Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Top 20 NBA Players

November 23rd, 2017 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

In a Friday episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast for The Ringer last week, Simmons and guest Joe House discussed and debated which players should be considered the NBA’s best at this point, ultimately putting together a top-20 list.

The rankings were for the 2017/18 season only, so factors like contract status and long-term potential weren’t taken into account. That means Karl-Anthony Towns, whose defensive game is still a work in progress, didn’t make the cut, even though virtually every NBA general manager would take him over many of the players on this list if they were starting a franchise from scratch.

The podcast is worth listening to in full to hear Simmons’ and House’s arguments for and against certain players, but here’s the list they ultimately settled on (they mistakenly included 21 players instead of 20):

LeBron James (Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Warriors)
James Harden (Rockets)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
Russell Westbrook (Thunder)
Kyrie Irving (Celtics)
DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
Klay Thompson (Warriors)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)
Ben Simmons (Sixers)
Blake Griffin (Clippers)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Paul George (Thunder)
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies)
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Chris Paul (Rockets)
Andre Drummond (Pistons)

In addition to Towns, players who missed the cut included John Wall (Wizards), DeMar DeRozan (Raptors), Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves), Mike Conley (Grizzlies), Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Isaiah Thomas (Cavaliers), Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), and many others.

As Simmons noted several times during the podcast, the list is subject to change over the course of the season, and it’s possible they might make a few tweaks to it already, just a few days after the fact — by season’s end, it will likely look much different. If Embiid stays healthy for the full season, for instance, it’s easy to envision him moving up a few spots. For now though, those are their picks for the NBA’s 20 (or 21) best players.

What do you think? Do you agree in general with the list, perhaps quibbling with a few rankings here and there, or would your own top-20 list look drastically different? Which players in Simmons’ and House’s list do you think are undeserving of inclusion, and which players who missed the cut should be added?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: DeAndre Jordan

November 22nd, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

A disastrous November got even rougher for the Clippers today with the news that Patrick Beverley will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Beverley’s return Monday after missing five games was supposed to help L.A. right its ship. Instead, doctors determined that he needed surgery for a microfracture and a meniscus injury. His rehab is expected to take nine months.

With fellow opening-night backcourt starter Milos Teodosic sidelined indefinitely with a plantar fascia injury to his left foot and Danilo Gallinari out with a strained left glute, the Clippers have cratered. They entered tonight’s game with a nine-game losing streak and a 5-11 record.

Amid all this misery comes a report from Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post that several teams have made inquiries about center DeAndre Jordan. The 10-year veteran remains one of the league’s best rebounders and shot blockers, but there’s no guarantee his future will be in L.A. Jordan has a player option for next season worth nearly $24.12MM and could be tempted to test the market come July.

Jordan’s decision will go a long way in shaping the future of the franchise. The Clippers could have roughly $40MM in cap space next summer if Jordan, Teodosic, Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson all opt out, or they could be well above the cap if everyone opts in. Beverley’s salary of slightly more than $5MM for 2018/19 is non-guaranteed, so it’s not certain that the team will bring him back.

The Clippers could wait for Jordan to determine their fate or they could make that decision themselves with a trade. L.A. is only two games out of a playoff spot, but it’s hard to envision a quick turnaround with Beverley already lost for the season and the other injuries continuing to linger.

What do you think? Should the Clippers try to trade Jordan now and get some young talent to rebuild around Blake Griffin or should they hold onto him and the other veterans and hope to turn the season around? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Community Shootaround: Doc Rivers’ Job Security

November 21st, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

After winning their first four games to open the season, the Clippers looked more than capable of holding their own in the first year of the post-Chris Paul era. However, the club’s fortunes have taken a sharp downward turn since then. After a blowout loss in New York on Monday night, the Clippers have now slipped to 5-11, losing nine straight contests and 11 of their last 12.

There are a few factors contributing to the Clippers’ struggles. The team has been hit hard by injuries, with key players like Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley, and Milos Teodosic missing time so far this season. And the club’s schedule hasn’t exactly been soft during the current nine-game losing streak — the Spurs, Cavaliers, and Thunder are among the teams that have beaten L.A. during that stretch, and six of the Clips’ last seven games have been on the road.

Still, there have been some bad losses for the Clippers this month, with Monday’s representing the latest. After cutting the Knicks’ lead to two points midway through the third quarter, the Clippers surrendered a 12-0 run and never recovered, with head coach Doc Rivers suggesting that run took the team’s “spirit” away.

“When you lose nine games in a row, you’re in a losing streak, you start feeling sorry for yourself when things don’t go right and you can’t do that,” Rivers said.

Following the game, Marc Stein of The New York Times stopped short of saying that Rivers is on the hot seat, but he did tweet that Rivers will “inevitably” begin to face “hot-seat scrutiny.” After years of falling short in the playoffs with those CP3-led squads, the Clippers entered the season hopeful that Rivers could alter the team’s approach and get the most out of the new-look roster. So far, that hasn’t happened.

While it’s probably too early for the Clippers to make a change, it’s still worth a discussion. Rivers had his president of basketball operations title removed this past summer, and is now simply the team’s head coach. His contract is a lucrative one, but it reportedly only runs through the 2018/19 season, so the Clippers wouldn’t be on the hook for several years worth of salary if they were to replace him.

What do you think? Is it time for the Clippers to make a head coaching change, or at least to seriously consider one? Or has Rivers’ résumé earned him the right to receive every opportunity to right the ship in Los Angeles? Jump into our comment section below to weigh in!

Community Shootaround: D’Angelo Russell’s Knee Surgery

November 18th, 2017 at 10:41am CST by marksuleymanov

D’Angelo Russell‘s original diagnosis of a left knee contusion last Saturday yielded a nightmare outcome for the Nets as their starting point guard underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday, the team announced. No timetable for Russell’s return was given, so Brooklyn will be without its best, youngest, and most valuable player for an extended period.

Russell, 21, was in the midst of his best season to date, averaging a career-best 20.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.7 RPG in 12 games for Brooklyn. The organization acquired Russell in an offseason trade that saw longtime Net Brook Lopez shipped to the Lakers. While Russell was expected to miss a few games, now he will likely sit out several months due to surgery but general manager Sean Marks did not sound too worried about the procedure.

“This was a direct correlation to the incident that happened in Utah,” Marks said (via ESPN). “I think with any 21-year-old that’s played a lot of basketball you’re going to have a little bit of wear and tear. The good thing is he’s young enough and he’s certainly going to bounce back from something like this. We’re not too concerned in that regard.”

The Nets were pegged for another losing season — despite upgrading with young talent — and thus far, the team sports a 6-9 record. Brooklyn’s prime backup to Russell, veteran Jeremy Lin, suffered his own season-ending knee injury so he will not be able to help. Spencer Dinwiddie will be the Nets’ starter in Russell’s absence, giving the organization an extended look at 24-year-old point guard. Dinwiddie promptly made Nets history in the team’s win over the Jazz on Friday, becoming the first Net to score 25+ points, make 6 three-pointers, dish out 8 assists, and no commit a turnover (via Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily).

At this point, the Nets will be without their best player for several months, but he is expected to return before season’s end. While the Nets are not expected to compete for the playoffs, they are just two games out of a playoff spot through 17 games.

What do you think? Should the Nets be concerned about Russell’s health long-term since he does have a history of knee ailments? Is rushing Russell back to make a run something Brooklyn needs to consider or should they bring him along slowly?Sound off below!

Community Shootaround: Early Look At MVP Race

November 15th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

We’re only about a month into the NBA season, but a handful of strong contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award are already emerging. While there’s plenty of time for players like last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook to pick up the pace and insert themselves into this season’s race, AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today and Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders have identified the players who look like the strongest candidates so far.

Neuharth-Keusch and Chambers agree that James Harden (Rockets) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) have been the top two candidates for MVP, in some order. The two stars are the only players in the NBA averaging more than 30 points per game, and Harden is also leading the league with 10.3 assists per contest. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is averaging a double-double of his own with 10.3 RPG.

LeBron James (Cavaliers) is also a consensus pick on Neuharth-Keusch’s and Chambers’ early lists, which makes sense, despite the fact that James’ Cavs are off to a sluggish start. The four-time MVP is playing some of the best basketball of his career, with 28.1 PPG, 8.8 APG, and an incredible .586 FG% while averaging an NBA-high 38.1 minutes per contest.

From there, the lists diverge. Neuharth-Keusch – whose list features input from fellow USA Today scribes Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, and Michael Singer – rounds out the top five with Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) and DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans).

Both New York and New Orleans were projected to be sub-.500 teams this season, but are off to solid starts behind the incredible play of their respective big men. Porzingis is averaging an impressive 29.5 PPG and shooting 41.0% on three-pointers, while Cousins is stuffing the stat sheet with 28.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.6 SPG.

As for Chambers, he weighs team success a little more heavily, filling out his list with Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Warriors), and Kyrie Irving (Celtics). Golden State leads the Western Conference with an 11-3 record, while Boston has an NBA-best 13-2 mark.

What do you think? Do you have an early pick for 2017/18 MVP? Do you think a player not mentioned above will become a part of the conversation in a big way within the next few weeks or months? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: 2017 Draft Class

November 13th, 2017 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

This year’s top overall draft pick, Markelle Fultz, caught the Sixers’ injury bug at the start of his rookie campaign. Fultz is sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury, continuing Philadelphia’s tough-luck run with lottery picks.

Despite Fultz’s injury, the 2017 draft class has quickly made its mark. Numerous first-round selections have made major impacts in just a few short weeks.

The second overall pick, Lonzo Ball, may have a broken jumper (31.4%) but he’s lived up to his billing as a prolific distributor (7.4 APG) and surprisingly strong rebounder (6.8 RPG). Ball’s teammate, power forward Kyle Kuzma, has already proven to be a steal with the No. 27 overall pick. Kuzma leads the draft class in scoring (15.2 PPG) and field-goal percentage (51.6%) while tying Ball for third in rebounding (6.8 RPG).

Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen took full advantage of additional playing time due to the Nikola Mirotic–Bobby Portis dust-up. He ranks third among 2017 draft picks in scoring (14.5 PPG) and first in rebounding (7.8 RPG).

The third overall pick, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, saw his role expand in the wake of Gordon Hayward‘s season-ending injury. He’s provided immediate help (13.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG). The rebuilding Hawks have thrown power forward John Collins into the fire and he’s responded by ranking second to Markkanen in rebounding (7.3) and second in blocks (1.15) while also delivering double-digit scoring (1o.2 PPG).

Ball is far from the only guard in the draft class to show poise beyond his years. Jazz combo guard Donovan Mitchell (13.9 PPG) has earned a starting spot. Dennis Smith (14.8 PPG, 4.9 APG) has been one of the Mavericks’ few bright spots. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (11.9 PPG, 5.2 APG) looks like their long-term solution at the position.

Several others, such as the Suns’ Josh Jackson and the Knicks’ Frank Ntilikina, have shined at times.

This brings us to our question of the day: Which 2017 draft pick has impressed you the most during the first few weeks of the season? What has made him a standout?

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

Community Shootaround: Paul George And The Thunder

November 11th, 2017 at 11:29am CST by marksuleymanov

Paul George had his coming out party for the Thunder in Friday’s 120-111 victory over the Clippers. The former longtime Pacers standout dropped 42 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. After being largely absent from Oklahoma City’s late game plans during the team’s recent rough patch, George showed the scoring prowess that has made him one of the league’s premiere players.

George, 27, is set to hit the free agent market next year and it is no guarantee that he will re-sign with the Thunder. However, the team invested heavily into fielding a productive team this offseason, trading for George and Carmelo Anthony. With reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook in the fold, the expecation was that OKC would be a competitive threat to the defending champion Warriors.

Despite Friday’s win, the Thunder are still in 12th place in the Western Conference with an uninspiring 5-7 record. To his credit, George has not sounded the alarms about his new team’s slow start, telling Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post that OKC’s plan is to gradually acclimate as a unit.

“We have a whole year to figure it out,” George said. “We can’t really try to rush this. It’s something that’s step-by-step, day-by-day [and], at this point, game-by-game. We’ve got to slowly get on the same page.”

What do you think? Does George have a point? Are the Thunder still capable of developing stronger team chemistry and ultimately play like one of the Western Conference’s top teams? Or, do the Thunder have too many dominating personalities that will make it harder to form a cohesive unit?

Sound off in the comments below!

Community Shootaround: Best Fit For Greg Monroe

November 10th, 2017 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Greg Monroe, who continues to recover from a calf injury, reported to his new team on Thursday, but he admits he doesn’t know whether he’ll actually suit up for the Suns, per Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Monroe said yesterday that he – along with agent David Falk – spoke briefly to Ryan McDonough, acknowledging to the Suns’ general manager that he recognizes he may not fit into the team’s plans.

“I just told them I understand the plan they have in place and how they want to approach the season,” Monroe said. “I told them, ‘If you want me to play, I’ll always play. I’ll never be one not to want to play. If not, we’ll just work together and find the best option for everyone.’ But I’m more than happy to play here.”

Although Monroe says he was “blindsided” by the trade that sent him from Milwaukee to Phoenix in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, he’s unlikely to be caught off guard a second time. The Suns have a logjam at center and a report on the heels of this week’s trade indicated that the club likely won’t keep Monroe through the 2017/18 season.

Still, as I noted on Thursday, even though Monroe has an expiring contract, his $18MM salary won’t be easy to move, particularly if the Suns don’t want to take any future salary back. The Bucks had reportedly been exploring the trade market for Monroe off and on for the last year and hadn’t had much luck until this week, so there’s little reason to expect Phoenix to be able to find good value for the big man right away.

If the Suns don’t find a viable deal soon for Monroe, they’ll probably hang onto him for a little while rather than jumping right into buyout talks, but buying him out remains a possibility. In that event, Monroe would certainly clear waivers and then would be free to sign with any team except the Bucks.

What do you think? Is there a team out there that makes sense as a trade partner for the Suns in a Monroe deal? If he’s bought out, which club do you think would be the best fit for Monroe?

Jump into the comment section below to weigh in!

Community Shootaround: Bulls In 2020 All-Star Game

November 9th, 2017 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

An announcement is expected to come on Friday saying that the city of Chicago will host the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The occasion will mark the first time since 1988 that mid-season festivities were held in the Windy City. That year, of course, it was Michael Jordan who was named MVP of the contest (and dunk champion, for that matter).

The Bulls are in a considerably different position today than they were at the onset of Jordan’s heyday. So Tim Goldrick of NBC Sports Chicago asks if any of the Bulls’ current roster could conceivably be named All-Stars when the game unfolds in Illinois. While Goldrick goes through much of the roster on a case-by-case basis, there really are only a few individuals worth serious consideration given the track records.

The safest bets to be named to the squad, per Goldrick, are rookie Lauri Markkanen and guard Zach LaVine. The former has impressed over the course of his first month in the NBA averaging 15.8 points and 8.2 boards per contest.

By the time February 2020 roles along, Markkanen would be 22 years old and presumably an even larger part of the team’s offense so it’s not unreasonable to imagine him earning a genuine spot on the roster.

LaVine is a unique case given his popularity as a dunk contest legend. In February 2020, LaVine will be just 25 years old, a staggering realization considering that it feels as though he’s already been in the NBA forever (really it’s just been three seasons).

Will LaVine get enough of an opportunity to showcase himself as more than just a dunker in Chicago? The high flyer has yet to officially suit up in Bulls gear after coming over from the Timberwolves, so nobody can really say for sure what he’s capable of as an offensive focal point.

Beyond LaVine and Markkanen, there are a few dark horse candidates that could see their impacts rise significantly in the next two to three seasons, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic chief among them.

Do you agree with this assessment of the young assets on the Bulls roster? If you had to rank the top five Bulls players most likely to earn a spot in the game in 2020, how would you order them? Weigh in below.

Community Shootaround: Best Fit For Jahlil Okafor

November 8th, 2017 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

With Eric Bledsoe officially a Milwaukee Buck, one of two major early-season trade candidates is off the market, leaving Sixers center Jahlil Okafor as the other notable player seeking a change of scenery.

Okafor’s less-than-ideal situation in Philadelphia has been well documented, both on Hoops Rumors and elsewhere, but here’s the abridged version: Despite being the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, Okafor has fallen behind Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes, and Amir Johnson on the Sixers’ depth chart, and rarely sees the court. Philadelphia also turned down the 21-year-old’s option for 2018/19, putting him on track to reach unrestricted free agency next summer.

With no role in Philadelphia, Okafor has confirmed he wants a trade or a buyout. However, the 76ers are in a tough spot. Now that they’ve declined the option on Okafor’s contract for next year, a team that acquires him in a trade can’t offer him more than $6.3MM as a starting salary in 2018.

At this point, Okafor seems unlikely to earn an offer that significant anyway, but what if he enjoys a breakout year after being traded? The better he plays for his new team, the less likely that team is to have the ability to re-sign him at season’s end. As such, clubs are unlikely to surrender much of value for him. Throw in the fact that the Sixers are uninterested in taking on salary for 2018/19 in any trade, and it’s not hard to see why finding a viable deal is tricky.

Still, Okafor was a third overall pick just over two years ago, and had a solid rookie season in 2015/16, averaging 17.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG. He’s not the sort of player Philadelphia wants to just give up for nothing, even if the club doesn’t have room for him its rotation. So buyout conversations aren’t happening right now, as the Sixers continue to explore trade possibilities.

The Celtics are one obvious suitor, with an $8.4MM disabled player exception available to use on Okafor, but the Sixers seem unenthusiastic about sending the big man to a division rival. The Bulls and Hawks have been mentioned as possible landing spots, and it makes sense that rebuilding teams like those would be willing to take a shot on a player with Okafor’s pedigree. The Suns – another rebuilding club – reportedly has some interest in Okafor too. And the Bucks look like an ideal fit — they just traded Greg Monroe, and they’re armed with a $5MM trade exception that is the perfect size for Okafor’s $4,995,120 salary.

What do you think? Which team would be the best fit for Okafor, in terms of his potential for on-court success? Which team would be the best fit for the Sixers as a potential trade partner? Where do you expect Okafor to ultimately end up?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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