Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: NBA Vs. COVID-19

November 28th, 2020 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The coronavirus continues to spread throughout the globe, causing the same havoc in the sports world that it does in nearly every other area of life.

The NFL has been forced to postpone games and rearrange its schedule. The Broncos will have to play tomorrow with no active quarterbacks, while the 49ers need to find a temporary home after Santa Clara County banned all contact sports for the next three weeks. College football and basketball also had to scramble after outbreaks.

These aren’t ideal conditions for a new NBA season, but the owners and players understood the risks when they agreed to a December 22 start date. Training camps open Tuesday, with the first exhibition games just 13 days away. Unlike a few months ago, the league won’t have the advantages of a closed campus to minimize COVID-19 dangers. Players will be out among the public, they will travel from city to city and some arenas are making plans to have fans in attendance, although on a limited basis.

To prepare for the challenges ahead, the league distributed a 134-page “Health and Safety Protocol Guide” to all of its teams. It sets regulations that will hopefully limit any disruptions to the upcoming season.

Among the highlights:

Players who test positive for the virus must quarantine for at least 10 days after the first positive test or onset of symptoms, or they can submit two negative PCR tests 24 hours apart. Players who are cleared must work out alone for two days before rejoining their teammates. A hotline will be set up to report safety and protocol violations, just as it was in Orlando.
The start of training camp will be limited to individual workouts with a maximum of four players and four staff members at a time. All participants need three negative PCR tests before being cleared and must start quarantining today if they plan to begin Tuesday. Full team practices won’t start until Friday.
All teams must employ an infectious disease specialist, infection control specialist, rapid testing coordinator, testing officer, testing manager and contact tracing officer, two contact tracers and team protocol enforcement officer. Requirements also include two face mask enforcement officers, a player liaison, facility hygiene officer, arena health and hygiene manager, health education and awareness officer and travel safety officer. No more than 45 people will be permitted in a traveling party.
No criteria have been set for what would result in the season being suspended. Like the NFL and Major League Baseball, the NBA will make that determination based on the way events unfold.

We want to get your opinion. Under the circumstances, do you believe the NBA will be able to complete its 72-game schedule and its entire 20-team playoffs? Or will the league eventually have to switch to a “bubble” environment to save the season? Please leave your answers in the comments section.

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Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Which 2020 Lottery Teams Will Make 2021 Playoffs?

November 26th, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agency opened less than a week ago, which means that in a typical NBA offseason, today would be about the equivalent of July 5. But in 2020’s warp-speed offseason, the start of training camps are, incredibly, just five days away. Opening night will tip off in less than four weeks.

So even though there may be more free agent signings and trades on the way in the coming days and weeks, it’s not too early to start considering what the on-court impact of this offseason’s roster moves will be.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

With that in mind, we’re looking today at which 2020 non-playoff teams have the best chance at returning to the postseason in 2021.

Let’s start in the East, where the Hawks look like perhaps the best candidate to get out of lottery territory. They finished 14th in the conference last season, but an offseason roster overhaul that saw them add Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn, and Onyeka Okongwu – plus a healthy Clint Capela – suddenly makes Atlanta’s roster a whole lot more interesting.

There’s also some intrigue in Washington and Charlotte. Will John Wall‘s return be enough to help buoy the Wizards into a playoff spot? Will the arrivals of No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball and free agent splash Gordon Hayward improve the Hornets significantly?

The other four Eastern teams didn’t necessarily upgrade their rosters in a major way, but the Bulls could be intriguing after hiring Billy Donovan and drafting Patrick Williams, especially if Otto Porter is back to full health. The Pistons, Cavaliers, and Knicks are probably at least a year or two from playoff contention, but if their young talent takes bigger immediate strides than expected, maybe they could make some noise.

Over in the West, there are handful of intriguing candidates to make the move from the lottery to the postseason.

The Warriors, who will have a healthy Stephen Curry back in their lineup to go along with Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, and No. 2 pick James Wiseman, are an obvious team to watch. So are the Suns, who have added Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, Langston Galloway, and E’Twaun Moore, and No. 10 pick Jalen Smith to the mix after an 8-0 run during the NBA’s summer restart.

The only major moves the Pelicans and Grizzlies made in free agency involved re-signing their own players, and New Orleans traded away Jrue Holiday. But both teams were knocking on the door of the playoffs in 2020, and young cornerstones like Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson should only get better.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Offseason Trades]

That leaves the Timberwolves, Spurs, and Kings. Minnesota has a long way to go after finishing last season with a 19-45 record, but adding No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards and having a full season with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Juan Hernangomez shouldn’t hurt.

As for San Antonio and Sacramento, neither team was too far removed from the postseason in 2020. Continued improvements from young players like Derrick White, Dejounte Murray, De’Aaron Fox, and Marvin Bagley should help keep them within striking distance, and both teams got nice draft-lottery additions in Devin Vassell and Tyrese Haliburton.

It’s also worth noting that any team that finishes in the top 10 of a conference has a chance to make the postseason this year as a result of the NBA’s new play-in tournament. The No. 9 and No. 10 seeds will play each other at season’s end, and the winner will face the loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game for the final playoff spot. As a result, more teams than ever could remain in the playoff hunt until late in the season.

What do you think? Which teams do you like to make it back the playoffs this year after missing out in 2020? And which of last season’s playoff teams do you expect to fall into the lottery to make room for those newcomers?

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

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Free Agent Deals

November 24th, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The rushed nature of this offseason turned free agency, which often plays out over several weeks, into a wild extended weekend. Dozens of players rushed to find new teams ahead of training camps, which will get underway in just a few days.

Although this was billed as a relatively weak free agent class, millions of dollars were quickly committed, with Brandon Ingram (five seasons, $158.25MM from the Pelicans), Gordon Hayward (four years, $120MM from the Hornets), Fred VanVleet (four years, $85MM from the Raptors) and Davis Bertans (five years, $80MM from the Wizards) landing the richest deals. The top contenders for next season may not have changed, but some other teams were extremely active as they try to move up.

John Hollinger of The Athletic cites the Hawks as the team that did the most to improve. Atlanta won’t know until later today if Sacramento will match its four-year, $72MM offer sheet to Bogdan Bogdanovic, but the Hawks already stocked their roster with free agent signings Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn. Hollinger sees Atlanta as a legitimate playoff threat and suggests the team could look to trade John Collins for a starting small forward.

On the downside, Hollinger is mystified by the Pistons‘ decision to give up their three best young players in Christian Wood, Bruce Brown and Luke Kennard to hand out sizeable deals to Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee.

He cites the Suns‘ signing of Jae Crowder as the best fit, as Crowder is a tough-minded stretch four who should get plenty of open shots playing alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

The worst fit, according to Hollinger, was the Lakers‘ addition of Montrezl Harrell, because L.A. had success in the playoffs by surrounding Anthony Davis with big men who could shoot from the outside. That’s not part of Harrell’s game, although he will provide a physical presence inside after the loss of Dwight Howard.

Rookie scale extensions were also part of the free spending as Jazz star Donovan Mitchell and Heat big man Bam Adebayo both cashed in.

We want to get your take on the flurry of signings, which we’re chronicling in our Free Agent Tracker. What are the best deals so far, and which teams will end up with buyer’s remorse? Please leave your responses in the comments section.

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Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: 2020 NBA Draft Winners, Losers

November 19th, 2020 at 7:16am CST by Luke Adams

While it’s generally impossible to determine the best and worst picks of a given NBA draft without the benefit of a few years of hindsight, we want you to try your hand at naming this year’s winners and losers, less than 24 hours after this year’s 60 picks were made.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Results]

After weeks of speculation about movement near the top of the draft, the start of the night was awfully quiet, with no picks in the first half of the first round on the move. That left the Timberwolves to select Anthony Edwards at No. 1, the Warriors to claim James Wiseman at No. 2, and the Hornets to nab LaMelo Ball at No. 3.

It was a busy night for all three of those teams — Minnesota made two more first-round picks, securing Leandro Bolmaro at No. 23 and Jaden McDaniels at No. 28. Golden State may have gotten a steal at No. 48, landing a player (Nico Mannion) who was widely viewed as a potential first-round pick. As for the Hornets, they picked up three intriguing college prospects in the second round — Vernon Carey Jr. at No. 32, Nick Richards at No. 42, and Grant Riller at No. 56.

If you’re not particularly high on the work done by the top three teams, how about the Wizards or Kings, who each drafted a player who slipped in the lottery? Washington unexpectedly grabbed Deni Avdija at No. 9, while Sacramento was able to take Tyrese Haliburton without moving up from No. 12.

Elsewhere in the lottery, the Suns made an unexpected pick for a second consecutive year, nabbing Jalen Smith at No. 10. They caught plenty of flak a year ago for picking Cameron Johnson at No. 11, but Johnson had a solid rookie season in Phoenix. Will the Smith pick work out for them?

How about the Bulls‘ pick of Patrick Williams at No. 4? The draft class was widely considered to have a first tier made up of Edwards, Wiseman, and Ball, but it wasn’t until this week that the idea of Williams becoming the next player off the board really gained traction. Was that a reach by new president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas or will his first draft pick in Chicago end up looking savvy?

It was also an eventful evening in Detroit, where the Pistons drafted Killian Hayes (No. 7), Isaiah Stewart (No. 16), and Saddiq Bey (No. 19) in the top 20, then grabbing Saben Lee (No. 38) in round two. The Mavericks were active too, picking up Josh Green (No. 18), Tyrell Terry (No. 31), and Tyler Bey (No. 36).

What do you think? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the 2020 NBA draft results!

Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook

November 14th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Four days after news leaked that Russell Westbrook wants to be traded out of Houston, few teams are lining up to acquire the former MVP.

The Hornets were the first reported suitor, viewing a Westbrook trade as a way to skip a few steps in the rebuilding process and bring a huge star to Charlotte. The Knicks are also thinking about getting involved, but it’s one of many moves that are under consideration. The Clippers have been mentioned as well, but Westbrook might be an awkward fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

There are a lot of factors that make Westbrook a risky investment. One is his age — 32 with seven surgical procedures in his 12 NBA seasons. Another is his poor outside shooting — 25.8% from beyond the arc last season and 24.2% in the playoffs — in a league where three-pointers are more important than ever. But the biggest impediment to a deal is probably his contract. Westbrook is owed approximately $132MM over the next three years, including $47MM during the 2022/23 season.

There are concerns about how effective Westbrook will still be by then. His success has always been built around athleticism and explosiveness, and he doesn’t have the mid-range game to compensate as he ages like Thunder guard Chris Paul, who may also be an option for the Knicks and Clippers.

There’s also the question of what the Rockets will want in return. There have been conflicting reports this week about James Harden‘s happiness and level of commitment to Houston. New general manager Rafael Stone can’t afford to give Westbrook away without enough compensation to keep the Rockets in playoff contention.

We want to get your opinion. Which team do you see as the best fit for Westbrook at this stage of his career? Please leave your answer in the comments section.

Community Shootaround: LaMelo Ball

November 13th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lonzo Ball was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. Will his younger brother LaMelo Ball one-up his older brother and get taken with the top pick on Wednesday?

Ball’s status among NBA executives and scouts is one of more intriguing aspects of this draft. Some draft experts believe Ball will be taken with the No. 1 pick. Others think Ball, despite his reputation as the premier point guard prospect, might drop out of top three slots.

Ball worked out for the Timberwolves on Wednesday, then gave the next two teams in the draft order — the Warriors and Hornets — a closer look on Thursday. Interestingly, the Pistons — who hold the No. 7 pick — were also invited. Ball has also met with the Bulls, who sit at the No. 4 spot.

Detroit would have to trade up to snare Ball and it’s unclear whether they have enough trade capital to make that move. The Pistons don’t own any extra future first-rounders and their best young trade pieces would presumably be Luke Kennard, who missed most of last season with a back injury, and Sekou Doumbouya, who had a spotty rookie year.

Another recent report suggested the Thunder might have some interest in Ball. They don’t own a pick higher than No. 25 in this draft but have plenty of future first-rounders, courtesy of the Paul George deal last year.

If the Timberwolves pick Ball, it would signal that they believe a Ball-D’Angelo Russell backcourt could work. The Warriors, with Stephen Curry, would seemingly be less interested in drafting a point guard. It would make more sense for either the Hornets or Pistons to take Ball, though Charlotte owes Terry Rozier a hefty salary over the next two seasons.

That leads us to our question of the day: Which team will end up selecting or trading for LaMelo Ball in Wednesday’s draft?

Please provide your input in our comments section. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Spurs’ Offseason Plans

November 11th, 2020 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

While some NBA teams’ offseason checklists are fairly straightforward, there are a handful of clubs that could realistically go in any number of directions with their rosters in the next couple weeks.

The Spurs are one of those clubs. After seeing their streak of postseason appearances snapped this summer, San Antonio will have to decide what to do with veterans like DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay, all of whom will be on pricey expiring contracts in 2020/21, assuming DeRozan exercises his player option.

San Antonio’s books are nearly entirely clear of veteran contracts beyond 2021, and the team has a promising young core of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, and Luka Samanic to build around. If the front office decides to accelerate the rebuilding process, it could do so by moving some of those veterans.

The Spurs don’t typically make blockbuster trades unless their hand is forced (as in the case of Kawhi Leonard two summers ago). A typical offseason in San Antonio would probably involve hanging onto their veterans, perhaps extending DeRozan and re-signing restricted free agent Jakob Poeltl, and betting on internal improvement to help the club return to playoff contention.

However, multiple NBA reporters are suggesting that the Spurs may have something bigger in mind this fall. Within his mock draft on Tuesday, John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote of “unusually large plumes of smoke” coming out of San Antonio for a team that is “normally church-mouse quiet.”

Today, draft analyst and former agent Matt Babcock tweeted that there’s a “growing sense” in league circles that the Spurs are up to “something big.” Keith Smith of RealGM (Twitter link) has also heard from multiple teams that the Spurs are “up to something” and that they’re talking to more people than usual.

It’s hard to know yet whether all of this smoke means there will be any fire next week — or what exactly San Antonio might have up its sleeve. A trade involving Aldridge or DeRozan would be the most obvious way for the club to make a splash, and there has been a little Aldridge chatter, at least. A deal involving one of the younger players shouldn’t be ruled out either, if the Spurs aren’t sold on all of them being long-term building blocks.

It’s also worth noting that the Spurs hold a lottery pick (No. 11) for the first time in over two decades. The last time San Antonio drafted a player in the lottery was in 1997, when the team used the top pick on Tim Duncan. The last time the franchise made a draft-night trade to acquire a prospect picked in the top half of the first round was in 2011 for Leonard.

It’s probably safe to say this year’s selection won’t become a Duncan or Leonard, but if San Antonio has zeroed in on a specific 2020 prospect, the organization is in far better position than usual to land that player, even if it means trade up a few spots.

What do you think? Do you expect a fairly quiet offseason in San Antonio or do you think the Spurs could make some noise this month? If you’re expecting bigger moves, what do you suspect the team has in mind?

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

Community Shootaround: 72-Game Schedule

November 7th, 2020 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

For decades, there have been complaints that the NBA’s season is too long. Playing 82 games dilutes the product, critics claim, and lessens the importance of each one. It also creates a marathon atmosphere that presents a high risk of injury and causes players to sometimes seem unmotivated.

People who have wanted to see the league try a shorter schedule are about to get their wish. After the chaos caused last season by the pandemic, the NBA and its players union have agreed to take steps toward a normal timeline by adopting a 72-game schedule that will start December 22.

Details on how those 72 games will be allocated still have to be worked out. The NBA hopes to reduce travel during the upcoming season, so games between teams from the Eastern and Western conferences could be reduced or even eliminated. An All-Star break is still expected in March, although it hasn’t been determined if it will include normal All-Star Weekend activities. A play-in tournament could also be adopted.

If the upcoming season is successful, the league may attempt to keep the shorter schedule, writes Jabari Young of CNBC.

“I would argue, with a leap of faith, that we’ll never see 82 again,” said Tony Ponturo, CEO of Ponturo Management Group, a marketing consulting firm. “It’s going to be better across the board of quality basketball and healthier athletes. You take the (revenue) hit and figure out how to make it up in other ways.”

Young also cites comments from NBA president of operations Byron Spruell, who suggested at the Disney World complex that the league would be open to schedule changes if they result in a better product. Another idea being considered is adopting series schedules, much like Major League Baseball, to make road trips less exhausting.

“Having this experience around being on a campus, with health and safety first – there are a lot of learnings that make you think about,” Spruell said in August. “Is there something in between given where the pandemic might be next season, given the experience we’re seeing from our teams and players in this campus format? Is there something in between that we’ll be able to accomplish, too?”

The obvious concern with a shorter schedule is the lost revenue as each team has five fewer home games. Young cites several ways to make up the difference, including higher ticket prices as games become more scarce, increased revenue from the play-in games and additional sponsorship opportunities.

We want to get your opinion. Do you believe there would be a noticeable difference in the quality of play with a permanent 72-game schedule or would you prefer to see the league continue with its traditional 82-game slate? Please leave your answer in the comments section.

Community Shootaround: Jrue Holiday

November 5th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With a moratorium in effect, the Pelicans can’t trade Jrue Holiday at the moment. However, they are reportedly listening to offers for the talented combo guard, who has two years left on his contract, including a $27.1MM player option for the 2021/22 season.

Holiday’s hefty $26.2MM salary for next season could be a stumbling block for potential suitors but there’s expected to be stiff competition for his services. William Guillory and other members of The Athletic staff provided their opinions on the teams most likely to pursue Holiday, concluding that the Nets, Pacers, Heat and Mavericks were the logical landing spots.

In search of third star or something close to it, the Nets could formulate a package that might include some combination of Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Taurean Prince and one or two first-round picks, The Athletic speculated. The Pacers could offer a deal featuring center Myles Turner, who has three years left on his contract, to make him Zion Williamson‘s frontcourt partner.

The Heat may have to part with postseason star Tyler Herro, salary filler, and a draft pick to entice the Pelicans. The Mavericks would presumably have strong interest in pairing Holiday with Luka Doncic but the potential return for New Orleans is tougher to figure — perhaps a package that includes Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry.

That leads us to our question of the day: If the Pelicans deal Holiday, where is he most likely to end up?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: Next Head Coach In OKC

November 4th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

While the other eight teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason have made their choices, the process continues in Oklahoma City. With the draft two weeks away, the Thunder still haven’t settled on a replacement for Billy Donovan.

The latest report is that Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Oklahoma City assistant Mark Daigneault are all receiving strong consideration after their interviews. Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, Thunder assistant Brian Keefe and Sydney Kings head coach Will Weaver have also been linked to the OKC opening.

Most of the big-name coaches are already off the market. However, the Thunder seem to be looking for a younger coach willing to oversee a rebuilding project, although it may be a short one. With Chris Paul reportedly on the trade market and Danilo Gallinari entering free agency, Oklahoma City appears ready to construct the team around a collection of young talent and the parcel of draft picks it received from the Clippers in last summer’s trade for Paul George.

The Thunder could have a surprise in store that doesn’t involve any of the above candidates, suggests Marc Stein of The New York Times. He calls it a “Prestian move,” referring to general manger Sam Presti, to hire someone who hasn’t been publicly connected to the job.

Considering the future assets on hand and the likely roster shakeup, who do you believe would be the best choice to guide the Thunder? Would it be one of the rumored candidates or someone else who is still available? Please leave your answer in the comments section.

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