Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Team USA’s World Cup Roster

August 6th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

While there has been some hand-wringing this summer over the exodus of stars from Team USA’s World Cup roster, the absence of the country’s very best players may ultimately make things more interesting in China next month.

Rather than watching Team USA’s dozen best players run roughshod over their international challengers, we should get a look at some new faces and see a more balanced competition. Although America is still the overwhelming favorite to win gold in China next month, there are no guarantees, since the team will run out a younger roster with less All-Star talent than expected.

USA Basketball’s training camp is taking place this week in Las Vegas, and the program’s decision-makers will ultimately have to pare down a group of 29 participants to a roster made up of 12 players before the World Cup gets underway on August 31. Those participants are as follows:

Main roster:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Harrison Barnes (Kings)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
Brook Lopez (Bucks)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors) *
Khris Middleton (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Mason Plumlee (Nuggets)
Marcus Smart (Celtics)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
P.J. Tucker (Rockets)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Celtics)
Thaddeus Young (Bulls)

* Recovering from thumb surgery.

Select Team:

Jarrett Allen (Nets)
Marvin Bagley III (Kings)
Mikal Bridges (Suns)
Jalen Brunson (Mavericks)
John Collins (Hawks)
Pat Connaughton (Bucks)
Torrey Craig (Nuggets)
Joe Harris (Nets) **
Jonathan Isaac (Magic)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
Derrick White (Spurs)
Trae Young (Hawks)

** Practicing with main roster.

With the 2019 World Cup around the corner, we want to know what your ideal 12-man Team USA roster looks like. The 16-player training camp roster above is a good jumping-off point, but if there are members of the Select Team who – in your view – deserve to represent Team USA in China, feel free to include them as well.

Adding players to your 12-man roster who have already withdrawn from consideration – such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, and other stars – is a no-go, but if there are some under-the-radar NBA players you would’ve liked to see on the squad, feel free to make note of them as well.

What do you think? What would your ideal 12-man Team USA roster look like, given the limitations imposed by all the players who turned down invitations? Weigh in below in the comment section!

Community Shootaround: East’s Most Underrated Team

August 2nd, 2019 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The current odds posted by VegasInsider.com shows a wide gap among Eastern Conference teams.

The Bucks and Sixers are virtual co-favorites to reach the Finals next season, with Milwaukee posted at 5-4 odds and the Sixers at 3-2. The Celtics are a clear-cut third choice at 15-2.

Those are the only teams listed at single-digit odds. Even though Kevin Durant is expected to sit out next season, the Nets are co-fourth choices with the Pacers at 12-1. Indiana could be dangerous if Victor Oladipo can come back strong from a serious leg injury.

The Raptors are 25-1 and the Heat, with the addition of Jimmy Butler, are rated at 40-1. The Magic, who made the playoffs last season and re-signed their top free agents, and Bulls are posted at 80-1.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Pistons, who also reached the postseason and didn’t lose any key players, are listed at 120-1 along with the youthful Hawks. The remaining Eastern Conference teams — the Knicks, Cavaliers, Wizards and Hornets, are all posted at 400-1.

It would certainly be a surprise if any club other than Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Boston gets out of the Eastern Conference but all those teams are vulnerable to a certain degree.

That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team is the most underrated heading into next season?

Please take to the comments section below to voice your opinion. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: Chris Paul

July 31st, 2019 at 7:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Insurance spokesman Chris Paul finds himself stranded in Oklahoma City at the moment and State Farm can’t help him.

Considered for many seasons as the world’s premier point guard, Paul is stuck on the rebuilding Thunder until GM Sam Presti can find a way to deal his monstrous contract. The Thunder granted Russell Westbrook his wish to be traded in the wake of Paul George‘s trade demand. Presti send the team’s longtime floor leader to the Rockets for Paul, a couple of first-round picks and the right to swap two others.

Paul has played most of his career with contenders that have fallen short in the playoffs. He’s now in an awkward spot with the Thunder, who are looking to build around young point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the top player acquired from the Clippers in the George deal. Dennis Schroder, the team’s sixth man, is also a natural point guard.

The remainder of the roster won’t strike fear into the hearts of opponents. The Thunder will be fortunate to win 30 games next season.

Moving Paul to another team won’t be easy. He’s due $38.5MM next season, $41.4MM in 2020/21 and $44.2MM in 2021/22 if he exercises his player option.

Perhaps a younger Chris Paul was worth all that money but age (34) and injuries have led to a decline. He averaged 15.6 PPG on 41.9% shooting, both career lows, last season.

Paul will probably begin the season with the Thunder and have to wait at least until mid-December, when the latest crop of free agents become trade eligible, to get rescued. A point guard injury could motivate a contender to bring in Paul to save their season.

The Heat have been mentioned as the most likely trade partner but they’d want a couple of first-rounders tossed in to ease the burden of Paul’s salary-cap swallowing contract. The Pistons have also been considered a possible suitor, since they could pair up Paul with former pick-and-roll partner Blake Griffin. However, they’re not keen on Paul’s contract, either, especially with Andre Drummond potentially headed to free agency next summer.

That brings us to our question of the day: Do you think Chris Paul will be on Oklahoma City’s roster all of next season? If not, which team will trade for him?

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

Community Shootaround: Tampering Solutions

July 29th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Not too long ago, NBA executives used to wait until the stroke of midnight when free agency began, then knock on the door of their top target.

The NBA has moved the start of free agency to a more reasonable hour, but clearly, they didn’t wait for the official start of free agency to negotiate. Commitments were being leaked to the media this summer even before free agency began.

Nearly a week into free agency, another type of potential tampering issue arose. Kawhi Leonard committed to the Clippers but only after he convinced Paul George, who just signed a long-term deal with the Thunder last offseason, to demand a trade and join him there.

Clearly, the league has a problem with back-room deals and wink-wink agreements. Last week, an ESPN report revealed that tampering — particularly before the free agency period was supposed to begin — was the primary topic at a tense owners meeting.

The NBA has launched an investigation and has penalties in place for tampering violations. However, it’s been 20 years since the league voided a contract after determining its free agency rules were circumvented.

Some ideas have been kicked around to try to keep things under control in the future. One proposal is to move free agency before the draft and allow negotiations to begin with free agents after their seasons are over. The league could also crack down on players trying to recruit free agents prematurely, or in the case of Leonard-George, recruiting players under contract to force trades.

This brings us to our question of the day: What can and should the league do about apparent widespread tampering, particularly before free agency?

Please take to the comments section to address this subject. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: NBA’s Best Duo

July 28th, 2019 at 8:32pm CST by JD Shaw

A hectic offseason has shifted some major balance in the NBA across both conferences, with stars such as Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Paul George and others switching teams to create a surprising new-look league this summer.

There appears to be no clear front-runner for the first time in recent memory, though a common theme rapidly spread across teams as the offseason progressed: multiple franchises loaded up in pursuit of a championship, each led by two major star players.

In no particular order, some of the NBA’s top duos now include Leonard/George (Clippers), Durant/Irving (Nets), Davis/LeBron James (Lakers) and James Harden/Russell Westbrook (Rockets).

Among the returning top duos are Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson (Warriors), Giannis Antetokounmpo/Khris Middleton (Bucks), Ben Simmons/Joel Embiid (Sixers), Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum (Blazers) and Jamal Murray/Nikola Jokic (Nuggets).

With several competitive teams now sporting star-studded duos, which team do you believe has the best faction entering the 2019/20 season? Is it one of the pairs listed above, or perhaps another pair that hasn’t been discussed yet? Take to the comments section below to voice your opinion!

Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard

July 27th, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

It only lasted five days, but it seemed much, much longer at the time. In a summer where many of the NBA’s top free agents announced their agreements suspiciously close to the official start of free agency, Kawhi Leonard‘s decision seemed to linger forever.

While we all waited, the rumor mill got wacky. First came reports that he was definitely joining the Lakers, followed by other reports that he was definitely staying with the Raptors. The Clippers were presented as an afterthought and were rumored to be out of consideration. Intrepid reporters tracked a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto without knowing for sure that Leonard was on board. And Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter somehow became an NBA insider.

Tension was high all week for the three teams involved in the chase as other free agents came off the board. When Leonard announced his decision late on the night of June 5, there was jubilation at Clippers headquarters and severe disappointment across town and throughout Canada.

Hard feelings in the Lakers’ camp led to accusations that Leonard had “played” them in the process. There were also reports that he asked for extreme considerations from the Raptors before abandoning an organization that had just won its first NBA title. The grumblings grew so loud that Leonard felt compelled to address them at his introductory press conference this week.

“I didn’t lead anyone on,” he said. “I took my time in free agency, as I should, to make sure I made the best decision for myself and my family. I feel like some of the media coverage over it made it feel that way, with people saying I’m signing with Toronto 99 percent or I’m going to the Lakers 99 percent. I don’t ever want to have that bad karma come back on me trying to make the Lakers miss out on players they should have gotten or vice-versa with the Raptors.”

Leonard added that all the teams were free to change their strategy if they thought waiting was too risky.

“If they didn’t want to wait for me, they didn’t have to,” Leonard said. “They had a big opportunity to sign me. [The Lakers] were close, but I ended up on the other side.”

Leonard isn’t the first free agent to take his time in reaching a decision. In 2016, Kevin Durant waited until July 4 to announce that he was joining the Warriors. A year later, Gordon Hayward picked the same date to confirm his agreement with the Celtics. LeBron James took until July 11 before releasing the Sports Illustrated article proclaiming his return to Cleveland in 2014.

We want to get your opinion on Leonard. Do you believe he did anything to intentionally hurt the Raptors or Lakers in free agency or is this just sour grapes from the teams that didn’t sign him? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Western Conference Favorite

July 21st, 2019 at 5:45pm CST by JD Shaw

With free agency finally beginning to wind down, it’s time to look at which teams have the best chance of competing for an NBA championship entering the 2019/20 season.

We previously discussed which Eastern Conference teams could be in contention during a Community Shootaround earlier this month, including the Bucks, Nets, Sixers and more. The Western Conference appears to be slightly more crowded at the moment, however, with the Clippers, Jazz, Lakers, Nuggets and Rockets all made noticeable upgrades during the offseason.

The Clippers (Kawhi Leonard/Paul George) and Lakers (LeBron James/Anthony Davis) now have star-studded duos, with both franchises working diligently to fill in the remaining holes. The Clippers managed to re-sign Patrick Beverley, JaMychal Green and Ivica Zubac, while the Lakers added the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Quinn Cook and others to its roster.

Houston made a surprising splash this month for longtime Thunder star Russell Westbrook, who’s widely considered to be the most talented teammate James Harden has had during his seven years with the organization.

The Jazz also made some major moves this offseason, acquiring Mike Conley from Memphis and signing Bojan Bogdanovic (18 PPG in 2018/19) to a four-year contract. Utah plans to pair those players alongside stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Elsewhere in the West, Denver quickly re-signed guard Jamal Murray to a five-year extension, exercised its $30MM team option on Paul Millsap and acquired athletic power forward Jerami Grant from Oklahoma City in a trade.

The Trail Blazers and Warriors can never be totally counted out, with Portland acquiring shot-blocking center Hassan Whiteside and Golden State adding D’Angelo Russell to a newly projected starting five of Stephen Curry, Russell, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Willie Cauley-Stein.

With all of this in mind, who do you believe is the current favorite to win the Western Conference this upcoming season? Is it one of the seven teams listed above, or is it a separate wild card team? Take to the comments section below to voice your opinion!

Community Shootaround: J.R. Smith

July 20th, 2019 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Say what you will about J.R. Smith, he always finds a way to keep things interesting. Whether he’s parading around without a shirt, throwing soup at an assistant coach or forgetting the score during the NBA Finals, there’s never a shortage of excitement when Smith is around.

His outrageous behavior was accepted while he was helping LeBron James pile up Eastern Conference championships, but he wore out his welcome quickly when the Cavaliers started rebuilding. Smith began last season embroiled in a dispute over playing veterans or young guys that got coach Tyronn Lue fired after six games. Smith was exiled after 11 games and had been on the roster in name only since November.

Even with a trade-friendly contract, the Cavs couldn’t find a taker for Smith and opted to waive him this week rather than giving him more money to further extend his guarantee date. The 33-year-old is now on the open market, where interest so far has been lukewarm.

He met Thursday with the Bucks, who were searching for another wing player to hit 3-pointers. There’s hasn’t been any word on how that meeting went, but Milwaukee reached an agreement with Kyle Korver this afternoon, which may eliminate any need for Smith.

The Lakers and a reunion with LeBron had been considered another possibility, but a report Monday seemed to quash that rumor. It’s not clear whether James wants Smith on his team again, and L.A. is well stocked at shooting guard with Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Troy Daniels already on the roster.

There’s a limited market for Smith considering his age and eccentricities. He’ll have to find a contending team willing to give him a rotation role, but also one with strong leadership to keep him from disrupting the locker room. Smith will also likely have to be content with the veterans minimum, which is all that most contenders can offer at this point. The Sixers have been mentioned as a possibility, along with the Heat, Clippers, Rockets, Celtics and a few other teams.

We want to get your input on the best place for Smith to end up. Or has he outlived his usefulness in the NBA? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Ben Simmons’ Contract

July 15th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons has agreed to a max extension with the Sixers which will reportedly pay the point guard $170MM over five seasons, beginning with the 2020/21 campaign.

There’s no doubt that Simmons is one of game’s best passers. His creativity and court vision, along with his size, make him one of the most unique players in the league. He’s also one of the league’s best rebounding guards and puts steady pressure on defenses with his ability to get to the rim. His size, quickness and length also make him an effective and versatile defender.

For all of his gifts, Simmons is also one of the most limited offensive players you’ll ever see. It’s almost unfathomable the way the game is currently played that he’s never made a 3-pointer in his career. He has no mid-range game, either. Virtually all of his shot attempts come within 10 feet of the basket.

When he does shoot beyond 10 feet, he’s doing the opponent a favor. Last year, he made 25.7% of his shot attempts from 1o-15 feet and 10.7% from 16 feet and out, according to Basketball Reference. He’s also a poor free throw shooter — 60% last season.

Despite those obvious weaknesses, he still averaged 17.8 PPG in his second year. And he’s got plenty of time to expand his offensive game. Simmons turns 23 this week and will undoubtedly get better with age.

However, Simmons’ deficiencies are magnified in the postseason and that could hinder the Sixers’ championship aspirations in future years. He averaged just 13.9 PPG and 6.0 APG during Philadelphia’s playoff run last season, which won’t cut it for a max player.

Still, superior young talent is tough to find and the Sixers probably couldn’t risk offering Simmons less without alienating him.

That leads us to our question of the day: Did the Sixers make the right move by giving Ben Simmons a max extension?

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

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorite

July 12th, 2019 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unlike the decade when the LeBron James-led Heat or Cavaliers were the automatic favorite in the Eastern Conference, there are several legitimate contenders that could reach the Finals next season.

Milwaukee, with MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, will enter the season with the best odds of ending its long Finals drought. The Bucks, who had the league’s best record last season, haven’t played for the title since 1974.

The Bucks were able to re-sign some key free agents — Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and George Hill — but couldn’t afford to retain restricted free agent Malcolm Brogdon. They also didn’t add any top talent. Veteran shooting guard Wesley Matthews is the most notable newcomer.

The Celtics lost free agents Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Marcus Morris. Signing Kemba Walker was a major coup and team chemistry should be better, allowing potential star Jayson Tatum to blossom. But frontcourt deficiencies could hinder their chances of going deep in the playoffs.

The Sixers lost Jimmy Butler, though the sign-and-trade brought back Josh Richardson from the Heat. They did retain Tobias Harris, albeit at a high cost, and surprisingly signed Horford. Their starting five will have a different dynamic — more size, less offensive firepower — but it should be enough for a strong playoff run if Joel Embiid can stay healthy.

It will be nearly impossible for the Raptors to repeat, though Pascal Siakam has emerged as one of the league’s top young players.
The Nets, as they wait for Kevin Durant, are probably a year away from making a run despite the addition of Irving. The Pacers acquired some interesting pieces — Brogdon, T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb — but they need Victor Oladipo to come back strong from a serious leg injury to make noise.

The Magic could make the playoffs again by re-signing Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross but may not be good enough to take the next step. The Pistons added Derrick Rose to a mix that includes frontcourt stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond but after getting swept by the Bucks last spring, it’s hard to see them winning more than one playoff series.

That leads us to our question of the day: With free agency winding down and most of the major trades in the rearview mirror, which Eastern Conference team is most likely to reach the NBA Finals next season?

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

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