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Poll: Will The Lakers Make The Playoffs?

October 9th, 2013 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

A little more than two months into the 2012/13 NBA season, I posed a question that would have seemed ridiculous last fall, asking Hoops Rumors readers whether the Lakers would make the playoffs. The No votes slightly outweighed the Yes votes at the time, but L.A. did eventually sneak into the postseason, only to be quickly dispatched by the Spurs.

Last season’s team featured a star-studded starting lineup and championship aspirations, while the expectations for this year’s squad have been scaled back significantly. The Lakers will be without Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, who are now playing in Houston and New York respectively, and they’ll likely start the season without Kobe Bryant, who continues to recover from an Achilles injury.

The Lakers still have Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, and they retooled their roster with a few potential bargains like Chris Kaman, Wesley Johnson, Nick Young, and Jordan Farmar. But as the 2012/13 Mavericks will tell you, relying on veterans and players on one-year contracts isn’t necessarily a formula for a playoff team.

The road to the postseason in the Western Conference will be particularly tough this season, with a number of 2013 lottery teams having upgraded their respective rosters over the summer. In addition to obvious contenders like the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, and Grizzlies, clubs like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Mavs will be vying for playoff berths.

ESPN.com projected in August that the Lakers would finish 12th in the West, a forecast that will surely motivate Kobe and the rest of the team this season. So what do you think? A year after an underachieving Lakers squad squeaked into the playoffs, will the 2013/14 Lakers overachieve and finish among the West’s top eight?

Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference?

October 8th, 2013 at 10:03pm CST by Michael Pina

With the season just a few weeks away, the Western Conference is shaping up to have one of the most competitive races in recent history. With so many talented teams, who do you think wins the conference?

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Poll: Which Free Agent Is Most Likely To Sign?

October 6th, 2013 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors this week ran down several notable veterans who remain without a deal as camps and the preseason begin. Since his report three days ago, we've already heard more about one of the vets he listed, as it appears representatives for Mickael Pietrus have contacted the Timberwolves, who are down a small forward in the wake of Chase Budinger's injury. Luke didn't mention DeShawn Stevenson, who also drew mention in that Wolves report, or Daniel Gibson, who's piqued the interest of the Nuggets.

Still, the seven free agents Luke examined are among the most intriguing names on the market, and with injuries already a factor for some teams, it would be surprising if all of them go the entire season without another NBA contract. We'll add Stevenson and Gibson to the mix as we ask which free agent is most likely to sign with a team at some point in 2013/14. If you feel like there's another veteran who's a more likely signee than anyone in the group listed here, let us know in the comments.

Poll: Did Knicks Err In Hiring New GM?

September 27th, 2013 at 9:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks pulled off a surprise this week, removing Glen Grunwald from the GM position and giving that job, as well as the title of team president, to former Madison Square Garden boss Steve Mills. The move inspired a stream of reaction that prompted us to use multiple posts to round it all up, and much of the chatter paints the Knicks in a negative light. Mills is inexperienced in player personnel matters, while Grunwald acquired Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith, helping to construct the roster that this spring gave the Knicks their first division title since 1994, and their first 50-win season since 2000.

Mills seems to possess a superior personal appeal with players, and, as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wrote today, his connections to the Creative Artists Agency surely endear him to a Knicks franchise that's full of CAA clients. His backers include commissioner David Stern and former Knicks president Donnie Walsh, as Marc Berman of the New York Post points out.

So, would the Knicks have been better off keeping their architect from the past two seasons, or did they make the right move to bring in a new GM? Let us know with your vote, and share more of your thoughts on the changes in New York in the comments.

Poll: Which Extension Candidate Will Sign Next?

September 21st, 2013 at 7:38pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier today we asked your thoughts on whether Paul George or John Wall was more deserving of a max contract. Now we're asking which extension candidate you believe will re-sign with his respective team first:

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Poll: Which Player Deserves Max Extension More?

September 21st, 2013 at 2:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

We presented Hoops Rumors readers yesterday with a variety of values for a contract extension between the Pacers and Paul George, and asked which was the most likely result. More voters chose the five-year maximum-salary option than any other scenario. Such a deal would put him on par with John Wall, who maxed out with the Wizards in July.

George had a breakout season last year and led the Pacers to within a game of the NBA Finals. Wall has never made the playoffs and only played 49 games last season after injury delayed his start, but he finished strong and clearly won over Wizards ownership. Their basic statistics are rather similar. George averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season, while Wall put up 18.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 7.6 APG. George had the greater defensive impact for his team in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions, while Wall's 20.8 PER displays significantly more efficiency than George 16.8 PER.

Wall's already got his five-year max deal, and George is perhaps soon to follow. Regardless of how much George winds up with, do you think he's more deserving of the max than Wall is? Let us know with a vote, and share more on the subject in the comments.

Poll: Will Paul George Sign A Max Extension?

September 20th, 2013 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

While there were a few rumors linking Paul George to the Lakers earlier this offseason, that always seemed to be wishful thinking on the part of L.A. fans, rather than a realistic scenario. Even if he were to hit the open market next summer, George would be a restricted free agent, meaning the Pacers could match any offer sheet he signs. And with Danny Granger's big contract set to come off the books in 2014, there's no reason why Indiana wouldn't have matched any offer for George.

However, it looks like it won't even come to that. George recently indicated that he plans to ink a new long-term extension with the Pacers before the season begins. The two sides are still negotiating, but they appear on track to get something done before the Halloween deadline.

The question now becomes what sort of deal George will sign. The rising star was named the league's Most Improved Player this past spring, and at age 23, there's still plenty of room for further growth. I'd be a little surprised if he ever won an MVP award, but when we posed that question in a June poll, over 38% of the respondents said they believe he'll earn that honor at some point — those results at least show that it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

In other words, in a league where Eric Gordon receives a maximum-salary contract offer coming off an injury-plagued season, there's little doubt that George would receive the same sort of offer as a free agent. But will the small-market Pacers be willing to guarantee him that much money ahead of free agency? If so, you might assume the two sides would've already finalized an agreement. After all, it didn't take long for John Wall to ink his maximum-salary extension with the Wizards. A year ago, Blake Griffin signed his max deal with the Clippers as soon as free agency opened, and James Harden finalized his own max extension with the Rockets immediately after the team acquired him.

Of course, money likely won't be the only sticking point in contract talks. The Pacers will also have the option of offering George a five-year extension, making him the franchise's designated player. As we explain in our glossary entry on designated players, that means the team couldn't give a five-year rookie-scale extension to another player during the duration of George's new contract.

At this point, there are no candidates for that designated player tag on the Pacers' roster besides George, unless Solomon Hill is a lot better than we think. So my guess is that Indiana gives George that fifth year, and he compromises by agreeing to sign for a little less than the max — perhaps something in the five-year, $70MM range gets it done.

As we wait to see what sort of compromises the two sides are willing to make, let's get your thoughts. Where do you think George and the Pacers will eventually land?

Poll: Which Camp Invitee Is Most Likely To Make It?

September 15th, 2013 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

A few dozen players are on non-guaranteed, minimum-salary training camp deals with NBA teams, and more will surely follow with camps set to open in two weeks. Friday, I examined where each came from, noting that international circuits, the D-League, college and the pool of unsigned NBA veterans are all nearly equally fruitful sources of camp hopefuls. Since then, the Raptors have reached agreement on a deal with Angola-born shooting guard Carlos Morais, and presumably it's no more than a non-guaranteed camp invitation, too.

I limited that list to players without any sort of guarantee or extra year tacked on to their contracts, so each of them faces an uphill battle to make the regular season roster. Still, each year training camp invitees make teams around the league, and sometimes, as we saw with Chris Copeland of the Knicks last season, they play an important role.

Let us know which of the players who've drawn camp invitations so far this year is most likely to make his respective team. I've singled out a few of the more notable names for this poll, but its often the most unheralded players who emerge out of the pack, so if you think that's the case, choose the "Somebody Else" option. In any case, let us know the reasons behind your vote in the comments.

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Poll: Which Team Finishes With The Worst Record?

September 13th, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday, after more than two months without officially signing a free agent, the Sixers reached deals witha pair of players, agreeing to bring aboard Darius Morris and Khalif Wyatt. That's a whirlwind of free agent activity compared to what's going on in Phoenix, where the Suns still haven't done a deal with any free agent this offseason, even though they've been active in trades.

Both clubs have little if any expectation of competing this year, and they have company. The Jazz stripped down their roster and used their cap space to absorb a few of Golden State's inflated contracts in exchange for draft picks. The Magic drafted No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo, but otherwise did little to add to a team that finished with the worst record in the NBA last season.

These four teams appear to be leading contenders for the worst record in 2013/14, and the inside track to the top pick in a loaded draft that comes with it. Of course, the poorest winning percentage is no guarantee of the No. 1 pick, and the chances of winning a title soon after finishing at or near the bottom of the league are even slimmer. Still, the team that finishes last this season guarantees itself no worse than the No. 4 overall pick in a draft that's set to include Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Jabari Parker and other intriguing prospects.

So, which team do you think has the best shot of coming in with the worst record in the NBA this season? In addition to the teams listed here, perennial also-rans like the Bobcats and Kings could again plumb the depths of the standings, and the Celtics might be in the mix, too, particularly if Rajon Rondo isn't around much. If you think one of that bunch will be the worst, choose the "Another Team" option, and whichever way you vote, let us know more about your view in the comments.

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Poll: Is Michael Beasley Worth The Risk?

September 11th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Alex Lee

The Heat announced earlier today that they have brought back Michael Beasley, who they let go three years ago after making the Kansas State product the No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. As our Luke Adams indicated today, few scouts question Beasley's natural ability, potentially making him the consummate buy-low reclamation project for a team like the Heat.

Beasley's deal with Miami is non-guaranteed and requires him to make the roster in training camp to secure his one-year minimum contract salary of $1MM, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj agrees that Miami could be a good spot for Beasley, with a strong veteran leadership group and stability in place throughout the organization. He writes that several of the team's key veterans were supportive of the signing.

It certainly seems like many people, including the Heat brass, think this is a no-risk situation for Miami. But is it? Beasley's issues with marijuana are well-documented and his on-the-court statistics are headed in the wrong direction. Not only did the 6-foot-10 Beasley average a career-low in points and rebounds last season (10.1 and 3.8 per game), his PER has dropped every year since his rookie season. Coming off two titles and with one project already on the roster in Greg Oden, is adding the enigmatic Beasley worth the risk for the champs?