Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Philadelphia 76ers

April 24th, 2018 at 11:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers won their first playoff series since 2012, beating the Heat in five games and Dwyane Wade, who might have just played his last games in the league, called Philadelphia the future of the NBA.

The future may be now with the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders looking particularly vulnerable.

Boston, a team that’s one win away from meeting Philly in the second-round, is without Kyrie Irving. Toronto is locked in a duel with the Wizards in round-one and Cleveland looks as beatable as any LeBron James team in recent memory.

GM Bryan Colangelo deserves credit for making putting the right ancillary parts around the team’s major building blocks. He signed J.J. Redick last summer and brought in Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli late in the season to add lethal shooting and veteran presence to a young nucleus.

However, credit for the young nucleus belongs to Sam Hinkie. The architect of The Process put the franchise in position to have a championship-level ceiling by deciding mediocrity wasn’t enough. He also didn’t want a team that capped out at 50 wins. He wanted one that could compete yearly for a championship and the organization appears to be closing in on that goal.

With Ben Simmons in the fold, something that happened in part because of Hinkie’s final tanking campaign, the team has a perennial All-Star on board. If Joel Embiid can stay healthy, the team should have two of those. Add in great finds like Robert Covington and patient drafting, like the selection of Dario Saric, and you have a team with a nucleus that appears ready for a decade of dominance. Not to mention that the Sixers will likely add another top-10 pick over the next couple seasons as a result of Hinkie dealing away Michael Carter-Williams back in 2015 and fleecing the Kings later that year.

With the city of Philadelphia celebrating yet again after a first-round series win, tonight’s community shootaround is all about the Sixers.

How far do you see the Sixers going this postseason? Can this team win the Eastern Conference? Does Sam Hinkie deserve more credit than he’s currently getting? Should the organization invite him to ring the pre-game bell like they did with rapper Meek Mill in Game 5 of their first-round series? Will anyone notice that No.1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has only played nine minutes over the last four games?

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

Community Shootaround: Can Budenholzer Return To Hawks?

April 23rd, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Budenholzer has interviewed for two of the NBA’s open head coaching positions so far this offseason, meeting with the Suns and Knicks about their vacancies. Budenholzer withdrew from consideration for the Phoenix job, but is reportedly interested in landing in New York.

The only problem? Budenholzer already has a coaching job, with two years and about $13-14MM remaining on his contract with the Hawks. While Atlanta has been willing to let Budenholzer interview for other jobs, the team has maintained that it’s open to bringing back its head coach for the 2018/19 season.

Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is skeptical, writing today that he finds it hard to believe that Budenholzer could remain the Hawks’ head coach going forward. As Cunningham outlines, Budenholzer wasn’t thrilled to lose personnel decision-making power to GM Travis Schlenk a year ago, and isn’t all that interested in working through a long rebuilding process in Atlanta.

A person familiar with Budenholzer’s plans tells Cunningham that the head coach would be ready to return to Atlanta if he doesn’t get another job, and the Hawks have maintained that they could be on board with that scenario too. But Cunningham views that scenario as untenable, since it’d be hard for Hawks players to commit to a lame-duck coach who may have his eye on other jobs.

The best-case scenario for both Budenholzer and the Hawks would for him to find another situation he likes, and for that team to offer Atlanta a fair compensation package to let him out of his current contract. That way, Budenholzer could move on to a more favorable situation and Atlanta’s new management group could hand-pick a new head coach after having gotten out from under Budenholzer’s contract.

If Budenholzer doesn’t get an offer though, or if a team that wants him isn’t willing to give the Hawks compensation to let him go, the situation could get messy. It wouldn’t be unprecedented if Budenholzer ultimately remains in Atlanta – Dave Joerger signed an extension with the Grizzlies in 2014 after they let him interview with the Timberwolves – but it wouldn’t be ideal either.

What do you think? Can the Hawks bring Budenholzer back? Will they have the opportunity to make that decision, or will he be offered a job by another team? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Portland Trail Blazers

April 21st, 2018 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

After exceeding expectations during the regular season, the Trail Blazers went the other way in the playoffs. Coming in as the No. 3 seed in the West, Portland is the first team to exit the postseason after a shocking sweep by the Pelicans.

The focus now turns to next year and how to improve a team that won 49 games. The Blazers are already about $10MM over the salary cap for 2018/19, and that number could go significantly higher. Jusuf Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton are all eligible for extensions this summer, with their qualifying offers combining for nearly $10MM.

Nurkic will be looking for a big-money deal after averaging 14.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in 79 games. He established himself as Portland’s starting center immediately after being acquired from the Nuggets in a trade last season and won’t be easy to replace if the Blazers decide he’s not affordable.

Most of the team’s salary is tied up in the starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who are both signed to rich contracts through the 20/21 season. In addition, Evan Turner will make more than $36MM over the next two years, and Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard are each around $22MM for the same time frame, meaning no cap relief is coming until at least the summer of 2020.

President of basketball operations Neil Olshey has to decide this summer if the current approach will keep the Blazers competitive or if major changes are needed. Rumors are already circulating that head coach Terry Stotts may be fired after six years on the bench. But the only way to bring radical change is to break up the high-priced backcourt. Lillard is owed more than $89.4MM over the next three seasons, while McCollum will get more than $82.6MM. Either one would bring a healthy trade package in return, and a deal could help ease the financial logjam.

What would you do if you were running the Blazers? Would you break up one of the best backcourts in the NBA, or is there a better solution? Please give us your feedback in the comments section below.

Community Shootaround: Best Available Coaching Job

April 18th, 2018 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

After getting through the 2017 offseason with no coaching changes, this year is providing much more action. We started a Head Coaching Search Tracker this week to help you keep up with all the latest developments on the coaching carousel.

Three teams currently have vacancies and three others are operating with interim coaches at the helm. Many of the top candidates are interviewing with multiple franchises, which raises the question of which is the best job currently available:

The Hornets expected to be a perennial playoff team when they assembled their current roster, but they have missed the postseason for two straight years. Charlotte could be as much as $20MM over the cap next season with its current roster, so an overhaul is likely, but it’s hard to say who will be heading out. The Hornets have some talent with Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Dwight Howard, Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but their financial situation will limit their flexibility for at least another year unless some bold moves are taken.
Despite having a string of lottery picks, the Magic haven’t shown signs of growing into a contender. Aaron Gordon is probably the best player on the roster, but he’s headed into restricted free agency, so his future in Orlando isn’t certain. Last year’s top choice, Jonathan Isaac, was limited to 27 games by injuries. The Magic have the fifth-best shot at the No. 1 pick in the lottery, but the franchise is likely looking at a long rebuilding process.
The Knicks are trying to escape a dysfunctional era that brought down Jeff Hornacek after just two seasons. New York’s major assets are Kristaps Porzingis, who isn’t expected back until at least December after tearing his ACL, and Tim Hardaway Jr. Enes Kanter can opt out of an $18.6MM salary, so he may not be back next season. New York is ninth entering the lottery and won’t have significant cap room until next summer, so it’s another situation where the front office will have to be patient.
The Grizzlies strung together seven straight playoff appearances before an injury to Mike Conley brought down this season right after it started. Management is confident that Conley and Marc Gasol can still be the core of a playoff team, especially if Chandler Parsons can come back healthier and a decent lottery pick is added. Those three contracts will eat up a huge amount of Memphis’ cap room for at least the next two season, so any improvement is going to have to come from within.
The Suns feel like they’re headed in the right direction with Devin Booker and T.J. Warren joined by the returning Brandon Knight and promising rookie Josh Jackson. Phoenix could have more than $30MM in cap room if it renounces Alex Len and Elfrid Payton, which could make the team a force in the free agent market. The Suns have the best lottery odds and no burdensome long-term contracts other than the expected extension for Booker.
The Bucks are the only playoff team on the list after firing Jason Kidd midway through the season. They have an MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo signed through the 2020/21 season, with an impressive collection of young talent surrounding him in Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker and Thon Maker. Milwaukee is capped out this summer and Parker will be a restricted free agent, but the financial situation eases significantly heading into the future.

We want to get your opinion. If you were a candidate for all six of these jobs, which one gives you the best chance to succeed? Please jump into the comments section below and give us your feedback.

Community Shootaround: Possible First-Round Upsets

April 16th, 2018 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

Game 1 is in the books for all eight of the NBA’s first-round playoff matchups, and several of those games set up potentially fascinating series. Six of the eight higher seeds held their home-court advantage in the first game, but some of those favorites looked a little shaky in their victories, leading to plenty of speculation about first-round upsets.

We’ll start with the weekend’s biggest upset, which took place in Cleveland, where the Pacers dismantled LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 1. It won’t be a surprise if the Cavs eventually pull out this series, but their 98-80 loss on Sunday was something we haven’t seen since James returned to Cleveland in 2014. In their last three first-round series, the Cavs have swept the Celtics, Pistons, and – one year ago – the Pacers.

Of course, these Pacers are a much different team than the squad swept out of the postseason a year ago. Victor Oladipo looked like the best player on the floor on Sunday, and players like Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Lance Stephenson looked great in supporting roles. This Pacers team was overlooked and underappreciated all season, and appear poised to give the Cavs all they can handle in round one.

The other Game 1 upset occurred in Portland, where the Pelicans edged out a two-point win over the Trail Blazers. Anthony Davis (35 points, 14 rebounds) was the best player on the court in that game, but Jrue Holiday‘s impact shouldn’t be understated. Besides posting 21 points and seven assists, Holiday also locked up Damian Lillard on the other end of the court — Lillard made just six of 23 shots.

The Pelicans don’t have a whole lot of standout talent behind Davis and Holiday, but Nikola Mirotic (16 points, 11 rebounds) stepped up as a reliable third option on Saturday. If he – or another Pelican – can continue to support Davis and Holiday throughout the series, New Orleans should have a chance.

Elsewhere, the Raptors, Rockets, and Thunder had to battle to the end to hold off the Wizards, Timberwolves, and Jazz, respectively, but came away with Game 1 victories. The Bucks pushed the Celtics to overtime before losing Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo to foul problems and ultimately losing the game. None of those four favorites is a mortal lock to advance, though Houston is probably close.

The Warriors and Sixers took care of business with comfortable wins over the Spurs and Heat, respectively.

What do you think? Will we see an upset – or multiple upsets – in the first round of the postseason? Which lower-seeded teams do you think look like the best bets to advance to round two?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Time To Rebuild The Clippers?

April 7th, 2018 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The scramble for Western Conference playoff spots got a little smaller today as the Clippers were officially eliminated with a 19-point loss to the Nuggets. It marks the end of a six-year playoff run for the franchise and may signal the start of a rebuilding project in L.A.

There’s an argument to be made that the process is already under way. It may have begun when Chris Paul demanded a trade to Houston last June, then was accelerated when Blake Griffin was shipped to Detroit. Paul and Griffin were the foundation for the greatest years the formerly downtrodden Clippers have ever experienced, and it feels like the team has already entered a new era.

The most consequential decision facing the Clippers this summer is out of their hands. DeAndre Jordan can opt out of a $24.12MM salary for next season and become an unrestricted free agent. Jordan, who has been with the franchise throughout his 10-year career, remains the cornerstone of the defense and one of the league’s best rebounders. Taking his salary off the books would open a ton of cap room, but there’s not an obvious replacement on the roster.

Also facing opt-out decisions are Austin Rivers ($12.65MM), Milos Teodosic ($6.3MM) and Wesley Johnson ($6.13MM). Rivers seems likely to stay as long as his father is the head coach, but that’s another area where change could be coming.

Doc Rivers has one year left on his contract, and a mutual parting could be in the works. Rivers lost influence in the organization when he was squeezed out of a front office job last offseason and may prefer to go someplace where he’ll have a say about personnel matters. Rivers once said he didn’t want to stay in Boston for a rebuilding project, and he probably has the same attitude toward Los Angeles.

Barring trades, the only sure things for the Clippers’ roster next season are Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell. Patrick Beverley, who missed almost the entire season with a knee injury, has a nonguaranteed $5MM salary.

The news isn’t all bad for the Clippers, who will have their own lottery pick, along with the Pistons’ if it falls outside the top four. Detroit is 12th in our latest Reverse Standings and would need a lot of luck to hold onto the pick.

What would you do if you were running the Clippers? Would you re-sign Jordan if he opts out and try to start a new playoff streak, or is it time to start selling off the veterans and start over? Jump into the comments section below and give us your thoughts.

Community Shootaround: Best New Hall Of Famer

March 31st, 2018 at 8:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2018 today with 13 new inductees from across the basketball spectrum. Most prominent for NBA fans are five perimeter players who established themselves as among the best ever at their positions: Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Maurice Cheeks.

All five posted strong Hall of Fame credentials, but part of the fun of sports is arguing about who was the best:

Before an injury derailed his career in the late 1990s, Hill was putting up MVP-type numbers each year, finishing third in the voting in 1997. A seven-time All-Star, he popularized the concept of a “point forward” and averaged 7.3 assists per game during the 1996/97 season. A bad ankle limited him to a total of 47 games in what should have been four of his prime seasons, but he recovered and was able to stay in the league until age 40.
Kidd was a triple-double machine who led the Nets to the finals twice, then won a title late in his career with the Mavericks. A 10-time All-Star, he led the NBA in assists five times in a six-year period and finished second in the 2002 MVP voting. Kidd is second in career assists and steals and ranks ninth in made 3-pointers.
Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006 and finished second in the voting in 2007. An eight-time All-Star, he is best known as the creative force behind the high-scoring Suns team from last decade. One of the game’s most accurate shooters, Nash posted four seasons in the 50/40/90 club.
Allen holds the record for most 3-pointers with 2,973 and was a 40% career shooter from long distance. He was a huge scorer for Milwaukee and Seattle, and later became a 3-point threat for championship teams in Boston and Miami. A 10-time All-Star, Allen was one of the most feared shooters in the league for 18 seasons.
Cheeks was a talented two-way point guard for Sixers teams that were among the league’s best throughout the 1980s. Though he was often overshadowed by more famous teammates, Cheeks was an important contributor, making four All-Star teams and four All-Defensive first teams. He ranks fifth in career steals and 11th in assists.

We want your opinion on these new Hall of Famers. If you could take one of them in his prime to build a team around, which one would you choose? Jump into the comments section below and give us your pick.

Community Shootaround: Kemba Walker’s Future

March 30th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he was the subject of several trade rumors leading up to last month’s deadline, Kemba Walker remained in Charlotte. With the Hornets set to land in the lottery this spring though, the Walker rumor mill figures to be revived in the coming months.

Longtime Hornets general manager Rich Cho is no longer in the picture in Charlotte, as the team is set to hire a new head of basketball operations at season’s end. That new general manager will inherit a cap sheet packed with expensive multiyear contracts, with Walker’s $12MM expiring deal easily representing the most valuable trade chip on the Hornets’ roster. Tasked with turning the franchise into a contender, the new GM could decide that moving Walker is the best way to accelerate a necessary rebuilding process.

It’s also worth considering how Walker’s latest comments differ in tone from his initial response to trade rumors back in January. At the time, the star point guard said he’d be “pretty upset” to be dealt, and talked extensively about having spent his whole career in Charlotte. Two months later, Walker’s fondness for the city likely hasn’t changed, but he sounds more pragmatic about his situation.

Earlier this month, for instance, Walker admitted that he’s not sure he has the stomach to go through another rebuilding process, noting that “nobody wants to lose.” More recently, the 27-year-old acknowledged that he’s getting tired of missing the playoffs, suggesting that winning will be his top priority going forward — including when he has to make a free agency decision in 2019.

The Hornets could certainly retool around Walker and attempt to make a playoff push in 2018/19 before eventually looking to re-sign him in 2019. However, a trade looks like a viable possibility too. In his latest piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor took a closer look at the situation, identifying the Cavaliers, Bucks, Suns, and Knicks as a few teams that could make sense as trade partners if the Hornets want to deal.

What do you think the Hornets should – and will – do with Walker? Would it be misguided to move the team’s only star, or would it ultimately be the best long-term move for the organization? If the Hornets do trade Walker, do you think one of the clubs mentioned by O’Connor would be the best destination for him, or is there another team you view as an ideal fit?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Markelle Fultz’s Return

March 27th, 2018 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After months of uncertainty about his status, Markelle Fultz returned to action for the Sixers on Monday night, with head coach Brett Brown making the surprise announcement just a couple hours before opening tip. Fultz’s night got off to a shaky start when he committed a quick turnover and air-balled his first jump shot, but he finished with 10 points and eight assists in just 14 minutes, contributing a few clips to the game’s highlight reel.

It was a long road back for Fultz, who appeared in just four games at the start of the regular season before being shut down due to shoulder issues — and to rebuild his jumper. For a time, it looked like the Sixers may just keep Fultz on the shelf for the rest of the season, playing it safe as they’d done in past seasons with key players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

However, after last year’s No. 1 overall pick visited the University of Washington during last month’s All-Star break, he returned to Philadelphia focused on getting back on the court this season, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. When he told Brown before Monday’s game that he was ready to go, the 76ers head coach was thrilled to get him back in the lineup and was a little emotional when he made the announcement, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details.

Fultz’s return is exactly what was needed not just for Fultz himself but for team president Bryan Colangelo, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. As Deveney outlines, a segment of Sixers fans attribute the team’s current success solely to former GM Sam Hinkie, rather than assigning any credit to Colangelo. Considering last summer’s trade for Fultz was the biggest risk Colangelo has taken during his tenure in Philadelphia, he had a lot hinging on the point guard’s recovery. Monday night’s performance in Denver looked like a solid first step toward that move paying off.

Still, with the Sixers set to open the postseason in less than three weeks, it remains to be seen whether they can count on Fultz to play a major role during those playoff games. Philadelphia’s roster is somewhat short on playmakers, so in the view of David Murphy of Philly.com, Fultz is someone who can help. But the extent of the rookie’s role down the stretch remains a question mark.

What do you think? Is it a risk to count on Fultz in the postseason? Will he hold his own as Simmons’ backup at the point? Will he be ready to take on an even larger role by the time the playoffs begin? How has his unusual rookie season affected your view of his long-term potential?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Curry, Irving Injuries

March 24th, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two point guards who squared off in the last three NBA Finals suddenly face health problems heading into this year’s playoffs.

Stephen Curry was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain that was revealed in an MRI performed today on his left knee. Curry suffered the injury in Friday’s game, which marked his return to the court after missing two weeks with a tweaked right ankle. The Warriors announced that he will be re-evaluated in three weeks, which coincides with the start of the playoffs.

In Boston, Kyrie Irving is sidelined after undergoing a surgical procedure today on his left knee. The operation was described as minimally invasive and was performed to remove a tension wire that was inserted when he fractured his patella during the 2015 NBA Finals. Doctors say Irving should be able to resume basketball activities in three to six weeks, which doesn’t necessarily mean he will be cleared to play at that point.

Both teams are locked pretty solidly into second place in their respective conferences, so today’s injury news shouldn’t affect the regular season standings. However, both become more vulnerable in a first-round matchup if Curry and Irving can’t play.

The bottom of the West remains jumbled with the fourth-place Thunder and 10th-place Clippers separated by only four games in the loss column. Realistically, there are seven teams that could face Golden State in the first round, with each presenting a different challenge.

Things are a little more settled in the East, where the Bucks, Heat, Wizards or Pacers seem most likely to land in the seventh seed. Any of those teams could throw a scare into the Celtics, who will also be without Marcus Smart for about six more weeks after surgery to fix a torn ligament in his right thumb and Daniel Theis, who had season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus.

Our question for today is whether the Warriors or Celtics are now in danger of a first-round upset without their floor leaders. A lot depends on the eventual matchups, but do you see either team suffering an early playoff exit? Please jump into the comments section below and give us your feedback.