Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Lakers’ New Coach

May 11th, 2019 at 10:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The coaching search is over and the Lakers finally have their man.

Or men, more accurately, as former Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd came along as part of a package deal with Frank Vogel. Kidd will be as an assistant and will serve as a mentor to Lonzo Ball, whose game was compared to Kidd’s coming out of college. However, it didn’t take long for speculation to spread on social media that Kidd has his eyes on Vogel’s job.

The Lakers need a transformation, and we’ll find out quickly if Vogel can make it happen. He built a reputation in Indiana as a tough, defensive-minded coach who led the Pacers to five playoff appearances and two straight conference finals. His standing took a hit during two seasons in Orlando, where the Magic were never competitive or especially strong on defense.

The most important question for any Lakers coach, of course, is how does he look to LeBron James. LeBron’s coaches have very short tenures when they don’t win over his respect, with Luke Walton recently being added to the list. Vogel doesn’t have a prior relationship with James or with any of this year’s top free agents, so his hiring wasn’t designed to give L.A. an edge in rebuilding its roster.

Ben Golliver of The Washington Post speculates that the addition of Vogel could be on ongoing source of friction inside the Lakers’ management team. He reportedly received “mixed reviews” after his interview on Thursday, with team adviser Kurt Rambis as Vogel’s top advocate.

Golliver notes that three factors could limit Vogel’s time in his new position. James, who will turn 35 in December and is only committed to the team for two more years before he can opt out, expects to contend right away. However, the Lakers have a poor defense in place and no center on the current roster, while Vogel hasn’t coached a team with a better-than-average offense since 2012.

In addition, Vogel’s short contract will make him easy to part with if the organization decides things aren’t working, and Kidd will be there looking over his shoulder.

We want to get your opinion on the Lakers’ coaching search. Was Vogel the right choice? And will he get time to succeed or will Kidd eventually take over? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Better Match-Up For Bucks?

May 9th, 2019 at 9:21pm CST by clarkcrum

The Eastern Conference Finals are halfway set, with the No. 1 seed Bucks set to face the winner of the Raptors/Sixers series. And while the Bucks ended up making quick work of the Celtics after losing Game 1 of that series, the match-up against Toronto or Philadelphia figures to be much more difficult.

The series between the Raptors and Sixers is now tied 3-3, and both teams have shown promise as a potential NBA Finals participant during stretches this postseason. Kawhi Leonard is having an all-time great postseason, while both Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid (when ostensibly healthy) have played great games.

Milwaukee took two of three contests from the Sixers this season, splitting the match-ups in Wisconsin and winning in Philly, while the Raptors lost their regular season series to the Bucks 3-1 (split in Milwaukee with the Bucks winning both contests in Toronto).

So, based on the above and any other factors you may consider, which match-up do you think would be the most compelling? Would either of the series go the full seven games? Could there be a sweep? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Community Shootaround: What Went Wrong With The Celtics?

May 8th, 2019 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

“I did a bad job,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after his team was emphatically eliminated by Milwaukee tonight with a 25-point loss in Game 5. “I’ll do a lot of deep dives into how to be better.”

If Stevens was a problem this year, he certainly wasn’t the only one in Boston. A year that began with the Celtics as clear favorites to win the East ended in a non-competitive effort with the season on the line.

“I’ve been a coach for 12 years and we let go of the rope, and cracked the rope, probably more than we should have,” Stevens says in the rest of the quote tweeted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “As far as any year I’ve been a coach, it’s been the most trying.”

Chemistry issues were the main problem in Boston, causing several players to say they didn’t feel like everyone was on the same page. Marcus Morris proclaimed in February that the season “just hasn’t been fun for a long time.” Kyrie Irving complained numerous times about the difficulty of being a leader on a young team, even reaching out to LeBron James to apologize for his actions when he was a young player in Cleveland.

Players unwilling to accept their roles seemed to be at the heart of the Celtics’ misery. With Irving and Gordon Hayward both sidelined by injuries last year, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier stepped up to lead the team to the conference finals. The theory was that the Celtics would be much better with Irving and Hayward both back, but it turned into a season-long chore to make the pieces fit.

Another concern is that too many players may have had their eyes on the future. Irving’s next stop has been a topic of speculation as he slowly stepped back from a preseason promise to re-sign in Boston. The idea that the team could pay him and Rozier after giving big money to Marcus Smart has always seemed doubtful. Then there’s the matter of Anthony Davis, whom the Celtics are expected to aggressively pursue this summer. Trade rumors may have had the same effect on Boston’s locker room as it did on the Lakers’.

We want to get your input. Why do you think the Celtics underachieved this season? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Rockets-Warriors Series

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Entering the season, the Rockets loomed as the biggest threat to a Warriors three-peat. Their Western Conference Finals matchup last season went the distance and Houston might have knocked off Golden State if Chris Paul didn’t pull his hamstring in Game 5.

Houston finished with the fourth-best record in the West this season, but as the playoffs approached, nothing changed. With all due respect to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, the Rockets still looked like the only team capable of sending Golden State home early.

With Game 3 of the series coming up on Saturday night, Golden State can already start thinking about ordering more championship rings. The Warriors won the first two games on their home court behind Kevin Durant, who scored 35 points in the controversial 104-100 Game 1 victory and 29 more in the 115-109 Game 2 triumph.

The opener was filled with beefs about the officiating, with both sides complaining about calls and non-calls. Paul was fortunate not to be suspended for bumping an official.

Houston’s chances of winning Game 2 on Tuesday were hampered by James Harden‘s eye issues after he got poked by Draymond Green. Harden still managed to score 29 points with blurred vision, but it wasn’t enough to overcame the Rockets’ 18 turnovers, which led to 24 Golden State points.

Now the series shifts to Houston and the pressure is on the Rockets to hold serve. The extra days between Games 2 and 3 have helped Harden, who is expected to play. All of the Rockets’ other regulars are healthy and coach Mike D’Antoni has had plenty of time to ponder adjustments. But the bottom line is Houston now must beat Golden State four times in five games.

That leads us to our question of the day: Can the Rockets come back and win their series with the Warriors or have they already dug too deep of a hole?

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

Community Shootaround: NBA Finals Match-Up

May 1st, 2019 at 10:49pm CST by clarkcrum

The NBA’s conference semifinals are underway and that means we’re down to eight teams as the Warriors, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, and Celtics each won their first-round series. The Warriors have taken control of their series with a 2-0 lead but the remaining series are all tied up at 1-1 and the Rockets are heading home for games 3 and 4. As such, every club still has a realistic shot of moving forward to the conference finals.

As everyone is well aware, the Warriors are the two-time defending NBA champions and winners of three of the last four. They are also the prohibitive favorites again this season and perhaps the one team that could be classified as league villains, while the other three Western Conference teams haven’t been to an NBA Finals since the Rockets in 1995.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers and Heat (via LeBron James) have controlled the Eastern Conference playoffs for the last decade or so, with Milwaukee and Toronto never having won the East and Philadelphia and Boston not having been conference champions since 2001 and 2010, respectively.

With that all said, there are certain to be a bevy of opinions on what would be the best finals match-up, so we’re asking you that very question. Which NBA Finals match-up do you want to see? Is that the match-up you expect as well? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Community Shootaround: D’Angelo Russell’s Nets Future

April 27th, 2019 at 10:12am CST by marksuleymanov

With the Nets‘ season over following a first-round postseason loss to the Sixers, the focus turns towards Brooklyn’s summer plans. Among the most watched storylines this offseason will be what D’Angelo Russell‘s future holds.

Just 23 years old, Russell is coming off his best season as an NBA talent. A serious candidate for Most Improved Player, Russell set career-highs across every major category, including games played (81 games), PPG (21.1) and APG (7.0).

“He’s obviously one of our more talented players,” general manager Sean Marks said in his exit press conference, per the New York Post. “You said we’ll have decisions. D’Angelo is going to have decisions, too. That is a little bit of the nature of this business. But at the end of the day, our job is to continue to put talent on the floor for Brooklyn.”

There are several directions in which this offseason can go. Brooklyn could just lock up one of its youngest, most dynamic players immediately and avoid a drawn-out discussion on what should be done. Or, the Nets could let Russell explore the market, using their right of first refusal to ultimately match any offer sheet he signs, if they so choose.

Before joining the Nets, Russell had just come off two mostly disappointing, if not controversial, years with the Lakers. In the two seasons since, Russell has become a leader in the Nets’ locker room and been praised around the organization for his maturity and development. Additionally, the Nets figure to be major players for some of the premier free agents on the market this summer — and pairing them with Russell is an enticing possibility.

What do you think should happen between the Nets and Russell? Should the Nets sign him to an extension and lock him up long-term? Should the Nets let him explore the open market and hedge their bets? Do you think Brooklyn would be better off without Russell despite his standout 2018/19 season? Sound off below!

Community Shootaround: Spurs-Nuggets Winner

April 26th, 2019 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unlike the NHL playoffs, which has produced some wild results and do-or-die Game 7 thrillers, the first round of the NBA playoffs has mostly gone true to form.

The opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, in particular, served more as a tune-up than a challenge for the top four seeds. Milwaukee clobbered Detroit four straight times and Boston swept away Victor Oladipo-less Indiana. Following first-game stumbles, Philadelphia and Toronto also took care of business.

It’s been a lot more entertaining in the Western Conference. The pesky Los Angeles Clippers have made two-time defending champion Golden State work harder than anticipated. Utah showed more resistance in the final three games of its series with Houston but ultimately didn’t have enough offensive answers to keep up with the Rockets.

Oklahoma City underachieved once again, as Portland overcame a devastating late-season injury to center Jusuf Nurkic to advance to the conference semis. Damian Lillard‘s 37-foot series-ending shot will be a defining moment in his career.

In terms of sheer drama, nothing gets the pulse racing more than a Game 7. We’ll have at least one in the first round (pending the result of tonight’s Clippers-Warriors game), as San Antonio and Denver will feel the pressure of a win-or-go-home game.

Not surprisingly, DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have led the way for the Spurs in the series, supplemented by Derrick White‘s 36-point outburst in Game 3. Nikola Jokic has shown why the Nuggets gave him a max extension last summer, leading his team in scoring, rebounding and assists.

Denver will have the home court advantage but San Antonio possesses the experience edge and coach Gregg Popovich, who has prepared teams for games like this for two decades.

That leads us to our question of the day: Who will win Saturday’s Game 7 between San Antonio and Denver and what will be the deciding factor?

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

Community Shootaround: More Compelling Eastern Conference Semifinal

April 25th, 2019 at 7:23pm CST by clarkcrum

The Eastern Conference semifinals are set and NBA fans have a great weekend to look forward to, with the 76ers traveling north of the border to take on the Raptors this Saturday followed by the Celtics traveling to Milwaukee to face the top-seeded Bucks on Sunday afternoon.

The Bucks took two out of three from the Celts during the regular season, with the Bucks winning on their home floor and the teams splitting the two games played in Boston. Both teams are coming off impressive sweeps – of the Pacers (albeit without Victor Oladipo) and Pistons – and will now face off against a more even-matched opponent.

The Bucks lost to the Celtics in last year’s postseason, falling in Game 7 to a Celtics team led by Terry Rozier, Al Horford, and Jayson Tatum. Both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are now back in the fold, but the Bucks are also a much better team this season behind MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

On the other side of the bracket, the Sixers and Raptors will face each other in the postseason for the first time since 2001, when the Sixers and Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson pulled out the series win in Game 7 despite a stellar performance from an in-his-prime Vince Carter. The Sixers are looking to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since that season, while the Raptors are looking for the first conference championship in franchise history.

The two-seeded Raptors won the regular season series between the teams 3-1, with Toronto winning both games at Scotiabank Arena and the Sixers splitting their home games at Wells Fargo Center. Both teams have new faces this postseason, with the Raptors adding Kawhi Leonard this summer and the Sixers trading for starters Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris during the 2018/19 season.

So, based on the above and any other factors you may consider, which match-up do you think will be the most compelling? Will either or both series go the full seven games? Will there be a sweep? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Community Shootaround: Thunder’s Future

April 24th, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook‘s disdain for the media has been talked about quite a bit in recent weeks. Westbrook certainly won’t like what’s written about him and his team now that the Thunder failed to win a playoff series for the third straight season.

The perennial All-Star point guard was outplayed by counterpart Damian Lillard throughout the series with the Trail Blazers, culminating in Lillard’s series-ending 37-footer on Tuesday. Westbrook shot a playoff career-low 36% during Oklahoma City’s abbreviated postseason appearance, the third consecutive time he’s shot below 40% in the opening round. His 22.8 PPG average was his lowest since his first playoff appearance during the 2009/10 season.

Westbrook is undeniably one of the league’s best and most durable players. He’s averaged a triple-double the last three seasons, a momentous feat for anyone but especially a 6’3” guard. However, he’ll be 31 next season and he’s owed a whopping $171MM over the next four seasons.

Paul George averaged 28.6 PPG in the playoffs despite a nagging shoulder injury, though it did affect his 3-point shot (31.9%). George, like Westbrook, was also turnover-prone in the series.

With the possible exception of sixth man Dennis Schroder, the team’s stars didn’t get a whole lot of help. Steven Adams wasn’t the same tenacious defender he’s been in past postseasons, even though Portland lacked its starting center. Jerami Grant had some good moments in the last three games but overall the wings didn’t produce nearly enough.

So where do the Thunder go from here? George is signed through the 2021/22 season, though he has a player option on the final year. Adams has two big years ($53.3MM) left on his deal. Three other players are making at least $9MM next season, putting a major strain on the team’s cap and ability to make moves.

The club could look to trade one of its stars, though Westbrook’s contract would be very difficult to move. Or they could simply try to add some new pieces, particularly through the mid-level exception, and hope for better results.

That brings us to our question of the day: Should the Thunder try to trade Russell Westbrook or Paul George with the aim of starting a rebuild? Or can they be a better playoff team by adding some different pieces around them?

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

Community Shootaround: Jrue Holiday’s Best Fit

April 22nd, 2019 at 9:12am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pelicans could be in a full-on rebuild this summer and Anthony Davis is not the only player rival teams will be monitoring. Several clubs would have interest in Jrue Holiday should New Orleans make him available, as Sporting News’ Sean Deveney recently reported.

If Holiday, who has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $126MM deal, is put on the trade block, the Suns should be considered a “top contender,” per Deveney. Phoenix has struggled to put out a consistent product at the point guard spot dating back to their trade of Goran Dragic. Arriving in Phoenix would allow Holiday to primarily shift back to the one, a position he played only sparingly over his past two seasons with the Pelicans (just 5% of his minutes in 2018/19, according to Basketball-Reference). The versatile Holiday would be a nice fit next to the offensive-oriented Devin Booker.

The Magic and Bulls would also have interest in Holiday, though as Deveney noted, Holiday’s brother, Justin, didn’t have the best experience in Chicago before the team traded him to the Grizzlies. Still, the Bulls could use an upgrade at the backcourt, as the early returns on the Kris Dunn project haven’t been great.

Orlando’s point guard of the future may or may not already be on the roster. The Magic traded for former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz at the deadline but he has yet to suit up for the team. The potential Fultz-Holiday backcourt combo would be a tough one for opposing offenses should both players stay healthy.

There’s no word yet whether the Pelicans will make Holiday available. Davis isn’t expected to change his stance on his trade request even after he meets with new VP of basketball operations David Griffin. The team could still keep Holiday, building a team around him and whatever they get in return for the 6-time All-Star.

Which team would be the best fit for Holiday? Should the Pelicans keep him and attempt to make the playoffs, or should they make him available to the highest bidder?

Would the Suns, Bulls or Magic be the best fit for the 28-year-old California native or is there another team that would benefit more from making a deal with Griffin and the Pelicans?

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