Community Shootaround: Lottery Teams
There will be plenty of attention over the next two months regarding the race for the top seeds in each conference. Several other teams will be aiming for one of the three bottom seeds.
While the lottery odds were changed a few years ago, it hasn’t discouraged tanking. The teams that finish with the three worst records have a 14 percent chance of getting the top pick.
That strategy paid off for the Pistons last season, as they rested several starters in the final weeks of the season and wound up with the second-worst mark. They won the lottery and drafted the consensus top pick, Cade Cunningham.
The Rockets, who lost their way to the worst record, still got the second pick and chose Jalen Green.
Lo and behold, those same two teams are well-positioned for a top-three pick again this year, though there’s more mystery which player will go No. 1. Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero are currently the top candidates.
The Magic entered the All-Star break with the worst record, with the Pistons and Rockets just “behind” them in the race for the bottom. However, another team or two could crash the tanking party. The Thunder, Pacers, Kings, Pelicans and Spurs have also won fewer than 40 percent of their games, though New Orleans must convey its pick to the Trail Blazers if it’s between No. 5 and No. 14.
Speaking of the retooling Blazers, it’s conceivable they could go on a long losing streak, though with 25 wins in the bank it would difficult to drop near the bottom. The Pacers, who also went into rebuild mode, could be another prime candidate for a nosedive.
That leads us to our question of the day: Which three teams do you foresee finishing with the worst records this season and gaining the best lottery odds?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Southeast Notes: Hampton, Williamson, Smart, Collins
Magic guard R.J. Hampton is expected to be in uniform on Friday, Dan Savage of the team’s website reports. Hampton missed the last 14 games due to an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left knee. He got through back-to-back full contact practices on Wednesday and Thursday without any issues.
“It felt very good to get back on the court with the guys,” Hampton said. “I’ve missed doing what I love for the last month.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks should go all-in to acquire Zion Williamson this offseason if the Pelicans make him available and the medical records come back clean, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic argues. Despite some red flags regarding Williamson, he can be as dominant as Joel Embiid if he overcomes his injury and conditioning issues, says Kirschner, citing Williamson’s stats and advanced metrics from last season.
- Javonte Smart‘s two-way contract with the Heat is a two-year deal, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. The rookie guard signed with Miami on February 15th.
- Hawks forward John Collins missed Thursday’s game due to a right foot strain, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Collins hasn’t played since February 11. He’s averaging 16.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG after signing a five-year, $125MM contract.
Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Pelinka, Identity
LeBron James needs to offer the Lakers a commitment before they decide what to do with him and the roster in general this offseason, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. James is eligible for a two-year extension after the season but otherwise would become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. If James is intent on returning to Cleveland, their trade options would be limited, similar to what happened in Brooklyn when James Harden expressed his desire to play in Philadelphia.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Trading James is the Lakers’ only viable path to success in the coming years, according to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, who contends that LeBron’s trade value offers the greatest rewards for the lowest risk, since no team wants Russell Westbrook‘s contract and declining production while Anthony Davis presents major injury concerns for would-be suitors. James could be a worthwhile one-year rental for a top contender and the Lakers could acquire some badly needed young talent.
- James has wielded more power within the Lakers than Kobe Bryant ever did, sources inside the organization told Bill Oram of The Athletic. James and agent Rich Paul are putting the squeeze on GM Rob Pelinka and the front office with tensions at an all-time high. The Lakers’ front office doesn’t want to squabble with James, Oram adds, and Pelinka has insisted internally that there are no hard feelings between the two sides.
- The season has gone too far along and there’s too many deficiencies for the Lakers to establish a positive identity the rest of the way, scouts told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
James Harden To Make Sixers Debut On Friday
The James Harden era in Philadelphia will officially begin on Friday. Harden will make his Sixers debut at Minnesota, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Philadelphia announced on February 14th that Harden wouldn’t play until after the All-Star break. Harden apparently feels he’s ready to go after rehabbing a minor left hamstring injury, receiving treatment and participating in on-court training.
Harden hasn’t played since February 2nd. He averaged 22.5 PPG, 10.2 APG and 8.0 RPG before the Nets moved him in the year’s biggest blockbuster.
The primary player that went to Brooklyn, Ben Simmons, has yet to make his Nets debut.
Doc Rivers recently said he doesn’t anticipate a big transition period. “Listen, putting James Harden into an offense is not that hard. It really isn’t,” the Sixers coach said. “I mean, he’s just a terrific basketball player, so you don’t need to overcomplicate it.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/24/22
Click here for a transcript of Hoops Rumors’ live chat on Thursday.
Our next live chat, with Luke Adams, will take place on Tuesday at noon Central time.
And-Ones: Mock Draft, Ownership, Offseason Outlook, Upgrades
The Pistons could wind up with the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. In Chad Ford’s Mock Draft 2.0, they’ll take Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith with the first pick. According to Ford’s sources, Detroit GM Troy Weaver would love to pair up Cade Cunningham with Smith. Ford throws a curveball with the second pick, with the Magic selecting Purdue wing Jaden Ivey. That leaves Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren for the taking at No. 3, where the Rockets snap him up.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Private equity firms have increasingly become a force in NBA ownership, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic notes. Private equity firms have purchased stakes in five teams, and their influence will continue to increase as the value of franchises continues to climb.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks not only takes a look at potential buyout candidates this month, he also turns his attention to the offseason, breaking down the free agent class, teams with significant cap space and significant players eligible for extensions. Regarding cap space, he notes that the Pacers and Trail Blazers have moved onto the list due to their trades. The Pistons, Magic and Spurs were already projected to have cap space.
- The Nets, Sixers and Celtics did the most to upgrade their 2021/22 rosters before the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Seth Partnow. The Bucks, Jazz and Suns made slight alterations that could help them in the postseason, in Partnow’s evaluation.
Community Shootaround: Nets, Sixers Playoff Hopes
We’re a week removed from the biggest trade in the NBA this season and the early returns haven’t even come in.
James Harden has yet to make his Sixers debut. Ben Simmons remains a few weeks away from wearing a Nets uniform.
According to VegasInsider.com, the Nets and Bucks are currently co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference with the Sixers having the third-best odds.
It will be fascinating to see who ultimately benefited from the trade or perhaps if both teams weakened themselves.
This is an all-in move by the Sixers, given Harden’s age and penchant for quickly souring on the team he’s on. Brooklyn was backed into a corner by Harden’s desire to play in Philly but the deal may end up improving its chemistry.
Harden obviously gives the Sixers a formidable 1-2 offensive punch with Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid. The latter has delivered the best season of his career, keeping Philadelphia within striking distance of the conference’s best record despite Simmons’ refusal to play.
Harden will certainly ease the scoring burden on Embiid. The Sixers had to surrender one of their best shooters, Seth Curry, in the deal but held onto defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle and young point guard Tyrese Maxey. While Philadelphia apparently tried to dump Tobias Harris’ contract prior to the deadline, he’s still a solid, consistent, low-maintenance contributor.
If and when the Nets get all their pieces back from injuries, their roster remains stacked. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can carry the scoring load and won’t have to incorporate Harden into the equation. Given that Adam Silver criticized New York City’s vaccine mandate this week, there’s a good chance Irving will eventually be able to play home games.
Simmons’ lack of perimeter shooting could be masked by the weapons around him. He’s also one of the top defenders in the league, so if his free throw shooting isn’t a total disaster, he should be able to finish out games. That’s a best case scenario for Simmons and the Nets – it’s anyone guess whether Simmons is physically and mentally ready to perform under playoff pressure.
With Curry, Patty Mills and Joe Harris (whenever he returns from his ankle issues), there are plenty of perimeter shooters to space the floor for Brooklyn.
Both teams will have to build chemistry on the fly and it’s important to note Embiid, Harden, Durant and Irving have all dealt with significant injuries in recent seasons, often during the postseason.
That leads us to our question of the day: In the wake of the blockbuster James Harden-Ben Simmons trade, which team will go deeper into the playoffs – the Sixers or Nets?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Anthony Davis Out At Least Four Weeks
The injury to Lakers star forward Anthony Davis is even worse than the original diagnosis. Davis has a mid-foot sprain, according to the team (hat tip to Brad Turner), and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
The original prognosis was a right ankle sprain that would cost Davis a minimum of two weeks. Davis took a scary fall in the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against Utah after landing on Rudy Gobert‘s heel and had to be helped to the locker room.
The injury was revealed during an MRI. It’s another major ailment for Davis, who has already missed 21 games this season.
He was sidelined for more than a month in December and January with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He also missed 36 of the 72 games last season.
It’s another blow to a franchise with championship aspirations that is now in danger of even reaching the postseason with one of the league’s premier big men out for an extended period. Los Angeles has the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. The Lakers ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday by defeating the Jazz.
Los Angeles will have to lean more heavily on Carmelo Anthony (who currently has a hamstring issue), Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Stanley Johnson and Trevor Ariza in Davis’ absence.
Victor Oladipo Practicing, Return Date Still Uncertain
Victor Oladipo has appeared in only four games with the Heat since being acquired from Houston last season at the trade deadline and then re-signing with Miami last summer.
Oladipo appears to be inching closer to his season debut. He’s been practicing this week in five-on-five situations with the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux City Skyforce, according to The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.
“It feels good to be able to play the game I love,” Oladipo told Nick Robinson of the G League team’s website following Wednesday’s practice. “You go through stuff in life, and you have to battle. I’ve gone through this twice, so I know how to prep mentally. But each time is new, and those challenges arise, and you have to adapt.”
Oladipo underwent another surgery last May to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right knee. Once considered one of the prime free agents on last year’s market, Oladipo re-signed with the Heat on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal. Miami retained Bird Rights on the former All-Star guard.
He admits it’s been a trying situation to get back on the court.
“It is a whirlwind of emotions,” he said. “As a competitor, you want to play a certain way but it’s about winning the small battles and I won that (Wednesday). I am just thankful to keep building.”
There’s still no clarity about when Oladipo might suit up again. Coach Erik Spoelstra said on Thursday that “there is no imminent date or announcement” regarding Oladipo, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.
It’s also uncertain where Oladipo would slot in to the rotation once he’s ready to play. Presumably, reserves such as Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Caleb Martin could see their playing time reduced.
Southeast Notes: Hampton, Kuzma, Porzingis, Capela
R.J. Hampton is showing progress from the MCL sprain that has sidelined the Magic guard since January 19th, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
Hampton said in an Instagram post he’ll be back to action soon, though he still has to ramp up his activity, according to coach Jamahl Mosley. Hampton. a 2020 first-round pick, has averaged 7.2 PPG and 2.4 APG in 42 appearances this season.
- Though Bradley Beal is sidelined, the Wizards have been playing better since the trade deadline, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington notes. Kyle Kuzma believes players are settling into roles now that the fear of getting traded has passed. “I think we’re great chemistry-wise,” he said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good understanding of roles right now on the team. Everybody’s gelling, fitting in. Everybody’s just doing what they’re supposed to do.”
- Kristaps Porzingis‘ Wizards debut is likely to happen next Friday (February 25) against San Antonio, Hughes tweets. “I anticipate he will, but once again we’ll just have to see,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said of Porzingis, who was acquired from Dallas at the trade deadline.
- The Hawks are 10th in the East and below .500 after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Center Clint Capela said to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic it’s a product of unexpected success for a young team. “Our approach the entire season, we were already thinking we were going to the playoffs,” Capela said. “Our approach wasn’t about the next game; it was, ‘Oh, we won this. We won that.’ That’s the problem with teams that are not used to this. I’m not so shocked.”