Community Shootaround

Entering the 2021/22 season, the Lakers and Nets were widely viewed as the frontrunners to reach the NBA Finals. When ESPN polled 16 of its NBA experts on predictions for the coming season, 10 picked the Lakers to win the West and 10 chose the Nets to win the East.

So far though, Los Angeles and Brooklyn have been inconsistent and underwhelming, posting matching 2-3 records. The Lakers lost two home games to open the season, then blew a 26-point lead in Oklahoma City on Wednesday against the winless Thunder. The Nets, meanwhile, have lost three games by double-digits — one in Milwaukee and two at home, vs. the Hornets and Heat.

It’s far, far too early for either team to panic. LeBron James has missed two games for the Lakers and James Harden is still working his way back from a hamstring injury for the Nets. And with the exception of the Lakers’ disaster in OKC, both teams’ losses so far have come against pretty tough opponents.

Still, the early-season results can’t be written off entirely. James has been increasingly affected by injuries in recent years — if that trend continues this season, it’ll have a significant impact on a top-heavy Lakers team. The club acquired Russell Westbrook over the summer in part to have another star available when James or Anthony Davis miss time, but Westbrook has gotten off to a shaky start in L.A., averaging just 17.8 PPG (his lowest mark since 2009/10) and turning the ball over six times per game. His fit on this Lakers roster was an open question entering the season, and it doesn’t seem as if the team has fully figured it out.

As for the Nets, the impact of Kyrie Irving‘s absence shouldn’t be understated. Brooklyn is supposed to have one of the best offenses in league history, but through five games, the club’s offensive rating is an ugly 100.6 — only Detroit and New Orleans have been worse. Harden expects to be back to his old self soon, but he’s certainly not benefiting from the NBA’s reduction on foul calls when offensive players go out of their way to initiate contact.

Again, it’s too early for a sub-.500 record to be a major concern for either of these teams, whose rosters are heavy on star power and veteran experience. But the expectations in Los Angeles and Brooklyn are high. Anything less than an NBA Finals appearance will be a letdown, so there’s not much room for error.

Many of the NBA’s other sub-.500 teams aren’t surprising, but the Celtics (2-3), Pacers (1-4), Suns (1-3), and Clippers (1-3) certainly would’ve hoped for better starts.

We want to know what you think. Is it still too early to draw any conclusions about any of this season’s slow starters? Or has some of what you’ve seen from the Lakers, the Nets, or other sub-.500 clubs made you skeptical of their ability to meet preseason expectations?

In honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season, the NBA has revealed its selections for the 75 best players in league history — actually, as a result of a tie, 76 names show up on the NBA’s list.

The list features all 50 players who were named to the NBA’s 50th anniversary team in 1996, as well as 11 players who are currently active: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Damian Lillard.

The full list can be found here.

The fact that the NBA didn’t rank the members of the 75th anniversary team from No. 1 to No. 76 will limit the debate over the list to some extent, but there will still be push-back on some of the players selected and plenty of advocating on behalf of those who missed the cut.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, and Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report were a few of the many writers who identified players they felt were snubbed. Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, and Vince Carter showed up on all three of their lists, while Dikembe Mutombo, Bernard King, Grant Hill, and Pau Gasol were also named multiple times.

Long-retired players like Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Artis Gilmore, and Walt Bellamy were cited by at least one writer, as were more recent stars like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, and Nikola Jokic (who is one of just two MVP winners not on the list, along with Derrick Rose). And, as Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report writes, Klay Thompson was one of the players who publicly griped about his exclusion, having felt he deserved a spot.

Of course, coming up with a list of snubs is easier than deciding which of the 76 players who made the cut didn’t deserve it. Asked which player they were most surprised to see among the 76 selections, a couple ESPN panelists suggested that they might need to see more from Lillard and Davis before giving them a spot on this list. ESPN’s Marc Spears also wondered if a player with more longevity than Bill Walton might be more deserving of Walton’s spot.

We want to know what you think. Are you generally in agreement with the NBA’s 76 choices? Were there any questionable selections or glaring omissions?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

The Nets and Bucks will enter the 2021/22 season as the clear favorites to win the Eastern Conference next spring. The betting odds at sites like BetOnline reflect Brooklyn’s and Milwaukee’s standing atop the conference, as does the analysis of experts like ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who places the two teams first and second overall in his rankings of all 30 teams for the ’21/22 season.

As Lowe acknowledges, Kyrie Irving‘s availability – or lack thereof – is a major wild card that could affect the Nets this season, but every non-Irving critique of the club essentially “amounts to nit-picking.” The Bucks, meanwhile, have been the NBA’s best regular season team across the last three seasons and reached new heights in the 2021 postseason. With a healthy roster heading into this season, they look like a safe bet to be one of the East’s top seeds.

After those top two teams, Lowe’s next tier of Eastern clubs includes four talented clubs with some question marks: the Sixers, Heat, Celtics, and Hawks.

The Ben Simmons standoff hangs over Philadelphia’s season — if Simmons’ holdout extends into the regular season and the 76ers still haven’t found a trade they like, they’ll essentially be down an All-Star for the foreseeable future, which will limit their ceiling. The Hawks, the team that eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs in 2021, are deep and should be able to count on continued growth from their young players, but a team’s improvements aren’t always linear. As for the Celtics and Heat, they’ll be looking to bounce back after relatively disappointing 2020/21 seasons that ended with quick postseason exits.

While those four teams may be the favorites on paper to fill out the top six in the East, Lowe expects at least one of them to slip into play-in territory. He identifies the Knicks, Bulls, and Hornets as the next-best bets to crack the East’s top six.

The Knicks, of course, were the No. 4 seed in the East last season and will bring back a very similar group, along with new additions like Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. They outperformed expectations in 2020/21 and may experience some regression, but they’re a deep, well-coached team looking to prove that last season’s breakthrough was no aberration.

The Bulls are one of the East’s most fascinating teams — they could have one of the NBA’s best offenses, but there are concerns about their defense and depth, so a wide range of outcomes are possible. As for the Hornets, Lowe acknowledges there are some red flags, but views young cornerstones LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and P.J. Washington as good candidates to take another step forward in 2021/22.

The Pacers, Wizards, and Raptors are part of the next tier for Lowe, who consider all three clubs legit contenders to make the play-in tournament. Early-season injuries may hold back Indiana (T.J. Warren, Caris LeVert) and Toronto (Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher), but both clubs were perennial playoff teams up until 2021 and still have plenty of talent on their rosters. Washington lost some star-power by trading away Russell Westbrook, but the team’s depth is stronger than it has been in years.

Lowe places the Cavaliers in a group of their own, noting that executives around the league have wildly varying opinions on Cleveland’s roster. Some people are high on the Cavs’ collection of young talent, while others think they could be the very worst team in the NBA. Although they’re not a clear play-in contender, they could be in that mix if things break right.

The Pistons and Magic, meanwhile, project to be the East’s bottom two teams, despite the presence of rookie guards Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs.

After we broke down the Western Conference on Wednesday, I’m curious to get your thoughts today on the Eastern Conference. Do you view the Nets and Bucks as the East’s clear top two finishers? Which clubs will clinch top-six playoff seeds, and which four will end up in the play-in tournament? Of the 12 teams with realistic playoff expectations, which two (or more) will finish outside of play-in range?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the Western Conference!

The Lakers are set to enter the 2021/22 season as the betting favorites to win the Western Conference, but they’re not viewed as the overwhelming frontrunners, with several talented teams expected to give them a run for their money.

In his preseason rankings of all 30 NBA teams, ESPN’s Zach Lowe places the Lakers in the West’s first tier along with the Jazz and the Suns, suggesting that he doesn’t view Los Angeles as being in a tier of its own atop the conference. Lowe isn’t necessarily sold on the supporting cast to the Lakers’ stars, and thinks Phoenix’s young core has room to continue improving.

If the Lakers, Jazz, and Suns all finish in the top six of the West, that leaves just three more teams that can claim a playoff spot without participating in the play-in tournament. Lowe’s next tier of Western teams features five strong candidates for those three postseason spots: the Nuggets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Warriors.

As Lowe observes, it’s hard to know what to expect from some of these teams that are missing a star player. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are recovering from ACL tears and may not play at all in 2021/22, while Warriors swingman Klay Thompson, coming off an Achilles tear, seems likely to miss at least a couple months or so and may not be at 100% when he returns.

All of those teams still have stars more than capable of carrying the load in Paul George, Nikola Jokic, and Stephen Curry, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll reach their ceilings without a fully healthy lineup. Still, Lowe considers Denver and Golden State good bets to crack the West’s top six, along with Dallas, potentially leaving the Clippers and Blazers to earn their postseason berths in the play-in tournament.

While those may be considered the top eight teams in the West, there are several more clubs with playoff aspirations. Lowe places the Grizzlies a notch above a tier that includes the Pelicans, Kings, Timberwolves, and Spurs, but acknowledges that at least one club – and possibly two – from that latter group figures to qualify for the play-in.

All five teams of those teams are young and will count on recent lottery picks to make major contributions. All but perhaps San Antonio – which lost several productive veterans – are expecting to take a step forward and make some noise in the West in 2021/22. However, three of those clubs could be left on the outside looking in, unable to even qualify for a play-in spot.

The Rockets and Thunder are in Lowe’s bottom tier, viewed as at least a year away from becoming play-in contenders.

While I think Lowe’s evaluation of the West is reasonable, I’m curious to know what you think. Which teams will claim the top six playoff spot in the conference? Which four will make the play-in tournament, and which two will escape that tourney with the final two postseason berths? Which teams in the West do you expect to exceed or fall short of expectations in 2021/22?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the Western Conference!

When Knicks All-Star Julius Randle won the 2020/21 Most Improved Player award in May, several intriguing names trailed him in voting: Detroit’s Jerami Grant (second place), Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. (third place) and Houston’s Christian Wood (fourth place) being among them.

Randle deserved the award, however, as the 26-year-old averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and six assists per game, shooting 46% from the field and 41% from deep. The season before, he held per-game averages of 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, shooting 46% from the floor and 28% from deep.

The competition was tough — Grant, Porter and Wood all put forth respectable campaigns — but that tends to be the norm with the league’s awards. Predicting the Most Improved Player before the season starts is an extremely difficult task, however.

This year figures to have much of the same. Players such as Porter (with Jamal Murray injured), Zion Williamson (featured with a new Pelicans lineup) or Deandre Ayton (coming off his first playoff experience) could be good places to start.

What do you think? Will one of the players who received votes last year reign supreme, or will a surprise name win the award? Feel free to voice your predictions in the comments section below!

Injury issues may have factored into the MVP race more than usual during the pandemic-shortened 2020/21 season, when Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic remained healthier than several other All-NBA talents en route to earning his first MVP award.

Regardless, Jokic turned in an incredible and worthy MVP season. The three-time All-Star center played in all 72 regular season games and averaged an eye-popping 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG, on .566/.388/.868 shooting splits, for a Denver team that finished third in the crowded Western Conference with a solid 47-25 record. Can the 25-year-old superstar repeat as the MVP for the 2022 season?

Sixers center Joel Embiid, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (the eventual 2021 Finals MVP), and Suns point guard Chris Paul rounded out the list of the top five players receiving the most votes. Prior to incurring significant mid-season injuries, Embiid and Lakers forward LeBron James, a four-time winner, appeared to be the frontrunners for the award last year, alongside eventual victor Jokic.

Antetokounmpo has already won the award twice, in 2019 and 2020. As the best player on the reigning champion Bucks, the 26-year-old appears likely to vie for the honor again next year. Curry was also a back-to-back winner, in 2015 and 2016.

Through the first month of the 2020/21 NBA season, there was a different MVP favorite among media members. Nets All-Star Kevin Durant enjoyed a terrific comeback year in 2020/21 after an Achilles tear kept him sidelined for the entire 2019/20 season. Injuries and load maintenance limited Durant to just 35 regular season games with Brooklyn, however. He certainly looked like the best player on the planet during the Nets’ injury-impeded 2021 playoff run, plus a subsequent march to his third Olympic gold medal with Team USA. The 32-year-old was previously the 2014 MVP while with the Thunder.

Durant’s All-Star teammate James Harden, the 2018 MVP, is normally quite durable, but he missed an unusual amount of time last year with a nagging quad injury. Given that the Nets will field perhaps the most loaded roster in the NBA between Durant, Harden, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, and significant depth, one of Durant or Harden seems like a very viable MVP candidate next year.

With 2021/22 returning to an 82-game schedule amidst a much-lengthier turnaround time between seasons than last year, it appears likely that many veteran All-Stars will again be in the running for MVP honors. The aforementioned players all seem like safe bets to be in the mix for the award again this season, assuming good health. James and Paul, the two oldest players among that group, could see their MVP chances hampered by minutes management.

Beyond these usual suspects, other players may find their way into the MVP conversation. Depending on team record and player health, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, Hawks point guard Trae Young, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo, Clippers forward Paul George, Knicks forward Julius Randle, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic all seem like fringe candidates for MVP consideration.

The crowded Eastern Conference could also see a surprise MVP contender (or, at least, a conceivable top-five finisher in media voting) emerge from several teams hoping to vault up the standings, thanks to active offseasons. Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine, Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis seem positioned to benefit the most from their teams’ summer makeovers, should those changes lead to top-four conference finishes for any of their clubs. In the case of the Pacers, the biggest personnel upgrade may have been on the bench, where the team added longtime Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle to replace one-year Indiana coach Nate Bjorkgren.

We want to hear what you think! Which of these players we mentioned is your way-too-early favorite to win the 2021/22 MVP award? Which young All-Star could move into being a top-five MVP vote-getter for the first time? Is there anyone we haven’t mentioned that you think could work their way into the conversation? Weigh in below in our comments section!

With a star-studded NBA draft and the 2021 Summer League in our rear view, it’s high time for a still-way-too-early Rookie Of The Year Community Shootaround! The three top picks this season are widely considered to be the players with brightest long-term futures in the NBA, but that doesn’t preclude someone else from swooping in for 2021/22 Rookie Of The Year award honors.

Top pick Cade Cunningham, selected by the Pistons out of Oklahoma State, is a lead ball-handler with the size of a forward (6’8″), beloved by scouts for his shooting ability and passing acumen.

Long-term, the Rockets are hoping No. 2 selection Jalen Green can replace ex-Houston All-Star James Harden as an All-NBA caliber shooting guard with a versatile offensive portfolio. Green opted to spend his post-high school season with the NBA’s G League Ignite rather than in a collegiate program. How much Green produces during his inaugural NBA season remains an open question, though he at least will see plenty of looks for a presumably lottery-bound Houston team.

Though the Cavaliers frontcourt is crowded between $100MM man Jarrett Allen, pricey former All-Star Kevin Love (owed $60.2MM over the next two seasons), and new addition Lauri Markkanen (signed to a four-year, $67MM deal), exciting USC big man Evan Mobley, the third pick in the draft, is a good bet to get major rotation minutes.

The top five selections were rounded out by two other intriguing prospects this season. 6’8″ FSU forward Scottie Barnes, selected with the No. 4 pick, will join a seasoned Raptors team loaded with forward depth and should have ample time to develop as a bench player.

The Magic chose 6’4″ Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs with the fifth pick in the draft, and subsequently added 6’9″ swingman Franz Wagner with the No. 8 pick. Suggs should receive significant scoring opportunities on an Orlando team not expected to compete for the playoffs.

The Thunder drafted 6’8″ guard Josh Giddey from NBL club the Adelaide 36ers with the sixth pick in the draft. The Thunder appear poised to continue their rebuilding project in Oklahoma City after trading away Chris Paul to the Suns during the summer of 2020, and as such should be able to find extended playing time for Giddey.

New Warriors lottery selections Jonathan Kuminga (the No. 7 pick), a 6’8″ forward out of the G League Ignite, and Moses Moody (the No. 14 pick), a 6’6″ guard out of Arkansas, are likely in line for smaller roles on a club trying to return to title contention this year, though of course that could change should Golden State opt to move them for veteran depth during the season.

6’2″ Kings guard Davion Mitchell, chosen with the ninth pick out of Baylor, will likely begin the 2021/22 season in a reserve role behind incumbent backcourt starters De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, but after proving he could score in bunches during the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League (where he was named co-MVP), it seems clear he’ll get plenty of run for Sacramento. Mitchell averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.8 APG and 1.4 RPG.

Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams, Hornets guard James Bouknight, Spurs guard Joshua Primo, and Pacers guard Chris Duarte rounded out the lottery picks this season. All will suit up for teams who appear hopeful to at least qualify for the play-in tournament.

Beyond the lottery, Mitchell’s Summer League co-MVP Cameron Thomas, who averaged 27 PPG, 2 APG, 1.75 RPG, and 1.25 SPG, may yet carve out a role for himself on a star-studded Nets team hoping to compete for a title. That said, it’s tough to see the 6’4″ LSU alum getting enough touches in the backcourt, playing behind two All-Stars, to warrant Rookie Of The Year consideration.

Wizards rookie swingman Corey Kispert, Rockets rookie forward Alperen Sengun and Pelicans rookie wing Trey Murphy III also look like contenders to log serious minutes this season.

We want to hear what you think! Who among these contenders is your pick to win Rookie Of The Year honors for the 2021/22 season? Will anyone else we haven’t mentioned sneak in to the conversation? Please weigh in with your own early predictions in the comments section below.