Western Notes: Holiday, Grizzlies, Kings
Anthony Davis has requested a trade and it could have a domino effect on the rest of the Pelicans‘ roster. Jrue Holiday, who is gaining All-Star consideration this year, could be viewed as an attractive trade asset, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com writes.
Holiday, who signed a five-year deal with New Orleans in 2017, is making approximately $26MM this season and will take home the same amount over the next two campaigns. His deal contains a player option worth slightly under $26.9MM for the 2021/22 season.
Marks examines some other potential sellers at the trade deadline. Here are the highlights from the teams in the Western Conference:
- The Grizzlies are open for business when it comes to trading Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Conley has the most on-court value, Marks notes. Conley’s deal runs through the 2021/22 season and he’ll take home approximately $34.5MM in the final year of the deal. The point guard will turn 33 prior to that season and his age and length of the deal present risks for rival suitors.
- Marks expects Garrett Temple, JaMychal Green and Justin Holiday to garner interest from teams in contention for the playoffs. It was previously reported that teams were calling Memphis about Green and Temple. Holiday, whom the Grizzlies recently traded for, can not be dealt in combination with any other player.
- The Kings are outside the playoff picture and have little incentive to tank considering their first-rounder will go to either Philadelphia or Boston, Marks notes. The team possesses roughly $11MM in cap space, though it doesn’t have to utilize it by the trade deadline. The ability to use the cap space will expire on June 30, so Sacramento could make a deal closer to the NBA draft.
Anthony Davis Tells Pelicans He Wants Out
The Pelicans have been informed that Anthony Davis won’t sign a contract extension with the team and he’d prefer to be traded.
“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Davis’ agent Rich Paul tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. “Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that’s the reason for informing them of this decision now. That’s in the best interests of both Anthony’s and the organization’s future.”
According to Wojnarowski, New Orleans has no desire to move Davis before this year’s trade deadline. The majority of NBA teams are expected to check in with the Pelicans.
The Celtics won’t be able to make a deal for Davis before the deadline, as they are restricted by the Rose Rule. Teams can only roster one player with that kind of provision and Kyrie Irving‘s deal qualifies. Irving becomes a free agent on July 1 and the Celtics could re-sign the point guard and agree to a trade for Davis, though the transaction couldn’t be completed until that date.
The Lakers are determined to acquire Davis, sources tell Woj. Los Angeles has an opportunity to pursue a deal while Boston, arguably the franchise with the greatest trade assets, is forced to sit on the sidelines. If Los Angeles is going to put together a package for Davis, it will start with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a future No. 1 pick, sources tell Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Selecting The Western Conference All-Stars
Earlier in the week, we passed along our Eastern Conference All-Star selections. We’ll examine the Western Conference today…
West Starters
G Rockets James Harden
G Warriors Stephen Curry
FC Warriors Kevin Durant
FC Nuggets Nikola Jokic
FC Pelicans Anthony Davis
Slotting Harden and Curry into the guard spots is easy. Figuring out who should start in the frontcourt is an immensely difficult task.
Davis has done everything for the Pelicans and no player is responsible for a higher percentage of his team’s wins. Durant is averaging 28.0 points per game while shooting 51.1% from the field and dishing out a career-high 6.0 assists per game.
Paul George is proving he belongs among the league’s best, averaging 27.0 points and putting himself in position to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Jokic’s team had the best record in the west for a large part of the season. Harden and Russell Westbrook are the only players in the conference averaging more assists per game than Jokic and he’s in the top five in VORP, plus/minus, PER, and NBA Math’s TPA.
LeBron James missing the cut for the starters comes down to him missing a portion of the season to film Space Jam 2 to nurse a groin injury and the ridiculous level of competition alongside him in the Western Conference frontcourt ranks.
LBJ and George would likely be starters in other years and you could argue that either would be starting if the league simply picked the 10 best players this season rather than having the East-West distinction.
West Reserves
A brief backstory: Shortly after the 2016 NBA Finals, I engaged in a debate with a friend over Steven Adams‘ future in the league. Adams had just had a nice series against the Warriors and overall, He had an encouraging playoff run.
My friend envisioned Adams making the leap and become All-Star worthy but I couldn’t see it and two friendly wagers were formed: Will Adams ever make an All-Star game? Who will have more All-Star appearances in their respective careers, Adams or Dragan Bender? (This looks really bad in hindsight, but at the time, Bender was a highly-touted prospect a few weeks away from being a top-5 pick. It’s one of my Sam Hinkie manifesto moments where I’m happy to be wrong for the right reasons.)
Adams is unlikely to make this year’s game, even with a boost in fan voting as a result of his anime connection, but he deserves consideration, which is a sentence I never thought I’d write. He’s hit career highs in a slew of traditional categories and he’s among the top 10 in the West in win shares.
However, if Adams is ever going to make an All-Star game, he’ll likely need things to break right (injuries, talent migration into the east, being a key part of a No. 1 seed that completely exceeds expectations akin to the 2014/15 60-win Atlanta Hawks) or he’ll need to be traded to the East. There’s just too much frontcourt talent in the Western Conference.
As for who should make it, LeBron, George, and Karl-Anthony Towns are no-brainers. Damian Lillard will make his fourth All-Star appearance while Rudy Gobert should expect his first nod, as he’s leading the league in field goal percentage and essentially every advanced defensive statistical category.
LaMarcus Aldridge was in a funk during the first quarter of the season but he’s caught fire since Thanksgiving, scoring 22.7 points and shooting 57.0% from the field since the last week in November. He and DeMar DeRozan deserve credit for their part in keeping the Spurs in the playoff picture.
Can the Pelicans get two All-Stars while residing in the conference’s 12th spot? I can’t support it despite how important Jrue Holiday has been to New Orleans.
Luka Doncic should win the Rookie of the Year but he doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star. Yes, he has exceeded expectations for Dallas, but he’s shooting a ho-hum 35,6% from behind the arc and 42.8% from the field overall for a team that only has the depressing Grizzlies and inexperienced Suns behind them in the conference standings.
The Clippers could send either Danilo Gallinari or Tobias Harris to Charlotte. I’m giving the nod to Harris. His shooting percentage dipped slightly below 50% recently but he has a good chance to make at least half of his shots from the field and 40% from deep while averaging at least 20 points per game. Kyrie Irving is the only player who’s currently accomplishing that feat. Here are the qualified players to achieve those figures over the past four seasons:
- 2017/18: Towns, Durant
- 2016/17: None
- 2015/16: Curry (won MVP), Kawhi Leonard
- 2014/15: Durant, Blake Griffin
Each player made the All-Star game during those seasons and Harris warrants an invitation to this year’s event.
Lastly, Russell Westbrook is leading the league in assists. He’s scoring 21.8 points per game but he’s making just 41.6% of his shots, including 24.2% from 3-point range. He’s coughing up 3.5 turnovers per contest and is making just 65.5% of his six free throw attempts per contest.
Westbrook led the league in total missed shots in each of the past two seasons and somehow, he’s become even less efficient this year. The 30-year-old will likely make his eighth All-Star appearance next month but I wouldn’t bet on him making too many more beyond this season unless he figures out how to increase his efficiency and reduces the turnovers.
Recap of Western Conference Reserves
Thunder Paul George
Lakers LeBron James
Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns
Blazers Damian Lillard
Jazz Rudy Gobert
Clippers Tobias Harris
Thunder Russell Westbrook
Do you agree with the selections above? Are there any changes you would make to the list? What 12 players would you vote into this year’s All-Star game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Selecting The Eastern Conference All-Stars
All-Star weekend is approaching and it’s time to dish out votes for each of the 24 spots. We’ll examine the Eastern Conference today, but be sure to check back later in the week for the All-Star selections from the Western Conference.
East Starters
G Celtics Kyrie Irving
G Sixers Ben Simmons
FC Raptors Kawhi Leonard
FC Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo
FC Sixers Joel Embiid
Embiid and Antetokounmpo are legit MVP candidates and while Leonard has fallen from that status, the former Spur remains a full notch above any other frontcourt player in the conference.
Irving is an easy selection. Bradley Beal has the biggest case to unseat Simmons in the starting lineup. He’s the sole reason the Wizards are in arm’s reach of a playoff spot. Yet, Simmons is simply having a special season. Simmons carries a higher PER (21.1 to 19.3) than Beal. He is responsible for more victories than Beal, according to win shares (5.4 to 3.3), and he bests the 25-year-old shooting guard in nearly all traditional and advanced stats outside of points and three-point shooting.
Simmons is shooting 57.6% from the field, an absurd figure for a player who spends so much time on the perimeter and has nothing that resembles a jump shot. Much of his success can be attributed to talent, more so than to a scheme. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com recently detailed how the Warriors are utilizing Draymond Green with the ball in his hands when opposing defenders are allowing him to be all alone on the perimeter. When a defender sinks back, Green will toss the ball to a shooter around the arch and then sprint toward the shooter in order to screen that player’s man. The defender responsible for Green is left scrambling toward the shooter from closer to the paint and it’s too late; the look is clean. 
Admittedly, the Warriors are on a different level. They are building beach houses while most of the league is negotiating rent. Still, opposing teams are defending Simmons without anything close to the threat of this kind of wizardry.
Teams know exactly what Simmons is going to do and most can’t stop it, akin to how opponents are struggling to contain the Greek Freek in Milwaukee. If Giannis is the Mona Lisa, then Simmons is the Vitruvian Man and 22-year-old should have his artistry on display with the starters in Charlotte.
East Reserves
Nikola Vucevic is having an outstanding season. He joins Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Embiid as the only players averaging 20 and 12. He’s one of five players making at least 50% of his shots while averaging at least one block and a 3-pointer made per game. He’s propping up the Magic to appear like a real playoff contender.
Vucevic and Beal aren’t the only lead singers who are relying on backup dancers as their squads audition for a playoff spot. The Pistons and Hornets would be bottom-feeders if not for Blake Griffin and Kemba Walker on their respective teams, though both players have had highs and lows this season.
The Nets have been great and both Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell deserve consideration for their part in Brooklyn’s feel-good story but neither player makes the cut. I wanted to find a spot for Josh Richardson. He’s been Miami’s most important player, but he’s cooled off during the second quarter of the season.
In terms of talent, Jimmy Butler is among the best in the East. However, he’s missed time because of the weeks-long tantrum he threw in Minnesota, the resulting trade period, and the three minor ailments that have caused him to sit since joining the Sixers.
Kyle Lowry also missed a chunk of time. Same with Al Horford and Victor Oladipo. Injuries are unfortunate but how many players can be named All-Stars while missing close to 20% of their games? I’m designating one spot to this criteria and Oladipo has been the best of the bunch. (It kills me to leave out Lowry, a Philadelphia-native, but being available to play matters, especially when splitting hairs among quality players).
Eric Bledsoe is second on the conference-leading Bucks in win shares. He’s played well as both an isolation player when Milwaukee needed a bucket and within the flow of the offense. On defense, he’s done everything the team has needed and more. Stephen Curry is the only point guard with a higher net rating than Bledsoe this season.
My last spot goes to Pascal Siakam. Stability can be valuable – especially with Lowry and Leonard consistently shuffling in and out of the lineup – and the power forward has produced regardless of whoever has been on the court alongside him.
Siakam’s improvement since last season is remarkable. He can put on his Draymond Green hat and become a facilitator when needed. With his smooth lateral movement, he can be an impactful defender on the perimeter and the Raptors don’t skip a beat when teams switch him onto an agile guard. He does all of this in addition to providing solid interior defense and efficient scoring (shooting 57.1% on the year) while playing the most minutes for a legitimate title contender (at 1,490 minutes played, Siakam has played roughly 100 more minutes than anyone else on the Raptors).
The advanced metrics match the eye test. He’s in the top 10 in the league in Net Rating among those playing 25 minutes per contest. Only seven players in the Eastern Conference rank higher than Siakam in win shares; Only six rank higher in NBA Math’s Total Points Added metric.
Many voters will leave Siakam off their list, as he doesn’t have the track record of other All-Star candidates. He hasn’t proven he can sustain this level of play; he hasn’t put in the time. Regardless of the lack of experience, he’s showcased his worthiness during the first half of the season. With his hustle and grind, his efficiency, and his ability to deliver night after night for the Raptors, he’s proven he deserves to be called an All-Star this season.
Recap of Eastern Conference Reserves
Magic Nikola Vucevic
Wizards Bradley Beal
Pistons Blake Griffin
Hornets Kemba Walker
Pacers Victor Oladipo
Bucks Eric Bledsoe
Raptors Pascal Siakam
Do you agree with the selections above? Are there any changes you would make to the list? What 12 players would you vote into this year’s All-Star game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anthony Davis May Miss Additional Time
Anthony Davis is set to a specialist for his injured hand and may miss additional time because of the ailment. According to his agent, Rich Paul, the fear is that he has a fracture in his left index finger, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Davis injured his hand during the Pelicans-Blazers tilt last Friday and was expected to miss one to two weeks. If a fracture is confirmed, Davis could miss up to a month of action.
The 2018/19 campaign has been deemed a pivotal season for Davis and New Orleans, as the former No. 1 overall pick can become a highly-coveted free agent during the summer of 2020. If the Pelicans get a sense that Davis will walk, the franchise will have to consider trading him this upcoming offseason. Dealing him during the 2019/20 regular season wouldn’t provide another team much time to get Davis acclimated and that could drive down the value that rival teams are willing to give up in exchange for the big man.
New Orleans is currently just 3.5 games behind Utah for the eighth seed in the conference, though they’d also have to jump the Lakers, Kings, and Wolves to surpass the Jazz in the standings.
Nets Notes: Allen, Russell, Trades
There aren’t many “untouchables” in the NBA when it comes to trade talks, though most teams have a few players that it would take a king’s ransom to part with. Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and D’Angelo Russell have earned their place in the Nets‘ long-term outlook and barring an overwhelming return, Michael Scotto of The Athletic doesn’t envision any of the three going anywhere anytime soon.
Before the season, Russell’s inclusion on the list may have seemed silly, but the former No. 2 overall pick is having his best season as a pro and he’s become a key part of the team’s success.
“Everything that we do offensively, he is sort of the lifeblood of us,” Joe Harris said after a recent Nets win. “Everything flows through him. He does a really good job of dictating the pace, getting guys in rhythm, and just doing a really good job on every level. He does a really good job facilitating for others and for himself. Obviously, we’re really lucky to have a player of his caliber on our team.”
Russell will be a restricted free agent after the season. GM Sean Marks has a history of going after other team’s RFAs and this offseason, he’ll likely get a taste of his own medicine with rival teams looking at Russell.
Scotto offers more in his piece for The Athletic. Here are the highlights:
- Ed Davis, who signed a one-year deal last summer, hopes to remain with the Nets long-term, as he tells Scotto. “I’m at a point in my career where I don’t want to keep bouncing around,” Davis said. “This is my fifth team. I’ve got a wife and kids. They like it here. It’s close to home, so hopefully, when the season is over, we can figure something out and make something work.
- The Nets love Allen’s ability to pick up schemes quickly and his coachability, Scotto adds in the same piece. Allen has made highlight reels with his ability to make monstrous blocks but he’s actively working on his offense, including a corner 3-point shot.
- Harris and Rodions Kurucs are unlikely to be traded but if either player was put on the trade block, the Nets would likely garner a first-round pick in return, Scotto speculates. The scribe adds that if there were a re-draft of this year’s rookie class, Kurucs, who was selected with the No. 40 overall pick, would be a first-rounder.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/22/19
Here are Tuesday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Bucks have recalled Christian Wood from the Wisconsin Herd, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Wood scored 34 points and brought down a franchise-record 23 rebounds for the team’s G League affiliate on Jan 19.
- The Hornets have recalled Devonte’ Graham from the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s website. Graham has appeared in seven games for the Swarm this season and he’s averaging 22.4 points per game.
Grizzlies Listening To Offers For Gasol, Conley
The Grizzlies will listen to trade offers for Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports. Both players recently met with owner Robert Pera, though neither player has requested a trade.
If the Grizzlies are going to trade either of their cornerstone players, they may insist on including Chandler Parsons in the deal, Marc Stein of The New York Times hears.
Gasol is making roughly $24.1MM while Conley’s deal will pay him approximately $30.5MM this season. Combining either one of those deals with Parsons’ $24.1MM salary in a trade will be no easy task. Stein suggests a three- or four-team deal may be needed if Memphis is going to make a trade on those terms.
Any team acquiring Gasol would likely want assurances that he will stick around beyond this season. It’s unclear what the big man’s preference for a new squad would be. Stein adds that while Memphis is listening to offers, the club’s preference is not to trade Gasol. Wojnarowski notes that Grizzlies could keep both players if the offers are not to their liking, though they are “motivated” to begin building around 2018 No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson.
Only the Suns have a worse record than the Grizzlies among Western Conference teams and it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the franchise will be sellers in one way or another at the deadline.
Fantasy Hoops: Grant, Brewer, Rockets
The fantasy basketball season is well underway and Hoops Rumors wants to help you make the playoffs in your season-long leagues as well as take down the competition in daily fantasy. Here are some observations and notes from around the league:
The Undervalued Jerami Grant
The list of players who are shooting at least 52.0% from the field while adding at least one block and one 3-pointer made per game this season: Jerami Grant and…that’s it. Bring the filter down to 50% shooting and Anthony Davis (50.8%), Al Horford (51.9%), Kevin Durant (51.2%), and Nikola Vucevic (51.8%) join the Thunder‘s utility knife.
Grant, who has double-doubled in five straight games, lends fantasy owners production in multiple categories without being a nuisance in the remaining fields. He’s averaging less than one turnover per game. He’s hitting 70% of his foul shots on the year on nearly three attempts per game, and has increased that rate to 83.7% over the past month. Over the past 30 days, he’s added 1.1 steals per game.
Since the beginning of December, the Thunder have played at the fastest pace in the league and Grant has solidified himself as the third-best player in a good fantasy basketball situation. Grant joins Paul George, who is rightfully gaining attention as a top player in the league, and Russell Westbrook, whose putrid shooting percentages and high turnover rate have led him to be chronically overvalued by many, as a must-own player in 9-cat leagues.
What’s Brewing In Philly
The Sixers appear to have hit on another mid-season free agent acquisition with Corey Brewer.
On Monday night, Brewer started for an injured Jimmy Butler and accumulated 11 points, three rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist, all while he antagonized and defended James Harden in front of a rowdy Philadelphia crowd. He’s currently on a 10-day contract and it would be shocking if the Sixers do not bring him back on another deal once that concludes.
For fantasy purposes, he’s not worth rostering right now, but keep an eye on him in daily leagues for potential games in which Butler or other top Sixers miss.
The Capela Catastrophe
Clint Capela suffered a thumb injury earlier this month and it has not gone well for the Houston frontcourt defense since the big man has been sidelined. The Rockets were able to contain a grumpy Marc Gasol in game one post-Capela but since then, the interior defense has been abysmal. Here’s a rundown of how opposing centers have fared over the last three games:
- Jarrett Allen (43 minutes): 20 points, 24 rebounds, three blocks, 10-of-19 shooting, 19 FT attempts.
- Ivica Zubac (21 minutes): 17 points, 7 rebounds, one block, 4-of-6 shooting, 9 FT attempts.
- JaVale McGee (16 minutes): 12 points, 14 rebounds, one block, 6-for-8 shooting, 4 FT attempts
- Joel Embiid (27 minutes): 32 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, 9-for-16 shooting, 17 FT attempts.
The Rockets have no one who can guard opposing fives for any lengthy stretch. The team brought in Kenneth Faried to add depth to the frontcourt and he’ll bring value on the offensive end, especially with his developing 3-point shot. But he’s simply not equipped to solve the team’s interior defense issues.
Coach Mike D’Antoni will have his work cut out for him as he tries to solve those interior woes. Perhaps the team will continue to be aggressive fouling big men when they are overmatched (Faried will at least provide six additional hacks on the defensive end). Regardless, the Rockets are an exploitable matchup for opposing fives in daily fantasy and should be targeted until either the team finds a stopgap or Capela returns.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bulls, Rockets Complete Carmelo Anthony Trade
The Rockets and Bulls have completed the Carmelo Anthony deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The Bulls have confirmed the trade is official.
Anthony will head to Chicago along with the draft rights to Jon Diebler and approximately $1.56MM in cash while Houston will receive the draft rights to Tadija Dragicevic.
Diebler is a 30-year-old shooting guard who was originally drafted with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Blazers. Dragicevic, who will turn 33 later this month, is a power forward who was selected with the No. 53 overall pick back in 2008 by the Jazz. Both players currently play in Turkey. Neither player has any NBA experience and it’s unlikely either “prospect” makes his way to the league any time soon.
The Bulls are not expected to play Anthony but will likely either release him or scour the league for a trade. Anthony reportedly wants to find a place where he can make an impact.
The cost for picking up Anthony’s salary at this stage of the season is $675K, so the cash Chicago is receiving more than enough to covers his deal. The Rockets are facing luxury tax concerns, so moving him allows the franchise to lower their anticipated tax payment.
Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets, averaging 13.4 points per game. The fit wasn’t there in Houston and he’ll likely wait until after the trade deadline to find a new home. The Lakers reportedly have some interest, though the team’s roster is full and the franchise doesn’t want to waive a player on a guaranteed contract in order to add the 10-time All-Star.