Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Should The Hornets Trade Stephenson?

December 1st, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hornets came into the season with ambitions of making a playoff run and challenging for one of the top seeds in the East, but a 4-14 start has team executives worried. The team has reportedly been aggressive in its attempts to find potential trades with other teams. Charlotte made a few big splashes last offseason, as recently noted by Hoops Rumors’ own Chuck Myron. From a financial standpoint, the biggest move was the acquisition of Lance Stephenson via free agency. His arrival hasn’t panned out the way the team had hoped and although it’s unclear whether the Hornets have dangled him in trade discussions, it’s obvious they are looking for upgrade on the wing, Stephenson’s primary position.

It has also been reported that Charlotte is receptive to moving fellow wing Gerald Henderson, so an addition to Stephenson on the court is just as likely, if not more likely, than a replacement. However, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, Henderson’s $6MM player option for next season severely damages his trade value, which should dampen the hopes of getting an impact player in a trade.

The Hornets still have two quality young prospects in Noah Vonleh and Cody Zeller as well as their own 2015 first round pick. Those are three valuable assets, but finding a team willing to give up on a quality player this early in the season could be problematic. Few teams have the urgency to make that sort of move at this juncture.

Stephenson, who cannot be traded until December 15th, represents the player with the most value this season to a playoff contender. Do you think Charlotte should trade him?

Poll: Should The NBA Consider Realignment?

November 28th, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s not a closely guarded secret that the Western Conference has been far superior to the east as a whole for some time now. In fact, since the the turn of the millennium, only once — the 2008/09 season — has the Eastern Conference been able to lay claim to the better winning percentage between the two conferences.

The results thus far this season have done nothing to change this trend. Eastern teams have a 23-55 record against their western counterparts, which if you are doing the math, amounts to a .295 winning percentage. Here’s a quick rundown of the non-conference record for each Eastern Conference team this season.

Raptors 4-0
Bucks 3-0
Bulls 3-3
Heat 2-3
Cavs 2-4
Pacers 2-4
Nets 2-5
Hawks 1-2
Magic 1-3
Knicks 1-4
Wizards 0-1
Pistons 1-6
Celtics 0-6
Sixers 0-6
Hornets 1-8

Earlier this week, Mavs team owner Mark Cuban suggested a plan to try and level the playing field between the NBA’s two conferences through realignment. In Cuban’s plan, the Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans and Mavs would shift to the Eastern Conference, and the Bulls, Pacers, Pistons, and Bucks would relocate to the west. Cuban did acknowledge that his franchise could benefit from the shift to the east, but added, “It’s not like it’d be the first time we’ve ever realigned. It’s happened many times before, so there’s precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting. It’s not like you’re reducing competition. You keep Cleveland, Washington and other good teams in the East. It kind of shakes things up in terms of not just interest but also in terms of how people rebuild.”

I re-calculated the numbers based on Cuban’s plan, and the shift in teams improved the east’s numbers against the west to 37-57, or a .394 winning percentage. With the NBA campaign only a month old the numbers would likely improve as the season continued, especially with the relative strength of the teams in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. This realignment plan would essentially swap out the bulk of the Central Division for the majority of the Southwest Division. But is Cuban’s idea something that would be good for the league long-term? It would certainly be a touch odd geographically, but so is having New Orleans residing in the west as it currently does.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been receptive to ideas that would address the issue of the West being a significantly deeper, stronger conference than the East. One idea that has been suggested is to have a 16-team playoff bracket that does not take conferences into consideration, but rather overall winning percentages. This change would certainly make the playoffs more intense and entertaining, but it would do nothing to address the disparity between the two conferences during the regular season.

What do you think? Should the league give serious consideration to Cuban’s realignment suggestion, go to the top-16 team format in the playoffs, or just leave well-enough alone? Cast your vote below and feel free to expand on the debate in the comments section.

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Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Could Kentucky Defeat The Sixers?

November 21st, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe unleashed some bulletin board material the other night when he declared that this year’s University of Kentucky Wildcats team could defeat the Sixers in a seven-game series. When prompted by a reporter who asked if Bledsoe’s alma mater, which many predict to go undefeated this season, could beat the lowly Sixers, Bledsoe said, “I’m definitely taking Kentucky. I think Philly would get probably, maybe one game. I know Sixers fans gonna be mad, but I love my Wildcats. “

Now I’m reasonably certain that Bledsoe’s comments weren’t meant to offend Philadelphia’s team or its fans, but rather to show pride is his college team, and he’s since backed off his assertion. None of it stopped the speculation and debate from running wild on Twitter. It also doesn’t help matters that Bledsoe’s Suns are in Philadelphia this evening to take on the Sixers. During the pregame player introductions, the Philadelphia faithful let Bledsoe have it with a chorus of boos when his name was announced, though in a city famous for booing Santa Claus during an Eagles game, the jeers weren’t necessarily noteworthy.

Despite the likelihood that the Sixers will be historically dreadful this season, we are still talking about NBA-caliber players, many of whom were highly regarded college players in their own right. Kentucky is also a squad laden with underclassmen. In fact, there are only two juniors who see regular minutes in Kentucky’s regular rotation: Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress.

There is a reason that most rookies struggle when entering the NBA. They aren’t physically ready or developed enough to compete with fully grown men who also happen to be some of the greatest athletes in the world. So, no matter how talented the Wildcats are, keep in mind these are still developing teenagers, not professional athletes. The prime example is Nerlens Noel, who also attended Kentucky. Noel is still experiencing growing pains, and he was touted just as highly as any player on the current Wildcats roster. If he has had more than a year to practice against NBA-caliber players and is still struggling, a group of college underclassmen would also have serious issues against NBA talent as well.

Here are the likely starting lineups for this fictional matchup:

Kentucky Wildcats

PG: Andrew Harrison (9.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.7 APG)
SG: Aaron Harrison (7.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.7 APG)
SF: Alex Poythress (6.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG)
PF: Karl-Anthony Towns (6.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG)
C: Willie Cauley-Stein (8.3 PPG. 8.3 RPG, 2.0 BPG)

Philadelphia 76ers

PG: Michael Carter-Williams (14.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.8 APG)
SG: Tony Wroten (19.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.1 APG)
SF: Luc Mbah a Moute (8.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.4 APG)
PF: Nerlens Noel (7.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG)
C: Henry Sims (9.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 APG)

I don’t believe that the Wildcats would win even a single game against the Sixers, much less the required four needed to emerge victorious in a seven-game series. It might be competitive for a quarter or a half, but eventually NBA talent would win out and the Sixers would end up dominating. But what do you say? Who would win if these two squads faced off in a series? Cast your votes below and feel free to expand on the debate in the comments section.

Poll: Best Fit For Corey Brewer

November 20th, 2014 at 9:06am CST by Chuck Myron

Corey Brewer can’t single-handedly change the fortunes of an NBA franchise, but he can be a difference-maker in the title race for a team that already has its stars in place. Brewer’s six-steal performance Wednesday for the Timberwolves in a win against the Knicks is testament to the sort of effect he can have defensively. It’s no doubt with that sort of ability in mind that a pair of elite teams are reportedly in talks with the Wolves to acquire the eighth-year swingman.

Cleveland, one of those teams, is supposed to be atop the league after welcoming LeBron James back and trading for Kevin Love this past summer. Instead, the Cavs are just 5-5, allowing the fifth most points per possession in the league, according to NBA.com. Joe Harris, the 33rd overall pick from this year’s draft, is seeing significant minutes at shooting guard, a development that bodes well for the long-term future but doesn’t speak highly of the team’s perimeter depth for this season.

The Rockets, the other club linked to Brewer, are 9-3 after a 9-1 start. The Rockets have begun the season better than might have been expected after a disappointing offseason, but GM Daryl Morey is apparently anxious to use the trade exception he acquired for Jeremy Lin to fortify a rotation that lost much of its depth over the summer. Houston has the best defense in the league in terms of points allowed per possession, NBA.com shows, but if the Rockets can use their exception to acquire Brewer without giving anyone up in return, they stand a better chance of remaining a defensive force all season and into the playoffs.

The Cavs are probably more talented on the whole than the Rockets are, but that doesn’t mean everything when it comes to the acquisition of a specific player. Let us know whether you think Cleveland or Houston is the better destination for the former University of Florida standout, or if you believe he’d better serve another team. Feel free to elaborate on your choice in the comments.

Poll: Reggie Jackson’s Future In OKC

November 17th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Alex Lee

A week ago, our own Chuck Myron unveiled our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings, a list that profiles the top 10 targets for next summer and also lists the next 10 best. Absent from that compilation is restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson, who has been on a mission over the past week to keep the Thunder afloat while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heal up. The fourth year point guard — whose extension talks with Oklahoma City fell apart in October — is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the team’s first 11 games. All of a sudden, the Boston College product seems destined for quite the payday come summertime.

With the Rockets in town yesterday, Jackson’s recent play led Houston’s James Harden to weigh in on the backup point guard’s situation. Harden is uniquely qualified to comment, as the Rockets’ superstar was once the tertiary option himself in Oklahoma City. After he played a major role in the Thunder’s 2011/12 Finals appearance, Harden was shipped to Houston once it became clear the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. He immediately emerged as a superstar in Houston, averaging over 25 points since in 161 career games with the Rockets.

Sitting at 3-8 with their two megastars on the shelf, the Thunder are feeling the ramifications of that trade at this very moment. Some think small-market OKC didn’t want to pay the luxury tax, which would have been inevitable had they ponied up the necessary money for a Harden extension. Others say the Thunder, already armed with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, thought that the package of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first round picks was enough to ensure long-term success.

More than two years and zero additional Finals appearances later, it’s safe to say the decision to move Harden was a bust. The question is, what does that mean for Jackson? He might not possess the All-NBA potential of Harden, but Jackson has showed so far this season that he can fill up a box score with the best of them. Have the Thunder learned their lesson? Jackson is sure to get lucrative offers next summer from teams hoping to pry him from OKC. What do you think the Thunder should do?

Poll: Rudy Gay’s Extension With Kings

November 16th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the Kings and Rudy Gay agreed to a three-year, $40MM extension that includes a player option after year two. On the surface, it’s significant money to be spent on a player whose game has endured sharp criticism from the analytics community over the last few years. However, when considering Gay’s age, the short length of the pact, and Sacramento’s position as a free agent destination, one could argue that the deal is something of a good value for the Kings.

As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated writes, the deal actually appears to be something of a head-scratcher from Gay’s perspective. The forward was set to hit the open market this upcoming summer and would have had a good amount of leverage behind him. No, Gay isn’t regarded as the type of guy that can be a No. 1 player for a contending team, but he’s still on the right side of 30 and the incumbent Kings likely would have been just as hungry to retain him then, if not more so. Meanwhile, the $13.3MM average annual value won’t leave Gay starving, but it’s a step back from the $16.4MM AAV on his previous deal.

On the flipside, the Kings have signed on for at least two additional seasons for a player who has been widely panned for his offensive inefficiency in recent seasons. In 75 games for the Grizzlies and Raptors in 2012-13, Gay recorded a combined PER of 15.6, putting him in the same range as guys like Ivan Johnson, DeMarre Carroll, and Matt Barnes. Since then, Gay has set new career highs in PER in each of the last two seasons (18.3 and 22.0, respectively), but the forward is not far removed from his pattern of dreadful offensive decisions and ill-advised long-range shots. The Grizzlies didn’t fade after trading Gay to Toronto and the Raptors actually improved after dealing Gay to the Kings, so it’s certainly fair for one to wonder exactly how valuable the 28-year-old really is.

Gay traded in the chance to earn a bit more this summer for the security of a new deal with the Kings, albeit with an escape hatch that can allow him to collect some of that sweet, sweet TV money in the summer of 2017. Putting aside the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the deal from Gay’s perspective, what do you think of the extension from the Kings’ side of things?

Poll: Which 2015 FA Is Most Likely To Depart?

November 14th, 2014 at 1:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The 10 players atop the Hoops Rumors 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings comprise a star-studded list, but not all of them will change teams between now and next season. Only two of the 10 free agents on the final edition of last year’s Power Rankings changed teams. It’s indicative of the extra power that incumbent teams have to retain their star talent under the collective bargaining agreement, but it didn’t help the Heat, who lost LeBron James to the Cavs. Conservely, the Cavs saw Luol Deng sign with the Heat, but that’s a trade-off any team would make.

The idea of James leaving the Cavs again, and so soon after returning, seems a bit far-fetched, so we won’t include him among the options in this poll. Kevin Love has indicated his intent to remain with the Cavs, too, and he denied a report that he’s interested in signing with the Lakers. LaMarcus Aldridge also seems like a solid bet to return to his team, having repeated his desire to re-sign on a long-term deal, but his hometown Mavs are apparently eyeing him, and his relationship with the Blazers appeared to be on rocky ground up until last year.

Marc Gasol is a slick-passing defense anchor of a center who has an aging team around him, and brother Pau Gasol isn’t ruling out the idea that Marc would join the Knicks. Still, the younger Gasol has close ties to Memphis and appears content there. Rumors swirl nearly constantly around Rajon Rondo, but he hasn’t stopped singing Boston’s praises. The Spurs appear poised to match any offer for Kawhi Leonard, but after they passed on a max extension for the reigning Finals MVP last month, it’s fair to wonder whether a rival team will force them to decide whether to match a max offer sheet for him next summer.

Al Jefferson‘s value may never be higher after this season in Charlotte, and if he opts out, he’ll presumably have his choice of destinations. The same may be true of Goran Dragic, but the Suns will push to retain him, and they’ve already signed brother Zoran Dragic through 2015/16.

Greg Monroe and the Pistons haven’t ruled out a new deal this summer, but this past offseason he resisted any scenario that would tie him to the Pistons for the long term. DeAndre Jordan is fond of Doc Rivers, but the big man’s best days still seem to be ahead of him as he awaits his 27th birthday in July, the month when NBA teams traditionally shower cash on promising starting centers.

Last year’s 8 for 10 retention rate might be on par with what we’ll see this summer, but it would nonetheless be surprising to see all 10 top free agents re-sign with their current teams. Tell us which free agent you think is most likely to leave his team next summer, and leave a comment to let us know why you made your choice.

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Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: How Many Games Will Sixers Win?

November 12th, 2014 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Lee

At the end of the summer, Hoops Rumors readers weighed in on the Sixers’ tanking strategy, with nearly 45 percent of the votes advocating GM Sam Hinkie‘s controversial methods. The NBA brass didn’t share the same enthusiasm, however, as the league tried to push through lottery reform that would’ve immediately discouraged tanking only to then have it rejected last month.

So, for now, it appears that the Sixers’ quest for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft will move forward unimpeded. And they’re off to quite a start, losing their first seven games by a league-worst margin of 12.9 points per contest. The Sixers began last season with the veteran likes of Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen, enabling the team to win 19 games and somehow avoid finishing the season as the league’s worst team.

Those guys are gone and Hinkie didn’t do much to replace them — at least not with guys ready to make an NBA impact anytime soon. As they wait for Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, the Sixers will presumably continue to employ the white-glove treatment with Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. The losses will pile up; the only question is how many? Will the Sixers come anywhere near their win total of 19 from a year ago? If not, will they challenge the 1973 Sixers, who finished at 9-73? Just how low can Hinkie and company go?

Poll: Which Unbeaten Is The Best?

November 4th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Alex Lee

With the Rockets and Heat squaring off in Miami tonight, there will be only three unbeaten teams left in the NBA come morning. But, for now, we still have four. Yes, we’re only one week into the 2014/15 season. But, considering that none of these four teams are among the Vegas favorites to win it all this season, wouldn’t it be fun to see which of them has the best shot? So let’s hear it. Of the Heat, Grizzlies, Rockets and Warriors, which has the best chance at winning the NBA championship this season?

Heat (3-0): Now don’t laugh. LeBron James may have left South Beach, but his departure seems to have energized Chris Bosh. The lefty has averaged over 25 points in the team’s first three games and Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng have worked well as Miami’s second and third fiddles. While the Heat might seem like the worst choice on this list, at least they have the luxury of playing in the Eastern Conference.
Grizzlies (4-0): The Memphis grit-and-grind has risen to new levels through four games. The Grizzlies lead the NBA in scoring defense and rank second in defensive efficiency. They’ve won one shootout (105-101 over Minnesota), one slugfest (71-69 over Charlotte) and two games that were somewhere in between (97-89 and 93-81 over Indiana and New Orleans, respectfully). Throw in Memphis’ toughness and propensity to compete come playoff time, and it might not be a stretch to believe this is the Grizzlies’ year.
Rockets (4-0): Houston might be the logical choice here. Through four games, they seem to have displayed the type of balance that would fare well in the postseason. They rank fourth in defense and fifth in offense in terms of efficiency. James Harden is an elite scorer and many predicted an MVP-caliber season for Dwight Howard this year. Even Trevor Ariza, who was signed in desperation this summer, has been great in the early going (shooting over 57%).
Warriors (3-0): The Warriors have won their first three games by a combined 46 points. As good as Memphis has been defensively, it is Golden State that leads the NBA in efficiency, allowing a ridiculous 89.9 points per 100 possessions. An offseason of trade rumors and a max extension seem to have done a world of good for Klay Thompson, who currently leads the NBA in scoring. The Warriors are undoubtedly the sexiest pic on this list.

Poll: Which Extension Is Most Team-Friendly?

November 3rd, 2014 at 6:45pm CST by Charlie Adams

Teams around the NBA combined to hand out more than $450MM in rookie scale extensions this year, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors recently noted. Such a high figure isn’t overly surprising given the number of eligible candidates that there were, and the total would have been much higher if young talents like Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and Tristan Thompson could have worked out deals with their respective clubs. Two players who inked extensions earned maximum salary pacts in Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving, with the former scoring a four-year deal and the latter receiving a five-year pact. Ricky Rubio put pen to paper on a four-year, $55MM contract with the Wolves just before the deadline after initially holding out for max money.

Some extensions were more surprising than others, like the four-year one Alec Burks worked out with the Jazz, which will net him about $10.5MM per year even though he’s never started more than 12 games in a given season. That dollar figure is much higher than the one Chuck predicted Burks would land, and so was the four-year, $48MM contract Kemba Walker signed with Hornets. Kenneth Faried agreed to a four-year, $50MM deal with the Nuggets, but big men often find a way to get paid handsomely, so neither his deal nor the four-year, $48MM one inked by Nikola Vucevic come as a total shock.

Not every new contract is worth such an lucrative amount, however, as Markieff and Marcus Morris reached four-year agreements with the Suns that will pay them average annual values of $8MM and $5MM, respectively. Smaller rookie-scale extensions aren’t typically the norm, but with the deals signed by the Morris twins, a total of three rookie scale extensions with average annual values of less then $10MM have been signed in the last two years (Quincy Pondexter is the other recipient of such a contract; he inked a four-year, $14MM extension with the Grizzlies in 2013).

Which of these rookie scale extensions do you think will end up being the best deal in the long term? Any one of these contracts could end up being unquestionably team-friendly, but just as easily, any of them could end up looking like poor decisions a few years down the road. It’s hard to predict how guys will develop as players, which is the deciding factor on how these extensions will eventually be judged, but we want to hear your thoughts. Vote below and share your reasoning in the comments section as to why you made your selection!

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