Poll Results: Hoops Rumors’ 2021 All-NBA Teams
The competition for the league’s 15 All-NBA spots was fiercer than ever in 2020/21, with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs for certain players based on the voting results. Since the NBA has already started to announce its end-of-season award winners, we wanted to give you an opportunity to vote on the All-NBA rosters for 2020/21 before they’re officially revealed.
Last Wednesday, we opened voting for the All-NBA First Team. We moved on to the Second Team last Friday, then opened the polls for the Third Team on Monday. The results of all those polls are in, so let’s check them out.
- Guard: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Guard: Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Forward: Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Center: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Guard: Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
- Guard: Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Forward: Julius Randle (Knicks)
- Forward: LeBron James (Lakers)
- Center: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
- Guard: Chris Paul (Suns)
- Guard: Devin Booker (Suns)
- Forward: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Forward: Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
- Center: Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Your top vote-getters in the final round of polling who didn’t quite earn spots on the Third Team: Nets guard James Harden, Nets forward Kevin Durant, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Pacers center Domantas Sabonis.
I think these All-NBA teams turned out pretty well, though mine would look a little different. I felt that Jimmy Butler, rather than Adebayo, was the most valuable Heat player this season, so I’d move Embiid to the Second Team and Gobert to the Third Team to open up a guard/forward spot for Butler.
I also might consider Doncic a forward to create room for Lillard on the First Team. Doncic isn’t really a forward, but I think he has a better case for the position than Embiid, and I’m not sure there’s another worthy First Team forward besides Antetokounmpo.
Additionally, even though all three Nets stars missed significant time, it seems wrong to have no Brooklyn players on the All-NBA teams this season, since the club had the league’s fourth-best regular season record and is the favorite to win a title. Durant missed over half the season and Harden played just 44 of 72 games — throw in Harden’s questionable behavior in Houston at the start of the season, and Kyrie Irving actually might have the strongest case of the three.
Irving was spectacular this season, with 26.9 PPG and 6.0 APG on an eye-popping .506/.402/.922 shooting line. Still, even he only played three-quarters of the season (54 games). Do his contributions outweigh Booker’s 25.6 PPG and 4.3 APG on .484/.340/.867 shooting in 67 games? I think the answer for me might be yes, but Booker is a fine Third Team choice.
It will be interesting to see which way the official voters go. Deciding on which positions to assign certain players could play a major role in the final results, since they’ll have a ripple effect on subsequent selections.
What do you think? Do you disagree strongly with any of these choices? Do you expect major discrepancies when the official All-NBA teams are announced? Let us know in the comment section!
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Morris, Porter, Barton, Dozier
In an interview with Serbian television that aired this week, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic expressed a desire to spend his entire career in Denver (Twitter link). The interview was filmed before the start of the season, but Jokic’s connection to the city and the team have likely gotten stronger in the wake of his MVP-caliber season.
Jokic has two more years on his current contract, paying him $31.58MM next season and $33.62MM in 2022/23. He will be 28 when he reaches free agency, and the Nuggets will almost certainly make a max extension offer before then, especially with Jamal Murray having the only significant salary beyond those years.
“When I came to Denver I said that I would love to be Denver’s Tim Duncan, because he played his whole career in San Antonio,” Jokic told RTS. “God willing, I would love to play my whole career in Denver.”
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Damian Lillard is putting up historic numbers, but the Nuggets hold the lead in their series with the Trail Blazers because Austin Rivers and Monte Morris have been able to neutralize CJ McCollum, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Morris, who got a three-year, $27MM extension in December after starting his career as a two-way player, said he has come a long way since his first postseason experience in 2019.“I had nightmares before every playoff game, my first playoffs,” he said. “That’s why I bust my (backside) and work hard, whether I’m here or off the Ball Arena premises. Just because I don’t ever want that feeling again. It was a hard feeling. A hard pill to swallow.”
- With Murray unavailable for the playoffs, Denver needs more production from Michael Porter Jr., and he able to deliver in Game 5, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Using his size advantage over the Portland wings, Porter shook off two sub-par games and posted 26 points and 12 rebounds in the double-overtime victory. “Michael’s way too talented of a player to have two games like that, back-to-back,” coach Michael Malone said. “I just told him how proud I was of him, and he goes, ‘Hey coach, I gotta do that every night.’ And he’s right, he does. And he understands that.”
- Will Barton and PJ Dozier will both miss Thursday’s Game 6, Singer tweets. Barton is dealing with a strained right hamstring and hasn’t played since April 23. Dozier is sidelined with a right adductor strain.
Celtics Will Start Coaching Search With Internal Interviews
The first step in the Celtics‘ search for a new head coach to replace Brad Stevens will begin with several internal candidates, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Chris Mannix of SI.com suggested as much earlier today.
Boston’s head coaching position opened up this morning when Danny Ainge resigned as president of basketball operations and Stevens was chosen to replace him.
Weiss notes that Stevens’ staff has several strong candidates. Jay Larranaga interviewed for the Hornets’ head coaching spot before James Borrego was hired, and Scott Morrison and Brandon Bailey both coached at the team’s G League affiliate in Maine. Jerome Allen is a former NBA player with college head coaching experience at the University of Pennsylvania, while Jamie Young has been with the team since 2008.
Among external candidates, the most interesting name is Kara Lawson, who would become the first female NBA head coach if she gets the job. Lawson spent a year as an assistant in Boston before leaving in 2020 to become head coach of the women’s team at Duke. Others to watch, sources tell Weiss, include former Celtics players Sam Cassell, currently an assistant with the Sixers, and Chauncey Billups, who is on the Clippers‘ staff.
Weiss also expects interest in former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce, Timberwolves assistant David Vanterpool, Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Nets assistant Ime Udoka, Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee. According to Weiss, another potential outsider is Juwan Howard if he’s willing to leave Michigan.
Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Caldwell-Pope, Drummond
Anthony Davis told reporters he’s feeling better today, but the decision on whether he plays in Thursday’s Game 6 will be made by the Lakers‘ medical staff, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis was held out of Game 5 with a left groin strain, and L.A. wasn’t able to stay close without him, falling behind by 30 points at halftime.
Davis said the groin injury was a result of overcompensating for a hyperextended left knee that he suffered in Game 3. He is averaging 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in four games, but L.A. has been ineffective when he hasn’t been on the court.
Davis had been hoping to play in Game 5, but determined during a second warm-up session that he wasn’t able to go, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Davis said he went through 20 minutes of shooting and the injury still felt the same.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel replied, “We’ll see,” when asked about Davis’ chances of returning for Game 6, saying it will be a game-time decision (Twitter link from McMenamin). “He’s doing everything he can to get back out there,” Vogel said.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- LeBron James cautioned Davis against trying to return too soon, according to Chris Haynes of The Athletic. James had a similar injury during the 2018/19 season that kept him out for several weeks.
- Vogel also expects Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to be a game-time decision on Thursday night, Rankin adds (via Twitter). Caldwell-Pope returned in Game 5 after missing Game 4 with a sore left knee, but he played just 15 minutes in the lopsided loss. He said the knee tightened up in the second half and affected his ability to move.
- The Lakers appear determined to keep Andre Drummond beyond this season, McMenamin said this week on Zach Lowe’s podcast (hat tip to Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily). Drummond was widely considered to be a rental when he signed with L.A. in late March after a buyout with the Cavaliers, but L.A. reportedly believes the 27-year-old center is worth a long-term investment. He’s rumored to be seeking a max deal in free agency this summer, so he would have to significantly scale back those demands for a deal with the Lakers to be realistic. Marc Gasol is the only center L.A. has under contract for next season, although Montrezl Harrell has a $9.72MM player option.
Celtics Notes: Stevens, Fields, Presti, Ainge, Holtmann
The Celtics promoted Brad Stevens from head coach to president of basketball operations today, but they never considered having him handle both roles, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Stevens said he would have been happy to continue coaching if Danny Ainge was still running the front office, but he began considering the move in conversations with owner Wyc Grousbeck when Ainge started talking about retirement.
Grousbeck said he considers coaching and personnel decisions to be “two separate jobs,” and Bontemps adds that neither Stevens nor management pushed for a dual role. The idea of having a head coach with a prominent voice in front office decisions has become less common across the league in recent years.
“I think it’s too much (to do both jobs),” Stevens said. “All of my intention, energy, focus is doing this job well, and hiring a great coach and trusting they will do their job well. I think that everyone will benefit from that approach. To me, that would have been a lot to be able to do both of those things. I know some people have done it, some people have done it really well, but that would have been a great challenge.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Hawks assistant general manager Landry Fields has been mentioned as a candidate to become GM of the Celtics, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). Bondy notes that Fields could complement Stevens because of his history in dealing with agent and player relationships.
- Before turning to Stevens, the Celtics thought about trying to land long-time Thunder general manager Sam Presti, sources confirmed to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. A Massachusetts native, Presti has been with the organization since 2007 when it was still in Seattle. Several other internal candidates were considered, according to O’Connor, who adds that there have been rumors for months that Ainge might be leaving, with speculation that he would be interested in working for Utah, where much of his family lives, or possibly Portland.
- Ainge’s decision to step down has been in the works for a couple of months, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Sources tell Murphy that Ainge informed ownership of his intentions shortly after the March 25 trade deadline.
- Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann is a strong “sleeper” candidate as the Celtics begin their search for a new head coach, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Like Stevens, Holtmann is a former Butler coach and has enjoyed success in the college ranks. Hollinger mentions Dayton’s Anthony Grant as another under-the-radar possibility.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Harden, Randle
Sixers center Joel Embiid‘s status is uncertain after being diagnosed with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, but the team remains hopeful that he’ll be able to return sometime during the playoffs. In a session with reporters this afternoon, head coach Doc Rivers was asked if he thinks Embiid will be back on the court this postseason, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
“Yeah, I do. Or at least I’m hopeful, I think that would be a better way of putting it,” Rivers replied. “He’s going to do his treatment and we’re going to assess him day to day, and see what we can get.” When asked specifically about the second round, Rivers said, “I have no expectation, other than I hope for him to be back. I can’t give you a timeline. … I can just tell you that he’s willing to go through whatever it takes to get back on the floor. He’s a warrior.” (Twitter link).
Embiid was dominant in the first three games of Philadelphia’s first-round series with Washington, averaging 29.3 points per night as the Sixers took a 3-0 lead. He played just 11 minutes in Game 4 before leaving with knee soreness, and the Wizards were able to remain alive, setting up a potentially pivotal game tonight.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Rivers defended his other star after the Wizards took advantage of Ben Simmons‘ poor free throw shooting in the Game 4 victory, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Washington committed four intentional fouls on Simmons, who missed three free throws in the final two minutes. “You want me to take Ben Simmons off the floor? He’s pretty good. I’ll pass on that suggestion,” Rivers said. “He could have (made more free throws) but he didn’t. But he still does other things. I’ll take that. Listen, keep the narrative going, we’re just going to keep playing.”
- The Nets quickly shifted their focus to a second-round series with the Bucks after finishing off the Celtics Tuesday night, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN. “I’m thinking about them right now,” James Harden said at the post-game press conference. “Just the matchups and things that they do on both ends of the ball. Obviously, we know how good they are on both sides and their individual talents.”
- The Knicks aren’t giving much attention to provocative comments from Hawks center Clint Capela, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care,” Julius Randle said. “I just heard about it and I do not care. We’re not focused on that. We’re focused on what we’ve got to do as a team.”
And-Ones: Coach K, Fan Conduct, Williams-Goss, Coaching Candidates
Longtime Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire following the upcoming 2021/2022 college basketball season, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (via Twitter). Coach K has helmed the Duke program since 1980, and has been key in ushering in the era of one-and-done college players and collegiate recruiting battles.
During his tenure as head coach, Krzyzewski led the team to five national titles and 12 Final Fours, and with two potential top freshman on next year’s roster in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, he will look to end his storied career with one final title run.
Goodman also reports that assistant coach Jon Scheyer is the leading candidate to replace Krzyzewski. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that Scheyer is considered Duke’s coach-in-waiting.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- As fan-related incidents continue to occur around the league, the NBA has instituted new measures in an attempt to prevent fan misconduct, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. These policies include: encouraging teams/arenas to pursue legal recourse against such actions, enhanced security, and a “code of conduct” message to be broadcast multiple times throughout the game.
- Former Jazz point guard Nigel Williams-Goss has agreed to a two-year deal with Real Madrid, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’2″ point guard played 15 games for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia this season, averaging 17 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 46% from three.
- Although the Celtics are the only team with a head coach vacancy so far this summer, there are plenty of enticing first-time head coach options available, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. Among them: Patrick Ewing, Chauncey Billups, Will Weaver, and Darko Rajakovic. Arnovitz uses present success stories to detail what front offices are looking for in a first time head coach and what attributes can make them successful.
- Now that the first season of the Basketball Africa League has ended and Egypt’s Zamalek has been crowned champions, the league is looking ahead and planning its 2022 season, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “The biggest triumph? Maybe it was just making it to reality,” BAL President Amadou Fall said, regarding the first season of the new league. “Just a long time coming and just being the culmination of many decades of work and engagement by the NBA across the continent, committed to growing the game. And now, it has established a complete pathway for basketball development from grassroots to elites and just league.” Those in and around the league are hoping that as the BAL grows, it will attract more and more viewers and participants from around the country. Though none of the players this season are expected to draw attention from NBA teams, Fall expects that to change soon. “This is the first time that this league is here,” Zamalek’s Walter Hodge said upon receiving the Hakeem Olajuwon MVP award. “And it’s going to be here for a long time.”
Pistons Hire John Beilein As Senior Advisor
JUNE 2: The Pistons have announced the hiring of Beilein, confirming in a press release that his new title is senior advisor/player development. He’ll work closely with Detroit’s coaching staff and development coaches to “analyze, implement, and execute player skill development programs,” according to the club.
“There is nothing more important to our franchise right now than the growth and development of our players,” team owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “Having spent time with John, we all know he is one of the best teachers in the game of basketball at any level. Dwane’s decision and desire to bring him on board underscores our commitment to helping this young Pistons team maximize its potential. John will be a real asset to the organization and we are fortunate to have him join us.”
JUNE 1: The Pistons are hiring former Cavaliers head coach and longtime University of Michigan coach John Beilein as their senior advisor of player development, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
The team will announce the hire this week, Stein adds.
Following great success at the college level, Beilein was hired as Cleveland’s head coach prior to the 2019/20 season. Beilein resigned after just 54 games, going 14-40 amid player complaints that he was out of touch and ill-suited for the NBA game.
Beilein spent the past college season as an analyst for the Big Ten Network.
Beilein was a frequent presence at Pistons games this season and the plan to bring him into the fold has been in the works for some time, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets, adding that coach Dwane Casey strongly supports the move.
No New Positive COVID-19 Tests Among Players Since May 26
The NBA and NBPA announced today in a press release that out of the 278 players tested for COVID-19 since May 26, none returned a new positive confirmed test.
After a turbulent NBA season marred by postponed games and players missing substantial time due to health and safety protocols, the playoffs have managed to proceed uninterrupted by COVID-related delays, and it appears that things are trending in the right direction.
This marks two straight weeks for the league without a positive result, as well as only two positive tests since May 5, an encouraging sign for the league as the NBA approaches the second round of the 2021 postseason — and as stadiums have eased their restrictions for fan capacity.
Given the league’s previous concerns about ensuring the safety of the players in this year’s bubble-free postseason, it would appear that the protocols in place are working — a welcome relief as the NBA attempts to recreate some sense of normalcy surrounding the draft process and Summer League this offseason.
Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Achiuwa, Robinson
Heat star Jimmy Butler is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, it’s likely he will seek a four-year, maximum-salary deal worth $181MM. The 32-year old wing is currently under contract through the 2022/23 season, but a four-year extension would align his contract with star center Bam Adebayo‘s recently-signed max extension, as both would expire following the 2025/26 season. Such an extension would pay Butler $50MM in 2025/26, when he’d be 36 years old.
Following a disappointing first round sweep at the hands of the Bucks, the Heat will be looking to add to their roster this summer. When asked if he would be taking a role in roster decisions, Butler said: “I don’t know. I’ve got to be active… Me myself, Bam, hell probably Tyler (Herro), some other guys, as well — they’re going to ask and we have to be honest. But at the end of the day, that’s not our job either.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- With the Tokyo Olypmics postponed until this summer, several Heat players will have important decisions to make, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Precious Achiuwa and Gabe Vincent are both potential members of the Nigerian national team, while Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo are in the player pool for the U.S. team and Omer Yurtseven is likely to represent Turkey. But with a short training camp this season, the possibility of missing out on yet another summer of training with the Heat represents a major decision, especially for young players such as Achiuwa and Vincent. The choice between Summer League and representing his nation in the Olympics is one Achiuwa isn’t rushing. “Right now,” he says, “I have time on my hands to kind of just weigh my options and see where I go from there.”
- Not only do the Heat not have a pick in this year’s draft, but they have the fewest tradable future picks of any team in the NBA, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. As a result of trades for players such as Butler, Goran Dragic, and Victor Oladipo, a 2024 second-round pick is the only draft asset they have that’s available to be traded over the next seven drafts.
- In a Q&A for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why Adebayo and Butler should be considered untouchable in trades, details the fallacy of the “Leastern Conference” idea, and discusses whether adding a three point shot should be the primary focus of Adebayo’s summer.
- With the 2020/21 season in the rearview mirror, Winderman graded each team member’s performance, as well as sharing his thoughts for their futures in Dade County. In regards to Duncan Robinson‘s impending restricted free agency, Winderman views $15MM per season as a reasonable cutoff point.