Poll: Who Will Finish With The Fewest Wins?
The Philadelphia 76ers surprised NBA fans when they started out 3-0 after many analysts suggested they had the potential to be the worst team in the league. Marc Stein of ESPN ranked the Sixers dead last in his preseason power rankings, but that didn’t stop Michael Carter-Williams and company from taking down the Heat and the Bulls.
Each one of the preseason predictions crafted by the Hoops Rumors writing team featured the Bulls and/or Heat playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, so Philly’s hot start has a lot of analysts reevaluating their outlooks. ESPN’s Eric Goldwein admits that although the Sixers are a long way from contending for a playoff spot, they don’t appear to be the league’s worst team.
The question that arises then: If Philadelphia isn’t the worst team in the NBA, who is? The Phoenix Suns were projected by Stein to finish at the bottom of the West, but they’ve quietly started out undefeated at 2-0. The Utah Jazz sit winless in the cellar of the Northwest Division, but their losses came from allowing a buzzer beater versus the Suns, playing a 3-0 Rockets team, and facing a Thunder squad that figures to fight for a Western Conference title. With Rajon Rondo missing extended time, many fans expect Boston to tank this season, but strong early season play by Jeff Green and Brandon Bass suggest there’s still a glimmer of hope in Beantown.
Which team do you see losing the most games in the NBA this season?
Odds & Ends: Tinsley, Pondexter, Kings, Mills
Here are a few notes from around the league as the NBA’s first week comes to a close:
- Jamaal Tinsley‘s one-year minimum-salary deal with the Jazz is entirely non-guaranteed, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports revealed today when he updated Utah’s team salaries.
- Quincy Pondexter‘s four-year, $14MM extension with the Grizzlies starts at close to $3.15MM next year and has gradual raises in each subsequent season, according to Deeks.
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro acknowledges that the decision not to pick up Jimmer Fredette‘s 2014/15 option was “agonizing,” but tells James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom that he ultimately decided the added flexibility for next season was too enticing to pass up.
- Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee wonders if Fredette could prove more productive on a team that plays a style more suited to him and applauds the Kings for declining his option and giving themselves more time to evaluate him before they make a further commitment.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York reports that first-year Knicks GM Steve Mills is happy with the current state of New York’s roster: “I think we like the roster we have right now. And I think we want to give it some time and see how they come together on the team and how guys gel together.“
- Keith Schlosser of SB Nation’s Ridiculous Upside breaks down the 2013/14 NBA D-League draft and highlights the most intriguing selections round-by-round.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nuggets Notes: Kroenke, Ujiri, D’Alessandro
The new-look Nuggets have yet to win a game in the 2013/14 season and find themselves underneath the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and Thunder in the Northwest Division. There’s still a lot of basketball to be played, and the Nuggets are surely looking forward to Ty Lawson‘s health improving and the return of forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari down the road. Here’s some Denver-related notes from around the league:
- Nuggets president Josh Kroenke isn’t satisfied with the mild success his team has enjoyed in recent years, but Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post argues the team needn’t strip down the roster to build a true contender, instead advocating the team pool its assets and trade for a star.
- The Nuggets came close to trading for a high draft pick this past June, Hochman reveals in the same piece.
- The departures of Masai Ujiri, Pete D’Alessandro and others from the Nuggets front office this summer is an affirmation rather than an indictment of Kroenke and the Denver organization, which is already drawing raves for its new hires, as fellow Post scribe Christopher Dempsey observes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Turiaf, Bobcats, Beasley
Here’s a quick rundown of some notes around the NBA this Saturday:
- Josh Howard was named to the training camp roster for the Austin Toros, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. The 10-year veteran, who underwent season-ending ACL surgery last winter, will play for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate as he rehabs his knee. The Spurs signed and waived Howard just last Saturday to ensure that they would retain his D-League rights.
- McDonald adds that San Antonio camp invitees Courtney Fells and Myck Kabongo will join Howard in Austin.
- The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Ronny Turiaf has undergone an MRI revealing a fracture of his right elbow. No timetable for his return has been given. The Wolves are already missing forward Chase Budinger, who is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. We heard last night that no Wolves roster moves were brewing, but if Turiaf and Budinger miss significant time, the team may need to reconsider its options.
- Bobcats owner Michael Jordan oversaw a summer in which the team hurt its chances for next year’s No. 1 pick, but he finally showed that he has a legitimate plan in place for the team, argues Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes that Michael Beasley and Roger Mason of the Heat need to prove they can provide value off the bench since their non-guaranteed contracts can be waived until the January 10th NBA guarantee date. Beasley in particular needs to demonstrate that he has grown out of his off-the-court issues that caused many NBA GMs to look past him during free agency.
- The NBA Player’s Association has started to narrow down candidates for the executive director position, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The NBPA aims to have finalists selected by All-Star weekend.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Billups, Hollins, Antetokounmpo
This NBA offseason saw an unusual amount of head coaching turnover, notes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. Three of the record 13 new head coaches have found homes in the Central Division: Mike Brown for the Cavaliers, Larry Drew for the Bucks, and Maurice Cheeks for the Pistons. Here are some more notes from around the Central Division:
- Tayshaun Prince says he was “shocked” when fellow former Pistons mainstay Chauncey Billups decided to return to Detroit this summer, but he applauds the team for a summer that was “a move in the right direction,” as MLive’s David Mayo observes.
- Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said he spoke with Lionel Hollins about the former Grizzlies coach joining the Detroit staff as an assistant, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. The talks likely took place during the summer, as Hollins remains without a coaching gig.
- Playing time might be limited for rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks would rather keep him in Milwaukee than send him on D-League assignment, tweets Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. The Bucks share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with six other NBA teams, so Antetokounmpo might get lost in the shuffle if sent down.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.