Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Which Presumed Western Playoff Team Is Most Likely To Slip?

October 7th, 2019 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

The final wave of NBA experts’ predictions for the 2019/20 season are still a week or two away, but a general consensus has already formed on the Western Conference’s playoff picture. The most commonly-held belief is that the West’s top eight teams in ’19/20 will look pretty similar to last season’s group, with the Lakers entering the mix and the Thunder dropping out. In other words, the following eight teams are viewed as postseason favorites:

Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz

The playoff odds set by sports betting sites align with this consensus. Over at Bovada.lv, for instance, oddsmakers consider the Spurs the most tenuous playoff contender of the above group, but even San Antonio has -300 odds. In other words, you’d need to risk $300 on the Spurs making the playoffs in order to net a $100 profit.

While it may look as if the Western Conference has a clear-cut top tier of eight teams, it’s dangerous to assume that everything will play out like we expect. Every year, an NBA prediction that seems obvious in the preseason gets blown up a month or two into the season. It’s certainly possible that these eight teams are the ones left standing in the spring when the playoffs begin, but it’s just as likely that an upstart club or two cracks that top eight. There’s no shortage of contenders, with the Kings, Mavericks, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Thunder among the Western teams that could surprise.

Of course, if one or more of those presumed lottery teams sneaks into the playoffs, that means at least one of the eight favorites will miss out. We want to know which of those eight teams makes you the most nervous and is most likely to miss the postseason.

Are you skeptical about the Spurs’ ability to extend their playoff streak as DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge get older? Do you think the Warriors have enough depth to withstand the loss of Klay Thompson for most of the season? Are both L.A. teams for real, or could potential health or chemistry issues sink one of them? How about the Trail Blazers — with Jusuf Nurkic out and many of their veteran wings not returning, can they continue to thrive? Are the Rockets susceptible to a down year if James Harden doesn’t go supernova like he did in 2018/19?

Vote below in our poll and then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts on which of the West’s presumed top-eight teams looks the most vulnerable.

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Poll: Best NBA Head Coaching Hire Of Offseason

October 3rd, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As our recap of the NBA’s 2019 coaching changes shows, six teams conducted searches for permanent head coaches this spring. One of those teams stuck with its interim coach, as the Timberwolves opted to give Ryan Saunders an extension. However, the other five brought in new coaches. Here are the five new head coaches who will be on the sidelines for the 2019/20 season:

Cleveland Cavaliers: John Beilein (former Michigan head coach)
Los Angeles Lakers: Frank Vogel (former Pacers/Magic head coach)
Memphis Grizzlies: Taylor Jenkins (former Bucks assistant)
Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams (former Sixers assistant / Pelicans head coach)
Sacramento Kings: Luke Walton (former Lakers head coach)

The Suns and Kings worked fast to fill the newly-opened spots on their respective benches. Sacramento zeroed in on Walton particularly quickly, reaching a deal to hire him just two days after firing Dave Joerger in April. Williams, meanwhile, was Phoenix’s top target and agreed to become the Suns’ new head coach even before his playoff run with the Sixers was complete.

Both Walton and Williams will take over young Western Conference rosters looking to take a step forward in 2019/20. Walton initially faced a similar task in Los Angeles when he presided over a young roster headlined by the likes of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma, before the Lakers acquired LeBron James and the job description changed. As for Williams, he appeared to be a top target for the Lakers, but chose to join the lowly Suns instead, signaling that he sees potential in the team’s young core of Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, and Mikal Bridges.

After missing out on Williams and Tyronn Lue, the Lakers opted for Vogel, who has enjoyed success as a head coach in the past. While his stint in Orlando was forgettable, Vogel led the Pacers to consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. The Lakers will be looking to make a similar run this season.

The rebuilding Cavaliers and Grizzlies took their time with their respective searches, and both choices were a little surprising. There was a belief that Cleveland would be targeting a young, up-and-coming assistant to oversee the team’s rebuild, and while John Beilein has a strong track record in player development, the 66-year-old doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a young up-and-comer.

Jenkins, meanwhile, enters the 2019/20 season as perhaps the most anonymous head coach in the league. An assistant in Atlanta and Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer, Jenkins doesn’t have any head coaching experience at even the G League level, so the 35-year-old will be thrown in the deep end in Memphis this season. It will be fascinating to see how he responds.

With the regular season around the corner, we want your opinion on this year’s head coaching changes. Which of these five new head coaches do you think will have the most short- and long-term success with his team? Which hire did you like most? Are there any you particularly disliked?

Vote in our poll, then head below to the comment section to weigh in with your two cents!

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Poll: 2019/20 NBA Rookie Of The Year

September 22nd, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Promising young rookies enter the NBA every season, but few come with the sort of fanfare that Zion Williamson has. The Duke forward is the kind of prospect who comes along once every few years, following in the footsteps of former No. 1 overall picks like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Given the hype surrounding him – and the expectations facing him – it’s no surprise that Williamson will enter the 2019/20 season as the overwhelming favorite to win this year’s Rookie of the Year award. The 19-year-old is in position to put up numbers immediately on a Pelicans team that has playoff aspirations, with no veterans ahead of him on the depth chart at the power forward spot.

Williamson’s Rookie of the Year chances are buoyed by the fact that 2019’s draft class wasn’t considered particularly strong. While plenty of this year’s draftees should turn into successful pros, the ’19 class lacks the star power that other recent rookie classes have had. It would be a surprise if three NBA newcomers have the type of seasons that last year’s Rookie of the Year finalists – Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Deandre Ayton – did.

Still, there are players who will push Williamson for Rookie of the Year honors. Sports betting site Bovada.lv lists the Pelicans’ forward as a -130 favorite (you’d have to risk $130 to win $100), with fellow top-three picks Ja Morant (+350; risk $100 to win $350) and RJ Barrett (+550) viewed as the primary challengers. Darius Garland (+1800) and Coby White (+1800) are among the players in the next tier of Rookie of the Year contenders, along with 2018 draftee Michael Porter Jr. (+1600).

With Mike Conley no longer a member of the Grizzlies, Morant should get a chance to take the reins and assume control of the rebuilding franchise right away, and while he may experience some growing pains, he’ll have the opportunity to have some big games. Developing Barrett will be a priority for the rebuilding Knicks too, despite the fact that the team invested heavily in veteran forwards in free agency.

Porter is an intriguing dark horse candidate — like past ROY winners Ben Simmons and Blake Griffin, he’ll have the advantage of having spent a year with an NBA team already, perhaps giving him a leg up on a competition. But it will be difficult for him to carve out a significant role on a deep, talented Nuggets roster. That shouldn’t be a problem for Garland, as the Cavaliers seem likely to jettison some of their veteran talent during the season to clear even more minutes for their youngsters.

Williamson may be the frontrunner, but he’ll have to produce and – perhaps more importantly – stay healthy in order to take home the hardware next spring. Davis, arguably the last No. 1 pick to enter the NBA with this sort of hype, took a year to develop into the impact player many were expecting out of Kentucky. Though he has a streak of six consecutive 20/10 seasons now, AD averaged a modest 13.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG in his rookie year in 2012/13, losing out to Damian Lillard in the Rookie of the Year vote.

What do you think? If you were placing a bet on the 2019/20 Rookie of the Year winner, would you pick Williamson or the field? Which player do you think will be the biggest threat to Zion in this year’s ROY race?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Andre Iguodala’s Future

September 15th, 2019 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies, Andre Iguodala, and Iguodala’s potential suitors appear to be engaged in a game of chicken as training camps approach for the 2019/20 season.

Memphis acquired Iguodala in an offseason trade with the Warriors, but the move was a straight salary dump for Golden State and the Grizzlies are in rebuilding mode, so it seemed as if the former Finals MVP would push for a trade or buyout to join a contender.

For now though, the Grizzlies appear unwilling to seriously engage in buyout talks, having indicated that they’d like to start the season with Iguodala serving as a veteran mentor to their young prospects. Meanwhile, teams that might be interested in acquiring Iguodala via trade or buyout also seem content to wait, recognizing that the veteran swingman should eventually become available either at a more reasonable trade cost or as a free agent.

Iguodala’s camp would probably like to speed up the process, but unless the former Warrior is willing to surrender a large chunk of his $17MM salary in a buyout agreement, he has little leverage to force the Grizzlies’ hand.

A trade partner could potentially land Iguodala sooner rather than later by offering Memphis a first-round pick without a cumbersome multiyear contract attached, but it doesn’t seem as if any team is desperate enough to pay that price at this point.

With Iguodala’s outlook for 2019/20 still up in the air, we want you to weigh in. Will his situation be resolved before the season begins, or will he have to wait until closer to the trade deadline? And when the Grizzlies eventually trade him or buy him out, which contender will he join?

Vote in our poll on Iguodala’s timeline, then jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts on his next destination!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Which Team Will Win 2019 World Cup?

September 11th, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Team USA was the odds-on favorite to bring home the gold medal, despite a roster lacking its usual star power. Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, was considered the challenger with the best chance to knock off the Americans.

When the single-elimination portion of the tournament got underway, the two powerhouses appeared to be on track to meet in the semifinals. Two days later though, both USA and Serbia have been eliminated from medal contention and will instead meet in the loser’s bracket, with both clubs unable to place higher than fifth.

With the presumed top two teams in the tournament now eliminated, the World Cup is wide open, with a handful of programs very much in the mix for the gold. Here are the four remaining contenders:

Australia: The Boomers weren’t exactly dominating the early rounds of this tournament, but they managed to win all five of their round-robin games despite a modest point differential of +42 (the third-best mark in their second-round group of four teams). Led by NBA players like Patty Mills, Aron Baynes, and Joe Ingles, Australia beat the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals and will now face Spain in the semifinals.

Spain: Once considered the top international threat to Team USA, Spain had lost some talent – including longtime center Pau Gasol – entering this year’s event. But Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Juan Hernangomez, and the rest of the Spaniards have had an impressive run in China this month, winning all six games they’ve played, including an upset over Serbia and a fairly comfortable win over Poland in the quarterfinals.

Argentina: They don’t have a single current NBA player on their roster, but the Argentinians have been as dangerous as ever in this year’s World Cup, compiling a 6-0 record that includes an impressive quarterfinal victory over Serbia. Former NBA players like Luis Scola, Patricio Garino, Nicolas Laprovittola have helped lead the way, with EuroLeague point guard Facundo Campazzo dishing out 8.0 assists per game.

France: Of the remaining contenders, France is the only team that has lost a game in the World Cup, having fallen to Australia by a single basket in the second round. However, the French squad is also the only team that knocked off the U.S. in the tournament, and will look to carry that momentum into a semifinal showdown with Argentina. NBA veterans Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier have been France’s anchors, with Nicolas Batum, Frank Ntilikina, and Nando De Colo also playing key roles.

What do you think? Which of the four remaining teams do you think will win two more games and take home World Cup gold?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to make your case!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Carmelo Anthony Vs. Joe Johnson

September 2nd, 2019 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

None of the players left on the NBA’s free agent list for the 2019 offseason are likely to be difference-makers for a contending team next season, but that doesn’t mean no free agents are capable of being solid rotation players.

Carmelo Anthony and Joe Johnson are two veteran forwards who might fit that bill, and there are plenty of similarities between the two former All-Stars. Neither player will bring a ton to the table on defense, but they’re versatile scorers who have the ability to create instant offense off the bench. Anthony ranks 22nd on the league’s all-time scoring list, while Johnson is also among the top 50 (No. 46). And both players are interested in resuming their NBA careers after unsatisfactory stints in Houston.

Anthony hasn’t played professionally since falling out of the Rockets‘ rotation early in the 2018/19 season, but he has talked this summer about wanting “another shot” and being willing to accept a more modest role. The Nets are among the teams said to be keeping an eye on the 35-year-old.

As for Johnson, his experience with the Rockets came at the end of the 2017/18 season. He sat out last season before starring in the BIG3 this summer, winning MVP honors and excelling against former NBA players (he led the league in points and assists and was fourth in rebounds).

The Sixers, Clippers, Bucks, and Nuggets are said to have some interest in working out Johnson, who has said he’d like to play in the NBA again because the way things ended in Houston didn’t “sit well” with him.

For teams with interest in a scoring forward, both Anthony and Johnson could hold appeal, though it remains to be seen which player is more intriguing to NBA franchises. We want to know what you think.

Which player, Anthony or Johnson, will have a more successful 2019/20 season? The barometer of “success” is somewhat subjective — it could mean averaging double-digit points, contributing to a contending team, or even just making a 15-man roster.

Do you believe there’s a clear-cut choice between the two? Do they both deserve NBA roster spots? Or are you skeptical that either player can provide any value to a contender going forward?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Will Team USA Win 2019 World Cup?

August 30th, 2019 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 FIBA World Cup will get underway in approximately 12 hours, as Angola and Serbia are scheduled to tip off at 3:30am eastern time on Saturday. Team USA, meanwhile, will begin its quest for a gold medal on Sunday morning with a matchup against the Czech Republic.

There has been plenty of hand-wringing in recent weeks over the exodus of talent from USA Basketball’s preliminary World Cup roster. James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and many more All-NBA stars have pulled out of the competition, leaving Team USA with a roster headlined by Kemba Walker, the only player on the squad with more than one All-Star appearance on his résumé.

Outside of Walker, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are the only other former All-Stars in the 12-man group. The roster is rounded out by up-and-coming youngsters like Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Myles Turner, and Derrick White, along with veteran role players Harrison Barnes, Marcus Smart, Joe Harris, and Mason Plumlee.

It’s not exactly a star-studded roster, but it’s still the only 12-man squad at the World Cup that will be made up exclusively of NBA players. Team USA will have a depth advantage over every other national team in the field and will have a versatile enough roster to match up with any club it faces. It also has one of the sport’s best coaches of all-time in Gregg Popovich.

On the other hand, Team USA’s dozen representatives aren’t particularly accomplished in international play, and NBA experience isn’t everything in these tournaments — the last time USA Basketball lost a major international competition, in 2006, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard were among the stars representing America. They fell to a Greek team without a single player on an NBA roster.

In international play, and particularly in the single-elimination stage of these tournaments, a hot five-man lineup – or even a single player – can be enough to pull off an upset.

The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag view Team USA as the favorites to bring home the World Cup gold from China, but not overwhelmingly so — the line for Team USA is -170, meaning you’d only have to risk $170 to win $100.

Nikola Jokic and the Serbians (+350) are considered strong challengers, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece (+1000) in the mix as well, along with Marc Gasol and the Spaniards (+1600). Tom Ziller of SBNation.com also views Australia, France, Lithuania, and Germany as teams with the potential to knock off Team USA — Australia already did so once in exhibition play, snapping the program’s 78-game winning streak in international contests.

What do you think? Is Team USA still a slam dunk to win this year’s World Cup, despite all its missing stars, or is this the year that the country’s streak of gold medals comes to an end?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in!

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Poll: Will Pistons Make Playoffs In 2019/20?

August 26th, 2019 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

No NBA playoff team from the 2018/19 season came closer to missing the postseason than the 41-41 Pistons, who finished just two games ahead of the Hornets and Heat (39-41).

Now, with the 2019/20 NBA season fast approaching, no team has closer to even odds to make the playoffs next spring than the Pistons, according to BetOnline.ag. The betting site gives Detroit -155 odds to miss the postseason and +135 odds to make it. That means that if you bet $100 on the Pistons to be a playoff team and they come through, you’d win $135 — if you think they’re a lottery team, you’d have to risk $155 to win $100.

Based on the rest of the Eastern teams’ playoff odds at BetOnline.ag, it’s easy to understand the bookmakers’ logic. The Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, Celtics, Pacers, Nets, and Magic – all of whom made the postseason a year ago – are viewed as favorites to finish ahead of the Pistons again in 2019/20. Meanwhile, the Heat are considered the most likely club to join that group of seven, leapfrogging the Pistons in the projected standings after adding star swingman Jimmy Butler.

Unlike Miami, the Pistons didn’t make any splashy free agent or trade acquisitions this summer. Sure, they signed a former MVP, but at this point Derrick Rose is a solid role player, not a difference-making star. Detroit’s list of modest additions also included forwards Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, and rookie Sekou Doumbouya, along with veteran point guard Tim Frazier.

Now that Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, and Reggie Jackson have a full year together under their belts, perhaps they’ll reach new heights in 2019/20, but it might be too optimistic to count on all three players to suit up for 75+ games again, especially given Griffin’s and Jackson’s injury histories.

Still, there are reasons to be bullish on the Pistons. Head coach Dwane Casey is a proven winner – at least in the regular season – and rotation players like Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown, and Thon Maker are still young enough to take major steps forward. Drummond will be motivated to have a huge contract year, and Jackson finally looks fully healthy. With some good injury luck, the Pistons should have no problem staying in the playoff hunt.

What do you think? Are the Pistons a playoff team in 2019/20? Will last year’s seven postseason representatives and the Heat make the playoffs in the East, or is there another dark horse contender you like ahead of Detroit?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your two cents!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Lakers’ Options At Center

August 19th, 2019 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA training camps are still six weeks away, and opening night won’t arrive for more than two months, but an injury to a key player already has the Lakers considering ways to address their roster.

Since DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn ACL last week, the Lakers have expressed some interest in veteran center Dwight Howard. Although Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, he’s viewed as a strong candidate for a buyout, and Memphis has reportedly granted permission to the Lakers to talk to the big man and his reps.

Howard isn’t the only veteran center who might be interested in joining the Lakers. When he first reported L.A.’s interest in a possible reunion with Howard, Shams Charania of The Athletic also mentioned Joakim Noah. While Charania didn’t explicitly identify Noah as a player the Lakers are targeting, he probably wasn’t just speculating when he threw his name out there — the former Defensive Player of the Year may also be on the Lakers’ radar.

Besides Howard and Noah, other options who may appeal to the Lakers include Kenneth Faried, Nene, Marreese Speights, Salah Mejri, and Amir Johnson. Our current list of free agents, which also features vets like Eric Moreland, Zaza Pachulia, and Tyler Zeller, can be found here.

Of course, a free agent signing isn’t an absolute necessity for the Lakers. For now, the team only projects to have one opening on its 15-man regular season roster, and the front office may prefer to keep that spot open in the hopes of landing a player later in the season in a trade or on the buyout market. Until then, the Lakers could lean more heavily on JaVale McGee while also playing Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, or other forwards at the five.

Still, Davis is reportedly averse to spending much time at center, and Kuzma, LeBron James, and the club’s other forwards are probably too undersized to bang down low with the NBA’s top big men. Biting the bullet and filling that 15th roster spot with a center right away might be the best path for the Lakers — especially since the team could theoretically open another roster slot by waiving Cousins if he’s ruled out for the entire season.

As the Lakers mull their options, we want to get your two cents. Is a reunion with Howard the right play for the team, given how poorly their union went in 2012/13? Should the Lakers target another free agent? Or should the club be content to hold steady for now, perhaps asking Davis to play a few more minutes in the middle?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Poll: Which Team Will Win Southeast In 2019/20?

August 16th, 2019 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

When we recently asked you to make your picks on which teams would win the Pacific and Northwest divisions, there were a handful of strong, viable choices. It’s not outlandish to view the Clippers, Lakers, or Warriors as potential division winners in the Pacific, while the Nuggets, Jazz, and Trail Blazers all have a realistic chance to finish atop the Northwest.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Southeast is another division that doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite, but it’s not because there are a handful of potential Southeast powerhouses — it’s because the division isn’t particularly strong.

Last season, only one of the East’s playoff teams came out of the Southeast, as the 42-40 Magic sneaked into the postseason and claimed the division crown. The other four Southeast teams finished between ninth and 12th in the conference.

The division doesn’t project to be a whole lot stronger in 2019/20, though the Magic retained all their key free agents and still have room for growth. Orlando had one of the league’s best defenses during the second half of the 2018/19 season, and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus projections are bullish on the club going forward. As Kevin Pelton details in an Insider story, ESPN’s RPM projections place the Magic fourth in the Eastern Conference for ’19/20, behind only Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia.

Still, the Magic won’t enter the season as the Vegas favorites to win the Southeast. Betting site BetOnline.ag lists the Heat as the current frontrunners. Although Miami missed the postseason last season with a 39-43 record, the team is hopeful that replacing Josh Richardson with Jimmy Butler and getting further development from young players like Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow will be worth several wins.

At this point, Orlando and Miami look like the only truly viable contenders for the division title, but it’s possible one of the other three clubs will significantly exceed expectations. The Hawks might be the best contender. John Collins, Trae Young, and Kevin Huerter should only get better, and if rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish can provide positive contributions immediately, Atlanta could surprise some teams.

The outlook looks a little bleaker for the Wizards and Hornets. Washington, at least, has an All-Star player in Bradley Beal, but the team won only 32 games last season with Beal healthy, and he won’t have much more help this season. In Charlotte, the 39-43 Hornets are expected to take a step back after replacing All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker with Terry Rozier.

What do you think? Which team do you expect to win the Southeast in 2019/20? And are any of the teams in the division capable of winning a playoff series or two in the spring?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your two cents!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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