Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: 2019/20 MVP Contenders

After Giannis Antetokounmpo beat out James Harden in a competitive two-man race for the 2018/19 NBA Most Valuable Player award, oddsmakers have made Antetokounmpo the favorite to earn MVP honors again in 2019/20.

BetOnline gives Antetokounmpo +350 odds to win the MVP award next season, meaning you’d have to risk $100 to win $350. Over at Bovada, Giannis is considered an even stronger frontrunner, with +300 odds.

Still, there are plenty of contenders who could spoil an Antetokounmpo repeat. Both Bovada and BetOnline give Stephen Curry the second-best MVP odds, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid rounding out the top seven candidates.

An MVP case often relies heavily on both team success and narrative, which helped Giannis win the award this past spring — the Bucks won a season-high 60 games thanks in large part to his excellence on both ends of the court. It’s easy to imagine making a similar case for the Greek Freak next year if Milwaukee once again finishes first in the East. On the other hand, if the Sixers grab the No. 1 seed, Embiid might have a stronger case.

In the West, Curry is a popular pick now that Kevin Durant is no longer in the picture, since the league’s premier sharpshooter will be back to carrying the Warriors‘ offensive load like he did during his previous two MVP seasons — his scoring responsibilities will be even greater with Klay Thompson on the shelf for much of the season. Harden, meanwhile, is a perennial contender for the award, and LeBron, AD, and Kawhi could be in the mix if one of the L.A. teams finishes atop the West.

Among the dark horse candidates for the award, my two favorite picks are Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard.

Jokic (+1500 on Bovada, +1600 on BetOnline) is the lone superstar on the Nuggets‘ roster, and after finishing second in the West last season, it wouldn’t be a total shock if Denver takes another step forward and finishes with atop the conference. Jokic, who averaged 20.1 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG in 2018/19, could theoretically approach a triple-double average and would have a strong case as the clear-cut best player on the West’s best team in that scenario.

Lillard (+2800 on Bovada, +2500 on BetOnline) would probably have to increase his numbers beyond his current career highs of 27.0 PPG and 6.9 APG and count on the Trail Blazers making a similar run to the top of the West in order to be considered a true MVP contender. But that’s not entirely out of the question. At age 29, he’s very much in his prime and may have one more leap left in him.

Finally, while I’m skeptical about his chances to legitimately compete for an MVP award this early in his career, it’s worth noting that Luka Doncic‘s MVP odds on BetOnline are +1600, compared to +5000 on Bovada — the latter is obviously a significant better value if you’re bullish on Doncic’s outlook and want to wager on his MVP chances.

What do you think? Who is your way-too-early pick for the 2020 NBA MVP award? Are there are any dark horses that you like as under-the-radar candidates?

Head to the comment section below to share your two cents!

Community Shootaround: Bring Back The SuperSonics?

Jack Sikma dedicated part of his Hall of Fame induction speech Friday night to campaigning for a return of the SuperSonics. Sikma was one of Seattle’s most recognizable players and part of its only NBA championship team in 1979. His number 43 is among seven that have been retired by the franchise.

“To all the diehard Sonic fans who proudly sport the green and gold … there’s a hole in Seattle that needs to be filled,” Sikma said in comments relayed by Anthony Olivieri of ESPN The Magazine“Speaking for all Sonics fans, it’s our great hope that the NBA will soon find a pathway to bring a franchise back to Seattle. It’s time.”

The Sonics were a beloved part of the Pacific Northwest from their creation in 1967 until Clay Bennett moved them to Oklahoma City in 2008. Although it has since been broken, the team set a league attendance record by averaging 21,725 fans per night during the 1979/80 season.

Hope for a return was reignited by a new $900MM facility that will serve as home to Seattle’s expansion NHL team, which begins play in 2021. The building sits on the site of the former KeyArena, and fans in the area hope it will eventually house the Sonics as well.

Although Seattle has been rumored to be atop the NBA’s expansion list ever since the original team left, there’s no indication that the league plans to add teams any time soon. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly thrown cold water on the idea.

“There’s no doubt there are a number of cities in the United States that could host NBA basketball, but we analogize it to selling equity,” he said in July. “I think we would want to make sure at the time we expanded we felt it would help grow the entire league and not just support the NBA in that particular city.”

What do you think? Does it make sense for the NBA to add another team or two right now? Or is it smarter to wait, regardless of the emotional attachment that many have to the Sonics?

Head to our comment section below to share your feedback.

Community Shootaround: The Next Pascal Siakam

Few NBA players make the sort of leap that Pascal Siakam did from his second season to his third. The former No. 27 overall pick appeared to be developing into a solid role player during his first two years in the league, but his modest numbers in 2017/18 didn’t portend the breakout that was around the corner.

Still, there were some hints leading up to the 2018/19 season that Siakam was capable of taking a big step forward. Stories surfaced in the offseason about his eye-opening summer workouts and scrimmages at UCLA, where he worked with player development coach Rico Hines and impressed stars like James Harden and Paul George.

Although a one-year ascension like Siakam’s – from solid rotation piece to borderline All-NBA candidate – may be rare, it’s worth scouring the league to see if there are candidates to make that same kind of jump in the 2019/20 season.

D.J. Foster of The Ringer explored this topic earlier in the offseason, identifying another Raptors forward, OG Anunoby, as one candidate to have a Siakam-esque breakthrough year. Foster also singled out Trail Blazers center Zach Collins, Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, and Kings big man Harry Giles as contenders to be “the next Siakam.”

While I like Foster’s list, I’ll add a couple more names for consideration. Spurs guard Dejounte Murray was generating the same kind of hype as Siakam leading up to the 2018/19 season, but Murray’s ascent was derailed by an ACL tear that sidelined him for the year. If he’s 100% healthy, the former 29th overall pick is still capable of making the star turn that San Antonio envisioned a year ago.

Meanwhile, in Portland, second-year guard Anfernee Simons has been the subject of buzz around the NBA in recent months. The Trail Blazers showed confidence in his ability to contribute right away when they traded away backup point guard Evan Turner this summer. Given Simons’ age (20) and the fact that Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will handle most of the play-making responsibilities in Portland, it’s not clear if he’s ready for stardom quite yet, but the franchise clearly has high hopes for him.

What do you think? Are there any young players around the NBA who are poised for breakout seasons after flying mostly under the radar so far? Who do you think has the best chance to be 2019/20’s version of Siakam?

Head to our comment section below to share your two cents!

Community Shootaround: Overseas Players Who Could Help NBA Teams

Anyone who wants to catch the next chapter of “Linsanity” will need a plane ticket to China. Along with Jeremy Lin, they can also watch Lance Stephenson play the air guitar and get a look at Jerian Grant, Chasson Randle and more as a dozen former NBA players are heading to the Far East.

Luke Adams recently chronicled the number of players who were in the NBA last season and have signed overseas contracts this summer. While China leads the way, a significant amount of talent is also headed to Israel, Russia, Spain, Turkey and other locations.

The significant thing about these overseas migrations is that all the seasons are done before the NBA’s. So every March, a new crop of players becomes available, and many of them find roles with contenders who are eager to add depth before the start of the playoffs.

Here are a few players who should attract attention in roughly six months:

  • Lin didn’t see much playoff action with the Raptors, but his regular season numbers were pretty good. He averaged 10.7 points and 3.5 assists in 51 games with the Hawks, followed by 7.0 PPG and 2.2 APG in 23 games with Toronto. Even though he didn’t receive a training camp invitation, Lin showed he still has plenty to contribute after two seasons lost to injury in Brooklyn.
  • With the Lakers in turmoil seemingly all season, L.A. may not have been the best place for the already-volatile Stephenson. Still, he was part of the rotation for 68 games and posted a 7.2/3.2/2.1 line. He’s only 28 years old and should have a few productive years left.
  • Greg Monroe, who’s headed to Germany, didn’t provide the spark that either the Celtics or Sixers were hoping for when they each signed him late in the season. However, he’s only 29 and was a valuable bench presence for Boston in 2018/19.
  • Isaiah Canaan, who will play in China, was the Suns‘ starting point guard at the beginning of last season before being waived in late November. Even though he has bounced around the league and has dealt with injuries, the 28-year-old remains an explosive scorer who can provide instant offense.
  • Ian Clark, who also signed in China, played in two NBA Finals with the Warriors and has spent the past two seasons as a valuable reserve for the Pelicans.
  • Omri Casspi, who will play in Israel, spent almost the entire 2017/18 season with the champion Warriors before being waived just before the playoffs. At 31, he’s a little older than the other candidates on this list, but he’s a stretch four with a nice touch from 3-point range.

We want to get your input. Which overseas players do you think might make a difference in the NBA come springtime? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Biggest World Cup Competition For USA?

Danny Chau of The Ringer has taken a look at the five teams he opines have the best chance to knock off Team USA at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He notes that Team USA is still the favorite, but it’s become clear that the playing field is more level than it’s been in a long while.

In Chau’s view, the biggest threat is Serbia, led by one of the top players in the tournament – Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic. USA’s opponent in the 2016 Olympic gold medal game, Serbia has a very tall roster that includes Boban Marjanovic, Nemanja Bjelica, and Bogdan Bogdanovic in addition to Jokic.

In addition to Serbia, Chau lists France (led by Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and Frank Ntilikina), Greece (led by NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo), Spain (led by Marc Gasol and Ricky Rubio), and Lithuania (led by Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis).

We want to know what you think. Will Team USA have trouble with one of the aforementioned teams? Will they win another Gold? With another team not listed above be the surprise of the 2019 FIBA World Cup and knock off Team USA? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: The BIG3

Joe Johnson may be about to change the way the NBA looks at the BIG3 League.

Since its inception in 2017, the summertime three-on-three competition has been seen as a way for former NBA players to keep their names in the spotlight once they’re past their prime. The games are played in a half-court format and feature two-, three- and four-point shots along with other unique rules.

The league has never been considered a pathway back to the NBA, but Johnson may be about to break that barrier. It was reported earlier tonight that he will work out for the Sixers tomorrow in Philadelphia. The Clippers, Bucks, Nuggets and Pelicans are also interested in seeing if the 38-year-old has anything left in the tank.

This is and will be big for @thebig3, giving players the platform to perform and make it back to the league,” former Heat star Dwyane Wade tweeted.

Although it didn’t affect Johnson, one reason for the league’s new status is a rules change adopted this year that lowers the minimum age for players from 30 to 27. That allowed a fresh infusion of talent, including many players who are still in the prime of their careers.

One of the top proponents of the BIG3 is Celtics TV analyst Brian Scalabrine, who serves as team captain of the Ball Hogs. He told Frank Isola of The Athletic that Carmelo Anthony would be in a better position to land a training camp invitation if he had played in the league.

“Joe Johnson would not be in the conversation if he didn’t play in the BIG3,” Scalabrine said. “I want Carmelo Anthony to realize that hanging out with his trainer and playing in these bogus pick-up games is not better than playing in the BIG3. If Carmelo was killing the BIG3 it can help him, (but) I think these guys believe it can only hurt them. I think agents think it can only hurt them. But I’m telling you if you’re dominating the BIG3, you’ll get back in the league.”

We want to get your opinion. Will Johnson’s experience help the BIG3 turn into a summertime showcase for players who want to return to the NBA? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Michael Porter Jr.’s Future With Nuggets

The Nuggets‘ front office believes Michael Porter Jr.‘s rehabilitation process has set him up for a standard role within an NBA rotation, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic writes. The No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 draft missed his entire rookie season while he recovered from back surgery, but is scheduled to make his debut this upcoming season.

Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Blake Griffin are among the top players who have missed their rookie season because of injury, Kosmider notes. Simmons and Griffin were each spectacular in their second season in the league, while Embiid took several seasons to fully showcase his ability. Although Embiid’s pitch count seems to get more liberal every year, it’s still a pitch count.

Denver may not ask Porter to play an expanded role right away, as the team has enough depth to compete without major contributions from the Missouri product. Porter’s ceiling can take the Nuggets from very good to great but he must first prove that he can stay on the floor consistently. The team is optimistic that Porter is ready to take that first step.

Do you believe that Porter can help elevate this Nuggets team or is it foolish to count on him for anything at this point in his career? How do you see his career going if he can stay healthy?

Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts. We look forward to what you have to say!

Community Shootaround: Rookie Scale Extension Candidates

Caris LeVert‘s contract agreement with the Nets on Sunday marked the third time this offseason that a player eligible for a rookie scale extension has reached a deal with his team.

Heading into July, 20 players were eligible for rookie scale extensions. So far, Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, and LeVert have received them, leaving 17 players still up in the air. Not all of those players are legitimate candidates for new deals, but many of them figure to enter negotiations with their respective clubs, and they still have plenty of time to work something out before the October 21 deadline.

Rookie scale extensions haven’t been completed quite as frequently within the last couple years as they were in the past, but five deals were reached last year and four occurred in 2017. In other words, we can probably count on at least one or two more happening before the 2019/20 season begins.

Pascal Siakam (Raptors), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), Buddy Hield (Kings), and Jaylen Brown (Celtics) are among the most productive players who remain eligible for rookie scale extensions. Their teams would certainly like to lock them up long-term, but it might be in the players’ best interests to wait.

After all, if any of their teams were willing to put a max contract on the table right now though, a deal would likely already be done — that’s why Simmons and Murray didn’t waste much time in agreeing to their new pacts. And while a max contract may not be waiting in free agency for the likes of Sabonis, Hield, and Brown, the 2020 unrestricted free agent class projects to be weak. There could very well be teams willing to overpay on huge offer sheets for the top restricted free agents.

The Pelicans seem unlikely to invest heavily in Brandon Ingram before he suits up in a single game for the franchise, but a bridge deal like the one LeVert is signing with Brooklyn could make sense for another player who has dealt with health issues: Dejounte Murray. This offseason might be the Spurs‘ best chance to lock up Murray at a team-friendly rate, since he appeared poised for a breakout before tearing his ACL last fall.

Dario Saric (Suns), Taurean Prince (Nets), and Damian Jones (Hawks) are the other extension-eligible players who changed teams this offseason — new deals seem like long shots unless their clubs really like what they see in the preseason.

Role players who could sign modest rookie scale extensions if the price is right include Malik Beasley (Nuggets), Juan Hernangomez (Nuggets), Thon Maker (Pistons), DeAndre’ Bembry (Hawks), and Jakob Poeltl (Spurs).

Bulls guards Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine and Trail Blazers big man Skal Labissiere are the remaining players eligible for rookie scale extensions. Valentine is the best extension candidate of the three, but I’d be surprised if any one of them signs a new deal.

What do you think? Are more rookie scale extensions are on the way before the season begins? Which of the eligible players do you think are most likely to sign new deals, and what would a fair price be in those cases?

Head to the comment section below to join the discussion!

Community Shootaround: Best Available Veteran Center

With the Lakers claiming another veteran center off the open market by agreeing to a one-year deal with Dwight Howard, it’s time to take a look at the best remaining veteran big men who still don’t have a job for next season.

In addition to Howard, Los Angeles worked out the likes of Joakim Noah and Marreese Speights, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, ultimately choosing a reunion with the eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Noah was also said to impress the Lakers, with Speights being unable to attract enough interest for an offer.

Speights, 32, also worked out for nearly 20 teams just over a month ago in Las Vegas, eager to showcase he still has enough in the tank for another run. Only a handful of NBA clubs were in attendance of those 20 teams, which mostly consisted of groups from overseas, according to a league source. The Lakers had kept tabs on Speights throughout the summer as a potential back-up option in the frontcourt.

Noah, 34, is coming off an underrated season that saw him average 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in just 16.5 minutes per contest with Memphis. A two-time All-Star in his own regard, Noah hasn’t played over 50 games in a single season since the 2014/15 campaign with Chicago, though many league observers believe he can still contribute off the bench for a playoff team.

Other veteran free agent centers include Marcin Gortat, Kenneth Faried, Nene, Zaza Pachulia, Willie Reed, Salah Mejri, Jason Smith, Alexis Ajinca and more.

Which of these players is the most valuable option for a team still seeking an experienced center this season? Is there a player not mentioned above that you believe deserves to be? Take to the comments section below!

Community Shootaround: Dwight Howard’s Return To Hollywood

Dwight Howard, after a tumultuous recent existence in the NBA, is set to return to the place to which the origins of his decline can arguably be attributed. After being officially waived the Grizzlies on Saturday, Howard is expected to join the Lakers on a non-guaranteed deal after he clears waivers.

The eight-time All-Star has bounced around the NBA the past four years, suiting up for the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets and Wizards since the 2015/16 season. After being one of the NBA’s elite players his first eight seasons with the Magic, Howard has not made an All-Star team since 2014 and has been saddled with the worrisome reputation in regards to his style of play and demeanor.

As we detailed on Friday, Howard showed up to the Lakers’ facility a day before his scheduled meeting. He reportedly struck an emotional chord with Lakers brass, showing his awareness that he’s “hit rock bottom” in his career and is motivated to prove his doubters wrong. It was also noted that Howard showed up in great shape and is considered to be past the back injuries that have hampered him in recent years.

Howard originally joined the Lakers for the 2012/13 season as part of a blockbuster trade. He teamed with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in hopes of forming a super-team in a chase for a title. However, injuries, an adversarial relationship with Bryant, and an uncertain future (given he was headed for free agency) clouded his tenure in L.A.

After DeMarcus Cousins recent injury, the Lakers developed a need for a veteran big man who can rebound and defend the paint. A former three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard certainly has the track record to fill that void. However, the question is whether or not he can stay healthy and not become a distraction.

How do you see Howard’s return to the Lakers shaking out? Can he adjust to a reduced role and prove himself as a capable NBA player? Can the 33-year-old stay healthy for a full season after suiting up for just nine games last season? Is there any chance that Howard can recapture his past All-Star form? If he makes the team, what should his role be?

Share your thoughts in the comments down below!