Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Carmelo Anthony’s Future

November 11th, 2018 at 7:48pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Amidst all of the reports of uncertainty surrounding Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the Rockets, a larger discussion regarding his place in the league itself appears to be on its way.

After being traded from the Thunder and subsequently being released by the Hawks, Anthony signed for the veteran’s minimum in Houston, where he looked to thrive in the team’s offense predicated on 3-pointers and led by two of the best guards in the league.

Unfortunately, Anthony’s offensive struggles have carried over from his lone season with the Thunder, as he is averaging just 13.4 points per game so far and knocking down just 32.8% of his 3-pointers. Anthony has primarily come off the bench but has received a sizable role due to the Rockets dealing with several injuries early in the season.

It’s not only the traditional counting stats that paint this as Anthony’s worst season, as he is posting career-lows in PER, Win Shares per 48 Minutes and Box Plus-Minus. To make matters worse, the Rockets are significantly better when Anthony isn’t on the court. Per Cleaning the Glass, the team’s defense is 9.6 points per 100 possessions worse when Anthony is on the floor.

Considering that Anthony has been a net negative when on the floor for several years and is likely going to find himself without a team sometime soon, what is his role in the league moving forward? Are there NBA teams that would be interested in signing Anthony should he be released by the Rockets?

A common response has been that the Lakers, led by another one of Anthony’s friends in LeBron James could bring him on as another shooter. However, it remains to be seen if that would be the case considering the youth and depth the Lakers have at their disposal (as well as their interest in signing him after his slow start).

Anthony will turn 35 years old at the end of this season, making it appropriate to discuss if this should be his farewell tour. Given his inability to be a capable off-ball player on offense and his dramatic defensive limitations, it’s likely that Anthony won’t find himself on a competitive NBA team moving in subsequent years.

To win at the highest level in the NBA, teams are increasingly relying on capable two-way players, switchable defenders and/or elite shooters and ball-handlers. Anthony meets none of those descriptions, as he is a throwback isolation scorer that best operates out of the mid-range.

What say you, NBA fans? Do you think Carmelo Anthony has a place in the league moving forward? Comment below with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Sixers New Eastern Favorite?

November 10th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers went through the offseason without adding a third star to join Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but they finally got their man today when an agreement was reached to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves.

A four-time All-Star, Butler figures to provide immediate improvement on offense and defense. He will help Simmons with playmaking duties and will give Philadelphia another proven shot maker. At 29, he provides some veteran leadership on an otherwise young team along with a fiery presence.

This appears to be the start of a long-term relationship, although nothing is set in stone because Butler is expected to opt out of his $19.8MM salary for 2019/20 and become a free agent. Philadelphia will have nearly a whole season to watch Butler in action before committing to a new five-year contract that would be worth nearly $190MM.

Today’s deal provides a measure of vindication for a franchise that had two big misses during the summer. The Sixers were the only other team LeBron James met with before deciding to sign with the Lakers. And even if LeBron always had his heart set on L.A., Kawhi Leonard was a much more realistic target. Philadelphia was reportedly in the running to land Leonard before the Spurs opted for Toronto’s offer of DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl.

The Sixers drew criticism for taking their time in replacing former president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo. He resigned from his position in early June and Elton Brand wasn’t installed as GM until mid-September, leaving a group effort in charge of the team during some of the NBA’s most crucial months.

Brand quieted much of that criticism today, with some help from owner Josh Harris, who reportedly closed the deal in direct talks with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. The East’s new Big Three is now in place in Philadelphia and the Sixers appear to have a roster that can make a run at a title.

We want to get your opinion on how today’s trade shakes up the Eastern Conference. Are the Sixers the new favorites or are they still a notch below the Raptors, Bucks and Celtics? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: Zion Williamson

November 7th, 2018 at 7:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

R.J. Barrett set the Duke record for most points by a freshman in his debut game last night, but on social media all the talk has been focused on his electrifying teammate, Zion Williamson.

Both players were impressive in their first taste of college basketball, with Barrett pouring in 33 points and Williamson adding 28 in a rout of Kentucky in the Champions Classic. But Williamson’s thunderous dunks and stunning athleticism for his 6’7″, 285-frame have captured the imagination of fans — including a few with NBA connections.

“I though LeBron [James] was a one-shot deal,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after seeing Williamson in action. “But apparently the next guy’s coming.”

“He’s very explosive, he’s very quick and he has a very large frame,” said Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr., who played for the Blue Devils last season. “That’s very rare. Not many people can guard that.”

More than 70 NBA personnel attended Tuesday’s game, which was preceded by a matchup between traditional powers Kansas and Michigan State. Adam Zagoria of FloHoops talked to a pair of unidentified scouts who raved about Williamson, but they were impressed by Barrett as well.

“Spectacular talent. No. 1 fan favorite,” one scout said of Williamson. “Great dunker, great explosion. Quick off his feet. Great strength. Surprisingly good passer. He’s a great basketball player. He showed that [Tuesday] night against some outstanding athletes.”

“He’ll end up being the best player in this draft,” the other scout said in assessing Barrett. “Versatile. Can score in three different ways. He can make the 3-pointer. He can get to the basket. He can shoot the mid-range. He’s got great positional size. Most dangerous in the open floor. If he were to come out, I think he’s the best all-around talent this year.”

Barrett, who already has international experience with Canada in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, tops the latest mock draft compiled by Jonathan Givony of ESPN, which was put together in August. Givony slotted Williamson with the No. 3 pick and states that there’s much more to his game than spectacular dunks. He exhibited an ability to drive, pass and play defense during an exhibition tour, but some NBA executives they’re not convinced that he’ll be a dominant player at the next level.

We know college basketball season just started, but we want to get your opinion on Williamson. Do you believe he’s an NBA star in the making? Will he or Barrett be the top pick in June, or will that honor go to somebody else? Please leave your responses in the space below.

Community Shootaround: NBA Coaches On Hot Seat

November 5th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ firing of Tyronn Lue last month represented the first in-season coaching change of the 2018/19 NBA season, but odds are it won’t be the last. As I outlined last week, six of the last eight NBA seasons have featured multiple in-season coaching changes, with at least three head coaches being replaced during the season in all six of those years.

Those numbers don’t guarantee that two more head coaches will be dismissed during the 2018/19 season, but they suggest it would be a bit of a surprise if the NBA’s other 29 coaches make it through the year unscathed.

So which head coaches may be on the hottest seats this season? The underperforming clubs deserve the first look. That means Scott Brooks, whose Wizards are just 2-7, and Luke Walton, who has led LeBron James and the new-look Lakers to a 4-6 start.

Of course, multiple recent reports have suggested that Brooks still has the full support of the Wizards’ organization. And after word broke that Lakers president Magic Johnson “admonished” Walton following the Lakers’ slow start, Johnson gave his head coach a strong public vote of confidence.

If Brooks’ and Walton’s seats weren’t at least a little warm though, there’d be no need for those votes of confidence in the first place. The Rockets, for instance, are off to an underwhelming 3-5 start, but there has been no chatter about Mike D’Antoni‘s job security — presumably because the organization is confident that he’ll turn things around.

Expectations weren’t terribly high for the Bulls (2-8) entering the season, and injuries have decimated their lineup, but it’s possible we may soon begin hearing some speculation about Fred Hoiberg‘s future if the losses keep piling up.

A former Chicago coach, Tom Thibodeau, also appears to be on the hot seat in Minnesota, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes in his latest mailbag. But even with the Timberwolves off to 4-6 start and dealing with Jimmy Butler drama, the team has shown no inclination to make a change at this point.

What do you think? Which coaches around the NBA deserve to be under serious scrutiny? Which coach will be the next one ousted?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh in!

Community Shootaround: Wizards’ Issues

October 29th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards came into the season with the expectation of being a serious contender with LeBron James out of the Eastern Conference picture.

Following a 1-5 start, the Wizards might have to start thinking soon about breaking up their nucleus. They’re not only losing, they’re bickering once agin.

John Wall and Bradley Beal have criticized teammates for having their own agendas. Austin Rivers says the rest of the league is laughing at them.

Certainly, Washington’s defense has been a joke. They’ve given up the most points per game in the NBA. During their current three-game losing streak, they’ve allowed 144 to Golden State, 116 to Sacramento and 136 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Their rebounding has also been atrocious, though in fairness Dwight Howard hasn’t played a game due to injury.

The overriding concern is whether the Wizards can be taken seriously with the pieces they have. They’re currently over the cap and the luxury-tax line. Their top three players — Wall, Beal and Otto Porter Jr. — will eat up over $92MM in cap space next season and more than $98MM the following season if Porter exercises his player option.

Wall and Beal have always had an uneasy partnership and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better. The supporting cast has been underwhelming, with Porter in particular not producing at the level expected of a team’s No. 3 option. Perhaps the return of Howard will help settle things down in the interior, though Howard has a way of quickly wearing out his welcome.

This brings us to our question of the day: Should the Wizards stay the course and keep the John Wall-Bradley Beal backcourt intact or should they try to shake things up with a major trade?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Trail Blazers’ Playoff Chances

October 28th, 2018 at 7:21pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Heading into the 2018/19 season, many fans and analysts predicted that the Trail Blazers would miss the playoffs as a result of regression, offseason moves and an improved Western Conference. With Portland losing Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton (only to replace them with Nik Stauskas and Seth Curry), many were down on the team’s chances to make it to the playoffs.

While it is still very early, the Trail Blazers have come out of the gates strong, showing how star players can will a team to wins on a nightly basis. Of course, when it comes to the Blazers, that star is Damian Lillard. Lillard is off to another tremendous start this season, averaging a league-best 33.8 points, 6.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game in the team’s first five games. The three-time All-Star is also scoring at a very efficient rate, posting a true shooting percentage of 65%, which would be the best of his career.

While Lillard has been the driving force in the team’s three wins so far, the supporting players around him are showcasing their abilities to fill-in for the departed players. Second-year big man Zach Collins has stepped into a larger role and is thriving, averaging 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Curry is providing more ball-handling and shooting in bench lineups, while Stauskas has had a resurgence to start the season by averaging over 10 points per game and knocking down over 47% of his 3-pointers.

Perhaps many simply overlooked the possibility for the Trail Blazers to fill the voids left by Davis, Napier and Connaughton departing in the offseason. After all, there was reason to question the team’s offseason signings — Curry missed the entire 2017/18 season due to injury and Stauskas barely stuck around in the league after being traded to the Nets mid-season.

However, what many did overlook (or simply didn’t realize) is that in recent history, the Trail Blazers have been of the most consistent regular season teams in the league. Portland has made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons and amassed a 239-171 record in that span. With Lillard and C.J. McCollum leading the way in recent years, the Trail Blazers have surrounded them with just enough talent to get to the playoffs, and this season could be more of the same.

However, as mentioned earlier, it is still early, and despite Lillard’s hot start the Blazers are just 3-2 in their first five games. An injury to a key starter could put more pressure on the supporting cast than it can handle, and a slump to one of their leading guards could prove costly. Despite those concerns, Portland has the right ingredients to continue using the same recipe of success that has led the way in recent seasons.

Surrounded by an improved Collins, Jusuf Nurkic, Al-Farouq Aminu, Moe Harkless, Evan Turner and the aforementioned Curry and Stauskas, Lillard and McCollum should be able to shoulder enough of the load for the Blazers to continue their playoff appearance streak.

Jump in the comments section below to share your thoughts on this season’s Trail Blazers team and their playoff chances!

Community Shootaround: NBA’s Scoring Increase

October 24th, 2018 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Eight days into the 2018/19 regular season, it’s hard to draw many conclusions about teams’ win-loss records, but a broader NBA-wide trend has raised eyebrows around the league. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, scoring is up so far this season — way up.

Here are a few stats, via Reynolds, that help illustrate the NBA’s scoring increase:

NBA teams are averaging 113.4 points per game, the highest rate in nearly 50 years. Last season, teams averaged 106.3 PPG, which was the highest mark since 1990/91.
NBA teams are on pace to break the records for made 3-pointers per game (11.3 so far) and 3-point attempts per game (31.6) for the seventh straight year.
Teams have reached the 100-point mark 88.2% of the time so far. As recently as 2014/15, teams reached 100 points 51.5% of the time.
The Timberwolves scored 136 points in a non-overtime game and lost, the first time that has happened since 1992.
The Lakers are averaging 125.3 PPG (second in the NBA) and have yet to win a game.

While it’s possible that these numbers will regress a little as defenses tighten up and the season wears on, there are a number of reasons to believe the league’s scoring increase is here to stay.

For one, teams are playing faster than they have in several decades, and more possessions per game result in more points per game. Per Basketball-Reference’s data, the average possessions per 48 minutes is up to 101.8 this season. By comparison, it was 97.3 last season, and 91.3 as recently as 2011/12. The league hasn’t played at its current pace since 1985/86.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, heading into Monday night’s games, two-thirds of the league’s teams were averaging more possessions per game than the 2017/18 Pelicans, who led the NBA in pace last season.

Minor rule changes, such as resetting the shot clock to 14 seconds instead of 24 seconds after offensive rebounds, have also contributed to the league’s increased scoring and pace, though it’s another rule change that has made a bigger impact.

As Reynolds details, the NBA’s officials are emphasizing “freedom of movement” this season, which means they’re being less forgiving of defenders who are grabbing, holding, or bumping offensive players to hinder cuts and other moves. Fouls per game are up from 19.9 last season to 23.1 this year, partly as a result of those tighter calls.

According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net and J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star, many NBA coaches and executives aren’t fans of that emphasis on “freedom of movement,” arguing that it makes it virtually impossible to play strong defense. Still, as Reynolds notes, despite a modest league-wide increase in free throws attempted and made, those extra fouls aren’t nearly enough to account for the spike in scoring on their own — they’re just part of the equation.

What do you think of the offensive explosion we’ve seen during the first week of the NBA season? Do you expect this scoring surge to continue, or is it an early-season aberration? If it keeps up, is it good for the league, or would you like to see the NBA take steps to help out defenses and limit the number of shootouts we see on a given night?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Kevin Love’s Future

October 22nd, 2018 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Well, that didn’t take long.

Kevin Love signed a four-year, $120MM extension this summer, as the Cavaliers made a commitment to winning even with the loss of LeBron James. Love was happy to get long-term security and an expanded role as the team’s primary scorer.

Cleveland’s 0-3 start already has some people thinking that Love may be wearing a different uniform before the end of the season. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post wrote a column this weekend about this subject, speculating that the franchise may have to finally embrace a rebuilding plan that would include cashing in Love for assets.

Love has held up his end of the bargain, averaging 20.7 PPG and 14.3 RPG, but Cleveland could find itself with some buyer’s remorse. Love will make $28.9MM next season, $31.3MM the following two seasons and $28.9MM in 2022/23 season. With the salary cap projected to rise, a contender may be able to swallow that type of contract if it feels Love could put its franchise over the top.

Love can’t be traded until late January but something could go down by the February 7th trade deadline. Remember, the Clippers dealt Blake Griffin in late January last season to the Pistons after he re-signed with Los Angeles for five years and $171MM in free agency.

That leads us to our question of the day: Do you think the Cavaliers will deal Kevin Love before the trade deadline? If so, which team do you think would be the best fit for him?

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

Community Shootaround: Hornets And Kemba Walker

October 21st, 2018 at 6:51pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Heading into the 2018/19 season, there were several questions surrounding the Hornets and Kemba Walker. Would they make the playoffs this season? Would Walker re-sign with the team after the season? How would new head coach James Borrego impact the team’s style of play? With these questions surrounding the franchise, it is imperative that they have a strong season and return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

As the Hornets were fighting through another disappointing season last year, many called for the team to trade Walker in hopes of acquiring a package of young players and draft picks that could be the start of a rebuild. The Hornets balked at the idea, insistent on competing for the playoffs as long as they can given their current roster and lack of salary cap flexibility.

Instead, the Hornets re-tooled their coaching staff and front office, added another lottery pick in Miles Bridges and signed Tony Parker to lead second units when Walker is off the floor. The Hornets return most of the roster from last season with a few exceptions, as they hope that a fresh perspective from Borrego and continued development from Bridges and Monk can play key roles in getting the team back to the playoffs.

However, it really rests on Walker’s shoulders. As the team’s leader and unquestioned star, Walker must be at his best for this Hornets team to truly have a chance on a game-to-game basis. So far this season, Walker has been just that, averaging 35.3 points and 5.3 assists per game while hitting 50% of his 3-pointers.

Walker looks determined to lead the Hornets back to the playoffs and play on the national stage as he approaches free agency this summer. Walker has said all of the right things regarding his desire to finish his career in Charlotte, but should the Hornets re-sign him to a (likely) max contract? There are questions surrounding the extent to which he will be worth such a contract given that he will turn 29 years old at the end of the 2018/19 season.

Should the Hornets re-sign Walker next summer, they will be locking their team up for the foreseeable future given the length remaining on other contracts for Nicolas Batum and Cody Zeller. As currently constructed, the Hornets are too good to get a top talent in the draft, but not good enough to win a playoff series, presenting the front office with an interesting dilemma.

If this season goes south for the Hornets, should they look to trade Walker at the deadline for 40 cents on the dollar? Given the team’s market and Michael Jordan’s desire to compete, it’s unlikely that will be the case.

What would you do if you were the Hornets? Would you look to trade Walker this season or re-sign him in free agency? Comment below with your ideas!

Community Shootaround: Paul George And The Lakers

October 20th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George confirmed what most NBA fans had suspected for a long time when he said this week that was planning to sign with the Lakers before a trade to Oklahoma City changed his mind. George was expected to be among two max-level free agents headed to L.A. over the summer, but he liked the Thunder and his new city so much he elected to re-sign there.

“It was 50-50 on deciding whether I wanted to come back home or if it was smarter to be in the situation I am in now,” George said in an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “But it wasn’t overstated. I wanted to play in L.A. That is where I wanted to go. Had that trade never went down, had I played one more year in Indy, I would have been in a Lakers uniform.”

We know now that if George had chosen the Lakers, he would have joined LeBron James to form a one-two punch that’s as good as any in the league. It also would have cost the team about $130MM over four years and would have eliminated the chance to lure another free agent from an extremely talented class next summer.

As it stands, L.A. has roughly $65.8MM committed for 2019/20, a number that moves closer to $69MM if the team opts to make a qualifying offer to Ivica Zubac and keep Svi Mykhailiuk on what is now a non-guaranteed deal. That leaves more than enough to make a max offer to Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler or any other upcoming free agent.

Durant and James would be a historically great combo if they decide to join forces, but it would be a difficult decision for him or Thompson leave the perennial champion Warriors. Leonard and James would also be formidable, but he reportedly doesn’t want to be a second banana and is leaning toward the Clippers if he comes to L.A. Butler might be a good running mate for James, but given his injury history and overall abrasiveness, he seems like the riskiest proposition. It’s laughable to think of Kyrie Irving traveling west to rejoin LeBron, but the other stars are at least plausible.

So which is better, Lakers fans? Would you rather have George in place for a run at the title this season or the financial flexibility to chase a big name next summer? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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