Community Shootaround: Pistons Stars
After a stellar 2015/16 campaign in which they qualified for the playoffs and showcased their potential in a first-round series with the Cavaliers, the Pistons took a significant leap backwards in 2016/17.
Although the team struggled across the board last year, much of the team’s general disappointment can be traced either directly or indirectly to the injury that sidelined point guard Reggie Jackson for over a month to start the season.
When Jackson finally did return to the court after undergoing platelet-rich plasma injections to treat a knee issue, the Pistons were a far cry from the unit that fired on all cylinders the year prior.
As Jackson struggled to regain form, Detroit big man Andre Drummond struggled as well, initially unable to establish the same connection with his point guard that helped him to a career season in 2015/16.
While backup point guard Ish Smith performed admirably when called to fill in for Jackson, much of Detroit’s struggles in 2016/17 can be attributed to the fact that the dynamic inside-outside combination the club relied on previously was missing.
The resulting campaign can be summed up rather simply: the Pistons dropped from 44 wins to 37 and missed the playoffs.
Meanwhile Drummond’s line of 16.2 points and 14.8 boards per game in 2015/16 fell to 13.6 and 13.8 last season, while Jackson’s own line plummeted from 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game down to 14.5 and 5.2.
Not surprisingly, the pair have found themselves front and center in trade rumors since partway through season. While Stan Van Gundy didn’t end up pulling the trigger on any deals, it’s been written that the barrage of speculation impacted Drummond.
The question we have for readers in this Community Shootaround is whether Drummond and Jackson should be moved as soon as the franchise can get a reasonable return or whether the Pistons should hold on to the tandem because their value couldn’t possibly dip lower.
Put another way, will 2017/18 mark a bounce back season for two former up-and-coming young stars? Should they be given the benefit of the doubt? Weigh in below.
Community Shootaround: Pacers’ Playoff Chances
The Pacers are entering year one without Paul George, but that doesn’t mean the team will slide out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference, according to the franchise’s longest tenured player.
“I feel like we’re definitely going to be overlooked this year,” Myles Turner said (via Matthew VanTyron of the Indianapolis Star). “A lot of people look at us as young team that’s going to rebuild, but we’re a young team that’s trying to compete. We’ve got a lot of guys who can come in and make an impact right away. I expect to make the playoffs this year.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com projects Indiana to finish 11th in the conference and earn a lottery appearance, something that’s only happened once since the team drafted George back in 2010.
Pelton foresees the team struggling on offense and it’s easy to see why. Scour the roster for a No. 1 scorer. Will Victor Oladipo expand his game? How about Darren Collison? Should either Lance Stephenson or Bojan Bogdanovic lead a team in shots?
The questions on offense will likely persist all season, though that alone doesn’t mean a playoff birth is inconceivable. The Eastern Conference appears weaker than it has in several years and somewhere between 35 and 40 games could be enough to lock in a lower seed. Pelton projects the team to get 32 wins this season, a total that’s slightly behind his projections for the Magic, Sixers, and Pistons—the team that the statistician has in the conference’s eighth seed with just 35.1 wins in his simulations.
If the Pacers see just a few players outperform their expected output this season, the team could end up playing games that matter in April.
That leads us to tonight’s topic: Will the Pacers make the playoffs this season? If not, what moves can they make before the trade deadline to improve their chances? Please take to the comment section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say!
Community Shootaround: Best Jersey Patches
For the first time in league history NBA teams have been approved to sell real estate on their in-game jerseys to the highest-bidding brands.
Although the move yielded its fair share of criticism, the extra revenue stream does have one big benefit: fans now have one more thing to rank during the dog days of the offseason.
View Our List Of NBA Jersey Sponsors For 2017/18
In the past few months, especially lately with the revelation of countless redesigned Nike kits, we’ve gotten a good look at what some of our favorite jerseys will look like during the 2017/18 season.
Over at Ball Don’t Lie, Henry Bushnell has collected all of the new jerseys that have been unveiled so far this summer, many of which are sporting their sponsor’s branding, so be sure to hop over and flip through their collection of images.
Our question, for this latest Community Shootaround, is what jersey patch you think looks the best. Some, like Utah’s 5 For The Fight, may earn favor by having a good story attached to them while others, like Charlotte’s affiliation with Jordan Brand are just downright cool.
Of all the jersey patches revealed so far, however, which do you think looks the nicest? Use whatever metric you prefer, just be sure to explain why in the comments below.
Does the classic look and feel of Milwaukee’s Harley Davidson patch suit your fancy? Maybe you’re more apt to rock a new Pistons or Nets jersey considering how seamlessly their respective sponsor patches mesh with the existing team colors.
Community Shootaround: NBA Schedule
The schedule for next season is due out this week, and some specifics are already being leaked. Offseason player movement always gives us a handful of can’t-miss games, and there are several to circle on the calendar this year:
- Paul George‘s return to Indiana — A four-time All-Star, George was the top player on several very good Pacers teams in recent years. He formed a strong bond with Indiana fans, especially after returning from a devastating tibia-fibia fracture he suffered while playing for Team USA. However, George reportedly is leaning toward opting out next summer and signing with the Lakers, and his agent informed the Pacers that they weren’t in his long-term plans. A surprise trade just before the start of free agency sent him to the Thunder. It will be interesting to watch the fan reaction during his lone appearance in Indiana this season with Oklahoma City.
- Jimmy Butler‘s return to Chicago — Butler was a fan favorite in Chicago, but he didn’t fit the team once the front office decided to rebuild. His draft-night trade to Minnesota reunites him with coach/executive Tom Thibodeau and makes the Wolves a playoff contender in the West. Bulls fans may have a long, difficult season ahead of them, but they will get to welcome back Butler for one night.
- Gordon Hayward‘s return to Utah — Hayward was another beloved player during his seven seasons with the Jazz, finally earning All-Star status last season and becoming a cornerstone of a team on the rise in the West. He was the last major free agent to make a decision in July, and he put Utah fans through an excruciating wait before formally announcing his decision to join the Celtics. Hayward’s loss pushes Utah back to the middle of the pack in the ultra-competitive Western Conference as Jazz fans will get just one opportunity to watch him in person this year.
- Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles — Paul teamed with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form the nucleus of some very good Clippers teams that were never able to make a prolonged playoff run. Paul decided he wanted to join James Harden in Houston, leaving the Clippers with little option but to trade him there before free agency began. Paul was a popular player in L.A., but we’ll see how Clippers fans receive him after he broke up their Big Three.
- Kyrie Irving‘s return to Cleveland? — This will be must-see TV if Irving gets the trade he told owner Dan Gilbert that he wants. A simmering feud with LeBron James and Irving’s desire to run his own team will serve as subplots if the man who hit the title-winning shot in 2016 returns to Quicken Loans Arena in another uniform.
- Carmelo Anthony‘s return to New York? — After surviving an ugly feud with former team president Phil Jackson, Anthony has agreed to waive his no-trade clause, but reportedly only for the Rockets. The teams couldn’t find the right mix of other franchises to make a deal work, and talks were paused when Scott Perry took over as Knicks GM. If Anthony does get dealt, the reaction of Knicks fans when he comes back to the Garden could depend on what their team gets in return.
Those are six potential landmark games for the upcoming season, but there are many more. We want to know the game you’re most looking forward to and why. Please leave your comments below.
Community Shootaround: Coaches/Executives
The Clippers have become the latest organization to decide that coaching and running the front office is too much for one man.
The team announced Friday that Lawrence Frank has assumed the role of president of basketball operations, leaving Doc Rivers as a full-time coach. Rivers has held both positions since coming to L.A. in 2013.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced the move, explaining that the requirements of each job are too numerous for them to be combined effectively.
“I’ve owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner’s responsibility is — and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs,” Ballmer said. “The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn’t the case.”
Rivers’ input will still be sought on personnel matters, Ballmer said, adding that he believes “healthy discussion and debate” is good for the franchise.
The number of combined coach/executives is dwindling, with the Hawks making a similar move with Mike Budenholzer in May. Travis Schlenk was hired as the GM in Atlanta and is overseeing personnel decisions while Budenholzer concentrates on coaching.
There are now just three NBA coaches who also hold the title of president of basketball operations: Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, Stan Van Gundy in Detroit and Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. Popovich, with help from ace GM R.C. Buford, has built a perennial contender with the Spurs. Van Gundy has seen moderate success with the Pistons, while Thibodeau rebuilt the Timberwolves this summer after posting a 31-51 record in his first season at the helm.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Are teams wise to separate front office responsibilities from coaching duties, or do you believe there are people who can handle both jobs? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.
Community Shootaround: Joel Embiid Extension
Although he hasn’t yet been cleared for contact drills or 5-on-5 play, Joel Embiid expects to be ready in time to break camp with the Sixers this fall, whether or not he’ll have his contract extended before he returns or not, is another question.
Shortly after the June 22 draft, Sixers’ managing owner Josh Harris spoke about how committed he was to keeping the current Philadelphia squad together. One way of doing so could come in the form of a five-year, roughly $130MM contract extension.
Such a deal would begin in 2018/19 after Embiid plays out the final year of his rookie deal (worth $6.1MM) but would need to be agreed upon prior to opening day on October 17.
Another option the Sixers have is to let Embiid play through the 2017/18 campaign and then extend him a qualifying offer worth $8MM next offseason. That would make the then-24-year-old a restricted free agent.
There’s little doubt that an undeniably healthy Embiid would be worth a max contract extension as soon as possible but the big man has missed 215 of the 246 games the Sixers have played since they drafted him.
What then, is he worth now, considering that an element of uncertainty looms over what we can reasonably expect in the future? You tell us.
Are the Sixers better off to see how the 2017/18 season unfolds before they commit to Embiid long-term? Or would they benefit from locking the big man in at some point before mid-October. If you were at the helm of Philly’s front office, what would you look to do?
Community Shootaround: Andrew Wiggins’ Future
With all of this year’s top free agents off the board, the focus of the NBA rumor mill has shifted to trade candidates and extension candidates. Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins certainly falls under the latter category, and it’s not unreasonable to include him in the former category as well.
As a former first-round pick entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract, Wiggins is eligible to sign a contract extension, and the Timberwolves have reportedly been discussing the prospect of a five-year, maximum salary deal. At the same time, the new-look Wolves have been linked to Kyrie Irving, who has asked the Cavaliers to trade him, and Wiggins appears to be the most logical trade chip Minnesota could include in an offer for Irving. However, the Wolves have thus far been unwilling to make Wiggins available in any Irving proposal.
As I discussed at length when I profiled Wiggins as an extension candidate last month, the 22-year-old can score at an elite level, but has yet to round out his game in other areas — he was a below-average defender, rebounder, and distributor last season. He’s young enough and talented enough on offense that it’s easy to make a case for a maximum-salary investment, but it’d still be a bit of a gamble.
In an in-depth piece of his own, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com makes the case today that the Wolves should be in no rush to lock up Wiggins to a max extension. In Ziller’s view, it makes sense for the club to be patient, giving Wiggins another year to develop and perhaps even allowing for more potential trade opportunities to arise. If the young forward takes another step forward, the Wolves could still sign him to a max deal next summer as a restricted free agent.
That argument is a fair one, though waiting on a new deal for Wiggins isn’t without potential downside either. This year’s top free agent, Gordon Hayward, is case study in the risks of letting a potential star reach restricted free agency after his rookie contract. The Jazz could have locked up Hayward with a five-year extension entering the final year of his rookie deal, but the club instead let him reach restricted free agency, where the Hornets signed him to a four-year offer sheet that included an opt-out after year three.
The Jazz matched that offer sheet and retained Hayward, but instead of having him locked up for five years, the team only had him for three, plus an option year. That allowed Hayward to opt out after three seasons and reach the open market this summer, at which point he signed with a new team. If the Jazz had signed him to a five-year extension when they had a chance, he’d still be under contract with Utah for two more years. The Wolves will have to consider that scenario if they decide to let Wiggins reach free agency.
What do you think? Should Wiggins and the Timberwolves get an extension done as soon as possible? Is he worth a maximum-salary investment? Should Minnesota wait until he becomes a restricted free agent to act? Or is trading him in a deal for Irving the most logical move for the Wolves?
Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Community Shootaround: Pelicans’ Playoff Chances
Making the playoffs in the Western Conference was a challenging task last season and it should be an even harder feat after several teams improved this offseason.
The Warriors brought back their core in addition to bringing in Nick Young and they are likely to take home the conference’s top seed. The Spurs, Rockets, and Thunder should find themselves jocking for position behind them. The Clippers and Jazz each lost their best player in free agency, but both seem poised to reach the playoffs, albeit with a lower seed than they had last season. The Nuggets (adding Paul Millsap) and Wolves (trading for Jimmy Butler) made upgrades with the hopes of pushing the Grizzlies or Blazers for a playoff spot.
The Pelicans hope to surpass at least three of the aforementioned teams and sneak into the playoffs, but they might not have enough shooting or defense to reach that goal, as Thomas Rende of NBAMath explains. Rende notes that only 11 teams since the 2012/13 campaign have won more than 45 games (a number that should put a team in contention for a playoff birth) while ranking in the bottom third of the league in three-point percentage. Out of those teams, only two (the 2012/13 Nuggets and the 2014/15 Thunder) didn’t rank in the top 10 in points allowed per 100 possessions.
In his piece, which is a must read, Rende explains how New Orleans is ill-equipped to drastically improve its outside shooting, meaning a playoff birth appears unlikely.
What do you think? Can the Pelicans muster enough offense to make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference or will their lack of shooting plague the team and relegate them to the lottery once again?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Community Shootaround: Kyrie’s Future In Cleveland
After five days of non-stop Kyrie Irving trade rumors, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert tried to slam on the brakes at a press conference this afternoon.
The purpose of the event was to introduce newly appointed GM Koby Altman, but the subject inevitably turned to Irving and the trade demand he reportedly made during a private meeting with Gilbert earlier this month.
Gilbert refused to acknowledge that Irving wants to be traded and wouldn’t say if he and Altman plan to grant the request if it is true. He then threw the media a curveball, saying he expects to have Irving on the floor when training camp opens in September.
“Right now, Kyrie Irving is under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers for two or three years, depending on the last year,” Gilbert said, as Irving holds a player option for 2019/20. “As of now, he’s one of our best players, and sure, we expect him to be in camp.”
Prepare for an overflow media turnout for the first day of camp if that happens. Irving’s desires to get out of Cleveland and his simmering social media feud with LeBron James have been on public display since the subject of that meeting with Gilbert was made public last Friday.
According to reports, Irving has named the Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks as the places he would like to go. The Cavaliers have been inundated with calls inquiring about an Irving deal, and ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote on Monday that the team is “acting as if a trade is almost inevitable.”
However, Gilbert and the Cavs have no obligation to honor Irving’s request. If they can’t find an acceptable deal, they could hand onto to Irving through the summer and bring him into camp just as Gilbert suggested.
Our question for today is: How do you think that would turn out? Could Kyrie and LeBron bury the hatchet and combine their talents for another trip to the NBA Finals? Or would the inner strife tear the team apart?
Please take to the comments section and share your thoughts on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Community Shootaround: Kyrie Irving To The Sixers
Kyrie Irving demanded a trade in what was arguably the NBA’s biggest news story this past week. The point guard’s most preferred destination is San Antonio, though he reportedly would be happy with being dealt to the Heat, Wolves or Knicks if it’s not the Spurs.
Irving didn’t name the Sixers as a preferred landing spot, but Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders argues that a trade to Philadelphia makes the most sense. Hamilton believes the Cavs must operate as though LeBron James will leave once he’s able to in the summer of 2018, meaning they should not trade for veteran players. Instead, the team should look to rebuild and target young players and assets.
The scribe contends that Irving could come to Philly and become the team’s No. 1 option, something that’s important to the 25-year-old. Hamilton believes a package of Markelle Fultz, Jahlil Okafor, and a couple future first-rounders would be a good haul for Cleveland.
Tell us what you think about an Irving-to-Philly trade. Do you believe a package centered around Fultz would be enough to entice the Cavs or should they go with a different offer from the Sixers or another team. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!