The Jazz made the leap last season, winning 51 games while taking home the Northwest Division crown. After an offseason of change, a repeat is far from certain. Utah lost Gordon Hayward in free agency, something that should knock them down in the standings. Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com projects the Jazz to take home under 45 wins next season.
Pelton predicts that the Wolves will win the division after they brought in 3-time All-Star Jimmy Butler this offseason. Minnesota added several other pieces in free agency, including Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. Pelton has the Thunder placing second in the division with his model predicting OKC takes home 49.5 wins.
The statistician has the Nuggets finishing third in the division with Utah and Portland behind them. The mathematical model gives Denver 47.2 wins which puts them third in the division and seventh in the conference. Adding a proven veteran like Paul Millsap will certainly increase a team’s chances of making the postseason, something that the franchise hasn’t done in each of the last four seasons. The addition of Millsap, along with the progression of the team’s young nucleus, should also give the team a chance to steal the division’s crown and land a top-4 seed in the Western Conference.
What do you think? Which team will win out in what should be a tight race for the Northwest Division crown? Weigh in below with your vote and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Fultz showed flashes of brilliance in the NBA Summer League amid overall inconsistent play before he ultimately injured his ankle in his Las Vegas debut. The 76ers guard was promptly shut down for the remainder of Summer League. This season, the rookie figures to be a regular fixture in the Philadelphia backcourt.
After dominating his freshman season at UCLA, Ball won Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors, racking up assists (9.3 APG) and steals (2.5 SPG), as well as points and rebounds. Although it is not clear whether Ball will start for the Lakers right out of the gate, he will certainly be the beneficiary of a hearty amount of playing time.
Fox is also expected to see his fair share of action this season, but averaged just 21.3 minutes per game in four Las Vegas Summer League games. Like Fultz and Ball, Fox exhibited tantalizing athleticism. The Kentucky product averaged a solid 11.8 points per contest and 3.0 assists. Fox’s 2.3 SPG were extremely impressive.
The Knicks drafted Ntilikina eighth overall because of his speed and agility. Last season, the point guard averaged just 15.5 minutes per game for Strasbourg in France but displayed tremendous promise and improved noticeably as a shooter. With D. Rose out of town, it appears as if the keys to Madison Square Garden are about to be Frank’s.
In six games in Las Vegas, Smith averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG, shooting 45.7% from the floor and electrifying with the occasional powerful dunk. The Mavericks prospect also tallied 2.2 SPG.
This brings us to today’s poll: Which of these point guards will have the best rookie season in 2017/18?
The Jazz took home the Northwest division crown in 2016/17, finishing with a 51-31 record despite having several key players miss time due to injuries. However, with Gordon Hayward heading from Utah to Boston this summer, and several other Northwest teams making impact moves, things look a little more wide open in the division as the 2017/18 season nears.
With one All-Star Eastern forward headed to Minnesota, the Thunder worked quickly to snag another, reaching a deal with the Pacers that saw Paul George land in Oklahoma City. It was an impressive move by Sam Presti, who didn’t appear to have the assets necessary to make the winning bid for George. The team’s strong offseason continued in free agency, as OKC secured Patrick Patterson on a very affordable contract and re-signed standout defender Andre Roberson.
A third All-Star made the move from the Eastern Conference to the Northwest division when the Nuggets locked up Paul Millsap to a three-year contract in free agency. Denver lost longtime forward Danilo Gallinari, but the addition of Millsap creates a formidable frontcourt duo, as the former Hawk will be paired with Nikola Jokic.
The Trail Blazers have had a quiet offseason, but did make a few moves of note, drafting big men Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan in June and then slicing their projected tax bill in a massive way by trading Allen Crabbe to the Nets.
What do you think? Which Northwest team had the best offseason? Weigh in below with your vote and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
One of the primary storylines of the 2017 NBA offseason was the continuation of the talent exodus from the Eastern Conference, as stars like Jimmy Butler and Paul George were sent to Western contenders. In a piece evaluating the offseason for Eastern teams, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton assigns grades that suggest that the conference did poorly as a whole this summer — multiple teams received an F.
Still, while one of those teams assigned a failing grade by Pelton – the Knicks – is an Atlantic club, New York’s division rivals all received praise. In Pelton’s view, the Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, and Nets each deserved a grade of B or higher for their summer moves — those clubs were four of just five Eastern teams to be marked that highly.
Taking a closer look at the roster moves by those Atlantic teams, it’s not hard to see what Pelton liked. The Celtics landed arguably the top free agent on the market – or at least the best one who had a chance to change teams – when they signed Gordon Hayward to a four-year, maximum salary deal. And while Danny Ainge couldn’t swing a deal for a player like Butler or George, he added another probable lottery pick to Boston’s stockpile when he traded down from No. 1 to No. 3 in the draft.
The Sixers were on the other end of that trade with Boston, and drafting a potential franchise player in Markelle Fultz earns them a high grade. In addition to investing in another young player with huge upside, Philadelphia also delved into the free agent market more aggressively in an effort to add veterans, and signed J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson to short, team-friendly contracts.
The Raptors entered the offseason in a difficult spot, with four key players facing free agency, and managed to bring back two of those players on shorter deals than expected, locking up Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to three-year pacts. The club also got out from under DeMarre Carroll‘s exorbitant salary, replacing him with a cheaper and more productive swingman in C.J. Miles, and drafted a potential steal in OG Anunoby.
Meanwhile, the Nets made creative use of their cap room, taking on Carroll’s and Timofey Mozgov‘s bad contracts in order to secure draft picks and D’Angelo Russell. The club also managed to acquire a player it pursued aggressively a year ago, and got him at a reduced rate — Allen Crabbe is now a Net, and the fact that Brooklyn traded Andrew Nicholson to Portland in the deal means the net cost for Crabbe isn’t quite so high.
As for the Knicks, there’s still time for them to enter the mix for the best offseason in the Atlantic. For instance, if they were able to acquire Kyrie Irving with a Carmelo Anthony-based package in the coming weeks, the summer would look a lot different for the franchise. But that looks extremely unlikely, and so far this offseason the Knicks have made a series of questionable moves, including drafting Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith Jr., replacing Phil Jackson between the draft and free agency, committing more money than expected to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Ron Baker, and hanging onto Anthony.
What do you think? Which Atlantic team had the best offseason? Place your vote below and then head to the comments section to share your thoughts.
The NBA’s offseason moves at a rapid pace, with the draft typically taking place just a week or two after the NBA Finals end, then free agency getting underway about a week after that. By late July, things have often quieted down, as NBA executives and reporters take some vacation time before training camps resume in September.
This year though, things are a little different. The pace of free agent signings and trades has certainly slowed down as August approaches, but two very notable trade candidates remain on the block: Carmelo Anthony in New York and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
Anthony has been mentioned in trade rumors for the entire offseason, so it’s somewhat surprising that he remains with the Knicks. Still, a number of factors have complicated a potential deal, including Anthony’s no-trade clause, exorbitant salary, and trade kicker. Carmelo is reportedly focused on joining the Rockets, having not shown much enthusiasm about waiving his no-trade clause to go to another team, such as the Cavs. But the Knicks have been unable to work out a deal with the Rockets, since New York has no interest in taking back Ryan Anderson‘s contract.
The Knicks put Anthony trade talks on hold when they hired Scott Perry as their new general manager and promoted Steve Mills to president of basketball operations. But there’s still a belief that the rebuilding franchise would like to move on from the standout forward, even with Phil Jackson no longer around to create tension by lobbing thinly-veiled criticisms at Melo in the press.
Meanwhile, Irving wasn’t considered a trade candidate until about a week and a half ago, when word broke that he had asked the Cavaliers to move him. The star point guard has two more guaranteed years left on his current contract, and unlike Carmelo, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause. As such, his leverage is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the Cavs appear dedicated to finding Irving a new home.
A Friday report indicated that at least six teams had made an offer for Irving, though one of those teams – the Heat – denied doing so. About 20 clubs reportedly inquired with the Cavs to express some level of interest in the process. Cleveland’s asking price is high for now, and many of those teams won’t be able to put together a viable package, but there appears to be optimism that something will get done.
What do you think? Will a trade involving Anthony or Irving happen soon, or will these situations continue to drag on into the fall? Can you picture either player sticking with his current team for training camp and perhaps even to start the 2017/18 season?
Submit your vote below and head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Former first overall draft pick and the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Roseis nowhere near the player he used to be thanks to a litany of devastating leg injuries. However, he is coming off a productive offensive season and is easily the most coveted unrestricted free agent on the market.
Rose averaged 18.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.8 RPG last season with the Knicks, while shooting 47.1% from the field. The point guard also logged 32.5 minutes per his 64 contests, the most playing time he has had in the past four seasons. Despite Rose’s solid season, the rebuilding Knicks appear unlikely to bring him back.
Reports suggest that the leaders for Pooh’s services are the Cavaliers and Lakers. Cleveland will meet with Rose in the coming days and reportedly are offering him a starting position, either alongside Kyrie Irving or in Irving’s place if Cleveland’s point guard is traded. As for the Lakers, Rose had an approximately three-hour meeting with the purple and gold and reports indicate that the meeting went well for both sides. While it is unclear whether Rose would start for the Lake Show, he would be expected to mentor rookie Lonzo Ball on a much improved team.
Two other squads that have met with Rose in recent weeks are the Bucks andClippers. The Bucks could appeal to Rose’s desire to win, boasting several rising stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jabari Parker. Milwaukee is also coached by legendary point guard Jason Kidd and is situated very close to Chicago, where the family-minded Rose’s family resides. The Clippers already have Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic at point guard, as well as Austin Rivers, who is more of a combo guard, but when replacing Chris Paul, can a team ever really do too much?
What do you think? Where should Rose end up signing? Place your vote in our poll and then catapult into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Hayward isn’t rushing his free agent decision, having scheduled meetings with three very interested suitors. The All-Star forward is sitting down with the Heat today before meeting with the Celtics on Sunday and the Jazz on Monday.
The Celtics, armed with cap flexibility and assets, and coming off a 53-win season, have long been viewed as a potential landing spot for Hayward, especially given his history with Boston head coach Brad Stevens, who coached him at Butler. However, the Jazz have a promising young core of their own, won 51 games last season, and have built up a strong relationship with Hayward over the course of his NBA career. The Heat don’t have the same kind of history with Hayward, but Hassan Whiteside has been working hard to recruit Hayward, and the appeal of South Beach shouldn’t be understated.
While those three teams appear to be the finalists for Hayward, ESPN’s Zach Lowe noted on Friday that he wouldn’t be surprised if a fourth club lands a meeting with the 27-year-old too. At this point though, it’s not clear which other teams might attempt to get involved in the Hayward sweepstakes. It may simply come down to Boston, Utah, and Miami.
What do you think? Where will Hayward end up signing? Place your vote in our poll, then jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
The Cavaliers held off the Warriors on Friday night, thwarting Golden State’s chances of sweeping the entire postseason, and delaying the end of the 2016/17 NBA season by at least one more game. However, the Cavs will have their work cut out for them in Game 5 as they try to steal a game in Oakland and send the series back to Cleveland for Game 6.
As dominant as the Warriors have been overall in the postseason, they’ve been even better at home. Outside of a Game 1 blip against the Spurs, when Golden State had to battle back to win a close 113-111 game, each of the Dubs’ home victories in the playoffs have been by double-digit margins. In their last three home games, the Warriors have defeated the Spurs by 36, and the Cavs by 22 and 19.
The Cavaliers showed in Game 4 that they have the offensive firepower necessary to hang with the Warriors, but Cleveland really came out firing on all cylinders in that contest, setting a new NBA Finals record for most points in a half. If the Cavs need to have a performance like that again to send the series back to Cleveland, they’re probably in trouble.
What do you think? Was Cleveland’s Game 4 win just delaying the inevitable until tonight, or can the Cavs win another game and head back to Cleveland down 3-2?
Place your vote below and jump into the comments section to share your thoughts on tonight’s game.
Two games into last year’s NBA Finals, the Warriors held a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers and were coming off a dominant Game 2 victory. Even though the series was heading back to Cleveland, the 73-win Warriors were in the driver’s seat to finish off the series and win their second consecutive championship.
Of course, the Cavs had other ideas, and ultimately came back to win the Finals in seven. But last year’s Warriors team, even after setting the league’s all-time record for wins in a season, didn’t look as strong as this year’s version. With Kevin Durant filling Harrison Barnes‘ old role, the 2017 Dubs can beat teams in a variety of different ways, and their talent and versatility has been on full display en route to an incredible 14-0 postseason record.
Last spring’s Finals are a reminder that it’s never safe to count out LeBron James, even when his club is facing a two-game deficit. However, this year’s Warriors look capable of continuing to win as the series heads to Cleveland, and are two games away from becoming the first NBA team to ever go 16-0 in the playoffs. Golden State has already swept Portland, Utah, and San Antonio.
What do you think? Can the Cavs still win a game or two, and perhaps make this series interesting, or will the Warriors cap off another amazing season by making history and posting a 16-0 playoff record?
Place your vote below, and jump into the comments section to share your thoughts!
After a week without basketball, the Cavaliers and Warriors will square off tonight in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals. While the lengthy layoff between the end of the Conference Finals and the start of this series provided plenty of opportunity to hype up these Finals, that hype is warranted.
This will be the third straight season that the Warriors and Cavaliers have met in the Finals. The two teams are a combined 24-1 in the postseason so far, and the series features seven 2017 All-Stars and three former MVPs. In spite of the Warriors’ dominance this season and in the playoffs so far, the Cavs appear capable of giving them all they can handle.
So which teams takes home the 2017 championship? Place your vote below!