Community Shootaround

What do you do when your “super team” turns out to be less than super?

That’s the question in Oklahoma City, where the future of Paul George has suddenly become one of the hottest topics in the NBA. Many expected the Thunder to challenge for Western supremacy after dealing for George and Carmelo Anthony over the offseason, but OKC has a losing record at 13-14 a third of the way through the season.

The Thunder knew George wasn’t guaranteed to be a long-term investment when they acquired him from the Pacers. He’s almost certain to opt out of a $20.7MM salary for next season and become an unrestricted free agent. His desire to join his hometown Lakers is well known and was the main reason Indiana chose to part with him.

If the Thunder are somehow able to re-sign George, finances will become a major issue for the team. Russell Westbrook‘s Designated Veteran Extension kicks in next season, boosting his salary to $35.35MM. Financial realities will likely force Anthony to bypass his early termination option and return for another year at nearly $28MM. Add in more than $24MM for Steven Adams, and those four contracts will put the Thunder well over next season’s projected cap of $101MM. Even if George were to opt in, OKC would be far into luxury tax territory with a potential salary topping $137.5MM.

Mitch Lawrence of Forbes believes a deal involving George may be coming before the February 8 trade deadline. He states that George, Westbrook and Anthony are all used to being used in isolation and haven’t been able to develop chemistry as a unit. The problem is that George’s trade value might be lower now than it was during the summer. Sending him to the Lakers may seem like a solution, but an unidentified Eastern Conference GM says L.A. wouldn’t be willing to part with two young players, and the rest of the league views George as a “rental.”

Taking the opposite position are Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, who don’t expect the Thunder to trade George or fire coach Billy Donovan. They report that the “internal dynamic” among the three stars remains strong and there is still hope for a turnaround.

We want to know what you think. Should the Thunder try to move George now so they don’t lose him with no return, or should they wait and try to work out their salary issues next summer? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

As is the case over in the Eastern Conference, the teams at the top of the Western Conference standings as the 2017/18 season nears its two-month mark are unsurprising. While it’s notable that the Rockets (21-4), currently riding a 10-game winning streak, have held off the Warriors (22-6) for the No. 1 spot so far, we expected those two clubs to hold top seeds, along with the Spurs, who have improbably gone 19-8 without Kawhi Leonard.

After the top three though, things get a little messier. The Timberwolves (16-11) and Nuggets (14-12) were popular picks to make the leap into the top eight this season, and so far they’ve delivered on that promise, but neither club has been dominant. They’re followed by a pair of .500 teams led by a star backcourt and frontcourt duo respectively, in the Trail Blazers (13-13) and Pelicans (14-14).

For all the talk coming into this season of the Western Conference being more competitive than ever, the eighth seed is held by a sub-.500 club, with the Jazz (13-14) hanging on for now. It seems like just a matter of time until the Thunder (12-14) figure things out and make their way into the playoff picture, but we’ve been expecting that for weeks and it still hasn’t happened.

Further down the standings, teams like the Mavericks, Kings, and Suns don’t appear to be postseason threats, as expected. But it’s a little surprising to see the Grizzlies (8-19) in the bottom four along with them. The two Los Angeles teams round out the conference, with identical 10-15 records — both clubs remain within striking distance of a playoff spot, but the Clippers will need to get healthy and the Lakers will need more consistent production from their young players.

We’ve still got a lot of basketball to play before playoff seeds are determined, but based on what you’ve seen so far this season, which eight teams do you expect to make the postseason in the West? Can middling teams like the Blazers, Pelicans, and Jazz hold off current lottery teams? Will the Thunder displace one of them? Is there another dark horse contender for a postseason berth in the West?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts on the race for the playoffs in the Western Conference!

A shaky start to the season by the Cavaliers and a season-ending injury to Gordon Hayward on opening night created some uncertainty back in October about the Eastern Conference playoff picture this season. However, as we near the two-month mark of the 2017/18 campaign, the top of the standings in the East look like what we’d expect — the 23-5 Celtics lead the way, followed by the Raptors (17-7) and Cavs (19-8).

After those top three teams, there are a couple more familiar contenders. The Bucks (15-10) took a roundabout route to fourth place in the East, starting off slow and then catching fire after acquiring Eric Bledsoe. As for the Wizards, they’ve been a little underwhelming, with their 14-12 record tying them for sixth in the conference. But once John Wall gets fully healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Washington make a strong second-half run.

Outside of those five teams, the Eastern Conference playoff race is a bit less predictable. The Pacers, who were expected to be a lottery team, are currently riding a four-game winning streak to a 16-11 overall record, good for fifth in the conference. The Pistons (14-12) and the Knicks (13-13) round out the current playoff picture in the East, though neither team has played its best ball lately — Detroit, in particular, has struggled, having lost its last six games.

The Bulls and Hawks are out of the playoff race entirely, as they battle for the best odds at 2018’s first overall pick. The Hornets (9-16), Magic (11-17), and Nets (10-15) are probably long-shots for the postseason too, though they could hang around within striking distance of that No. 8 seed. The current lottery teams that represent the greatest playoff threats are the Sixers (13-13) and Heat (12-13), who have been inconsistent, but have real upside.

We’ve still got a lot of basketball to play before playoff seeds are determined, but based on what you’ve seen so far this season, which eight teams do you expect to make the postseason in the East? Are the Pacers for real? Can the Pistons and/or Knicks hang on to a top-eight seed? Will the Sixers and/or Heat crack the top eight, or will another lottery team make a run at a playoff spot? And when it comes to seeding, will the Celtics hang onto the No. 1 spot?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh in on the Eastern Conference’s race for the playoffs and let us know what you think!

With the regular season nearly a third of the way through as of this past week’s games (Boston, Golden State, Orlando, and Phoenix have all played 27 games), we thought now would be a good time to contemplate which five players are most deserving of being a First Team All-NBA selection for the 2017/18 season.

While there is obviously still a lot of basketball left, there have surely been enough games played so far to begin making a reasonable estimation of certain players’ chances. Players like James Harden and LeBron James have certainly done nothing so far to relinquish their hold on a first team spot come May, and the Warriors‘ dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will garner legitimate consideration as well, but other stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving will push their way into the discussion also if they continue to impress the way that they have to begin the season.

Perhaps the most interesting position to watch is at center, with at least four early candidates making a push for their inaugural All-NBA First Team selection, none of whom made an All-NBA team a season ago.

• Joel Embiid is averaging 23.5 PPG and 11.1 RPG, one of only two players with averages of 23 and 11 so far this season. Embiid is also averaging 1.95 BPG, good enough for fourth best in the league, while leading the Sixers to a 13-11 start, putting them in the playoffs as the eighth seed if the season ended today.
• DeMarcus Cousins is the other aforementioned player, averaging 26.3 PPG and 12.6 RPG to go along with an impressive 5.1 APG.  Those per game numbers rank first, third, and first among all centers, respectively. The Pelicans are also squarely in the playoff race, currently sitting at the eighth position just like Philadelphia.
• Andre Drummond leads the NBA in rebounding, averaging 15.3 per game. Given his limited scoring output, however, his candidacy would likely need to be buoyed by his team’s success. The Pistons were once in second place in the Eastern Conference, but have since slipped into a tie for sixth with Washington.
• Karl-Anthony Towns is one of only three players (along with Embiid and Cousins) to average over 19 PPG and 11 RPG, currently sitting at a respectable clip of 19.8 and 11.6. Of the four centers named herein, the Timberwolves currently have the best record at 15-11, good enough for fourth in the Western Conference.

What do you think? Assuming the regular season ended today, which five players are most deserving of being named First Team All-NBA? Remember that unlike the All-Star game, All-NBA teams are comprised of two guards, two forwards, and a center. Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

DeAndre Jordan is the hottest new name on the trade market, put there by the Clippers’ poor start, a slew of injuries to teammates and his body language as the season continues to crumble.

A Friday night report from Gery Woelfel says the Bucks are aggressively pursuing Jordan, with L.A. asking for John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton in return. Milwaukee may not be willing to part with all three, but it’s easy to see why the Bucks would like to add Jordan’s elite interior defense. They would become serious challengers to the Cavaliers and Celtics with a team built around Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Jabari Parker once he returns from from a torn ACL, which is expected in February.

But the Bucks aren’t the only team trying to acquire Jordan, Woelfel reports, as the Raptors, Wizards and Timberwolves have all expressed interest. Haley O’Shaughnessy of the Ringer sees Washington as a prime location, proposing a trade that would send Marcin Gortat, Jason Smith, Tomas Satoransky and a 2019 unprotected first-rounder to L.A. in return.

The other two locations are a tougher fit, as Toronto would probably want to unload center Jonas Valanciunas, who still has two more seasons and more than $34MM left on his current deal. Jordan would be an awkward match beside Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota and his addition would mean less playing time for Taj Gibson, who just signed with the Wolves this summer.

Another rumor, addressed last week by Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, has the Cavaliers getting involved with a package of Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and possibly the unprotected pick from the Nets. A league source told Vardon the Cavs would likely consider such a deal if they thought it would help them beat the Warriors.

Publicly, the Clippers are downplaying talk of rebuilding, but the prospect becomes more real as they sink in the standings. L.A. is 4-13 since a 4-0 start and currently sits in 10th place in the West, two and a half games out of a playoff spot. Patrick Beverley is out for the year, Blake Griffin is sidelined for two months and Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic haven’t returned from early-season injuries. Jordan has a player option for next season worth $24,119,025 and could opt for unrestricted free agency if he thinks the Clippers’ best days are over.

We want to hear your opinion. If the Clippers decide to move Jordan, where would be the best fit and what should they ask for in return? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

The NBA has already seen two coaches fired since opening night, with Phoenix axing Earl Watson just days into the season and Memphis parting ways with David Fizdale after an eight-game losing streak. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wonders who will be the next coach to be sent packing.

The Magic have gone just 3-11 since the calendar turned to November and they face a tough week ahead. Orlando gets matchups against the Oklahoma City and Golden State before a back-to-back against the overachieving Knicks and underachieving Hornets.

Kyler hears that the Magic remain committed to Frank Vogel, who has approximately $11MM remaining on his contract over the next two seasons. However, Kyler speculates that a 12-15 loss stretch, coupled with the possibility of Doc Rivers becoming available, could change Orlando’s position.

Rivers has one year at nearly $12MM left on his deal and while the Clippers are clearly under-performing, it’s not clear that a coaching change would help them in the win column. With Blake Griffin slated to miss somewhere in the two-month range because of an MCL injury, it’ll be difficult for Los Angeles to make major improvements. Having a new coach take over and implement changes only to have to make new adjustments eight weeks later is not a recipe for success. The franchise may be better off waiting out the season before letting Rivers depart.

Sources tell Kyler that Fred Hoiberg is likely to finish the season with the Bulls, but the team owns the league’s worst record and it’s a situation worth monitoring.

Tell us what you think? Do you believe Vogel, Rivers or Hoiberg will be the next coach to go? Could there be a surprise firing that no one saw coming or will every current coach remain on their respective sidelines through the season?

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