williams/Kristaps Porzingis/Louis Amundson
• C: Robin Lopez/Kevin Seraphin/Kyle O’Quinn

Now for reference, here’s the depth chart for the 2006/07 Cavaliers:

• PG: Eric Snow/Damon Jones/Shannon Brown
• SG: Larry Hughes/Sasha Pavlovic
• SF: LeBron James/Ira Newble
• PF: Drew Gooden/Donyell Marshall
• C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas/Anderson Varejao/Scot Pollard

What do you think the Knicks’ record would be this season with James on the team? Would they make the playoffs, and if so, how deep would they advance? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

In the NBA, the point guard is arguably the most important player on the floor, and in today’s era of small-ball, having an effective floor general is growing increasingly vital to the success of any franchise. There are quite a few superstars who man the one spot around the league, though it is certainly up for debate as to whom the top playmaker currently is. The debate began yesterday when we discussed the merits of Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe versus Detroit’s Reggie Jackson.

This brings me to the topic and duo of the day: Damian Lillard (Blazers) vs. John Wall (Wizards). Which of the two point guards would you prefer to start for your team?

Both of these players are amongst the best at the position, and each is counted on to be one of the primary scoring options on their respective teams. Each of these point men has his own style, with Wall relying more on his speed and a slashing style that depends more on him getting to the rim than lighting it up from deep. Wall entered the league first, becoming the No. 1 overall pick back in 2010. While his first three campaigns were marred by injuries, Wall has managed to remain relatively healthy the last two seasons. In 2014/15 he posted averages of 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 10.0 assists to go with a slash line of .445/.300/.785. Wall’s career marks are 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 8.7 APG.

Lillard didn’t arrive in the NBA with quite the hype that Wall did, but was instead a fast-riser during the pre-draft process, and it surprised a few when the Blazers selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in 2012. But Portland certainly knew what it was doing, and Lillard quickly elevated his game to become one of the top guards and closers in the league. I’m sure the Kings (and their fans) would love to redo that draft and nab Lillard instead of Thomas Robinson with pick No. 5. While Lillard can take it to the hoop with the best of them, his game relies much more heavily on the deep ball. The 25-year-old appeared in 82 contests last season, averaging 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists with a slash line of .434/.343/.864. Lillard’s career averages are 20.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 6.1 APG, and he’ll certainly need to improve on those in the wake of LaMarcus Aldridge‘s departure if Portland is to have any shot at the playoffs this coming season.

If you were the GM of a team and were given the choice between the two players, which one would you choose? Why did you pick one over the other? Take to the comments section below to sound off with your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

In the NBA, the point guard is arguably the most important player on the floor, and in today’s era of small-ball, having an effective floor general is growing increasingly vital to the success of any franchise. There are quite a few superstars who man the one spot around the league, though it is certainly up for debate as to whom the top playmaker currently is. I’d like to approach this subject a bit differently than past topics, and rather than simply asking you to chime in on who you believe to be the top point guard in the NBA, I’m going to present this in a versus format that we’ll run periodically in these Shootarounds throughout the Summer.

Today’s matchup is: Eric Bledsoe (Suns) vs. Reggie Jackson (Pistons). Which of the two point guards would you prefer to start for your team?

Both players began their NBA careers as backups to All-Star caliber point guards and were traded prior to becoming starters. The two players are also similar in that they are score-first guards, rather than pure ball-distributors. Bledsoe has shown himself to be the better defender of the two, which certainly helps his cause, but I’d argue that Jackson’s ceiling as a player offensively is much higher. The Suns’ guard has had two seasons to display his wares as a starter, though his 2013/14 campaign was shortened due to injury, and Bledsoe is likely to continue to put up averages in the range of 17-19 points and 5-7 assists per night. Very respectable stats, though Bledsoe has yet to demonstrate that he has the ability to elevate and carry a team into contention. Bledsoe, 25, made 81 appearances for Phoenix last season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per contest, and his shooting line was .447/.324/.800. His career numbers through five NBA campaigns are 10.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 4.1 APG.

Jackson, who is also 25, played in a total of 77 contests split between the Thunder and the Pistons during the 2014/15 season. He notched 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 29.5 minutes per night, with a slash line of .434/.299/.830. Jackson’s career stats through four NBA seasons are 9.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.6 APG. The jury is still out on Jackson as a starter, though in a small sample size with the Pistons last season he was quite impressive, notching 9.2 assists in his 27 starts with the team. It remains to be seen if Jackson can maintain those numbers over the long haul, as well as become a leader who can take his squad to the next level.

If you were the GM of a team and were given the choice between the two players, which one would you choose? Why did you pick one over the other? Do you believe each is worth their 2015/16 salary ($13,913,044 for Jackson and $13.5MM for Bledsoe)? Take to the comments section below to sound off with your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.

The Warriors and Sixers hooked up on a late Friday afternoon trade last week, with each team flipping a newly acquired player. Golden State sent Gerald Wallace, who had arrived in the David Lee trade, to Philadelphia for Jason Thompson, one of the three players the Sixers received in their deal with the Kings in early July. The Warriors also sent cash — $1MM worth, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link) — and gave the Sixers the right to swap the less favorable of the 2016 first-rounders the Heat and Thunder owe them for Golden State’s 2016 first-round pick. The move gave the Warriors a trade exception of more than $3MM, and perhaps most importantly, it allowed the team to save some $8MM in luxury tax payments.

The trade looks like a positive for the Warriors, but with the margin for error so razor thin in the Western Conference, every move carries risk. For the Sixers, the trade allows for the collection of another draft asset, but unless the Thunder or Heat finish with a better regular season record than the defending champs, who are coming off a 67-win season, Philadelphia won’t see any benefit from the pick swap. The Sixers may well have simply rented out $3MM worth of cap space for a cash payment of $1MM. So, how would you grade the trade for both teams?

The Warriors and Sixers are in opposite places in the NBA hierarchy, so it would be difficult to grade them on the same rubric. Still, you’re free to give any grade you wish. To leave your comment, just enter your name and email address, write what you want to say, and submit it; there’s no need to become a registered user. Just make sure you comply with our commenting policy.

The identity of the best remaining free agent, restricted or unrestricted, is pretty clear. Tristan Thompson‘s value was on full display after Kevin Love went down with a shoulder injury in the playoffs. The 2011 No. 4 overall pick gave the Cavs size, muscle and skill that helped them topple the Bulls and a 60-win Hawks team on the way to the Finals. Thompson averaged a whopping 4.4 offensive rebounds per game in postseason play. Still, no one will mistake the ambidextrous Canadian for a true NBA superstar.

The Rich Paul client has spent the past month as a restricted free agent, much of it in a stalemate after he and the Cavs were reportedly close to a deal on July 1st. Thompson was apparently ready to settle for $80MM over five years, but he reportedly asked for $85MM after it seemed that fellow restricted free agent forward Draymond Green would get that much in his deal with the Warriors. Green wound up with $82MM instead. In any case, Cavs GM David Griffin expressed confidence two weeks ago that he and Thompson would reach a deal.

Not much progress appears to have taken place since. So, we ask: What do you think will happen with Thompson, and how much will he see on his next deal? The Cavs have leverage, since they can match any offer, and only the Sixers and Trail Blazers have the cap room necessary to tender a max offer sheet. Still, Thompson has the nuclear option of signing his qualifying offer of nearly $6.778MM to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, just when the salary cap is set to vault, giving teams loads of cash to burn. Thompson and LeBron James share Paul as an agent, and James wants Thompson to return to Cleveland, so the Cavs face pressure.

So, tell us what you think happens and how much Thompson will make next season. To comment, simply enter your name and email address, write what you want to say, and submit it; there’s no need to become a registered user. Just make sure you comply with our commenting policy.

The Thunder will almost certainly be better than they were last season, provided Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka miss fewer than the 88 combined games they sat out because of injury in 2014/15. They’ll have Enes Kanter for a full season after matching a max offer sheet from the Blazers this month, and their supporting cast looks strong, with Steven Adams, Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow, D.J. Augustin, Nick Collison and the newly re-signed Kyle Singler, among others vying for minutes.

Still, the top of the Western Conference appears even more monstrous than usual this season. The Warriors, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets and Grizzlies all seem to have decent chances to win the title. Thus, our question(s) of the day: Do you think the Thunder are the favorites? If not, what do they need to do to change that?

Oklahoma City is more than $10MM over the $84.74MM tax threshold but only has 14 guaranteed contracts, and the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception is still available. That doesn’t provide much flexibility, but it’s more recourse than many teams have, and the right role player can swing a postseason series. The Thunder can’t take in a player via sign-and-trade, but they’re otherwise free to explore the trade market. Of course, their roster isn’t exactly ridden with holes.

So, tell us what you think about Oklahoma City’s chances this year. To comment, simply enter your name and email address, write what you want to say, and submit it; there’s no need to become a registered user. Just make sure you comply with our commenting policy.