Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Phoenix Suns Vs. Dallas Mavericks

May 2nd, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns were the NBA’s most dominant team in 2021/22. Their 64 regular season wins were eight more than any other team compiled, and their +7.5 net rating ranked first in the league.

However, with Devin Booker banged up for part of their first-round series, it took the Suns six games to beat the upstart Pelicans, and they weren’t exactly blowout victories — Phoenix outscored New Orleans by just nine points across those six games.

While the Suns may have looked more susceptible to a playoff upset in the first round than they did for most of the season, one crucial stat carried over to the postseason. After registering a ridiculous +33.4 net rating in “clutch” situations during the regular season, Phoenix improved that number to +35.0 in the first round.

The Suns’ ability to score late in close games has been crucial all year, and could be a difference-maker as they look to make a deep playoff run. Having Booker back in the lineup will provide a huge boost as well. He missed three games with a hamstring strain, but returned to action on Thursday and has had three full days of rest before Game 1 of the team’s second-round series on Monday. Assuming he’s back to something resembling 100%, Phoenix will enter the Western Conference Semifinals at full strength.

The Suns’ second-round opponent will be a Mavericks team that has advanced beyond round one for the first time since Luka Doncic arrived in Dallas in 2018, having defeated the Jazz in round one. Like Booker, Doncic was unavailable due to a leg injury (calf strain) for three games in the first round, but the Mavs didn’t miss a beat without him, as Jalen Brunson took his game to another level by putting up 32.0 PPG and 5.3 APG in Doncic’s absence.

Brunson and Doncic, both healthy and ready to go for round two, will face more resistance against Phoenix than they did against Utah’s subpar perimeter defense. Defensive Player of the Year finalist Mikal Bridges has evolved into one of the league’s top shutdown defenders, and he’s flanked by a number of solid performers on that end, including Chris Paul and Jae Crowder. Doncic and Brunson are still capable of putting up big numbers, but they’ll have to work a lot harder to do so in round two.

Although Dallas finished the season 12 games back of Phoenix in the standings, the current iteration of the team looked as dangerous as anyone during the season’s final two months. From the time newly-acquired guard Spencer Dinwiddie made his Mavs debut on February 15 through the end of the regular season, no NBA team had a better record than Dallas (19-6).

The Mavs won’t enter their series vs. the Suns as favorites, but they’re an extremely dangerous team that should make life very difficult for the reigning Western Conference champs.

What do you think? Will the Suns make it back to the Western Conference Finals this season, or will the Mavericks pull off the upset? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts and predictions!

Poll: Philadelphia 76ers Vs. Miami Heat

May 1st, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by JD Shaw

The Sixers and Heat will tip off Game 1 of their second-round series on Monday in Miami. Both teams are coming off wins against talented teams, the Raptors and the Hawks, and the clubs will meet in the postseason for the third time in the last 11 years.

Miami finished as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season at 53-29. Meanwhile, Philadelphia ranked fourth in the East at 51-31 and went 14-7 in the games James Harden played. Both clubs should be considered legitimate title contenders.

However, both teams are currently dealing with injuries. The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid (mild concussion and orbital fracture), though he could return later in the series. Miami has several players who are listed as questionable for Game 1 (including Jimmy Butler) and won’t have starting point guard Kyle Lowry to open the series due to a hamstring strain.

When examining the rosters, Philadelphia has the edge with its starting lineup at full strength. Tyrese Maxey, Harden, Tobias Harris and Embiid combined to score 84.3 points per game in the team’s first-round series. The next-highest scorer was Danny Green (9.0 points), who started every game. Teams have also struggled to keep Harden and Embiid off the line. They combined to attempt 17 free throws per game in round one.

Miami’s strengths lie in its defense and depth. The team effectively took Trae Young out of its first-round series, forcing Young to average 15.4 points and 6.2 turnovers per game on 32% shooting. The Heat held Atlanta to an average of 97.4 points across five games and took advantage of its elite bench, receiving 23 points from Victor Oladipo to close the series. Oladipo played alongside Tyler Herro, the front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year.

Which team will win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comments section and weigh in with your thoughts!

Poll: Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Golden State Warriors

April 30th, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies, who entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, eliminated the Timberwolves on Friday night in dramatic fashion. They’ll get precious little time before jumping into their conference semifinal matchup with a much more seasoned postseason participant — the third-seeded Warriors. The series begins on Sunday afternoon on Memphis’ home court.

After rolling to 56 victories in the regular season, the young Grizzlies got a jolt to the system during their first-round series. They needed to stage major, and sometimes unlikely, comebacks to take care of the Timberwolves. They rallied from a 26-point deficit in Game 3 and needed a last-second Ja Morant layup to take Game 5. They outscored Minnesota 40-22 in the fourth quarter to win Game 6.

Playing catch-up against the Splash Brothers & Co. isn’t a recipe for success. Golden State holds championship banners from 2015, 2017 and 2018 and its “big three” are playing at a high level once again.

Morant and Desmond Bane will try to prove they can hold their own, or even outplay, the storied duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Bane averaged a team-high 23.5 PPG in the opening round. Morant had ups and downs in the series, averaging a subpar (by his standards) 21.5 PPG and 4.2 turnovers per contest. He’ll need to provide steadier production in the second round.

Dillon Brooks will be a key factor at both ends in a series that will revolve around the teams’ guards and wings. Brandon Clarke played a huge role off the bench against Minnesota but the Grizzlies will need more from Jaren Jackson Jr. (11.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG). The X-factor could be center Steven Adams, who entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols prior to Friday’s win.

Adams started regularly all season, then dropped out of the rotation because he was a bad matchup against the floor-stretching Karl-Anthony Towns. Assuming he exits protocols early in the series, Adams could play a much bigger role against Golden State, which doesn’t have a high-scoring frontcourt piece.

The Warriors come into the series confident and rested after dismissing Denver 4-1 in the opening round. Curry and Thompson combined to average 50.6 PPG in the opening round and vastly improved Jordan Poole (21.6 PPG) continued to add a potent third offensive option.

Draymond Green led the team in assists per game (7.4) against the Nuggets and will remain a heady and all-around defensive force. Gary Payton II could play a major role off the bench as a defender against Memphis’ guards.

So, which of these teams will advance to the 2022 Western Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Warriors/Grizzlies!

Poll: Boston Celtics Vs. Milwaukee Bucks

April 29th, 2022 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

The first of the NBA’s four second-round matchups to be locked in is also one of the most intriguing. The Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the East, will face the No. 3 Bucks, with the series scheduled to tip off on Sunday night.

The Celtics were comfortably the NBA’s best team during the final two-and-a-half months of the 2021/22 regular season. After putting up a .500 record in their first 50 games, the C’s went 26-6 from January 29 onward — no other NBA team lost fewer than nine games during that stretch.

Boston’s advanced statistics backed up the team’s dominant record. The club led the league in both offensive rating (120.7) and defensive rating (105.9), resulting in an eye-popping 14.8 overall net rating. The next-best teams during that stretch were Memphis at +8.8 and Phoenix at +6.8.

The Celtics have carried that momentum into the postseason. With many experts forecasting the No. 7 Nets to pull off the upset, Boston became the only team to complete a first-round sweep. It was Jayson Tatum – not Kevin Durant – who looked like the best player in the series, averaging 29.5 PPG and 7.3 APG with a .456/.419/.868 shooting line, compared to Durant’s 26.3 PPG and 6.3 APG on .386/.333/.8985 shooting.

Tatum will face another serious challenge in round two, when he and the Celtics go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending-champion Bucks. The Bucks lost Khris Middleton to a knee injury in Game 2 of their series vs. Chicago, but somehow looked even better after that, making quick work of Chicago as Antetokounmpo led the way with 28.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 6.2 APG on 56.8% shooting.

Middleton isn’t expected to be back in the second round, which is a tough blow for the Bucks. But this is a deep, dangerous team even without the All-Star forward.

The Bucks have shown they’re capable of winning while shorthanded in the postseason, having gone 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals last year without Antetokounmpo before dominating the Bulls in three games without Middleton this year.

It’s Milwaukee, not Boston, that has posted the best defensive rating (94.4) and net rating (+13.8) of the postseason so far. But the Celtics will have home court advantage in the series, which could be a factor — the teams split their four regular season meetings, with each club winning two games at home.

Which team will advance to the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Celtics/Bucks!

Poll: Who Should Win 2021/22 NBA Awards?

April 18th, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced the 2021/22 finalists for its six major awards on Sunday, revealing the top three vote-getters for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player.

Our writers already shared their picks for this year’s awards (though not all of them made the cut when the finalists were announced). Now we want to know what you think.

Select your winners for this year’s major NBA awards in the six polls below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.

Our polls only include the three finalists in each category, but if you think someone else deserves to win one of these awards, be sure to use the comment section to “write in” that pick and explain your reasoning.

Poll: Friday’s Play-In Games

April 14th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Through four games, there have been no upsets in the NBA’s 2022 play-in tournament. Both No. 7 seeds won on Tuesday and both No. 9 seeds were victorious on Wednesday, setting up a pair of No. 8 vs. No. 9 showdowns on Friday.

In the East, it’ll be the No. 9 Hawks visiting the No. 8 Cavaliers, and for the first time in this year’s play-in tournament, the road team will enter the game as the betting favorite. The Hawks are currently favored by 2.5 points on BetOnline.ag.

Although the Hawks finished the season a game behind the Cavaliers in the standings, Atlanta was clearly the better team in the second half. While the Hawks finished the season on a 26-14 run, the Cavs struggled to hold their spot in the Eastern Conference standings after a hot start and went 9-17 down the stretch. The two teams’ play-in results so far reflect that second-half momentum — Cleveland never led against Brooklyn on Tuesday, while Atlanta controlled Wednesday’s game against Charlotte for nearly the entire night.

Cleveland’s home-court advantage will be a boon. And if Jarrett Allen is able to return from his finger injury while John Collins‘ own finger and foot injuries keep him sidelined, the Cavs should have an advantage in the frontcourt. But there’s a real possibility that after holding a top-six spot for much of the season, Cleveland could miss the playoffs altogether.

[Note: The following section on the Western play-in game was written before word broke that Paul George will miss the game due to a positive COVID-19 test.]

In the West, the No. 8 Clippers will host the No. 9 Pelicans, with L.A. listed as a four-point favorite, per BetOnline.ag.

The Clippers finished the year six games ahead of the Pelicans in the standings, but those end-of-season records are somewhat misleading. Since November 17, New Orleans has actually been better (34-32) than Los Angeles (33-35), and the Pelicans have taken another step forward since acquiring CJ McCollum at the trade deadline.

Of course, that’s not to say that the Clippers were spiraling when the regular season ended — they’d just gotten Paul George and Norman Powell back in their lineup following lengthy injury absences and won their last five games of the year before losing a tight one in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Friday’s do-or-die late game would be can’t-miss TV if injured forwards Kawhi Leonard (ACL) and Zion Williamson (foot) were available, but even without those stars on the court, these are two talented, well-coached teams who each look capable of securing the No. 8 spot in the West.

We want to know what you think. Which teams will claim the final two playoff spots on Friday, and which two clubs are headed home?

Vote in our poll before Friday night, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts and predictions!

Poll: Wednesday’s Play-In Games

April 13th, 2022 at 7:22am CST by Luke Adams

There were no major surprises in Tuesday’s NBA play-in games. The favorites in those two matchups, the No. 7 Nets and the No. 7 Timberwolves, picked up home victories to secure the No. 7 seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, respectively. Brooklyn will face Boston in the first round of the playoffs, while Minnesota will take on Memphis.

Having lost on Tuesday, the No. 8 Cavaliers and No. 8 Clippers are now preparing to host play-in games on Friday to decide the No. 8 seed in each conference. Their opponents will be determined in a pair of Wednesday play-in contests.

First up, in the East, is a meeting of Southeast rivals, as the No. 10 Hornets visit the No. 9 Hawks.

Both teams finished the season strong — after a tough 17-25 start, Atlanta went 26-14 the rest of the way to secure a play-in berth. The Hornets, meanwhile, lost 13 of 17 games during an extended slump from January to March, but bounced back to win 11 of their last 15 en route to a play-in spot.

The Hawks and Hornets will each be missing a key player, as big man John Collins and forward Gordon Hayward have been ruled out due to injuries. But star point guards Trae Young and LaMelo Ball are still surrounded by strong supporting casts, with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, and Danilo Gallinari playing major roles for Atlanta, while Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington, Kelly Oubre, and Montrezl Harrell complement Ball for Charlotte.

Both Southeast clubs paired top-10 offenses (No. 2 for Atlanta and No. 8 for Charlotte) with bottom-10 defenses (No. 22 for Charlotte and No. 26 for Atlanta) and finished in the middle of the pack in net rating (No. 14 for Atlanta and No. 16 for Charlotte). The Hawks’ home-court advantage helps make them a five-point favorite, according to BetOnline.ag.

Over in the West, the No. 9 Pelicans will host the No. 10 Spurs in Wednesday’s late game.

The Pelicans – a five-point favorite, per BetOnline.ag – generated more buzz than the Spurs down the stretch following a splashy trade deadline that saw them acquire star guard CJ McCollum. The longtime Blazer joined former All-Star Brandon Ingram, standout rookie Herbert Jones, double-double machine Jonas Valanciunas, and center-turned-forward Jaxson Hayes in what has become a formidable starting five. That group has posted a +8.2 net rating in 142 minutes.

The Spurs, meanwhile, were overlooked and viewed as a probable lottery team for much of the season, but they took advantage of the Trail Blazers’ decision to tank and the Lakers’ and Kings’ inability to win games consistently and claimed the West’s final play-in spot.

At 34-48, the Spurs are far from a juggernaut and aren’t loaded with star power, but All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, third-year forward Keldon Johnson, and center Jakob Poeltl had strong seasons, and the club’s rotation is filled out by useful role players like Devin Vassell, Josh Richardson, and Tre Jones.

Those looking for a reason to pick a San Antonio upset should note that the team actually had a better record on the road (18-23) than at home (16-25) this season, and registered a better net rating (+0.2) than the Pelicans (-0.8).

We want to know what you think. Will the favorites win again in Wednesday’s play-in games or will we get at least one upset tonight? Which teams will stay alive and which will head home for the season?

Make your picks in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in on tonight’s play-in matchups!

Poll: Tuesday’s NBA Play-In Games

April 11th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, the NBA scheduled its first two Eastern Conference play-in games for the Tuesday after the regular season ended, with both the Western Conference games taking place on the Wednesday.

The league has tweaked that schedule this time around — Tuesday’s slate of games will feature one from each conference, with the Nos. 7 and 8 teams all in action. The Nos. 9 and 10 teams in both conferences will play on Wednesday.

That means we’ll know by the end of the night on Tuesday which two teams will claim the No. 7 playoff seeds, securing first-round matchups against the Celtics in the East and the Grizzlies in the West.

The Nets are eight-point favorites over the Cavaliers in the first of Tuesday’s play-in games, according to BetOnline.ag, and for good reason. The game will be played in Brooklyn, where Kyrie Irving is now eligible to play despite not having received a COVID-19 vaccine. And after a strong start to the season, Cleveland didn’t play well down the stretch, posting a 9-16 record since the All-Star break.

Injuries will also be a factor in this game. Irving and Kevin Durant are both healthy, which is more than can be said about the Cavs’ All-Stars. While Darius Garland is good to go, center Jarrett Allen continues to battle a fractured finger and there’s pessimism he’ll be available on Tuesday. Ben Simmons and Joe Harris will be sidelined for Brooklyn, but the Nets have gotten used to playing without those guys — Harris hasn’t played since mid-November and Simmons has yet to make his Nets debut.

Over in the West, the Timberwolves will host the Clippers after finishing four games ahead of them during the regular season. Still, BetOnline.ag only lists Minnesota as a three-point favorite for the time being.

The Clippers are getting healthy at the right time, which is one reason why they’re viewed as a candidate to make a little noise in the postseason. Kawhi Leonard continues to recover from his ACL surgery, but Paul George has been back in the lineup since late March and Norman Powell returned last week.

Winning in Minnesota will be a tall order for L.A. though. The Wolves have been one of the NBA’s most dangerous teams since the new year, having gone 30-16 following a 16-20 start to the season. The trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell has been tough to stop on offense, while Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt helped anchor an above-average defense.

We want to know what you think. Which teams will win Tuesday’s play-in games and become this season’s No. 7 seeds?

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

Poll: How Will Nets’ Season End?

March 16th, 2022 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Nets have been one of the NBA’s biggest underachievers this season, their performance hasn’t yet inspired much panic. The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag, for instance, still consider Brooklyn the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference this spring.

Unlike the disappointing Lakers, who haven’t looked great even when they’re playing at full strength, the Nets have played well during the rare instances when they’ve had something resembling a healthy lineup. But they’ve been missing key pieces for much of the season — Kevin Durant has only played in 42 of 69 games, primarily due to a knee injury, while Kyrie Irving‘s vaccination status has resulted in him making just 19 appearances to date.

On top of those issues, Ben Simmons has yet to make his Nets debut and Joe Harris is out for the season due to an ankle injury.

Harris won’t play again for Brooklyn this spring, but you could talk yourself into Durant, Irving, and Simmons all being available for the postseason. Durant is currently healthy; New York City’s private sector vaccine mandate could theoretically be adjusted in the next few weeks, freeing up Irving to play at home as well as on the road; and head coach Steve Nash expressed optimism this week that Simmons will make his Nets debut before the end of the regular season.

But things could just as easily go the other way. A pair of orthopedic specialists who spoke to The New York Post speculated that Simmons won’t return this season due to his ongoing back issues. And there’s still no timeline for New York City’s private sector vaccine mandate to change. Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday that he’s not going to base any decisions on whether or not the Nets have Irving available for the postseason.

“I’m focused on nine million people,” Adams said, per Kevin Sheehan, Bernadette Hogan and Sam Raskin of The New York Post. “And so, I am not looking at one person, I’m looking at my city not closing down again, not having to deal with this crisis again. … I’m not going to be rushed in based on a season schedule. I am going to do this right for the people of the city, and I’m not focusing on one individual.”

A healthy Durant and a solid collection of role players are capable of making some noise in the playoffs, but with Irving only available on the road and Simmons not available at all, Brooklyn’s ceiling would be limited.

It’s also worth noting that the 36-33 Nets will likely have to win at least one game in a play-in tournament before even clinching a playoff spot, and there’s no guarantee they’ll have Irving available in that scenario.

If the season ended today, the Nets would visit the 38-30 Raptors for the first play-in game, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed. A loss in that contest would mean hosting the Hawks (34-34) or Hornets (34-35), with the No. 8 spot up for grabs. Local vaccine mandates currently prohibit Irving from playing in either Toronto or Brooklyn.

The Nets could avoid that play-in dilemma by moving into the top six, but they’re still 3.5 games back of the No. 6 Cavaliers, so there’s some work to do on that front. With Irving only available for three more games this season, it seems just as plausible that the Hawks or Hornets could catch the Nets for the No. 8 spot, which would put even more play-in pressure on Brooklyn.

We want to know what you think. Obviously, the Nets’ upside hinges largely on Irving’s and Simmons’ availability, but based on what we know today, how do you see the team’s season playing out? Is Brooklyn headed for an early postseason exit, or is an NBA Finals appearance still within reach?

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

Poll: How Will Lakers’ Season End?

March 4th, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers made no progress on Thursday night toward turning their season around, suffering a blowout loss to the rival Clippers. It extended their losing streak to four games, dropped their record to 27-35, and left guard Russell Westbrook looking for answers once again.

“My role and what I’m doing has changed every single night,” Westbrook said after the game, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “So I’m just trying to figure that out as I’m playing and to be able to benefit and help my team.

“But my expectations are still the same. I’m not a quitter. It’s not in my genes. I don’t quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I’m going to fight to the end, and if it don’t work, that’s cool, too. I can live with the results. But I’m never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that’s happening this time of the year.

While Westbrook’s struggles are hardly the only reason the Lakers have had such a disappointing season, he hasn’t fit in like the team had hoped and has faced criticism for months. Asked on Thursday if the Lakers have discussed the possibility of bringing Westbrook off the bench to change things up, head coach Frank Vogel replied, “We’ve talked about everything.”

Within his report on the Lakers’ situation earlier this week, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote that Vogel’s staff has never “seriously broached” the idea of having Westbrook come off the bench to the former MVP, adding that Westbrook likely wouldn’t entertain the idea. But these are desperate times for the Lakers, and Vogel’s comments on Thursday indicate it hasn’t been ruled out.

With just 20 games left in the Lakers’ season, time is running out to right the ship. With that in mind, we want to know whether you still have any faith left in this L.A. team.

At 27-35, the Lakers hold the No. 9 seed in the West, a full nine games back of the No. 6 Nuggets. They’re one game up on the No. 10 Pelicans and two games ahead of the No. 11 Trail Blazers. The Spurs (3.5 games back) and Kings (4.5 games back) are also lurking, but aren’t serious threats to the Lakers at this point.

Given the lack of serious competition outside of the West’s top 10 seeds, it still looks like a reasonably safe bet that the Lakers will qualify for the play-in tournament. But earning a playoff spot outright by finishing as a top-six team will be virtually impossible, and even finishing in the top eight looks increasingly unlikely, since they’re 5.5 games back of the No. 8 Clippers. If they finish ninth or 10th in the West, they’d have to win two play-in games to even make it to the playoffs.

As a reminder, the winner of the play-in game between the seventh and eight teams earns the No. 7 seed, while the loser of that game plays the winner of the matchup between the ninth and tenth teams for the No. 8 seed. That means the Lakers might have to beat, say, the Pelicans and then the Clippers (or Timberwolves) to even claim the No. 8 seed. At that point, they’d be in line for a matchup against a top-seeded Suns team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year.

Based on how the Lakers have looked lately, I’m growing more and more skeptical that we’ll even see them in the playoffs, whether or not they have Anthony Davis back for the play-in tournament. But we want to know what you think.

How do you see the Lakers’ season ending? Do they still have a chance to make a playoff run? Should they already be looking toward 2022/23?

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

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