Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: NBA Rookie Of The Year Race

December 18th, 2017 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of excellent Summer League performances, Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonzo Ball were among the first-year players receiving buzz as potential Rookie of the Year winners at the start of the fall. Two months into the 2017/18 season though, another rookie – one technically in his second NBA season – has emerged as the odds-on favorite to take home that hardware.

Ben Simmons, 2016’s first overall pick, came out of the gate strong this season for the Sixers, and has continued to be crucial to the team’s success. Philadelphia’s starting point guard has averaged an impressive 17.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 7.8 APG in 27 games so far this season, and while he doesn’t have an outside shot to speak of, he’s shooting over 50% from the floor.

Barring an injury to Simmons, it’s hard to imagine another player overtaking him in this season’s Rookie of the Year race, but Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is making every effort to force a debate. With 18.1 PPG on the season, Mitchell is the only rookie who has outscored Simmons so far, and the 13th overall pick has been even better since entering Utah’s starting lineup in November. In his last 18 games (all starts), Mitchell has posted 21.5 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.5 RPG, with a .469/.398/.847 shooting line.

Meanwhile, few rookies have been more important to their teams’ success than Jayson Tatum, who has started all 32 games for the Celtics and has assumed a more important role with Gordon Hayward sidelined. Tatum’s 13.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG aren’t eye-popping, but he’s shooting a league-best 51.0% on three-pointers, and is playing solid two-way ball. Given his play – and his role on a winning team – he arguably has a stronger case for the Rookie of the Year award than Malcolm Brogdon did a year ago, but his competition is also much stronger.

What do you think? Is Simmons a lock to win the Rookie of the Year award, or can Mitchell or Tatum make it a competitive race? Is there another rookie – perhaps Kyle Kuzma or Lauri Markkanen – who will insert himself into this discussion as the season progresses?

Vote in our poll below and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Which Backcourt Duo Is NBA’s Best?

November 29th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul healthy and James Harden playing some of the best basketball of his career, the Rockets‘ backcourt is making its case to be considered the NBA’s best, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.

Harden and Paul have combined for 14 All-Star nods between them, and the duo has helped lead the Rockets to a West-best 16-4 record so far this season. Harden, who has taken his game to another level, as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer outlines, is currently leading the league with 31.7 PPG and 9.8 APG. Paul, who hasn’t yet played enough games to qualify for the NBA’s leaderboard, is also averaging a double-double – 10.8 PPG and 10.8 APG – and has only turned the ball over seven times in six games.

Although Houston’s new starting backcourt has looked unstoppable as of late, it’s not the NBA’s only pairing of All-Star guards. Any conversation about the league’s best backcourts would have to include the Warriors‘ combination of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and the Trail Blazers‘ duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Over in the Eastern Conference, one could argue that Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal, along with the Raptors pairing of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, should also receive consideration.

Today, we’re asking you to make the call. Which backcourt duo is currently the NBA’s best? This isn’t about which one you’d rather have for the next 10 years, but which one you’d prefer now, for the rest of the 2017/18 season.

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to explain your pick!

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Poll: Will Nuggets Make 2017/18 Postseason?

November 22nd, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets are currently tied for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference, at 10-7, but the team got some bad news on Tuesday. Veteran big man Paul Millsap is reportedly set to undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his wrist, and while his recovery timetable hasn’t been finalized, reports have indicated he may miss the next three months.

It’s a big blow for the Nuggets, who used nearly all of their available cap space in the offseason to add Millsap, a reliable power forward capable of complementing Nikola Jokic on offense and helping to stabilize a defense that had been one of the NBA’s worst last year. Denver’s defense still hasn’t been great this season, but it’s been better, and Millsap – who is averaging 15.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 BPG, and 1.1 SPG – has been a big part of that.

The Nuggets still haven’t confirmed a recovery timeline for Millsap, but if we assume he’ll be sidelined for three months, that would put him in line to return shortly after the All-Star break. If Millsap were to return on February 23, Denver’s first game after the break, he’d miss the team’s next 41 contests, or exactly half the regular season.

The Nuggets still have a talented roster without Millsap in the mix. The team went 40-42 last season, and is counting on further development from young centerpieces like Jokic and Jamal Murray in 2017/18. But the roster isn’t exactly stocked with experienced, playoff-tested veterans like Millsap, so his absence will be felt.

At 10-7, the Nuggets currently trail the Rockets, Warriors, and Spurs in the Western Conference, and they’re tied with the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves. Those five teams look like probable playoff clubs. Behind Denver, teams like the Pelicans (9-8), Grizzlies (7-9), Thunder (7-9), and Jazz (7-11) will be some of the teams battling for one of the other three postseason berths in the West, with the Lakers (8-10) and Clippers (5-11) among the dark horses.

What do you think? Can the Nuggets withstand Millsap’s absence and put themselves in position to get back to the playoffs this season, or will the injury be too much for the team to overcome? Vote in our poll and jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Poll: NBA’s Worst Team

November 20th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

We’re only about 20% of the way through the NBA’s regular season schedule for 2017/18, but the league’s standings are already starting to look like what we expected. In the West, the Warriors and Rockets lead the way, followed by the Spurs and Timberwolves. In the East, the Celtics, Raptors, Cavaliers, and Wizards all show up near the top of the standings, with one surprise interloper in the Pistons.

Similarly, at the other end of the spectrum, a handful of teams that we expected to vie for 2018’s first overall pick have sunk to the bottom of the league’s standings. As our 2017/18 Reverse Standings show, here are the NBA’s worst seven teams to open the season:

Dallas Mavericks (3-14): Last season represented the first time this century that the Mavericks finished the season below .500. In 2016/17, Dallas lost 15 of its first 18 games before righting the ship somewhat and finishing with 33 wins. It remains to be seen whether the club can perform a similar turnaround this year.
Atlanta Hawks (3-13): Projected by oddsmakers for 25.5 wins this season, the Hawks are currently on pace for just 15 victories. Injuries have played a part in their early-season struggles, but there simply aren’t many above-average players on the roster.
Chicago Bulls (3-11): Like Atlanta, Chicago doesn’t have a ton of talent on its roster and was expected to finish at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference heading into the season. Players like Nikola Mirotic, Cameron Payne, and Zach LaVine have been sidelined with injuries so far, so their respective returns could buoy the Bulls, but of those players, only LaVine figures to have a real impact.
Sacramento Kings (4-12): By signing veterans like George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter to complement their young core, the Kings didn’t look ready to bottom out this season. So far though, those vets have struggled, and many of their young players aren’t ready for major roles.
Los Angeles Clippers (5-10): The most surprising inclusion in this list, the Clippers began the season 4-0, but are currently in the midst of an eight-game skid. The team’s schedule has been tough during that stretch, so I’d expect some course correction soon, but the Clips don’t look like a playoff team in the first year of the post-Chris Paul era.
Brooklyn Nets (6-10): The Nets have played hard this season and should remain fairly competitive on most nights, but with Jeremy Lin out for the season and D’Angelo Russell battling health issues as well, the club will face an uphill battle in its quest to get to 30 or 35 wins.
Phoenix Suns (7-11): Phoenix looked like the worst team in the league through three games, but a coaching change and an Eric Bledsoe trade have the club looking revitalized. The rebuilding Suns still aren’t a playoff contender, and they’ll go through their share of growing pains over the course of the season. However, they appear capable of staying out of the NBA cellar.

What do you think? Which one of these clubs will finish the 2017/18 season with the NBA’s worst record? Or is there another team outside of this group of seven that will slip down the standings and “surpass” all of these clubs? Vote below and jump into our comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: 2018 NBA Finals Matchup

November 17th, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2017/18 NBA season, the general consensus among experts and fans alike was that we were heading for a fourth straight NBA Finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers. The Celtics were viewed as a threat to the Cavs in the East, but Gordon Hayward‘s opening-night injury initially put a damper on the optimism in Boston.

One month later, however, the enthusiasm surrounding the Celtics is stronger than ever. After starting off the season 0-2, Boston has reeled off 14 straight wins, including a 92-88 victory over the defending-champion Warriors on Thursday.

The Celtics’ impressive play has convinced Chris Mannix of The Vertical that the C’s should be considered the new frontrunners in the Eastern Conference. Making his case for Boston, Mannix argues that the defensive rating posted by the 8-7 Cavs is a legitimate cause for concern — he also questions the Wizards‘ bench, and suggests that the Bucks aren’t yet ready to take the next step toward a championship.

The Warriors themselves are believers in the Celtics’ potential too. Before Thursday’s game, head coach Steve Kerr said the C’s look like “a team that is going to be at the top of the East for a long time to come.” After the game, Stephen Curry told reporters that he wouldn’t be surprised to be back in Boston in June for the NBA Finals.

In the view of oddsmakers, the Cavs remain the heavy favorites to come out of the East, but the Celtics appear ready to make things interesting.

What do you think? Are we still headed for another Warriors/Cavs rematch, or is this the year that another team pushes its way into the championship conversation in one conference or the other? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to weigh in!

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Poll: Best Bargain Among NBA’s Highest-Paid Players

November 11th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by clarkcrum

Yesterday, we took a look at the NBA’s highest-paid players this season. Among the players listed were perennial All-Stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant, all of whom are among the top 15 players in the league in terms of 2017/18 salary.

Curry is making the largest allowable salary in the NBA this season at $34,682,550, but only players who have been in the NBA for 10+ seasons are eligible for that salary. Players like Gordon Hayward, who have been in the league for 7-9 seasons, are only eligible for a maximum starting salary of $29,727,900, while players like Otto Porter, who have been in the league for six seasons or less, have a maximum starting salary of $24,773,250 for the 2017/18 season.

That being said, we want you to assume for the purposes of this poll that the NBA has no salary cap. In other words, if there was no limit on the amount a franchise could pay its players, how much do you think each player on our list would be worth?

After contemplating that answer, we want to know who you believe to be the most underpaid player on the list. To be clear, we are not asking for you to pick the best player, but rather the most underpaid.

For example, if you think James is better than Durant, but not that much better, the difference in compensation between the two players ($8.29MM) may lead you to the conclusion that Durant is more underpaid. Or, maybe it wouldn’t. That’s the beauty of the poll. So what do you think? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: How Will Bucks Do With Bledsoe?

November 7th, 2017 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2017/18 season, the Cavaliers and Celtics were viewed as the heavy frontrunners to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals in the spring. However, the Cavs look vulnerable so far, having endured several bad losses already. And while the Celtics have been great, they’re not expected to get All-Star forward Gordon Hayward back this season, which may limit their upside.

The Wizards and Raptors are considered contenders in the East, and teams like the Pistons and Magic have been unexpectedly successful early in the season. But in the wake of reports that the Bucks are finalizing a trade to acquire Eric Bledsoe from the Suns, Milwaukee may have emerged as the most intriguing challenger for the conference crown.

The Bucks have gotten off to a modest start, losing five of their first nine games, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s leading scorer at 31.0 PPG, looks ready to compete for an MVP award; reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon has taken another step forward this season; and Khris Middleton has been productive and healthy, recording 19.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 4.9 APG so far despite struggling with his shot.

Now, the Bucks are set to add another explosive playmaker to their roster with the acquisition of Bledsoe, and the veteran point guard isn’t the only notable mid-season addition Milwaukee will make in 2017/18.

The Bucks will also welcome back former second overall pick Jabari Parker at some point in the new year. Even though the Bucks played their best ball last season after Parker went down with his ACL injury, there’s no reason to believe he’d have a negative impact on the team if he’s willing to play a complementary role when he gets back on the court.

With Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Parker, Brogdon, and Bledsoe joined by a group of role players that includes Thon Maker, John Henson, Tony Snell, Matthew Dellavedova, and Mirza Teletovic, the Bucks have an intriguing mix of talent. Mitch Lawrence of Forbes makes the case that they’re capable of earning a top-four seed in the East. And if the Bucks get hot at the right time in the postseason, they’re a squad no team will want to face.

What do you think? Is this Bucks team capable of making a deep playoff run, or are they still a year or two away from taking that next step? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Cavs’ Slow Start A Cause For Concern?

November 2nd, 2017 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers fell to the Pacers on Wednesday night, marking the fifth time already this season that they’ve lost to a team projected to have a losing record. The Cavs, who lost early in the season to Orlando, have now been beaten by the Nets, Pelicans, Knicks, and Pacers in their last four games.

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, the club held an “air-it-out” meeting earlier this week to address its poor start. The reaction to that meeting at the time was positive, with one source describing it to McMenamin as “very productive,” but it seemed to have little effect on Wednesday, with the Pacers beating the Cavs by 17 points.

Although he didn’t express much concern about Cleveland’s first few losses, LeBron James was more perturbed by the club’s latest loss, McMenamin writes in another article for ESPN.com. Admitting that he hoped things would change now that “it’s a new month,” James had trouble explaining why exactly the Cavs are struggling so much.

“We have an opportunity to be very good and then you see some of the lulls that we have and it’s just very difficult on our team right now,” James said. “We’re just trying to figure it out on the fly. … So, our team is kind of depleted as well, both on and off the floor.”

The team has been impacted by injuries in the early going. Isaiah Thomas is out for at least a couple months while he recovers from a hip issue, Iman Shumpert is sidelined with knee soreness, Derrick Rose has missed some time, and Tristan Thompson is expected to miss up to a month after suffering a calf injury on Wednesday.

The Cavs’ slow start can also be attributed to poor defensive play. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays, players and coaches felt like they were playing tougher D on Wednesday, but the team still remains at or near the bottom of the NBA in several defensive categories. Teams are making 14.0 three-pointers game at a 41.8% clip so far against the Cavs, who have a defensive rating of 111.3. All of those figures are NBA worsts.

We’ve seen the Cavs get off to sluggish starts before, but the current losing streak – four straight games by 63 combined points – is the worst of James’ NBA career. And, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (via Elias), no team has reached the NBA Finals after starting 3-5 since the 1990/91 Lakers (Twitter link).

What do you think? Is this just a blip on the radar for the Cavs as they get accustomed to their new-look roster, or is this slow start a harbinger of things to come this season? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Chicago Bulls’ 2017/18 Win Total

October 13th, 2017 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls didn’t have a great 2016/17 season, but the team did manage to grind its way to a 41-41 record, and then took a 2-0 lead in the first round over the Celtics before Rajon Rondo suffered a season-ending injury and the tide turned.

That opening-round loss was the first in a series of events that turned the Bulls from an inconsistent .500 team to a club expected to lose more games than any other NBA team in 2017/18. Rondo is gone. Dwyane Wade is gone. And most notably, Jimmy Butler is gone.

The Bulls’ package for Butler – widely panned at the time of the trade – may work out for the team in the long run, but Lauri Markkanen is a rookie, Kris Dunn is a second-year point guard coming off a poor rookie season, and Zach LaVine will be sidelined to start the season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury. The trio is unlikely to have a significant impact in 2017/18.

There are a few other interesting pieces on the Chicago roster, including newly re-signed power forwards Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio. But a starting lineup that currently features Jerian Grant, Justin Holiday, Paul Zipser, Mirotic, and Robin Lopez won’t inspire much fear in the hearts of opponents.

Oddsmakers’ expectations for the Bulls are low, with offshore betting site Bovada putting the team’s over/under at just 22 wins. We’ll bump that up by a half-game for the purposes of our poll in order to avoid a whole number.

What do you think? Are the Bulls headed for their first 60-loss season since the post-Michael Jordan years in the early 2000s, or can the club get to 23 wins even after overhauling its roster this offseason? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Previous over/under voting results:

Western Conference:

Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
Denver Nuggets: Under 45.5 (50.44%)
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 43.5 (60.7%)
Portland Trail Blazers: Over 42.5 (56.3%)
Utah Jazz: Over 41.5 (55.94%)
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 39.5 (65.26%)
Memphis Grizzlies: Over 37.5 (53.43%)
Dallas Mavericks: Under 35.5 (54.95%)
Los Angeles Lakers: Over 33.5 (50.4%)
Phoenix Suns: Over 28.5 (50.41%)
Sacramento Kings: Over 27.5 (56.18%)

Eastern Conference:

Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5 (63.88%)
Miami Heat: Over 43.5 (55.39%)
Charlotte Hornets: Over 42.5 (51.07%)
Philadelphia 76ers: Under 41.5 (53.37%)
Detroit Pistons: Over 38.5 (51.95%)
Orlando Magic: Under 33.5 (75.24%)
Indiana Pacers: Under 31.5 (54.85%)
New York Knicks: Under 30.5 (57.87%)
Brooklyn Nets: Over 27.5 (66.33%)
Atlanta Hawks: Over 25.5 (51.44%)

Poll: Is Embiid Or Wiggins The Better Investment?

October 12th, 2017 at 8:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Two 2014 first-round picks signed five-year, maximum salary contract extensions within the last few days, beating the October 16 deadline for rookie scale extensions. While both players are, of course, significantly valued by their respective teams, Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins have had very different NBA careers so far.

Embiid’s injury problems have been well chronicled, to the point that they’re hardly worth revisiting, but the upshot is that those health issues have limited him to just 31 games in three NBA seasons. Even when he did see the court, the Sixers center was on a minutes restriction, averaging about 25 minutes per contest.

However, in his 786 career minutes, Embiid has looked like a generational talent, combining an ability to rebound and protect the rim (7.8 RPG, 2.5 BPG) with a knack for scoring both in the post and from beyond the arc (.367 3PT%).

Wiggins, on the other hand, has been incredibly durable during his first three NBA seasons, missing just one of 246 possible games. He has also steadily increased his scoring numbers each season, pouring in a career-high 23.6 PPG in 2016/17.

Those scoring totals are more reliant on volume than efficiency though, and Wiggins’ ability to put the ball in the basket hasn’t been complemented by many other on-court contributions — his defense has been shaky, he doesn’t get many rebounds or assists, and his three-point shot, despite improving last season, remains somewhat unreliable.

Both the Sixers and Timberwolves locked up their respective youngsters because of their potential. In Embiid’s case, it’s his potential to stay healthy. For Wiggins, it’s his potential to develop into a more well-rounded, complete player.

Philadelphia’s agreement with Embiid includes some language that protects the Sixers in the event that the former third overall pick continues to battle injuries in problematic areas, like his feet and back. But in that scenario, the Sixers would have to waive Embiid outright, and they’d still be on the hook for significant guaranteed money — approximately $84MM if they waive him one year into the deal, $98MM if they waive him after two years, and so on.

Wiggins’ contract, meanwhile, doesn’t include that sort of protection. It’s a straight five-year deal with no options.

Given those parameters, which contract would you feel more comfortable with for the next half-decade? Do you have more confidence in Wiggins to develop his game and make good on the Timberwolves’ investment in him, or would you rather be in the Sixers’ spot with Embiid, rolling the dice on his ability to stay healthy and to become one of the league’s premier bigs?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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