Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: 2019 Free Agency Mistakes

February 20th, 2020 at 6:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2019 free agent frenzy took place less than eight months ago, and many of the players signed at that time made their regular-season debuts with new teams less than four months ago. However, it’s already clear that some of the signings completed last July were ill-advised.

The Kings, for instance, are almost certainly regretting investing in Dewayne Dedmon on a three-year, $40MM contract with nearly $28MM in guaranteed money. Dedmon was expected to be the club’s starting center this season, but lasted just four games in that role before being supplanted by Richaun Holmes, who signed a far more team-friendly deal around the same time. Sacramento ultimately surrendered a pair of future second-round picks to get out from under Dedmon’s contract at the trade deadline.

While the Kings were at least able to find a taker for Dedmon, that wasn’t the case for the Spurs with DeMarre Carroll — the two sides reached a buyout agreement this week. Most players who are bought out at this time of year are on expiring deals, but Carroll – who signed a three-year, $21MM pact with San Antonio last summer – still had a fully guaranteed 2020/21 salary and partial guarantee for 2021/22.

Carroll gave back a little money when he was cut this week, but it was still a costly mistake for the Spurs — particularly since agreeing to sign both Carroll and Marcus Morris in the offseason resulted in the team trading away Davis Bertans to accommodate both incoming forwards. Morris reneged on his tentative agreement with the Spurs days later, and now Carroll is gone as well.

The Dedmon and Carroll signings are two of the most obvious failed free agency moves from the 2019 offseason, but they won’t be the only ones.

The Bulls, for instance, may want a do-over on their three-year, $40.6MM ($32.4MM guaranteed) deal with Thaddeus Young. The Sixers and Kings might not invest so heavily on their four-year contracts for Al Horford and Harrison Barnes if given a second chance. The Knicks‘ free agent signings won’t hurt them much because they’re all short-term, but besides Morris, it’s not clear that any of those veterans will turn into a long-term keeper or a valuable trade chip.

We want to hear your thoughts. Which of 2019’s free agent signings do you think teams will regret, even if they might not be considered full-fledged mistakes quite yet? Are there any long-term contracts signed in 2019 that will be viewed as albatross deals in a year or two?

Check out our free agent tracker from the 2019 offseason to refresh your memory, and head to the comment section below to weigh in!

Community Shootaround: Can College Coaches Win In The NBA?

February 19th, 2020 at 11:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

In John Beilein’s case, the doubters turned out to be right.

After four decades in the college game, the 67-year-old coach wasn’t able to handle the adjustment to the NBA. The lifestyle, the personalities and the expectations of his players were all foreign to Beilein, who built his reputation guiding athletes between the ages of 18 and 22.

While he had his share of those with the rebuilding project in Cleveland, the atmosphere is different in the NBA. The coaches have all the power in college, but in the pro ranks the balance shifts to the players, who weren’t receptive to long practices and intense film sessions in the midst of an already-grueling 82-game schedule. Beilein seemed out of place both on and off the court as he tried to adapt to the game strategies and player management techniques of a league that was totally new to him.

Beilein resigned today in a move that everyone knew was coming. His 14-40 record and a growing litany of player complaints made the parting inevitable.

He becomes the latest successful NCAA coach to crash and burn in the NBA, joining a large group that includes John Calipari (72-112 with the Nets), Rick Pitino (192-220 with the Knicks and Celtics), Tim Floyd (90-231 with the Bulls and Hornets) and Jerry Tarkanian (9-11 in a brief 20-game stay with the Spurs).

But regardless of the results, some NBA teams believe the solution to their problems can be found on a college campus. The Knicks, for example, reportedly expressed interest in both Calipari and Villanova’s Jay Wright to take over the team next year.

The Celtics’ Brad Stevens, one of the few to successfully transition from college to the NBA, met with Beilein in the summer of 2018 while he was considering an opportunity with the Pistons. Stevens, who reached the NCAA title game twice at Butler, talked to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com in October about how to he was able to make the transition work.

“I think one of the great things about being here (in Boston) is that we have unbelievable leadership in our front office and ownership and they don’t ride the highs and lows — a game, a week, a month, they just kind of stay the course,” Stevens said. “I really appreciate that. You feel empowered to work in that environment. … If you’re looking at it coming from a college situation where you have a lot of job security I think the question you want to know is, ‘there will be ups and downs and is it going to be something they recognize they can’t overreact to one bad week or bad month?’”

We want to get your opinion. Is it a mistake for NBA teams to look to the college ranks for head coaches? Or are there a lot more potential success stories out there like Stevens just waiting for an opportunity? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Small-Ball Rockets

February 17th, 2020 at 8:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA doesn’t return to action until Thursday but the Rockets made some noise on Monday.

They agreed to a 10-day contract with Jeff Green, who could eventually sign for the remainder of the season. It was also revealed that another veteran forward, DeMarre Carroll, intends to sign with them once he clears waivers. Carroll reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs on Monday.

These developments are a clear signal that the Rockets are going all-in on their small-ball approach. They traded Clint Capela to the Hawks, in part to get out from his long-term deal and dodge the luxury tax. But they’ve also seen that they can win games with the likes of P.J. Tucker and Danuel House manning the power positions.

The Rockets have two of the league’s premier guards in former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook and conventional wisdom would say they would be complemented by a quality big man or two. Mike D’Antoni has a couple of traditional big men at his disposal in Isaiah Hartenstein and Tyson Chandler but instead has decided to go with an interchangeable group of forwards. Recently-acquired three-and-D wing Robert Covington is another key piece in this approach.

Houston has championship aspirations but currently sits fifth in the Western Conference standings behind the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Jazz. The Clippers are the only member of that quartet that doesn’t have a dominant big man, though reserve Montrezl Harrell comes pretty close. The Lakers, of course, have superstar Anthony Davis. Nikola Jokic is the Nuggets’ top player and Rudy Gobert collects Defensive Player of the Year awards for the Jazz.

No matter which team the Rockets face, they’ll have to figure out a way to guard those players and hold their own on the boards. Or perhaps they’ll just anticipate they can run and space the floor so adeptly, they’ll neutralize them and force the opposition to go smaller.

Anyway, it should be fascinating how this plays out. This leads to our question of the day: Can the Rockets succeed in the playoffs without a traditional center?

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

Community Shootaround: Coach Of The Year Favorites

February 16th, 2020 at 5:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

This season, the Coach of the Year race appears to have plenty of intriguing candidates. With the All-Star break upon us, we at Hoops Rumors deemed it a good time to reflect on where things stand currently.

Mike Budenholzer is leading the 46-8 Bucks towards potentially the NBA’s third-ever 70+ win season. Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo may win his second consecutive MVP award under Budenholzer’s tutelage, while wing Khris Middleton has made his second straight All-Star team.

In their second year under Nick Nurse, the Raptors are miraculously on pace for a better record than they had during a champion run last year, minus 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Pascal Siakam has blossomed into an All-Star starter. Fellow All-Star Kyle Lowry has remained a steadying presence on the court. Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Norman Powell have all taken notable leaps.

Erik Spoelstra has coached the new-look Heat to a 35-19 record in the East, helped center Bam Adebayo become a first-time All-Star, and made the most out of promising rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, plus second-year sharpshooter Duncan Robinson.

The Celtics lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford to free agency over the summer, and signed Kemba Walker in Irving’s stead. Team chemistry appears to have improved significantly, and coach Brad Stevens has helped Walker return to the All-Star game and Jayson Tatum make his first appearance in the big show, while leading Boston to a 38-16 record (including a recent eight-game win streak).

Though the Lakers missed out on signing priority head coach options Tyronn Lue and Monty Williams over the summer, their supposed “consolation” option Frank Vogel has impressed in his first season with the team. The Lakers have a 41-12 record, tops in the West thus far, and have been able to incorporate several mercurial veterans into an upbeat, defensive-oriented locker room atmosphere.

There are several contenders elsewhere in the NBA. Billy Donovan has helped take the Thunder to a surprisingly robust 33-22 record. Rick Carlisle has brought the Mavericks back to the thick of the playoff hunt with an identical record to the Thunder’s and helped Luka Doncic become a first-time All-Star starter. 35-year-old coach Taylor Jenkins has brought the young Grizzlies back to relevance after the team offloaded former franchise cornerstones Marc Gasol and Mike Conley in 2019.

Who do you think will walk away with Coach of the Year hardware in 2020? Let us know!

Community Shootaround: Will The Grizzlies Make The Playoffs?

February 16th, 2020 at 4:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Led by stellar seasons from Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant and second-year big man Jaren Jackson Jr., the 28-26 Grizzlies have a solid lead in the race for the West’s No. 8 seed in the 2020 playoffs.

Burly veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas has proved to be a perfect frontcourt complement to Jackson. Young players like rookie power forward Brandon Clarke, third-year wing Dillon Brooks and second-year point guard De’Anthony Melton have all shown promise too.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies will also be up against the NBA’s toughest post-All Star break schedule, per Tankathon, as they wrap up what has to this point been an exciting season. Schedule strength is determined by combining the winning percentage for all of a team’s upcoming opponents.

Among Memphis’ most intimidating future combatants down the home stretch are the 46-8 Bucks, the 41-12 Lakers (twice), the 40-15 Raptors (twice), and the 38-16 Celtics.

The No. 11-seeded Pelicans, with a 23-32 record, have the easiest schedule remaining in the league. The No. 9-seeded Trail Blazers (25-31) have the sixth-hardest road ahead. The No. 10-seeded Spurs (23-31) boast the 11th-easiest schedule. Memphis is currently in the No. 8 seed, but maybe these more favorable schedules (and the health of a certain rookie in New Orleans) will give one of the teams breathing down the Grizzlies’ necks an opportunity to snatch the seed.

We want to hear what you think. Can the new-look Grizzlies continue their recent string of success and hold off the Blazers, Spurs and Pelicans to secure a 2020 playoff berth? Or will one of these other teams make a playoff push of their own?

Weigh in with your thoughts below!

Community Shootaround: Was Aaron Gordon Robbed?

February 15th, 2020 at 10:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

After receiving 50s on his first five dunks, Orlando’s Aaron Gordon got a 47 from the judges on his final attempt and settled for second place in a controversial finish to this year’s dunk contest. The score came on a dunk where he leaped over 7’5″ Celtics rookie Tacko Fall, and the result was reminiscent of the 2016 dunk contest where Gordon finished second to Zach LaVine.

Gordon thrilled the crowd with a series of memorable slams, but still finished behind Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., who put on a show of his own. It’s being hailed as of the greatest dunk showdowns in the history of the contest, but it will likely be remembered for its unpopular finish.

TNT announcers Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller both criticized the judging when the final score was revealed, and a host of NBA reporters followed suit on Twitter.

“Call the cops! Aaron Gordon just got robbed! When you dunk over Tacko Fall that’s a 50!” tweeted Michael Scotto of Bleacher Report.

“Aaron Gordon has jumped over Stuff the Magic Dragon and Tacko Fall and he’s somehow 0 for 2,” added Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. “Nobody has ever done more and gotten less.” (Twitter link)

The world record in the high jump is 7 ft 11.67 inches,” noted former NBA executive John Hollinger, who now writes for the Athletic. “Gordon jumped over a guy who is 7-6 in shoes, grabbed a basketball and dunked it.” (Twitter link)

Gordon was among those unhappy with the judging, telling reporters, including Fred Katz of The Athletic, “Jumping over someone who’s 7’5″, that’s no easy feat. … What’d I get? 47? C’mon, man. What’re we doing? … I don’t even know who gave me the 9s. I’m gonna find them.” (Twitter links)

Gordon also said he’s through with the dunk contest and may try the 3-point competition in the future. “It’s a wrap,” he said. “I feel like I should have two trophies. So it’s over for that.” (Twitter link)

We want to get your feedback. Did Gordon deserve to win? Should the judges have declared the contest a tie in recognition of the great dunks from both Gordon and Jones that sent the contest into overtime? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Timberwolves’ Long-Term Outlook

February 14th, 2020 at 11:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Timberwolves made a bevy of deals prior to the trade deadline, bringing in seven new players. The team is in a grand rebuild and every move is calculated, as Britt Robson of The Athletic writes.

“’Why didn’t we make trades for other positions?’ Because we wanted these guys,” President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said.. “We had to make sure we made the right decisions.”

The team’s biggest acquisition was D’Angelo Russell. The Wolves didn’t sign a point guard in free agency because they had their eyes set on Russell. Rosas had been pursuing the former No. 2 overall pick to be the court partner to Karl-Anthony Towns essentially since he came on board.

The former Rockets executive now has ownership of the existing roster, similar to how Tom Thibodeau went all-in on the TimberBulls. Will it work long-term?

Do you believe the core Minnesota has assembled will reach great heights? Or will they, like past Timberwolves teams, fail to make any major noise?

Let us know in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Community Shootaround: Joel Embiid

February 11th, 2020 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Last spring, the Sixers took the eventual champion Raptors to the limit in a seven-game playoff series. This season, their star center Joel Embiid seems more interested in testing the limits of everyone’s patience.

Philadelphia has the league’s best home record but overall it has been a disappointment. The Sixers are just 9-19 on the road and Embiid’s effort and focus has been the subject of scrutiny.

Embiid seemingly made a vulgar comment directed toward the home fans on Sunday and heard many boos during pregame introductions on Tuesday.

Embiid denied that he criticized the home fans but then continued to stir the pot on social media. He even insinuated in an Instagram exchange with former teammate and Heat swingman Jimmy Butler that he’d rather be in Miami.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated on a podcast that rival executives have started to openly wonder whether the Sixers would consider moving Embiid if the team has an abbreviated postseason run.

It’s hard to imagine that the Sixers would give up on Embiid despite his injury history and penchant for stirring controversy. His stats have dropped off this year but he’s still on the short list of the league’s best big men. At 25, Embiid is just entering his prime, as long as health issues don’t sidetrack his career.

Embiid is signed through the 2022/23 season and there figures to be plenty of interest around the league if Philadelphia’s front office grows weary of his act and looks to shake things up.

That brings us to our question of the day: If the Sixers getting knocked out early in this year’s playoffs, should they consider trading center Joel Embiid?

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

Community Shootaround: Winners At The Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2020 at 10:15pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Although the NBA trade deadline was expected to be a quiet one, it was anything but that, with several mega-deals coming in before Thursday’s deadline.

The Timberwolves got their point guard in D’Angelo Russell, pairing him with his friend Karl-Anthony Towns. The front office believes in the duo as its pair of franchise players and the price tag for the former No. 2 overall pick ended up being reasonable, as the Wolves handed the Warriors their 2021 first-round pick (top-3 protected), a 2021 second-rounder, and Andrew Wiggins.

The Rockets made their trade a couple of days before the deadline, landing Robert Covington. The team gave up Clint Capela and a first-rounder in the deal. Houston intends to play a version of small-ball for the remainder of the season.

The Hawks benefited from Houston’s newfound strategy, as they were able to pluck Capela off the Rockets, as part of the four-team, 12-player trade. It cost Atlanta the first-rounder the team had on hand from the Nets, as well as Evan Turner‘s expiring contract. The Hawks also brought back Dewayne Dedmon and cashed in on their open roster spots, collecting roughly $3.2M in trades with the Clippers and Blazers.

The Cavaliers made perhaps the most surprising deal of the day, acquiring Andre Drummond. They didn’t necessarily need another frontcourt player, with Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and Larry Nance Jr. crowding the paint. However, the price was modest, as it only cost them a pair of expiring deals (Brandon Knight, John Henson) and a second-round pick.

The Knicks made a trade, sending Marcus Morris to the Clippers for Maurice Harkless, a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 pick swap with L.A., and a future second-rounder. Not a bad haul for New York, considering Morris didn’t really fit with the timeline for the franchise’s young core. The Knicks essentially used their cap space this past summer to pick up draft capital. Still, it’s a win for New York in a week where the organization could probably use one.

Do you think the Knicks or any of the aforementioned teams are the biggest winners today? If not, which team had the best trade deadline?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Community Shootaround: Western All-Star Reserves

January 30th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

There was little pushback on the All-Star starter selections from the Western Conference when the NBA announced them last week, and for good reason. All five players voted in as starters from the West – Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard – could end up being viable MVP candidates this season.

However, it may be a little more challenging to pick the seven Western players who will join those starters at this year’s All-Star Game. Those seven reserves will be announced on Thursday night, with two more guards, three more frontcourt players, and a pair of wild cards filling out the roster.

Before those players are announced, we want to get your thoughts on which players deserve to be included and which players don’t quite make the cut, as we did with the Eastern Conference on Wednesday.

Let’s start in the middle, where a pair of Northwest centers look like strong candidates to be named All-Stars. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) had a case to be considered as a starter, while Rudy Gobert (Jazz) looks poised to finally earn the first All-Star nod of his career.

Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell has had the best year of his young career and deserves serious All-Star consideration. He’ll face stiff competition among guards though. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) looks like a lock to make it, and Devin Booker (Suns), Chris Paul (Thunder), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Russell Westbrook (Rockets), DeMar DeRozan (Spurs), and Ja Morant (Grizzlies) are among the other backcourt candidates.

Although they’re long shots, guards like Lou Williams (Clippers), CJ McCollum (Trail Blazers), Jrue Holiday (Pelicans), and De’Aaron Fox (Kings) probably deserve a look too.

While Holiday entered the season looking like the most obvious All-Star candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, Brandon Ingram has emerged as that player instead, enjoying a breakout season in his first year in New Orleans. Danilo Gallinari (Thunder), Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz), and Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) are among the other players who are posting at least borderline All-Star numbers in their first year with a new team.

Injuries will likely have an impact on the Western All-Star selections for 2019/20. If they’d been healthy all season long, Paul George (Clippers) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) would have strong cases, but they’ve only played in 26 and 30 games, respectively — we’ll see if that’s enough. While he’s not quite the star that George and KAT are, D’Angelo Russell (Warriors) is in this boat too. Like Towns, he’s had a good year, but has been limited to just 30 games and plays on one of the conference’s worst teams.

Finally, while I view them as long shots, Montrezl Harrell (Clippers), Jaren Jackson (Grizzlies), and LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) have had very good years and deserve at least a passing mention in this discussion.

What do you think? Which seven players are you picking as your Western Conference All-Star reserves?

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

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