Community Shootaround: Coach Of The Year Frontrunner
Suns head coach Monty Williams is currently the favorite to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2022, according to the oddsmakers at Bovada and BetOnline. With a 49-10 record, Phoenix has been 6.5 games better than any other team in the league this season, so Williams certainly has a strong case for the award.
Still, he’s hardly the only coach who is a viable candidate to be named Coach of the Year, especially if the Suns stumble at all during Chris Paul‘s absence in the next few weeks. Based on current betting odds, Bovada and BetOnline both view J.B. Bickerstaff, Taylor Jenkins, and Billy Donovan as the coaches besides Williams who are the strongest contenders for the award.
The Coach of the Year vote often comes down to which team exceeded its preseason expectations most significantly, especially if that club dealt with injuries or other adversity. With that in mind, Bickerstaff should be a popular pick. His Cavaliers are 35-24 despite losing Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio to season-ending knee injuries and having several other rotation players deal with various health ailments. Cleveland was widely viewed as a lottery team entering 2021/22.
Jenkins’ Grizzlies have also blown away the expectations fans and league observers had for them in the fall. Projected to be roughly a .500 team after sneaking into the playoffs a year ago, Memphis has already reached 41 victories in just 61 games and comfortably holds a top-three spot in the West. While Ja Morant has emerged as a bona fide star, the team’s supporting cast isn’t exactly loaded with household names, which may earn Jenkins some extra votes this spring.
Finally, Donovan’s Bulls were considered a fringe playoff team by oddsmakers last fall — their over/under figure of 42.5 wins was tied with Indiana and New York for seventh in the East. The club has been impacted by injuries throughout the season and was one of the teams hit hardest by COVID-19 in the winter, but still holds the conference’s top seed with a 39-21 record.
Erik Spoelstra of the Heat, Steve Kerr of the Warriors, Doc Rivers of the Sixers, and Chris Finch of the Timberwolves are among the others who could merit Coach of the Year consideration, especially with strong late-season finishes.
We want to know what you think. Is Williams the right pick for Coach of the Year at this point, or do you view Bickerstaff, Jenkins, Donovan, or someone else as a stronger candidate? If the season ended today, who do you think would – and should – win the award?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
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.
Community Shootaround: NBA’s Next Disgruntled Star
When Ben Simmons was pushing for a trade out of Philadelphia prior to the 2021 season, multiple reports indicated that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was holding out for a deal that netted his team a star.
The thinking was that even if no team was willing to proactively shake up its roster in the fall by trading an All-Star player for Simmons, it would only be a matter of time before a player of that caliber became disgruntled with his current situation and asked for a trade. When that happened, Morey and the 76ers wanted to be ready to pounce.
While Morey faced some criticism at the time for his stance, it was a defensible one — in recent years, the NBA generally hasn’t made it more than a few months before a star player shakes loose. Sure enough, in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, whispers of James Harden‘s discontent in Brooklyn grew louder and louder, culminating in the deadline-day blockbuster that sent Harden to the Sixers and Simmons to the Nets.
The Simmons and Harden situations are just the latest examples of the superstar wanderlust that has dominated the NBA for at least the last half-decade. Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook (twice), Paul George (twice), and Harden (twice) are among the players who have requested – or demanded – trades to new teams within the last five years.
Taking into account the NBA’s recent history, it’s probably safe to assume that another star player will be angling for a trade before the end of 2022, whether that takes the form of a private request to the team or an ugly public standoff.
As Howard Beck of SI.com writes in his article on the subject, speculation among team executives has focused on players like Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
All of those players have said the right things publicly, but a June report claimed that Williamson’s family wanted him out of New Orleans, and there has been plenty of chatter about Mitchell’s relationship with teammate Rudy Gobert being a warning sign in Utah. Lillard, meanwhile, seriously considered his future last summer and remains committed to Portland for now, but with the team in retooling mode, it’s possible he’ll eventually try to win a title elsewhere.
Those aren’t the only stars worth keeping an eye on. Wizards guard Bradley Beal can be a free agent this summer, and Washington isn’t exactly close to championship contention. Irving can also reach free agency in 2022 and his union with the Nets seems less stable than it did a year ago, in part due to his inconsistent availability due to his vaccination status. Even Lakers star LeBron James has raised eyebrows lately with comments about his future and his apparent frustration with L.A.’s deadline inactivity.
It sometimes only takes one down year, one short-lived postseason run, or one bad relationship to convince a star player to ask out, so it’s certainly possible that other players we haven’t mentioned could become unhappy with their current situations in the coming months — at this time last year, we certainly didn’t expect Harden to be seeking another trade so soon.
With all that in mind, we want to know what you think. Which star(s) will be the next to push for a trade? How soon will it happen, and how many stars might we see change teams this summer?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Community Shootaround: What Changes Are Needed For All-Star Weekend?
This year’s All-Star Weekend featured an underwhelming Slam Dunk Contest, a confusing Skills Challenge, and a revamped Rising Stars competition. Although the events provide a showcase for current stars and a few NBA legends, there’s a sense that the entertainment value has slipped from past years.
The biggest offender was the dunk contest, where Cole Anthony, Jalen Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Obi Toppin missed more dunks than they made, and no one provided a memorable highlight to excite the crowd. Toppin was the winner with a combined score of 92 in the finals, but his dunks were relatively safe as Toscano-Anderson misfired on his final three attempts.
Dwyane Wade, who was part of the TNT broadcast of the event, said afterward that the dunk contest rated a “solid 6,” which is the score competitors get when they miss all their dunks, per Cydney Henderson of USA Today. Broadcast partner Kenny Smith added, “We always have an off year. Even LeBron James has off games.”
The hometown Cavaliers captured the Skills Challenge when Evan Mobley sank a half-court shot on his first attempt. It was the most crowd-pleasing moment of an All-Star Weekend that is usually filled with high points.
The Antetokounmpo brothers admitted to not fully understanding the rules in the three-point shootout part of the competition that determined whether they or the Cavs would advance to the finals, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. They believed all three members of the team would get a shot, so they had Thanasis go first. He missed, and when Darius Garland sank his attempt, the Antetokounmpos were eliminated. They said Alex would have shot first if they had been aware of the rules.
Reviews were much more positive for Friday night’s Rising Stars event, which featured a single-elimination tournament involving four teams of first- and second-year players. The Elam ending was employed in all three games, and in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary, the semifinals were both played until someone reached 50 points and the finals were played to 25.
“I like this,” LaMelo Ball told Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I feel like this was dope. Having something new, with the 75 and the 50 and the 25, I feel like it was creative.”
There have been suggestions that changing the order of events might help in the future, with the dunk competition moved up and the Three-Point Contest saved until last. There have also been proposals to freshen up the weekend with new events, such as a one-on-one tournament or a H-O-R-S-E competition.
We want to get your opinion. What needs to be done to improve All-Star Weekend? Please leave your responses in the space below.
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.
Community Shootaround: 2022 NBA All-Star Rosters
After revealing the 10 All-Star starters for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game last week, the league announced the seven reserves from each conference on Thursday night. The All-Star rosters are as follows:
Western Conference
Starters:
Stephen Curry, G (Warriors)- Ja Morant, G (Grizzlies)
- LeBron James, F (Lakers)
- Andrew Wiggins, F (Warriors)
- Nikola Jokic, C (Nuggets)
Reserves:
- Devin Booker, G (Suns)
- Chris Paul, G (Suns)
- Donovan Mitchell, G (Jazz)
- Luka Doncic, G (Mavericks)
- Draymond Green, F/C (Warriors)
- Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C (Timberwolves)
- Rudy Gobert, C (Jazz)
Eastern Conference
Starters:
- DeMar DeRozan, G (Bulls)
- Trae Young, G (Hawks)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, F (Bucks)
- Kevin Durant, F (Nets)
- Joel Embiid, C (Sixers)
Reserves:
- Darius Garland, G (Cavaliers)
- James Harden, G (Nets)
- Zach LaVine, G (Bulls)
- Fred VanVleet, G (Raptors)
- Jimmy Butler, G/F (Heat)
- Khris Middleton, F (Bucks)
- Jayson Tatum, F (Celtics)
We can expect at least two players – one from each conference – to be named as replacements in the coming days, since Green and Durant aren’t expected to play in the All-Star Game.
Before that happens though, we want to get your take on which players were the most notable omissions from the initial 24 All-Stars and which guys should be first in line when replacements are selected.
I’d personally have a hard time subbing out any of the Western players who were selected as All-Star reserves — I thought the coaches did a pretty good job. When it comes to naming Western Conference replacements, Spurs guard Dejounte Murray would probably be at the top of my list, followed closely by Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Suns forward Mikal Bridges.
There were plenty of deserving candidates in the Eastern Conference, where you could make legitimate cases for Hornets starters LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. Obviously, there’s not room for all of them, but any would be worthy replacement All-Stars, and some of them probably had stronger cases than Middleton to be included in the top 12.
What do you think? Did voters get it right with the initial 24 All-Stars or were any of those players undeserving? Which players do you think should be the top choices for commissioner Adam Silver when he names replacements?
Community Shootaround: Kings Trades
Give the Kings some credit — at least they’re consistent.
Just when it looked like the franchise was on the upswing, the team has produced another disastrous season. Despite all the lottery picks dotting the Kings’ roster, they’re destined to miss the postseason party for the 16th consecutive season.
The latest dumpster fire is raging out of control. They’ve lost five straight and 10 of their last 12 games, including a 53-point thrashing by the Celtics on Tuesday, to drop 14 games below .500.
A coaching change from Luke Walton to Alvin Gentry backfired, as the team only got worse after it let Walton go.
Not surprisingly, Sacramento has been involved in more trade rumors than any other team. The latest one floated around is that the Lakers might have some interest in Buddy Hield.
The Kings have seemingly been trying to trade Hield virtually since he signed an extension that runs through the 2023/24 season. It was also reported on Friday that they’ve pulled out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes due to Philadelphia’s overwhelming demands.
The Kings were reportedly considering offering Tyrese Haliburton, Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two future first-round picks in exchange for Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. Another report later indicated the Kings want to build their roster around Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox and weren’t interested in taking back Harris in a Simmons deal.
The Kings have also reportedly told Fox he wasn’t going anywhere, though that could be just posturing at this point. They’ve also been linked to other hot names on the trade market, such as Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Jerami Grant.
In any case, it’s hard to imagine the Kings not doing something significant in the next two weeks.
That leads us to our question of the day: What players should the Kings target prior to the trade deadline? And which players do they need to shed to turn their fortunes around?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Community Shootaround: Play-In Tournament
Last season marked the debut of the NBA’s Play-In Tournament, where the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference compete for the No. 7 playoff spot, and the ninth and tenth seeds compete to play the loser of the seven/eight match up, with the winner earning the No. 8 spot.
In other words: seven vs. eight — winner advances to playoffs as seventh seed, loser plays the winner of the nine vs. ten matchup. Nine/ten winner vs. seven/eight loser — winner advances to playoffs as eighth seed. So the ninth and tenth seeds need to win two consecutive games in order to advance.
In the West last season, the Lakers defeated the Warriors in the No. 7/8 matchup, advancing as the seventh seed, while the Grizzlies defeated the Spurs in the No. 9/10 matchup and then beat the Warriors to advance as the eighth seed.
In the East last season, the Celtics defeated the Wizards to advance as the seventh seed, while the Pacers defeated the Hornets in the No. 9/10 matchup but then lost to the Wizards, so Washington was the eighth seed. Ultimately, all of the seventh and eighth seeds fell in the first round of the playoffs last season.
This season, the current Nos. 7-10 seeds in the West are the Lakers (23-23), Timberwolves (22-23), Clippers (23-25) and Trail Blazers (19-26). Only two games (four losses) separate the No. 9 Clippers from the No. 6 Nuggets (23-21). The No. 5 Mavericks (26-20) are also within reach, but the top four seeds have separated from the pack.
At the bottom-end of Western play-in contention, less than three games separate the No. 10 Blazers from the No. 11-13 seeds, the Pelicans (17-28), Kings (18-30) and Spurs (17-29).
The East is extremely competitive this season, as the No. 7 seed Hornets (26-20) are only three-and-a-half games out of first place, so the top end of the standings are very much in flux. The Nos. 1-6 seeds all have between 26 and 30 wins and 16 and 19 losses, a separation of just three games.
There’s another distinct cluster in the standings, with the current Nos. 8-12 seeds all within three games of each other. Those teams are the Raptors (22-21), Wizards (23-23), Celtics (23-24), Knicks (23-24) and Hawks (20-25). (The Celtics lead the Wizards 91-69 on Sunday at the time of this release.)
We want to know what you think. Who will make the Play-In Tournament this season in both conferences? Are there any clear-cut favorites? Who will advance as the seventh and eighth seeds? Will any teams currently in the top six in either conference drop down?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Community Shootaround: MVP Race
Now that the season is more than halfway through, it’s time to do another check-in on the MVP race. After a terrific start to the season, it seemed like Warriors star Stephen Curry might be a lock for his third trophy if he maintained his production — unfortunately, he’s been in one of the worst slumps of his career the past couple of months.
Through his first 20 games of the season, running through the end of November, Curry was averaging 27.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG on .452/.412/.943 shooting. From the start of December until now, a span of 21 games, those numbers have fallen to 25.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.1 SPG on .395/.359/.900 shooting. Curry recently had a stretch of nine straight games of shooting below 50% from the field, unheard of for the greatest shooter ever.
After starting the season 24-5, the Warriors have gone 8-8 over their last 16 games, so the team has cooled off recently as well. However, at 32-13, Golden State still holds the second-best record in the league, only trailing the 35-9 Suns. There’s still time for Curry to turn things around, but other players have certainly performed better lately.
The NBA’s leading scorer, Kevin Durant, looked like a top contender for the award prior to suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee on January 16, which is expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks. Through 36 games, he’s averaged 29.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG on .520/.372/.894 shooting. The injury and missed games could ruin his MVP chances, but he’s been excellent for the Nets, who hold a 29-16 record in the East.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, has been carrying his team in the absence of several injured players, including the teams second- and third-leading scorers from last season, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Although Denver is just 23-21 (1-4 without Jokic), he has been completely dominant, averaging 25.9 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 7.4 APG, and 1.4 SPG on .569/.367/.789 shooting. Jokic leads the league in several advanced stats, including win shares, box plus/minus, and value over replacement player, per Basketball-Reference.
Over the past five-plus weeks, Sixers center Joel Embiid has arguably been the best player in the league, putting up 33.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.5 BPG on .550/.380/.837 shooting in just 32.3 MPG (15 games) — more than a point per minute, and nearly 12 free throw attempts per game. His season averages are quite impressive too, but he’s played just 33 games to this point, which is always a concern with the injury-plagued big man. There’s no denying his impact when active, as Philadelphia holds a 23-11 record when he plays, and is just 3-8 in games he’s missed.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is another top contender, stuffing the staff sheet with 28.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.5 BPG while playing strong defense for the defending champion Bucks, who hold a 29-19 record.
Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to impress in season 19 at 37 years of age, putting up stellar numbers yet again, but Los Angeles has struggled and sit at 23-23 through 46 games. Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan is having an outstanding season and should at least be in the conversation — Chicago is 28-16, second-best in the East.
Suns guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker deserve recognition as the two best players on the league’s best team, although they figure to take votes away from each other and don’t have the same type of numbers as other candidates. Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is having fantastic third season and could garner some votes. Memphis is 32-16 after defeating Denver Friday night.
We want to know what you think. Who’s been the MVP so far? Who do you think will end up winning the award? Are there any dark-horse candidates you like? What would your five-man ballot look like at this point?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Community Shootaround: Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant hasn’t played in over a month, but he’s one of the hottest names on the trade market.
The Pistons forward is recovering from thumb surgery and he’s not expected to return until next month at the earliest.
Grant’s ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor intrigues many teams bound for the playoffs or trying to reach the postseason. Grant signed a three-year free agent contract with the Pistons prior to last season, spurning a chance to remain with the contending Nuggets, mainly due to his desire to have an expanded offensive role.
Grant averaged 22.8 PPG as the No. 1 option for one of the league’s worst teams in 2021/22. He was averaging 20.1 PPG this season prior to the injury.
He’ll have to accept a lesser offensive role again if he’s dealt but his ability to guard multiple positions will ensure that he’ll get plenty of playing time wherever he may wind up.
The Pistons don’t need to deal him – he’ll have plenty of value in the offseason as well, particularly since his contract expires after next season – but they should get a solid return for a combo forward in his prime if they move him by the Feb. 10 deadline. They’ll likely want at least one first-round pick along with a rotation piece for Grant.
Some of the teams who have been mentioned as potential suitors include the Wizards, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Hawks, Bulls, Pacers and Grizzlies. The Knicks just added a young forward in Cam Reddish and the Blazers might go into rebuild mode with Damian Lillard sidelined by an injury during an already disappointing season. Supposedly, the Bulls are unwilling to part with Patrick Williams, which would dramatically reduce the chances of them acquiring Grant.
The surprising Grizzlies could enhance their chances of a deep postseason run by adding Grant to an already potent lineup. The Lakers could naturally use Grant’s versatility, though it might be harder for them to put together a suitable package. The floundering Hawks are in desperate need of a defensive boost, and the Wizards want to do everything they can to keep Bradley Beal happy. The Pacers are reportedly willing to deal some of their top players, including Myles Turner, Caris LeVert and perhaps Domantas Sabonis.
That leads us to our question of the day: Which playoff contender would benefit the most by trading for Jerami Grant and where do you think the versatile Pistons forward will wind up?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.