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Community Shootaround: Earl Watson

April 20th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

On Tuesday, the Suns removed the interim tag from Earl Watson‘s title and formally named him head coach. “Earl did a very good job with our team last season after taking over as interim head coach during a challenging time for the organization,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said during the team’s official press conference. “Earl’s natural leadership qualities and his ability to connect with and motivate our players have stood out throughout his time here in Phoenix. We are excited to see what he can do with a healthy roster after having a full offseason to prepare.”

The news of Watson’s hiring came as no shock, seeing as people in the Suns organization and around the league considered him the front-runner for the job as the team prepared to begin its search in earnest last week, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The Suns were reportedly poised to pursue Mike D’Antoni even before they fired Jeff Hornacek, but a reunion with D’Antoni, who won Coach of the Year honors with the Suns in 2005, never came to pass. The team eyed Steve Nash, but the former MVP wasn’t interested. Conflicting reports emerged about Phoenix’s interest in Villanova coach Jay Wright, while the team was also apparently fond of Dan Majerle and Luke Walton.

Watson has a reputation for having a strong influence on free agents, and that helped build his case for the job, along with his work to rehabilitate the trade value of Markieff Morris, Phoenix’s defensive improvements down the stretch and perhaps his ties to the Klutch Sports Group, the agency that also represents Eric Bledsoe, according to Coro. Soon-to-be free agent power forward Mirza Teletovic cited Watson as he spoke about why he wants to re-sign with the team. The Suns only went 9-24 under Watson, though Bledsoe was already out for the season by the time of the coaching change, and Brandon Knight missed most of the games that Watson coached.

This brings me to the topic for today: Did the Suns make the right call by naming Earl Watson head coach?

Are you a fan of the hire? Then take to the comments section to tell us why. Think Phoenix could have done better? Tell us why you believe so and whom the team should have hired instead. We look forward to what you have to say on the matter.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

April 20th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.

If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

April 20th, 2016 at 4:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:11pm: CLICK HERE to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: The Timberwolves are reportedly about to reel in the most sought-after coach in the market, giving Tom Thibodeau personnel control to boot, but they’re not the only ones making moves. The Nets hired Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson and the Suns removed the interim tag from Earl Watson. A handful of other teams are still deliberating, including the Kings, who are reportedly considering a whopping 17 known candidates. We can discuss those names and much more in today’s chat.

Community Shootaround: Al Horford

April 19th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Al Horford‘s future with the franchise is perhaps the biggest question facing the Hawks this offseason. The 29-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He stands to more than double his salary in free agency and may change the perception of who deserves a max contract, opined Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Horford is making $12MM this season, but when he hits the open market this summer after completing his ninth NBA season, he’ll be eligible for a contract starting at approximately 30% of the salary cap. That works out to a first-year salary of approximately $26MM and means that a four-year maximum contract for the veteran player would cost a team in the neighborhood of $111MM.

That is certainly a hefty sum for a player who has never averaged higher than 18.6 points per game in a season, but with the salary cap set to increase markedly for next season, the perception of player worth is likely to change dramatically as well. That brings me to the topic for today: Is Al Horford worth a maximum salary contract?

The big man is coming off a solid, if unspectacular campaign that saw him post averages of 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 32.1 minutes per outing. Horford is a perfect fit in coach Mike Budenholzer‘s offense, which certainly should factor into the Hawks’ decision-making process regarding the center. Signing any big man to a long-term pact is a major risk these days, and Horford, who turns 30 in June, is entering the decline phase of his career, which isn’t a plus when weighing the pros and cons of committing a sizeable chunk of cap space to him. The center has had injury issues in the past, missing significant parts of the 2011/12 and 2013/14 campaigns.

But what say you? Is Horford worth annual salaries of $26MM or more? If so, do you think he re-signs with the Hawks for that amount or heads elsewhere? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Poll: Defensive Player of the Year

April 19th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

For the second consecutive season, the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Leonard, a 6’7″ small forward, became the first noncenter to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons since Dennis Rodman did so in 1989/90 and 1990/91. The 24-year-old received 84 first-place votes and 547 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters. He beat out the Warriors’ Draymond Green, who notched 44 first-place votes and 421 points to finish as runner-up for the second season in a row. The Heat’s Hassan Whiteside came in third with 83 points, garnering two first-place votes. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote, according to the release.

Leonard, a first-time NBA All-Star this season, anchored a Spurs defense that led the NBA in points allowed (92.9 ppg) and defensive rating (96.6 points per 100 possessions). The Spurs, who were a franchise-record 67-15 this season, were significantly tougher on defense with Leonard in the game. According to NBA.com, they had a defensive rating of 94.9 when the five-year veteran was on the court and 99.2 when he wasn’t — a difference of 4.3 points per 100 possessions. Leonard also averaged 1.78 steals, which was good for 12th in the NBA, 5.5 defensive rebounds and a career-high 0.99 blocks to go with career highs of 21.2 points and 2.6 assists on the offensive end.

Any time an award is handed out there will be some who disagree with the selected recipient and this year’s DPOY award choice is likely no different. We at Hoops Rumors want to know whom you thought was deserving of the award. Listed below are the players who received votes, as well as a number of players who were mentioned by readers in the comments section. Cast your vote below for whom you believe should have won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Download The Trade Rumors App Today

April 19th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

If you enjoy this website on your smartphone or tablet, you’ve got to download our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, and Pro Football Rumors, in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our three sites. Not into all three sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
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Did I mention Trade Rumors is a FREE app? What do you have to lose? Download now!

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Community Shootaround: Timberwolves Job

April 18th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves finished the season with 29 wins, stretching their playoff drought to 12 seasons. That was a 13-win improvement over the 2014/15 season, but owner Glen Taylor dismissed interim coach Sam Mitchell and apparently wants to lure a big-name coach to Minnesota.

Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau appear to be the co-favorites for the Timberwolves’ job. Thibodeau was interviewed over the weekend, while Van Gundy met with them on Monday, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst. The Rockets are also keenly interested in hiring Van Gundy.

Among the other names that have been floated around are ex-Thunder coach Scott Brooks and current Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger.

The Timberwolves are reportedly willing to sweeten the pot for these candidates by also offering them the title of president of basketball operations, similar to the setup that that Pistons agreed to when they hired Jeff’s brother Stan Van Gundy.

What makes the Minnesota job enticing, despite its recent history, is its stash of young talent. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns is the surefire Rookie of the Year after living up to his billing as the top pick in last year’s draft. The 2014 No. 1 overall selection, small forward Andrew Wiggins, established himself as a consistent 20-point scorer in his second season.

Gorgui Dieng also developed his game while pairing up with Towns in the frontcourt, and dunk champion Zach LaVine made strides during his second year in the league while playing both guard positions. Shabazz Muhammad had some big games off the bench, including his 35-point outburst in an April victory over the Warriors.

Now, Taylor must decide which high-profile coach will be the right choice to nurture this young core.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which coach should the Timberwolves hire to turn them into a perennial contender?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Prospect Profile: Deyonta Davis (Part Two)

April 18th, 2016 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Draft experts peg Deyonta Davis as a late lottery selection due to his athleticism and upside. He ranks No. 11 overall and fifth among power forwards on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board. He’s currently No. 13 on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress Top 100 Prospects list. Ben Simmons, Dragan Bender, Henry Ellenson and Skal Labissiere are the other players listed as power forwards for either their primary or secondary positions that Givony rates ahead of Davis. In a league where smaller lineups have become fashionable, Davis could also find himself playing center quite a bit.

RISE/FALL: Davis could slide down some draft boards if the concerns over his lack of offensive polish grow. He’s got to show in predraft camps and workouts that he has the tools to become a reliable low-post scorer. He’s also got to prove that he can make defenses pay if they give him some space in midrange areas and at the elbow. It’s tough for most lottery teams to sell their fans on a player with a limited offensive repertoire. If Davis makes a good impression on the offensive end, he could convince a team in the top 10 that he’s worth the gamble. His length and athleticism aren’t going anywhere, and it will be easy for scouts and coaches to fall in love with his ability to impact a game defensively while he develops his raw offensive moves.

FIT: The Raptors, who will receive a first-rounder from either the Knicks or Nuggets, could solidify their interior defense with a shotblocker like Davis. It’s unlikely that the Kings, who drafted a similar player last year in Willie Cauley-Stein, would be interested in Davis, but he could be a nice fit for the Bucks as an alternative to the defensively challenged Greg Monroe. Magic coach Scott Skiles would welcome any defensive help he could get, while the Bulls could snare Davis to replace free agent Joakim Noah. The Suns and Celtics could also find a role suited to Davis’ gifts, and Davis might even wind up with the Nuggets if they decide to restructure their frontcourt. Should Davis tumble out of the lottery, he would make sense for an aging team like the Grizzlies, who need a jolt of youth and athleticism at power forward.

FINAL TAKE: The team that drafts Davis must exercise patience. He could carve out a rotation role as a defensive specialist in the right situation. More likely, he’ll spend a good portion of his rookie year refining his skills on a D-League roster. The payoff could be substantial if Davis eventually turns into a low-post monster.

(For Part One of our Deyonta Davis Prospect Profile, click here.)

Prospect Profile: Deyonta Davis (Part One)

April 18th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jasen Vinlove / USA Today Sports Images

OVERVIEW: Deyonta Davis did not post big numbers as a freshman at Michigan State. That failed to deter the 6’10” power forward from entering the draft after his lone college season. Davis, who was ranked No. 28 by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index out of high school, became a starter during the Big Ten portion of the Spartans’ schedule. He made his mark on the defensive end, averaging 1.9 blocks in 18.7 minutes while also finishing as the team’s third-leading rebounder at 5.5 per game. He wasn’t a big part of the offense, scoring at a 7.4-point clip, but the 19-year-old oozes potential because of his length and athleticism. Davis did not immediately declare for the draft but ultimately bolted when he was convinced he could be a lottery selection.

STRENGTHS: Davis can impact the game with his physical gifts. Davis displayed defensive versatility with his ability to switch on screens and keep a wide range of opponents in front of him, as DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony notes. His ability to protect the rim with his 7’2” wingspan and snare rebounds in traffic helped the Spartans enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed, despite Michigan State’s overall lack of physicality. ESPN Insider Chad Ford credits Davis for his shooting range out to 17 feet, though the Spartans didn’t run plays for him, and he got most of his points on put-backs and dunks. He shot 59.7% from the field because he didn’t try to do too much or take questionable shots. He’s also considered a hard worker and high-character player who blends well with his teammates.

WEAKNESSES: Most draft experts felt Davis should have stayed in school another year to develop his game. As Ford described in his draft analysis, Davis is a “pure upside play” because he’s so raw offensively. While he displayed a nice shooting touch on his short and midrange jumpers, Davis is by no means a stretch four. He did not even attempt a 3-pointer, so he’ll need to work extensively on his post moves to become a significant offensive threat. Like most young frontcourt players, Davis also has to become much stronger. He could get overpowered in one-in-one matchups early in his career until he fills out and gets accustomed to the banging. His college coach, Hall of Famer Tom Izzo, wished he had another season to work with Davis. “Would a second year have helped him? No question,” he said in a radio interview with WQTX-FM that was quoted by the Lansing State Journal’s Chris Solari. “We didn’t think we might have him for more than two years when it all started. So it wasn’t like we were thinking of this as a four-year deal, either. “

(For Part Two of our Deyonta Davis Prospect Profile, click here.)

Community Shootaround: Kenny Atkinson

April 17th, 2016 at 9:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets filled their head coaching vacancy this afternoon, hiring Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson to lead the team. Atkinson has been the top assistant to Mike Budenholzer for the past two seasons, and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical writes that league executives consider Atkinson most ready to become a head coach among current assistants.

Atkinson is in his fourth year with the Hawks. Prior to that, he served as an assistant with the Knicks from 2008-2012 and spent 2007/08 as director of player development for the Rockets. Beyond his experience, he is known for a positive, optimistic personality that should serve him well as he starts the rebuilding job in Brooklyn.

The Nets had been negotiating with Atkinson for several days, but they also talked to other high-profile candidates. Former NBA coaches Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Vinny Del Negro were all rumored candidates for the job, along with Warriors assistant Luke Walton, Bucks assistant Sean Sweeney and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka. Also reportedly in the mix was current Sixers head coach Brett Brown, who may not be brought back to Philadelphia next season. It’s not known how much consideration was given to interim coach Tony Brown or what his future in Brooklyn might be.

The Nets’ road back to contention might be more daunting than any other team’s. Brooklyn finished 21-61 this season, a drop of 17 wins from last year. Trades have left the Nets low on draft picks, as the franchise won’t have a first-rounder this year or in 2018 and will probably have to swap picks with the Celtics next season. Brooklyn has about $56.66MM committed in salary for 2016/17, meaning the Nets will have a little more than $35MM to offer free agents if the salary cap is set at $92MM as expected. That number could be higher if Wayne Ellington, Thomas Robinson and Shane Larkin decide to opt out of their current deals.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Considering the state of the franchise, did the Nets hire the right coach? Was picking a top assistant the best strategy, or would Brooklyn have benefited from the instant credibility of someone with head coaching experience? Also, do you expect ownership to be patient with the 48-year-old Atkinson and 40-year-old general manager Sean Marks, or is Mikhail Prokhorov going to panic if his team keeps losing?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.