Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 23)
The start of NBA training camps is less than a week away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the seventh worst overall record, or at No. 23 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
- No. 27: Lakers
- No. 26: Nets
- No. 25: Timberwolves
- No. 24: Trail Blazers
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Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 9/20/15-9/26/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“In order to preserve Kobe Bryant‘s minutes in the upcoming season wouldn’t it be wise for the Lakers to seriously consider making Kobe the sixth man? That way Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell can start in the backcourt with Jordan Clarkson at the three, and with this alignment, Kobe and Lou Williams are first off the bench. In addition, Kobe could remain on the floor in the 4th Quarter. I could see Kobe playing in the neighborhood of 25-30 minutes in games 1-50, with the time increasing as the season progresses. Then in games 51-82, Kobe would replace Young in the backcourt and as the sixth man off the bench. I feel with this rotation the Lakers have the best chance to win 42+ games this season. I also would start Brandon Bass over Roy Hibbert at center, and of course put Julius Randle at the power forward position. This way the Lakers’ attack consists of moving the ball quicker downcourt on breaks and off of defensive rebounds.” — Joseph
The first flaw in your plan that immediately jumps out at me is just how abysmal the Lakers’ defense would be. I mean it would be utterly ghastly. A lineup featuring Russell, Young, Clarkson, Randle, and Bass may not be able to stop anyone’s offense in order to create those fast breaks off of defensive rebounds that you salivated over. In short stretches, perhaps against teams utilizing smaller lineups, it may be passable. But that lineup would make what is shaping up to be another long season in Los Angeles feel even longer if deployed full time.
Beyond that, I don’t see Kobe willingly taking on a sixth man role on what is not shaping up to be a very good team. If the roster was loaded and the team was a potential contender…maybe. But I would hate to be the one tasked with telling Bryant that he’s coming off the bench behind Young and Clarkson. It’s not a discussion that I would expect to go all too well, given that this may be Bryant’s last hurrah in the league, and that’s before even considering his ego and competitive nature. Williams was signed to provide scoring punch off of the bench for the team, and if Kobe is healthy, he needs to be out there with L.A.’s collection of young players to provide leadership.
The Lakers aren’t going to make the postseason this year, and the organization’s biggest draw will be fans coming out to see Bryant play. The Lakers have little to gain at this point by taking it easy with Bryant’s health, so they might as well try and get their money’s worth out of him. If he has a serious injury, the franchise really doesn’t lose much in the long-run besides some potential tickets sales. I’m not saying that the team should disregard good sense and intentionally run Kobe into the ground, but rather that there wouldn’t be any significant impact on its future if Bryant were to have his final season interrupted prematurely due to injury.
“Would you rather start a franchise with Anthony Davis as your building block or Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns?” — Will
Wow. That’s a really tough call to make. It’s a matter of weighing the value of potentially having two future stars versus one who just happens to be one of the best players in the league. If I was planning for the long haul, adding two starting caliber talents like Towns and Wiggins, who are both under the age of 20, is certainly an extremely appealing option. But Davis is only 22 years old himself, and already a bonafide superstar. Since the NBA is a star-driven league, and Davis has already proven himself to be one, whereas Wiggins and Towns have yet to establish themselves, I’ll go with Davis as the better option here, if only to play it safe.
“Should the Knicks consider hiring Tom Thibodeau to replace Derek Fisher as head coach?” — Pete
While I’m not personally sold on Fisher’s ability to be a successful NBA head coach, especially when he’s hampered by the organization’s insistence on running the triangle offense regardless of the quality of personnel present, it is probably too soon to write him off completely. Look at Jason Kidd, who had an extremely rough start in Brooklyn his first season, but who has seemingly figured things out since then. I’d say Fisher has earned one more season to prove himself before the Knicks seriously consider making a change.
As for Thibodeau, it’s unclear if he would even want to come to New York and join a rebuilding club that doesn’t appear close to title contention. He’ll likely have much better opportunities in the future than with the Knicks. Plus, as long as Phil Jackson is running the team, I don’t think Thibs would be a good fit personality-wise in New York, and with him being a defensive-minded coach, he’s not a great fit for the team’s current roster either.
That’s all the space that I have for this week. Once again I would like to thank all those who sent in their questions. Please keep them coming, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday with more responses.
Pacific Notes: Ezeli, Butler, Crawford
Warriors center Festus Ezeli, who is eligible to sign a rookie scale extension prior to the deadline this fall, wants to remain with Golden State long-term, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group writes. “I don’t want to leave,” Ezeli said. “I love this team. I love my teammates. The fans here are unbelievable. I’m inspired to come in every day and see even our best player, Stephen Curry, just working really hard. So this whole team and being here, the chemistry that we have, you can’t buy this anywhere. You can’t get it anywhere else.” Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron took an in-depth look at Ezeli’s extension candidacy earlier this month, which can be viewed here.
Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Metta World Peace‘s one-year, minimum salary deal with the Lakers doesn’t include any injury protection or guaranteed salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- Kings swingman Caron Butler, who signed with the team this offseason, says he is looking forward to the challenge in Sacramento, and noted that he was offered more money from other teams, Deuce Mason of Sports 1140 relays (on Twitter).
- With the Clippers‘ offseason additions adding depth to the team’s rotation, swingman Jamal Crawford‘s minutes are likely to suffer, a sacrifice that he is willing to make for the good of the team, Robert Morales of InsideSoCal.com relays. “I think it will be a lot of sacrifice, obviously, to sacrifice minutes, whatever it may be,” Crawford said. “Your common goal has to be winning.“ The Clippers were reportedly exploring trades involving the two-time Sixth Man of the Year shortly before the draft, with other reports this summer indicating that the Heat, Cavs and Knicks have held interest, but Doc Rivers recently said that the team was unlikely to deal Crawford.
- Rivers noted that the Clippers now possess the most talent that they have had since he’s been a part of the organization, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
2015 NBA Draft Grades: Northwest Division
The 2015 NBA Draft is squarely in the rearview and a number of draftees have already provided a taste of what is to come with their summer league play. I held off on my grades until now because I wanted a better context in which to evaluate each team’s selections, with free agency and summer league providing greater perspective. Sometimes, selecting the best available player isn’t the best course of action and it is wiser to nab a player who fits a clear need, which should always be considered when rating how each front office fared in the draft. I’ve already run down my thoughts on the Atlantic, Central, Southeast, and Pacific divisions, and next up is a look at the Northwest Division:
Denver Nuggets
Team Needs: Point guard. Talent and depth.
Draft Picks:
- No. 7 Overall — Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Guangdong
- No. 57 Overall — Nikola Radicevic, PG, Serbia
The Nuggets entered the 2015 draft with a number of glaring holes, which isn’t a surprise for a team coming off a 30-win campaign. Denver’s primary need was a point guard to replace Ty Lawson, whose tenure with the team came to an end when he was unceremoniously dealt to the Rockets this summer. Denver certainly addressed that need when it nabbed Emmanuel Mudiay, the second-ranked point guard in this year’s draft, with the No. 7 overall pick.
Landing a player of Mudiay’s potential outside of the top five picks has to be considered a win for the Nuggets, though he doesn’t arrive without some question marks attached. Having bypassed playing college ball at SMU in order to head overseas to China, the young guard is a bit of a wild card, which is likely why he was still on the board when it was Denver’s turn on the clock. Mudiay has an NBA-ready frame, an abundance of athleticism, as well as a lofty ceiling as far as his NBA potential goes, but like any young guard, he still has a lot to learn about being an NBA playmaker. There are also concerns about Mudiay’s jump shot and if he’ll be able to keep defenses honest by draining his outside shots consistently.
Mudiay is likely to have a rough first season, not only because of his expected rookie growing pains, but also due to the lack of talent surrounding him. But regardless of how his initial campaign in the NBA goes, Denver made the right call by selecting Mudiay, and not just because he fills an obvious need. He may also emerge as one of the top talents in the entire draft. He’ll certainly take his lumps this season, but Mudiay could end up being an All-Star by his third or fourth year in the league.
Overall Draft Grade: A. While Mudiay is a bit of a wild card, he has a wealth of talent and potential, and should give Nuggets fans reason to hope for a better tomorrow. An excellent pick by GM Tim Connelly.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Team Needs: Depth in the frontcourt and point guard, outside shooting.
Draft Picks:
- No. 1 Overall — Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky
- No. 24 Overall — Tyus Jones, PG, Duke*
*Acquired from Cavaliers in exchange for the rights to Cedi Osman and Rakeem Christmas as well as a 2019 second-rounder.
It’s natural to think that possessing the top selection in the draft and having the pick of the litter of the player pool should ensure that a team gets it right. But looking back over past drafts, that’s not always the case, with the most recent example being Anthony Bennett, who reached a buyout arrangement with Minnesota this week after two unspectacular seasons in the NBA. Time will tell if Flip Saunders made the right call by nabbing Towns over D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor, but I’m a big believer that Minnesota absolutely nailed it with this pick.
Towns didn’t have eye-popping stats during his lone season at Kentucky, but that was a result of the Wildcats’ ridiculous depth and effective platoon system. He would have been a shoo-in for NCAA Player of the Year honors on almost any other college squad. Few players come along who possess Towns’ brilliant combination of size, speed, skill, and athleticism, and Timberwolves fans should be truly excited about the possibilities heading forward, not only for Towns, but the franchise as a whole.
But despite all my gushing over Towns, I do need to dial down fans’ expectations a bit for the coming season. He is still very much a work in progress, and though he should be a solid contributor from the outset, I don’t expect his rookie season to be an easy ride. Towns still needs work on his post moves and outside shot, and he’ll need time to adjust to the bigger, stronger players at the professional level. Keep in mind that Anthony Davis, who is well on his way to becoming the best player in the NBA, notched averages of “only” 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest his rookie year.
I would have raved about Minnesota’s draft if it ended with Towns, but acquiring the No. 24 pick from Cleveland to nab Duke point guard Tyus Jones was an excellent follow-up move. Jones has the potential to develop into an absolute steal for Minnesota, and he also fills the Wolves’ need for depth at the point. Given the unknowns regarding the health and future of incumbent starter Ricky Rubio with the franchise, and Zach LaVine not being a true point guard, adding Jones was a wise move. Jones lacks elite athleticism and speed, but he has virtually every other skill and intangible that one would desire from a point guard. I don’t expect much from Jones this coming season, but he could become a big part of Minnesota’s future if the team develops him properly.
Overall Draft Grade: A+. It’s hard to find any fault with Minnesota landing the most talented player in the draft in Towns, who has the potential to become a superstar. I also love the addition of the underrated Jones late in the first round.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Team Needs: Backcourt depth.
Draft Picks:
- No. 14 Overall — Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
- No. 48 Overall — Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky
OKC filled its biggest need with the selection of Cameron Payne, who, hopefully for the Thunder, won’t become the next talented guard the team will deal away rather than sign to an extension. Following in the footsteps of James Harden and Reggie Jackson, Payne, who shot up draft boards late in the process, will be asked to provide scoring off the bench and be an insurance policy in the event that Russell Westbrook suffers another injury.
Payne is a versatile guard who is a tantalizing blend of scorer and playmaker. He has excellent fundamentals and a high basketball IQ, and while he doesn’t possess blazing speed, Payne is deceptively quick. He is an excellent mid-range shooter, a skill that seems to be quickly becoming a lost art around the league, and he’ll also keep defenses honest from beyond the arc. There is quite a bit to like about Payne as a player, and while he’ll need some time to acclimate to the speed of the NBA game, he has the potential to become a special player in the league.
I also like the team nabbing Kentucky center Dakari Johnson late in the second round. He was buried on Kentucky’s depth chart and his stats suffered as a result. Johnson is not likely to be a starter in the league anytime soon, but the team can certainly develop him into a solid rotation big. He will sign with the team’s D-League affiliate this season, which is great for the Thunder, as they will still retain his NBA rights, and the young big will get some time to develop away from the bright lights of the NBA.
Overall Draft Grade: A. A very solid draft for the Thunder who landed a talented guard in Payne, as well as an intriguing prospect in Johnson.
Portland Trailblazers
Team Needs: Talent. Depth in the frontcourt and at the wing.
Draft Picks:
- No. 41 Overall — Pat Connaughton, SG, Notre Dame*
- No. 54 Overall — Daniel Diez, SF, Spain**
*Acquired from Nets along with Mason Plumlee in exchange for the draft rights to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake.
**Acquired from Jazz for cash.
Portland traded away its 2015 first-rounder along with Blake for Plumlee, who was the No. 22 overall pick back in 2013, and a second round pick, which they used to select Connaughton. The Blazers decided to go with a more known quantity in Plumlee, whom they will task with helping to replace LaMarcus Aldridge, rather than trying to strike gold with a rookie via the draft.
Plumlee, 25, has shown promise, though he wasn’t necessarily utilized well during his time in Brooklyn, and a change of scenery, coaches, and systems should benefit the third-year player. The only negatives regarding this deal that I see are that Plumlee, whose contract includes a team option for the 2016/17 season, can hit restricted free agency in two years, whereas a player selected in this year’s draft would come with up to four years of complete team control, and that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whom the Nets grabbed with Portland’s pick, would have been a nice replacement for Wesley Matthews, who signed with Dallas this offseason.
The addition of Connaughton in the second round is an intriguing pick for the team. The 22-year-old out of Notre Dame is a freak athletically, and his predraft workouts were rather impressive in that regard. Connaughton is a project who will take some time to develop, but he was a good gamble for a team that could use some luck for a change. He’s not likely to become a starter in the NBA, but he has the potential to be an impact player off the bench at some point.
Overall Draft Grade: B. I like Portland adding a more established player in Plumlee, who should benefit by the change of scenery, via trade, though Hollis-Jefferson would have been a nice fit in Rip City as well.
Utah Jazz
Team Needs: Backcourt depth, stretch four, scoring.
Draft Picks:
- No. 12 Overall — Trey Lyles, F, Kentucky
- No. 42 Overall — Olivier Hanlan, G, Boston College
Utah has quietly accumulated a very solid collection of talent over the past couple of seasons, and the team entered the draft without any glaring holes to fill. This allowed GM Dennis Lindsey to focus on fine-tuning his rotation and looking for specific skillsets to complement his existing roster. One need that the Jazz do possess is a stretch four to replace Enes Kanter, whom they dealt to Oklahoma City last season, and Lyles is the man they are counting on to fill that void.
Lyles is a solid and athletic forward whose game is quite versatile, and he should fit Utah’s system perfectly. As was the case with Towns, Lyles’ college numbers weren’t all that impressive, thanks to Kentucky’s depth, but he showed more than enough promise to justify having been a lottery pick. He will also benefit greatly from playing behind Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, which should give Lyles ample time to ease into the league without receiving undue pressure to perform immediately. I’m a big fan of this pick, and a number of front office types whose teams selected ahead of Utah may end up kicking themselves over allowing Lyles to slip past them.
The Jazz didn’t fare as well as in the second round, selecting Boston College point guard Olivier Hanlan at No. 42 overall. Hanlan has some potential, thanks to his size and scoring ability, but I’m not sold on him being an NBA point guard. He has the look of a player who is ticketed for overseas play or the D-League, and I think Utah would have been better served to instead take Oregon’s Joseph Young, who went to the Pacers with the very next pick. Young isn’t a pure point guard either, but he is a more explosive scorer than Hanlan is, and I believe he’ll have a more successful NBA career than the BC playmaker.
Overall Draft Grade: B+. Utah adds another solid young piece to its roster in Lyles, but the team could have done better in the second round than it did with Hanlan.
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Summers, Atkins
Knicks president Phil Jackson is focused on 2015/16, and he isn’t dwelling on next offseason’s potential crop of free agents, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “It’s too much between then and now — or now and then — that goes along,” Jackson said. “There’s just a whole season to go through. Teams develop rapidly. I’ve seen multiple teams in the NBA over the years [that] had this chemistry that just brings it together. That’s what we’re looking for, to find guys that have the chemistry that activates them as players and their team effort together.”
“So we’re not going to hold anything out about this year, next year,” Jackson continued. “We’re going to continue to try to bring the best talent here to Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks. So that kind of goes unstated.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Coach Derek Fisher doesn’t believe that Carmelo Anthony is disgruntled with the current state of the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (via Twitter). Fisher told Begley regarding ‘Melo’s feelings, “I think he actually enjoys and likes working with these guys.“
- Anthony, who underwent surgery on his left knee back in February, will enter training camp without any medical restrictions, Begley writes in a separate piece. “Medically, he will be fine,” Fisher said. “I think we will still gauge how much we want to put him under in terms of workload and stress in training camp and in the preseason. But we don’t have to artificially hold him back from working hard. We just have to kind of gauge how it is responding to how hard we plan to work in training camp, and let’s be smart along the way.“
- DaJuan Summers‘ one-year deal with the team is non-guaranteed and for the league minimum, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- The minimum salary deals that Darion Atkins and Wesley Saunders signed are partially guaranteed for $75K, while Travis Trice‘s minimum salary pact includes a partial guarantee of $50K, Pincus confirms (Twitter link).
- You can view the Knicks’ full preseason roster here.
Hoops Rumors Originals 9/20/15-9/26/15
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- We ran down the key dates for the 2015/16 season.
- If you missed the week’s live chat, you can view the transcript here.
- As a part of our continuing series, “The Beat,” Chuck Myron interviewed Jabari Young, who’s moving from Comcast SportsNet Northwest to the San Antonio Express-News, and Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.
- Zach Links highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Chuck chatted with Warriors forward Marreese Speights.
- As part of our “Top Bloggers” series I interviewed Seth Rosenthal of SB Nation’s PostingAndToasting.com, Chuck caught up with Akis Yerocostas, editor of SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty, while Zach spoke with Braden Shackelford of Fansided’s Piston Powered.
- I broke down the Raptors’ 2015/16 salary cap commitments.
- If you missed any of our daily reader-driven discussions, be sure to check out the Community Shootaround archives.
- Chuck ran down the whereabouts of the players who were claimed off waivers since the beginning of the 2014/15 season.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- I answered reader questions in our Weekly Mailbag.
- We reviewed our commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
- We asked readers to rank where each NBA team will finish the 2015/16 campaign. Here are the results for teams No. 28, No. 27, No. 26, No. 25, and No. 24.
Week In Review 9/20/15-9/26/15
The Milwaukee Common Council voted to approve the city’s $47MM portion of the public funding for a new Bucks arena, meaning the funding plan for the project has crossed the final barrier. The $500MM building still needs the council’s approval for its design, with that matter likely to come to the table this fall. Still, it appears the arena is well on its way to becoming a reality, even though minority owner and team executive Mike Fascitelli recently admitted the arena might not open until the fall of 2018, one year after the NBA’s deadline. The state, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee are ponying up half the cost of the arena, with current and former Bucks owners reportedly paying the other $250MM of the estimated cost.
Here’s more from the week that was…
Free Agent Signings
- The Knicks signed DaJuan Summers.
- The Warriors signed Tony Mitchell.
- The Thunder signed Julyan Stone.
- The Cavaliers agreed to a contract with Austin Daye.
- The Grizzlies and Ryan Hollins agreed to a deal.
- The Nets signed Chris Daniels.
- The Lakers signed Metta World Peace.
- The Clippers agreed to a deal with Luc Mbah a Moute.
- The Magic signed Greg Stiemsma and Nnanna Egwu.
- The Grizzlies signed Dan Nwaelele.
- The Wizards agreed to a contract with Jaron Johnson.
- The Grizzlies agreed to a deal with Yakhouba Diawara.
- The Trail Blazers signed forward Omari Johnson.
- The Rockets agreed to a deal with Jeremy Tyler.
- The Raptors agreed to sign Anthony Bennett.
- The Cavaliers agreed to sign center Chris Johnson.
- Jordan McRae reportedly signed his required tender from the Sixers.
- The Hawks signed Earl Barron.
You can stay up to date on all of the signings with Hoops Rumors’ free agent tracker.
Waivers
- The Timberwolves and Anthony Bennett reached an agreement on a buyout arrangement.
- The Grizzlies waived Patrick Christopher.
- The Nuggets waived Kostas Papanikolaou.
D-League News
- Former Kentucky center Dakari Johnson will sign with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate. Oklahoma City drafted the 7-footer 48th overall this past June.
- Magic second-round pick Tyler Harvey will spend the season with the D-League affiliate of the Magic, who drafted him 51st overall in June.
- Heat assistant Dan Craig was hired as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Miscellaneous News
- The Warriors reportedly offered Harrison Barnes a four-year, $64MM contract extension proposal, which was rejected by the forward’s camp.
- The Wizards reportedly offered an extension to Bradley Beal, but it was worth less than the maximum salary he’s seeking because the team wants to preserve cap flexibility for next summer.
- Veteran NBA shooting guard Jason Richardson announced his retirement.
- Luke Ridnour will reportedly sit out this season and it’s likely he won’t play in the league again.
- Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy underwent a successful low back microdiscectomy procedure and he is expected to be out of action for 8-10 weeks.
- Thunder director of strategic planning Jason Ranne is headed back to the Wasserman Media Group, which used to employ him, for an executive position within the agency.
- The Blazers promoted associate video coordinator Jim Moran to assistant coach.
- Three-year NBA veteran Chris Singleton signed with Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia.
- The Spurs announced that they’ve hired former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as a pro scout.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/25/15
One potential point of contention that may come up during negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement is in regards to the current minimum age requirement for players to enter the NBA Draft. The current rule — which has been in place since 2005 — prevents a player from playing in the NBA until he’s been eligible for at least one draft. In order to be eligible, you must be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which that draft takes place, and if you’re an American-born prospect, you have to be at least one year removed from high school.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has gone on record stating that he’d like to increase the minimum age for draft eligibility to 20 years old, using the argument that an additional year to allow players to mature would improve the overall quality of the game. Of course, the NBPA wasn’t thrilled with that proposal, and its stance is that there should be no age restrictions imposed on players and their earning potential.
This brings me to the question/topic of the day: What changes, if any, need to be made to the current eligibility system for the NBA Draft?
On a practical level, I fully concur with Silver’s assertion that more mature and developed players entering the league would be good for the game, but on a philosophical level I support the NBPA’s stance. My solution to the issue is directly tied to the NBA D-League and its eventual expansion. I believe the best possible compromise for both the players and the teams would be to make 18 the minimum age but confine players under the age of 20 to the D-League. This would allow players freedom to forgo college and immediately begin earning a salary, as well as give teams time to develop the players for when they are eligible to join the big boys. My plan would certainly require an adjustment to how rookie scale deals are handled, but it would almost assuredly be a workable solution that could appease both parties.
But now its time for you to weigh in. Let me know what you think of my suggested course of action, be it positive or negative. We also want to hear your solutions to this issue. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Central Notes: Dunleavy, Morris, Bulls
Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy underwent a successful low back microdiscectomy procedure earlier today at Rush University Medical Center and he is expected to be out of action for 8-10 weeks, the team announced. Dunleavy had experienced some occasional back discomfort over the summer which had recently worsened, according to the release. If his recovery goes as planned, Dunleavy will likely miss between 12-15 contests.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Marcus Morris views his new start with the Pistons as a means to finally carve out a niche for himself in the league, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “In Phoenix, I thought I should have started at the three,” Morris told Langlois. “The guy that’s there now [P.J. Tucker] might have been a better defender, but as an all-around three, I thought I was the best we had. And I thought a lot of players thought that, too. But there’s a lot of opportunity here. I have a chance to come in and start right away. I’ve been in the league for five years. It’s nothing new to me. I have started my share of games. It’s not like I’m new to it. The only thing that’s new is that it’s the East Coast now.”
- The Bulls return virtually the same core as last season, and if the change in coaches from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg doesn’t nudge the team to the next level, it may be time for Chicago to attempt to pry Carmelo Anthony away from the Knicks, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Friedell does note that the size of Anthony’s contract would be a gamble for Bulls, and the team would likely have to part with a number of talented players to make the deal work financially, which would make such a trade a risky proposition for Chicago.
- If the Cavaliers can remain healthy as a unit and are able to secure home court advantage in the playoffs, the team is likely to secure the NBA title in 2015/16, the crew at Basketball Insiders opine in their season preview.
Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 24)
The start of NBA training camps is less than a week away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.
We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the sixth worst overall record, or at No. 24 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.
Previous Selections:
- No. 30: 76ers
- No. 29: Knicks
- No. 28: Nuggets
- No. 27: Lakers
- No. 26: Nets
- No. 25: Timberwolves
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