Poll Results: Hoops Rumors’ 2020 All-Rookie Teams
The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting NBA hiatus have thrown award season into disarray, but it’s probably safe to assume that any remaining regular season games for 2019/20 won’t affect award races too significantly. With that in mind, we asked you to vote last week on the 10 players you feel deserve All-Rookie spots for ’19/20.
We opened voting for the All-Rookie First Team last Tuesday before moving onto the Second Team on Friday. The results of all those polls are in, so let’s check them out.
- Ja Morant, G (Grizzlies)
- Zion Williamson, F (Pelicans)
- Kendrick Nunn, G (Heat)
- Tyler Herro, G (Heat)
- Brandon Clarke, F (Grizzlies)
- RJ Barrett, G/F (Knicks)
- Eric Paschall, F/C (Warriors)
- Rui Hachimura, F (Wizards)
- Coby White, G (Bulls)
- P.J. Washington, F (Hornets)
The rest of the top vote-getters in the final round of polling who didn’t quite earn spots on the All-Rookie Second Team were Cameron Johnson (Suns) and Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets), followed by Terence Davis (Raptors) and Matisse Thybulle (Sixers).
I think these results will end up being pretty close to what the actual All-Rookie teams for 2019/20 look like. In fact, it wouldn’t be a total shock if these match up exactly with the official results.
I expect Paschall and Washington to receive some First Team votes, but given the roles that Morant, Clarke, Nunn, and Herro had on playoff teams, they’re all very worthy choices. And I anticipate Williamson will make the cut too — 19 games isn’t a lot, but I think it’ll be enough for voters, especially in a shortened season.
Given my personal bias toward rookies that play important roles on playoff teams over those who rack up counting stats on lottery-bound clubs, I’d give strong consideration to Porter, Davis, and/or Thybulle for the Second Team. Their offensive numbers – especially Thybulle’s – paled in comparison to those posted by Barrett, White, and Hachimura, but the minutes they saw were more important.
Porter probably didn’t play enough overall – and wasn’t a strong enough defender – to earn one of my spots, and Thybulle’s limitations on offense hurt his case. But I’d at least make room for Davis, who had a +10.0 net rating and was the only Raptors player not to miss a game this season. Hachimura, who appeared in just 41 games and ranked 91st out of 95 power forwards in defensive real plus-minus, would likely be my odd man out.
What do you think? Do our poll results match up closely with your picks, or do you think we made some major missteps? Do you expect these results to line up pretty closely with the actual All-Rookie teams for 2019/20, or do you think the official voters will make some different choices?
Woj On Durant, Schedule, NBA Finances, More
Although Nets general manager Sean Marks isn’t willing to close the door on the possibility of Kevin Durant returning to the court if the 2019/20 season resumes this summer, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski sounds prepared to slam that door shut.
In the latest episode of his Woj Pod, speaking to guests Rachel Nichols and Bobby Marks, Wojnarowski suggested that we still shouldn’t expect to see Durant make his comeback until the 2020/21 season gets underway.
“Kevin Durant’s not coming back to the Nets this year,” Woj said. “That’s not happening… They’re not playing him.”
While Wojnarowski didn’t go into detail on the Durant situation, his comment came during a discussion about teams being wary of rushing players back this summer, following a brief ramp-up period. The implication in Durant’s case is that the potential reward for the seventh-seeded Nets wouldn’t be worth the risk of possibly compromising the star forward’s health for next season.
Here are a few more takeaways from the latest Woj Pod episode:
- Asked by Nichols if the NBA might play a shortened season in 2020/21 – particularly if it starts around Christmas – Wojnarowski stressed that’s very unlikely. As he explains, the league will be doing all it can to recoup lost revenue next season, which will mean playing as many games as possible (ideally 82) in ’20/21. In other words, if the regular season starts in December, it will likely run into June, with the Finals potentially ending next August.
- During the podcast – and in a subsequent article for ESPN.com – Wojnarowski observed that the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to create major imbalances throughout the league. For instance, if certain states permit fans in arenas at the start of next season and others don’t, that could create a major earnings disparity between many of the league’s franchises, which could lead to competitive imbalance.
- Additionally, as Woj details, a number of smaller-market teams rely on the NBA’s revenue-sharing model and benefit from huge gate receipts from markets like Los Angeles, New York, and Golden State. If franchises in those big markets still can’t allow fans in arenas when the 2020/21 season begins – or have to do so on a limited basis – it would have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the league.
- Discussing the potential resumption of the 2019/20 season, Wojnarowski noted that the NBA will have to sell many of its lottery teams on prioritizing the “greater good” of the league — even if some of those teams would benefit (financially and otherwise) from simply canceling this season and focusing on 2020/21. Warriors head of basketball operations Bob Myers addressed this subject last week, vowing that his team would be “good partners” if and when the season resumes.
Hawks Reopen Practice Facility
The Hawks formally reopened their practice facility in Brookhaven’s Executive Park on Monday for individual workouts, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
While many NBA teams play in states where stay-at-home orders are still in effect, that’s not the case for the Hawks — Georgia was one of the first states to lift many of those restrictions. Although the Hawks didn’t immediately reopen their facility when the NBA allowed teams to do so on Friday, they’ve now become one of the first clubs to reopen their building to allow voluntary workouts for players.
The Trail Blazers and Cavaliers reopened their facilities on Friday. Besides Atlanta, the Raptors, Nuggets, and Kings are also expected to reopen their respective buildings today, with a number of restrictions in place.
The NBA informed teams last week that they’ll now be permitted to test asymptomatic players for COVID-19 before they enter their facilities, as long as they’re in areas where testing is readily available to at-risk health care workers and receive written authorization from local health authorities. Having not received that authorization, the Hawks will just perform health and temperature checks on anyone entering their building, as Spencer tweets.
NBA, NBPA Extend CBA Termination Deadline
The NBA and the NBPA have reached an agreement to extend the window during which the league can terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The previous 60-day period, which began when the season was suspended on March 11, had been set to expire. The deadline will be pushed back to September, according to Wojnarowski.
It may sound ominous that the NBA will continue to have the ability to “terminate” the CBA, but it’s more of a necessary formality at this point. The “force majeure” provision gives the league that power, but the NBA has no interest in taking advantage of it for now, since both the league and the players’ union want to resume the 2019/20 season in the coming months.
In order for that to happen, the Collective Bargaining Agreement will need to be restructured, so delaying this deadline gives the two sides more time to gather information on the league’s projected financial losses and to work through issues like next season’s salary cap and luxury tax thresholds, as Woj explains. When the time comes, the NBA and the NBPA figure to work together to negotiate the necessary adjustments to the CBA.
“This CBA was not built for an extended pandemic,” Silver said on Friday’s conference call with players, per ESPN. “There’s not a mechanism in it that works to properly accept a cap when you’ve got so much uncertainty; when we’d be going in next season saying, “Well, our revenue could be $10 billion or it could be $6 billion. Or maybe it could be less.”
Besides figuring out salary cap details going forward, the league and the players’ union will have to negotiate a number of other issues, including how the players will be paid for whatever portion of the 2019/20 season can be played, how free agency will work, and what the NBA schedule will look like in 2020/21 and beyond.
Kai Sotto Opts For G League Professional Path
Kai Sotto, a 7’2″ center from the Philippines, intends to pass on college ball and will instead join the G League’s revamped professional program, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The G League’s new Select Team has landed a number of notable high school recruits, including guards Jalen Green and Daishen Nix, as well as forward Isaiah Todd. Sotto represents the first international prospect who will sign a contract with the NBAGL program, as Charania notes.
A four-star recruit who comes in at No. 62 overall on ESPN’s 2020 rankings, Sotto arrived stateside in 2019 and joined The Skill Factory, a prep program based in Georgia. A handful of colleges were believed to be keeping an eye on the big man, including Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Auburn, and USC, but he’ll opt to go pro as he pursues an eventual NBA career.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz wrote in February about their impressions of Sotto at the Basketball Without Borders camp, with Givony noting that the youngster’s talent stood out in drills, even as he “struggled to make his presence felt in the games.” According to ESPN’s scouting report, Sotto has a versatile skill set given his size, handling the ball well and displaying three-point range on his jump shot.
Meanwhile, Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside wrote on Sunday that he viewed Sotto and the G League Select Team as a good fit for one another, pointing out that taking on a project like Sotto would allow the program to prove it’s capable of developing prospects who are still fairly raw.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Valentine, Ujiri, Wizards
The Pistons remain in limbo as some teams around the NBA start reopening their practice facilities, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes.
The Cavaliers and Trail Blazers formally opened their facilities on Friday under strict restrictions and guidelines from the NBA, with teams such as the Nuggets, Kings, and Hawks intending on doing the same next week. Detroit is likely multiple weeks away from opening its own facility, the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, Sankofa notes.
“There’s a set of guidelines, we’ll follow them to the T and we’ll be very cautious for both the player and the staff,” Pistons senior advisor Ed Stefanski said. “But … it’ll be a slow process. We’re waiting for the state of Michigan to allow us. We’re not doing anything until then.”
Detroit has mostly relied on virtual workouts during the hiatus, including using features such as Zoom, joining other teams in doing whatever they can over break. It’s likely the team will continue to use these approaches as time progresses this month.
“It’s not perfect from a basketball/cardio stance, but we’re not in perfect times,” Stefanski admitted. “We understand that the players are just getting their strength workout and some cardio, even if it’s outside on a track and things like that. That’s what we’re trying to do right now. We’re not encouraging them to go into gyms and things like that that are not regulated by NBA people.”
There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Eric Woodyard of ESPN explores how Bulls forward Denzel Valentine wound up wearing No. 45 from the day he was drafted by Chicago in 2016. Bulls legend Michael Jordan wore No. 45 for 22 games in 1995, causing many in Valentine’s circle to wonder whether he’d be able to don the number with Chicago.
- Blake Murphy of The Athletic examines the draft history of Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who’s widely considered to be one of the top executives in the league. Ujiri was responsible for drafting Pascal Siakam in 2016 and OG Anunoby in 2017, along with signing Fred VanVleet as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
- Precious Achiuwa would fill some important needs for the Wizards if the team chooses to draft him, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington contends. Achiuwa, who turns 21 in September, is a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 15.8 points per game with Memphis last season.
Heat Notes: Haslem, Spoelstra, Riley, Adebayo, Draft
Heat veteran Udonis Haslem is continuing to find ways to give back to the city of Miami despite a number of obstacles standing in his way, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Haslem, 39, no longer receives much playing time for the Heat, thus limiting his production on the court for fans. The COVID-19 pandemic has also forced many community projects and aspirations to be put on hold for the time being, with some operating in a revamped way due to the virus.
“The way I look at it is that I got to be so much more than a basketball player at this stage of my life and of my career,” Haslem said. “I got to be so much more than a basketball player, man. It’s not like I’m going to be putting up double-doubles like I used to or something like that. So I have to continue to find ways to bring joy to this city.”
“At one point, it was by bringing championships or by my play or something like that. Now it’s like I’m not playing as much, so how can I continue to bring joy to this city? How can I continue to represent this city well? How can I continue to be the voice for the people on the other side of the bridge who don’t necessarily have a voice.”
Haslem did just that last Wednesday afternoon, distributing food to COVID-19 frontline workers around Miami and helping people in a time of need. His impact around the city of Miami unquestionably extends past what he’s accomplished on the hardwood.
For Haslem, a three-time NBA champion and a 17-year veteran, he’ll make a major decision on whether to continue playing or retire in the near future. As of today, however, he remains undecided on what’s next.
“It’s hard to really say now because all the things that I really wanted at the end have been taken away from me,” Haslem said. “You want to walk away on your own terms, that has been taken away. You want an opportunity for the people that have loved and supported you and sacrificed so much for you to be here in this time of your career, that has been taken away. And you want to have something connected with the organization when you walk away.
“Me and the Miami Heat will always be connected, that hasn’t been taken away. But I wanted to have the opportunity to sit down and plan something with them. I’ll never have something close to like what Dwyane had. But the organization and myself deserve to have one particular night when we have a situation collectively to represent one another and do it the right away.”
Here are some other notes out of Miami tonight:
- With Erik Spoelstra turning 50 years old later this year, the veteran coach looked back on his successes with the franchise and what’s to come, as examined by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “My path could have been a whole lot different if I worked for a different organization,” he said. “And I find great purpose in being a steward and a caretaker of this culture. It fills my cup. I absolutely love it. Pat and Micky started this thing with a huge vision, 25 years ago, and then we’ve been able to get to the mountaintop three times, based on that vision.”
- Winderman also examines in his daily mailbag whether Pat Riley painted himself into a corner by comparing Bam Adebayo to Dwyane Wade, examining his comments and how they could have a positive impact on Adebayo. “I’ve never met a man like this, a player, who was so respectful, had so much dignity, was such a team guy, that has grown to a point where he wants this responsibility,” Riley said of Adebayo last week. “And night in and night out, we see the best of the best.”
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explores which draft prospects are being linked to the Heat and who could be a good fit for the team. Miami has prepared for the draft much like other teams, conducting film sessions and virtual meetings to discuss talent. It remains unclear when the NBA will formally hold the event this year.
And-Ones: Shaq, Brown, Expansion, Antetokounmpo
Current NBA on TNT analyst and 15-time All-Star Shaquille O’Neal believes the league should cancel the rest of the season and shift its focus to next year, he said in an interview with Mike D. Sykes, II of For The Win.
O’Neal, listing safety concerns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, explained the NBA shouldn’t rush the rest of this season or the playoffs. Instead, each of the players and teams should focus on next season.
“I think we should scrap the season,” O’Neal said. “Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year. Just scrap the season. Just scrap it. To try and come back now and do a rush playoffs as a player? Any team that wins this year, there’s an asterisk. They’re not going to get the respect. What if a team that’s not really in the mix of things all of a sudden wins with a new playoff format? Nobody is going to respect that. So, scrap it. Worry about the safety of the fans and the people. Come back next year.”
A growing number of current NBA players remain optimistic that the season could be resurrected, including LeBron James, who tweeted as much toward the end of last month.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver held a call with players on Friday discussing the steps necessary for a return, including regulations on various practice facilities and what to expect for the future. For O’Neal, however, it’s clear what decision needs to be made.
“It’s hard, but kudos to Adam Silver for taking that first step and thinking about the safety of the people and the players,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with the remainder of the season but I would like everybody to be safe… So however long it takes for us to get 100% back to normal, I’m willing to wait.”
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA player Shannon Brown was arrested after being accused of shooting his rifle at two people who were interested in homes for sale in Atlanta last week, according to ESPN. Brown, who played nine NBA seasons and most recently spent time with Miami in 2014-15, told authorities he believed the couple was trying to break into his home. Investigators reportedly found one empty shell casing at his house, with Brown facing an aggravated assault charge due to the incident. Nobody was injured in the situation.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines whether it’s time for the NBA to consider expansion to ease the financial burden caused by COVID-19. The league will likely be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic for multiple seasons to come, particularly from a revenue standpoint. “The league has expanded its line of credit, and I assume teams are using it,” said salary-cap expert Larry Coon. “Here’s an opportunity to erase that debt.”
- Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, plans to play professionally in Europe and skip college with sights set on eventually making the NBA, according to Nikos Varlas of EuroHoops. Antetokounmpo, 18, is seeking the strongest competition possible to prepare himself for the future. “I am examining my options, I have a few choices from the States, but I have decided to play in Europe”, he said. “I want to become a pro as soon as possible. I was born and raised in Europe, I know European basketball and the best thing for me would be to sign a contract with a European club. I will have to train and compete against grown men, I will experience strong competition and pressure and I will evolve on every level.”
Coronavirus Notes: Dudley, Bubble, Heat, China
Jared Dudley, who serves as a Players Association representative for the Lakers, revealed that the NBA might be willing to play until October to finish the season (hat tip to The Sporting News). Responding late on Friday night to a comment by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that the league is willing to extend the season through Labor Day, Dudley tweeted, “I heard even Oct from Adam Silver today…”
The league has been talking with players and owners for weeks to determine a workable plan to save the season, and this is the latest potential completion date that has been made public. It reflects the growing optimism that has been reported throughout the league since a conference call involving the commissioner and the players Friday night.
There’s more coronavirus-related news:
- Players aren’t excited about the proposed “bubble” concept that would isolate everyone in a host city such as Las Vegas or Orlando, Shelburne said in an appearance on ESPN’s Dickerson & Hood radio show (Twitter link). “Players don’t really want to do a bubble,” she said. “They would much rather stay in their home cities, fly privately to and from wherever they’re going and be home with their families, not have tons of restrictions … players were really against the idea of being cooped up in a hotel for two months, three months or however long that would be.” She adds that strictly enforcing quarantine rules in a bubble setting could become problematic.
- The Heat have received formal clearance to begin player workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami-Dade County issued an amendment to an emergency order that permits “use of facilities owned or leased by a professional sports franchise, solely by employees of such franchise for training purposes.” Players are expected to begin using the facility on Wednesday.
- Chinese Basketball Association president Yao Ming said the league is considering three options for resuming play, relays Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. In an interview with CCTV, Ming explained that the league is still deciding whether to finish a full schedule, shorten the season, or go straight to the playoffs. Under any setup, players will be confined to hotels and fans will not be admitted to games.
- Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports contends it would be a mistake for the NBA to move opening day to Christmas on a permanent basis.
Knicks Notes: M. Jackson, Paul, Aller, Robinson
Former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson admits he dreams of getting another NBA coaching opportunity, but added that he won’t be upset if it doesn’t happen, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. During an appearance this week on ESPN’s First Take, Jackson talked about his experiences in Golden State and shared his opinions on other head coaches, including Steve Kerr and Tom Thibodeau.
[RELATED: Mark Jackson Says He Wants To Coach Again]
Jackson, who grew up in New York City and played for the Knicks, was a candidate to take over the team before David Fizdale was hired two years ago. Begley isn’t certain how strongly he would be considered if the Knicks decide to replace interim coach Mike Miller, but adds that Jackson still has supporters in the organization. Jackson is reportedly being considered by the Nets as well and has a strong relationship with Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant‘s business partner and manager.
Begley also notes that Jackson wanted to hire his current broadcast partner, Jeff Van Gundy, who is also under consideration to become the Knicks coach, as his top assistant with the Warriors.
There’s more from New York:
- The financial fallout from the NBA’s hiatus may make it easier for the Knicks to trade for a star such as Thunder guard Chris Paul, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post. Paul was the favorite client of new president of basketball operations Leon Rose when he was an agent, Berman points out, and his huge contract might make him available. Paul remains an elite point guard at age 35, but is owed $41.4MM next season and $44.2MM in 2020/21. With the salary cap expected to fall, the luxury tax will be a greater concern than ever and sources tell Berman that some teams will be eager to move their larger contracts.
- Newly-hired VP of strategy Brock Aller spent more than a month consulting with associates before deciding to leave the Cavaliers for the Knicks, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland general manager Koby Altman wanted Aller to stay with the organization where he spent the past 15 years, but Aller decided the chance to be part of a historic turnaround in New York was too good to pass up.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at center Mitchell Robinson to determine how much he can improve after two years in the league.