Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Team USA

September 3rd, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA appeared to be cruising along in the FIBA World Cup. Then came Lithuania.

A 110-104 loss on Sunday didn’t knock Team USA out of the tournament but it made the favorites look quite vulnerable. Team USA’s athleticism couldn’t overcome Lithuania’s size and power. The U.S. was outrebounded by 16 and got outscored 17-2 on second-chance points.

A slow start — which has been characteristic of this group — was another issue. Team USA trailed 31-12 after the first quarter and never recovered.

As the final score would indicate, Team USA’s defense was shredded by the star-less Lithuanians. While Lithuania has some familiar faces, including Jonas Valanciunas and Ignas Brazdeikis, it was alarming to see the United States team allow 52.8% shooting overall and 56% on threes. Lithuania had nine players score at least nine points.

The biggest concern coming into the tournament for Team USA was a general lack of size. Jaren Jackson Jr., who has spent most of his NBA career as a power forward, has been starting at center. He quickly got into foul trouble on Sunday and coach Steve Kerr had even smaller options when he went to his bench. The only true center on the roster, Walker Kessler, played six minutes.

Even so, with the likes of Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Austin Reaves and Tyrese Haliburton, you’d expect Team USA to overcome its size issues.

There’s no more margin for error with the quarterfinals against Italy looming on Tuesday. If Team USA advances, it would face Germany or Latvia in the semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, the quarterfinal matches include Lithuania vs. Serbia and Canada vs. Slovenia.

That leads us to today’s topic: Do you feel Team USA will prevail in the World Cup despite Sunday’s loss? If not, which team is your pick to win it?

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

Community Shootaround: Chris Paul

August 28th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Steve Kerr is busy coaching Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. When he comes back and returns to the sidelines for the Warriors, he’ll have an interesting lineup decision.

Golden State still has all of its usual starters — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney — on the roster. It’s a group that won a championship two seasons ago.

The acquisition of Chris Paul now creates a dilemma. The future Hall of Fame point guard has appeared in 1,214 regular season games. He’s started all of them, even during his rookie campaign for New Orleans in 2005/06.

It’s safe to assume Curry and Green will remain in the lineup. Thompson has started every game since his second NBA season. Wiggins went through some personal issues last season but he’s started every game in his NBA career.

Looney would be the logical candidate to lose his starting job, though that would leave the Warriors with an awfully small lineup. Looney’s defense and rebounding are key components to the team’s success. If he comes off the bench, it may be difficult to have both Jonathan Kuminga and free agent Dario Saric in the rotation.

At this stage of his career, Paul might be willing to be a sixth man in order to get that elusive ring he’s been chasing. But it would still seemingly be an uncomfortable spot for a player of his stature.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Should Chris Paul start for the Warriors this upcoming season? If he’s in the lineup, which of the returning players should come off the bench?

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

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: Giannis’ Future

August 27th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Will the biggest star in the Eastern Conference be looking for a new team in the next year or two?

Two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly didn’t rule out that possibility in a recent New York Times interview. Antekounmpo could ink a three-year extension this offseason in the range of $173MM. Unless he has a change of heart, he’s not going to be signing any papers.

By waiting until next summer, the value of a potential extension will rise, since he’ll be able to tack on an extra year. It would also give him another season to evaluate and ponder whether the Bucks can remain among the league’s elite teams.

“The real question’s not going to be this year (regarding an extension) — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know. … I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

If it comes to the point where Antetokounmpo requests a trade, it would send shock waves through the league, despite the rash of the superstar demands for trades in the last few years.

Antetokounmpo is under contract through the 2025/26 season but he can opt out in the summer of ‘25. He could wait until free agency to move on but as we’ve seen with the likes of Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, signing an extension doesn’t remove the possibility of a trade request in short order.

Ideally, he’d spend his entire career with Milwaukee but only if he feels like the Bucks have a shot to win the championship year in and year out.

“I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship,” he said.

In the short term, the core group from their 2021 title – Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to complement Antetokounmpo – remains in place. However, there isn’t a whole lot of young talent waiting in the wings to keep them in contention long-term.

That leads us to today’s topic: Do you think Antetokounmpo will remain with the Bucks for years to come, or will he leave via a trade or free agency within the next couple years? If he does go, where do you think he’ll wind up?

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

Community Shootaround: Best Point Guard Ever

August 26th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry isn’t reluctant to stake his claim as one of the best point guards in NBA history. The Warriors star put himself in elite company during a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.

“It’s me and Magic (Johnson), is that the conversation? Obviously, I have to answer that way,” Curry said in response to a question from Arenas. “Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So the fact that we’re having that conversation, that’s the place I never thought I’d be in.”

Both players are obviously on the short list of legendary point guards. They amassed a wealth of titles and individual honors throughout their careers, and both significantly changed the way the game is played.

Curry is a four-time champion, a two-time scoring leader, a nine-time All-Star and a two-time MVP who was the first player in league history to win the award in a unanimous vote. He has 21,712 career points, 5,740 assists and a record 3,390 three-pointers, and at age 35 he still has time to add to those numbers.

Johnson was among the most dynamic players of the 1980s and the catalyst for the “Showtime” Lakers. He was an All-Star in 10 of his first 11 seasons, missing only because of injury, before HIV forced him into his first retirement in 1991. He won five titles, three MVP awards and three Finals MVP honors. With 17,707 career points and 10,141 assists, Johnson was voted onto the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

While Curry and Johnson are strong candidates, there are plenty of others to consider:

In the 1960s and early ’70s, Oscar Robertson was routinely putting up triple-doubles before it was celebrated as a stat. The 1964 MVP spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Royals before winning his only NBA title with the Bucks in 1971. He was an All-Star in his first 12 NBA seasons, being named MVP of the game three times, and was a nine-time first-team All-NBA selection.
Lakers star Jerry West was a contemporary of Robertson’s and his rival as the best guard in the game at the time. West was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons and was an All-NBA selection 12 times. He was named Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost the series, then won his only championship in 1972.
John Stockton is the NBA’s career leader in assists with 15,806 and led the league in that category for nine straight seasons. The 10-time All-Star is also the league’s all-time steals champ with 3,265 and was named to the All-Defensive Team five times. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Jazz and remained productive through age 40.
Isiah Thomas led the “Bad Boy” Pistons to titles in 1989 and 1990 at a time when the Lakers and Celtics were dominating the league. The 12-time All-Star was named Finals MVP in 1990 and twice captured All-Star MVP honors.
Chris Paul is the only active point guard with a resume similar to Curry’s, although without a similar level of playoff success. A 12-time All-Star, Paul led the NBA in assists five times and in steals six times. He’s an 11-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive Team selection.
Steve Nash is a two-time MVP who also revolutionized the game with his accomplishments in Phoenix. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, he reached the 50-40-90 club as a shooter four times in his career.

There are many more to consider, such as Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich and others, and we could go on much longer about their place in the history of the league. But we want to get your opinion. Who’s really the best point guard that has ever played? Please leave your response in the space below.

Community Shootaround: 2023/24 NBA Finals Picks

August 25th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

An ESPN panel (Insider link) has made predictions for which NBA teams will win the Eastern and Western Conferences in 2023/24, as well as which team will win the championship. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote was worth three, and a third-place vote received one.

The Bucks were the favored pick to advance out of the East, receiving 86 total points (40% of first-place votes) to narrowly edge the Celtics (80 points; 40%). Those were the top two seeds entering last season’s playoffs, but both clubs were eliminated by Miami — Milwaukee in the first round, and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Speaking of the Heat, they received the third-most points with 38, but only received 4% of the first-place votes. The Knicks (12 points) were the only other team to receive first-place votes (16%).

In the West, ESPN’s panel has the defending-champion Nuggets as the overwhelming favorites, receiving 106 points, including 76% of the first-place votes. The Suns (60 points; 12%), Warriors (27 points; 8%) and Lakers (24 points; 4%) all received first-place votes as well.

Perhaps unsurprisingly based on the aforementioned results, Denver received the most points (80) and first-place votes (48%) to repeat as NBA champions, followed by the Bucks (49 points; 28%). Interestingly, the Heat received the third-most first-place votes (12%), despite being fifth in total points.

That brings us to our question of the day: Who do you think will advance from the Eastern and Western Conferences, and who will win the title in 2023/24? Head to the comments to weigh in with your picks.

Community Shootaround: Ben Simmons

August 23rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Throughout the offseason, there have been indications that Nets guard Ben Simmons has overcome the physical issues that cut short his 2022/23 season and that he’ll be healthy and ready to go when training camp opens.

Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks started the speculation at his end-of-season press conference after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in April. Marks told reporters that Simmons didn’t appear to need another back surgery and would likely be fully healthy by the start of September.

Simmons got some social media buzz in June when he posted workout photos on Instagram, and a month later, Marc J. Spears of Andscape shared a quote from a source who said Simmons is “as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly.” A day later, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that Simmons had fully completed rehab following a back nerve impingement that sidelined him for the last six weeks of the season.

In early August, teammate Cameron Johnson said in an interview that he expects Simmons to be “if not full form, pretty close to it.” He added that he had recently talked to Simmons and believes he’s in “a good place.”

A healthy Simmons would obviously make a huge difference for the Nets, who are trying to establish a new identity after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in February. Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton are the foundation of the team, and Simmons could turn them into a legitimate contender if he becomes anything close to the All-Star that he was in Philadelphia.

Of course, there are caveats. Simmons decided not to join the Australian team for the World Cup after raising the possibility in May. He came to an agreement with the national team that he would skip the tournament while continuing to prepare for the upcoming NBA season while leaving open the possibility of playing in the 2024 Olympics.

Anyone who has followed the Nets since Simmons was acquired in February of 2022 knows there have been other encouraging health reports, which are eventually followed by setbacks.

Simmons is owed $37.9MM for the upcoming season and $40.3MM for 2024/25. The contract is considered among the worst in the league, but only because Simmons hasn’t been able to play. It becomes much more reasonable — and possibly even tradable — if he gets to be healthy and productive again.

We want to know what you think. Will Simmons be able to get back to normal after two straight seasons marred by injuries and off-court issues, or is the All-Star version of Simmons gone forever? Please leave your comments in the space below.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: Hornets’ Offseason

August 20th, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets had a 27-55 record last season, 16 fewer victories than the previous season, but they’ve been relatively quiet this summer.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of Charlotte this offseason was Michael Jordan’s decision to sell his majority stake in the team. The roster looks much like it did at the end of last year.

The most significant developments were signing LaMelo Ball to a five-year max extension and getting the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Hornets used the No. 2 selection on Brandon Miller, who will likely jump right into the starting lineup at one of the forward spots.

Miles Bridges, who missed all of last season due to legal issues, accepted his qualifying offer as he tries to rebuild his value en route to becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Bridges and Miller could form the starting forward duo, though Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington may have something to say about that. Shoulder, hamstring and ankle injuries limited Hayward to 50 games last season but he started every game he was in uniform.

Washington remains a restricted free agent, though it appears the most likely outcome is that he also accepts his qualifying offer or works out a new deal with the Hornets.

Terry Rozier and Cody Martin — limited to seven games last season due to knee issues — are 1-2 on the depth chart at shooting guard, though Bridges could see some time there. Everything revolves around Ball and the Hornets will be much more dangerous if he can stay on the court. The star point guard was limited to 36 games last season. Nick Smith Jr, the team’s other first-round pick, could emerge as his backup.

That leads us to today’s topic: What do you think of the Hornets’ offseason? With the return of Bridges and the addition of No. 2 overall pick Miller, are they a playoff team this upcoming season? Or are they destined for another trip to the lottery?

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

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason FA Signings

August 19th, 2023 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting your thoughts on Friday on the best and worst trades of the NBA offseason, we’re shifting our focus today to the best and worst of this summer’s free agent signings.

While 14 free agents signed contract worth at least $50MM in total base salary this offseason, only one – point guard Fred VanVleet – received a maximum-salary contract. And VanVleet’s deal with the Rockets only includes two guaranteed years. He’ll make about $83.7MM in guaranteed money before Houston has to decide on a $44.9MM team option in 2025/26.

Here are the 13 other deals worth more than $50MM:

Jerami Grant (Trail Blazers): Five years, $160MM. Includes a fifth-year player option.
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks): Three years, $120MM. Includes a third-year player option and an additional $6MM in unlikely incentives.
Draymond Green (Warriors): Four years, $100MM. Includes a fourth-year player option.
Khris Middleton (Bucks): Three years, $95MM. Includes a third-year player option and an additional $7MM in unlikely incentives.
Cameron Johnson (Nets): Four years, $94.5MM. Includes an additional $13.5MM in unlikely incentives.
Kyle Kuzma (Wizards): Four years, $90MM. Includes an additional $12.2MM in unlikely incentives.
Dillon Brooks (Rockets): Four years, $86MM. Includes an additional $4MM in unlikely incentives.
Jakob Poeltl (Raptors): Four years, $78MM. Includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives.
Max Strus (Cavaliers): Four years, $62.3MM.
Herbert Jones (Pelicans): Four years, $53.8MM.
Austin Reaves (Lakers): Four years, $53.8MM. Includes a fourth-year player option.
Rui Hachimura (Lakers): Four years, $51MM.

While big-money contracts have the most potential to pay off or backfire in a major way, there were several notable deals signed below that threshold, as our tracker shows.

Brook Lopez (Bucks), Donte DiVincenzo (Knicks), Coby White (Bulls), Matisse Thybulle (Trail Blazers), Gabe Vincent (Lakers), Caris LeVert (Cavaliers), and Dennis Schröder (Raptors) were among the players who received eight-figure annual salaries and at least two guaranteed years.

Bruce Brown (Pacers) received a massive $22MM salary for 2023/24, but it’s his only guaranteed seasons — his $23MM cap hit for the following year is a team option.

Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls), Jevon Carter (Bulls), Reggie Jackson (Nuggets), Shake Milton (Timberwolves), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Timberwolves), Jalen McDaniels (Raptors), Russell Westbrook (Clippers), and Mason Plumlee (Clippers) were some of the players who signed for between $4-7MM annually.

Eric Gordon (Suns), Derrick Rose (Grizzlies), Josh Richardson (Heat), Torrey Craig (Bulls), Patrick Beverley (Sixers), Malik Beasley (Bucks), Dario Saric (Warriors), and Cory Joseph (Warriors) were among the veterans who accepted minimum-salary deals.

We want to know what you think. Which teams got the best values in free agency this summer? Which players and agents did the best for themselves, relative to you expectations heading into the offseason?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Offseason Trades

August 18th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

As we explored in detail earlier this week, a total of 30 NBA trades have been made so far this offseason. Notable trade candidates such as Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Pascal Siakam haven’t gone anywhere, but a number of big names have been on the move.

Here’s a recap of some of the summer’s biggest trades:

Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, and Tyus Jones to the Wizards in a three-team, seven-player trade that also included a 2024 first-round pick.
Bradley Beal to the Suns in another three-team, seven-player trade that featured several future draft picks and swaps.
Chris Paul to the Warriors in a blockbuster trade that sent Jordan Poole and multiple players and draft picks to the Wizards.
John Collins to the Jazz in a salary-dump trade with the Hawks.
Joe Harris and Monte Morris to the Pistons in a a pair of salary-dump trades involving the Nets and Wizards.
Dillon Brooks to the Rockets, Max Strus to the Cavaliers, and Grant Williams to the Mavericks in three separate sign-and-trade deals that involved a total of 10 different teams (including the Spurs twice).

Of the remaining 21 trades made since the end of the 2022/23 season, some may not exactly go down in NBA lore. For instance, the Clippers sending $2.1MM in cash to the Pistons for the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica is unlikely to have a significant impact on either franchise.

There are other under-the-radar deals that could have long-term ramifications though. Perhaps one of the many 2023 second-round draft picks traded in June will eventually emerge as a star. Perhaps relatively minor acquisitions like Chris Duarte (Kings) or Obi Toppin (Pacers) will turn out to be more important than anticipated. Maybe one of the lottery picks a team traded up for – like No. 7 pick Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards) or No. 10 pick Cason Wallace (Thunder) – will become a franchise cornerstone.

The full list of offseason trades can be found right here.

We want to know what you think. Which moves on the trade market did you like the most? Which did you like the least? Those won’t necessarily be two sides of the same deal, since it’s possible for certain trades to be win-win deals. Are there any you think should fall into that category?

Head to the comment section below and share your thoughts on the winners and losers of the offseason trade market so far!

Community Shootaround: NBA Schedule

August 17th, 2023 at 5:18pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The schedule for the NBA’s 2023/24 season released on Thursday, giving fans plenty to look forward to beginning in the fall. From the number of nationally televised games to the league debuts of several players, there’s no shortage of storylines to track this coming season.

As always, there are a number of reunions to keep an eye on. Bradley Beal makes his return to Washington on Feb. 4. Kevin Durant, who won two rings with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, plays in Golden State in front of fans on Oct. 24 for the first time since leaving in 2019. Jordan Poole returns to Golden State on Dec. 22. Chris Paul plays in Phoenix on Nov. 22 for the first time since joining the Warriors. Fred VanVleet plays against Toronto for the first time on Feb. 9.

Outside of returns to previous stomping grounds, there are also several matchups of note. A 2023 NBA Finals rematch between the Heat and Nuggets is scheduled for Feb. 29 in Denver.

The showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in each year’s draft class is always a date to circle. However, a 2022 offseason foot injury to Chet Holmgren prevented fans from seeing Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft square off against Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall selection in the same class who went on to win Rookie of the Year. Now fully healthy, the pair is set to face one another on Feb. 13 in Orlando.

The top of this year’s draft is equally intriguing. While there was no denying Victor Wembanyama would go No. 1 overall, plenty of debate ensued regarding the No. 2 selection. Brandon Miller ended up going second overall to the Hornets, while Scoot Henderson went third to the Trail Blazers. The careers of all three players will be followed with great interest.

Wembanyama squares off against Miller for the first time on Jan. 12. Miller plays Henderson for the first time on Feb. 25. Henderson, who previously played against Wembanyama in an October G League showcase, plays the French big man for the first time in the NBA on Dec. 28.

Outside of that, the Christmas Day games and opening night games appear to be as stacked as ever, with nearly every contender getting a primetime appearance.

It also seems as though the NBA is actively attempting to hand out more rest days to its stars. The biggest issue teams and players alike had with previous schedules is the amount of back-to-back games on a team’s schedule. According to BasketballNews.com’s Alex Kennedy (Twitter link), the team average for road back-to-back games this season is down to 9.0, a record low, down from a then-record low 9.6 back-to-back games last year.

This leads us to our question of the day. What aspect of the ’23/24 schedule excites you the most? Who are you most excited to see make their NBA debut? What is going to be the most exciting matchup? Were any teams snubbed from nationally televised games? Are you planning on attending any specific games?

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

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