Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorite

July 11th, 2017 at 6:08pm CST by Joshua Fischman

LeBron James and the Cavaliers have dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs for three consecutive seasons, advancing to the NBA Finals with ease each year. King James himself has represented the East for the past seven seasons in the the league championship.

Last season, however, the Celtics finished with the best record in the conference and have enjoyed a productive offseason. Boston landed prized free agent Gordon Hayward and drafted Jayson Tatum. In addition, Danny Ainge traded for Marcus Morris and signed Aron Baynes. While Boston did trade key two-way player, Avery Bradley, and lost Kelly Olynyk in free agency, the team may be prepared to contend for its first NBA Finals berth since 2010.

For Cleveland’s part, it re-signed Kyle Korver this offseason, inked veteran Jose Calderon to a one-year contract backing up Kyrie Irving at point guard, and brought in another vet in forward Jeff Green. Over their past three Eastern Conference Finals series, the Cavaliers have won 12 of 15 games.

Will the Cavs’ recent playoff domination continue or have the Celtics suddenly emerged as the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Which team will finish with the better record this season and what, if anything, will home-court advantage mean if the teams face off in the postseason?

We look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.

Community Shootaround: Most Improved Team

July 10th, 2017 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Some of the biggest names in the game have changed uniforms during this action-packed offseason. Some teams have made bold moves to become contenders or to improve their chances of making the Finals. Others have gone into full rebuild mode.

The Warriors clearly “won” the offseason last summer by signing superstar Kevin Durant, which led to their second championship in three seasons.

There are at least a handful of teams that can lay claim to that title, now that most of the big-name free agents are off the board. Here are some of the teams that obviously upgraded:

Rockets – The stunning trade by the Clippers that sent Chris Paul gave the Rockets a legitimate All-Star to pair up with James Harden. The also added a defensive-minded veteran forward in P.J. Tucker and re-signed Nene.
Celtics – Gordon Hayward hemmed and hawed but ultimately decided to ditch the Jazz in favor of the Celtics. The combination of Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and Hayward gives them a more serious chance to unseat the Cavaliers in the East, even if they had to trade Avery Bradley to make it happen. They also picked up another future lottery pick by moving down from the top spot in the draft and the player they selected, Jayson Tatum, has impressed in summer-league action.
Timberwolves – The long-awaited Jimmy Butler trade came to fruition, giving Minnesota another star to join the duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. They also signed Jeff Teague to replace Ricky Rubio, who was traded, and added veteran big man Taj Gibson.
Thunder – Russell Westbrook will no longer have to carry the entire load, thanks to the addition of Paul George. The Pacers traded away the disgruntled forward, providing Oklahoma City with an All-Star to share the scoring burden with Westbrook. They also fortified their frontcourt with the addition of Patrick Patterson.
Sixers – They moved up in the draft to snag the player they coveted, point guard Markelle Fultz. They also signed free agents J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson to provide a veteran presence to the locker room without sacrificing cap room for next summer, when they’re expected to pursue high-level free agents.

This leads us to our question of the day: Which team do you feel has improved the most during this offseason and why?

Please take to the comments section and provide your thoughts on this subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

July 8th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by marksuleymanov

After the Pistons‘ acquisition of Avery Bradley from the Celtics, the team promptly renounced restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The move puts Caldwell-Pope on the open market, free to sign with any NBA team and there has been no shortage of interest in the 24-year-old guard.

The Lakers are reportedly interested in Caldwell-Pope on a one-year commitment whereas the Nets have remained a suitor — and were expected to issue him an offer sheet before he hit unrestricted free agency. The Nets’ cap space is currently tied up after issuing a four-year, $101MM max offer sheet to Otto Porter. While the Wizards are believed to match the offer sheet, the Nets can continue their pursuit of KCP through discussion with his camp about a potential offer if and when Brooklyn retains cap space.

Los Angeles has about $17MM in cap space, which the team can use on a potential one-year deal. The Nets are more interested in long term pacts, especially after acquiring former second overall pick D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers. It’s ironic that the Lakers could have assembled a Caldwell-Pope/Russell back court and now the Nets are in a better position to do so.

In his fourth NBA season in 2016/17, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, and shot nearly 40% from the floor in 76 contests. His numbers have not seen a drastic improvement but – given his age and ability – his potential may outweigh his production as teams consider his worth.

One minor detail to remember for any team interested in Caldwell-Pope’s services is that he’s suspended for the first two games of the 2017/18 season. Therefore, he will be eligible for 80 out of 82 games but that will likely not impact any teams pursuit.

With all of this in mind, which destination is most ideal for Caldwell-Pope? Does a one-year investment or a long term teal make more sense for the 24-year-old? Which team would benefit most from plugging him into their starting lineup?

Community Shootaround: Were Award Winners Correct?

June 27th, 2017 at 6:38pm CST by Joshua Fischman

On Monday night, the NBA announced the winners of its most important yearly awards live on TNT.

As you know, Russell Westbrook came home with the Most Valuable Player award, Draymond Green was named the Defensive Player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year, Eric Gordon won Sixth Man, Mike D’Antoni is now the reigning Coach of the Year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo won Most Improved Player.

As anti-climactic as it may seem to announce these honors two weeks after the last NBA Finals game and days after the draft, it is never too late to hold discussions over who should have won each award and why. Furthermore, it is a time-honored tradition in sports fandom and analysis to gather around and make one’s arguments about player performance and superiority until one is blue in the face or the keyboard jams. So, I say, let the discourse commence:

Did the right NBA players take home hardware this season? Who was robbed of his rightful award? Which snubbed players deserved to be finalists? We look forward to reading your thoughts and debate in the comments section.

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Community Shootaround

Community Shootaround: Awards Show

June 26th, 2017 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In past seasons, the winners of all the major NBA awards would have been unveiled weeks ago. The league traditionally announced the biggest awards one-by-one while the playoffs were going on.

The regular season has been over for nearly 2 1/2 months but the league has kept the voting under wraps, except for announcing the finalists for each prize. We’ll finally learn tonight who captured the most votes for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player along with the biggest individual honor, the Most Valuable Player.

The NBA decided to hold back those announcements this year until after the draft by putting together a two-hour extravaganza on TNT.

All of the awards were based on regular-season performance. The two that hold the most intrigue are the Rookie of the Year and MVP selections. Joel Embiid posted by far the best stats among first-year players but appeared in just 31 games. We’ll find out if that was enough games in the voters’ minds or if his Sixers teammate Dario Saric or the Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon brings home the hardware. Saric and Brogdon were the only unanimous selections for the All-Rookie Team, which was unveiled earlier today.

Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are the three finalists for MVP but most people expect a tight race between Westbrook and Harden. Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson‘s triple-double record, while Harden put up monster numbers of his own after becoming the primary ballhandler in Mike D’Antoni‘s attack.

This leads us to our question of the day: Do you like the idea of having a postseason awards show following the playoffs or would you prefer that the NBA go back to announcing the major awards during the postseason?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Jimmy Butler Trade

June 24th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

No matter how the picks pan out, draft night 2017 will be remembered for the Jimmy Butler trade.

After more than a year of rumors, the Bulls pulled the trigger on a deal, sending Butler and the No. 16 pick to Minnesota in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 selection. Conventional wisdom says the trade changes the course of both franchises, with the Wolves vaulting to contender status in the West while the Bulls embark on a rebuilding project.

It was remarkably similar to a proposal between the teams a year ago, and Chicago fans might have been much happier if the deal had been completed on draft night 2016. LaVine would have been more appealing before his season-ending ACL tear in February, and Dunn was considered the top point guard in the draft at the time. His stock has fallen considerably after a lackluster rookie season in which he averaged 3.8 points per game and shot 38% from the field.

A key for the Bulls was the seventh pick, which they used on Lauri Markkanen, a stretch four out of Arizona. Chicago was 26th in the league in 3-point percentage this season and needs more shooters to fit into coach Fred Hoiberg’s preferred offense. Bulls management has been criticized for surrendering the 16th choice, which Minnesota used to grab Creighton center Justin Patton, but the Wolves reportedly wouldn’t have done the trade without that pick.

If the Bulls are rebuilding, they still have a long way to go. Chicago will have a starting backcourt with a combined age of 66 if it brings back Rajon Rondo (31) to team with Dwyane Wade (35), who has already announced his intention to opt in for next season.

The Bulls have until Friday to make a decision on Rondo, whose $13.397MM salary for next season only has a $3MM guarantee through the end of June. If they opt to release or trade Rondo, the remaining point guards are on the roster are Cameron Payne, who spent much of his time in the D-League after being acquired in February, Jerian Grant, who was briefly handed the starting role this season, and Isaiah Canaan, a journeyman shooter. There’s also, Dunn, of course, and free agent Michael Carter-Williams.

If the plan is to build around LaVine and Markkanen, there are very few young stars on the roster to join them. Starting center Robin Lopez turned 29 in April, and Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio are both free agents.

So considering the current makeup of the Bulls’ roster, did they get enough for their franchise player? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: NBA Draft Winners/Losers

June 23rd, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

While there weren’t many shocking picks, the 2017 NBA Draft featured plenty of activity, with a dozen trades having been officially announced and two more reportedly agreed upon. After the dust settled, Markelle Fultz is a Sixer, Lonzo Ball is a Laker, and…. wait, Jimmy Butler is a Timberwolf?

Minnesota’s acquisition of Butler was the big news on Thursday night, and the Timberwolves have been widely lauded for the deal they made, which saw them give up Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the No. 7 pick for Butler and the No. 16 pick. However, the Wolves weren’t the only team that has received praise for its night.

[RELATED: Complete 2017 NBA Draft Results]

Several NBA pundits loved the night for the Kings, who landed De’Aaron Fox at No. 5, and also added Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason later in the night. The Lakers also came away with an intriguing collection of prospects in addition to Ball, drafting Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Thomas Bryant.

The Jazz traded up twice and ended up with Donovan Mitchell and Tony Bradley. The Hornets didn’t have to move up to nab Malik Monk outside of the top 10, and the Raptors may have gotten a steal at No. 23 in OG Anunoby, assuming he returns to full health.

What do you think? Which teams were the winners and losers of draft night? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Communication Between Owner And Star Player

June 20th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Joshua Fischman

On Monday, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert parted ways with GM David Griffin, who was up for an extension. Griffin had been instrumental in bringing the Cavaliers’ star player, LeBron James, back to Cleveland. The executive also built a championship team by shrewdly trading for Kevin Love and cleverly filling out the Cavaliers roster over the years with key ancillary players like Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Channing Frye. He did all of this with creativity under considerable budgetary constraints. Unsurprisingly, James had long been an outspoken advocate for Griffin to continue at his GM post. According to Brian Windhorst, LBJ was not notified before Gilbert decided to let Griffin go (link via Twitter). Naturally, this seemed to upset James (link via Twitter).

Should Gilbert have consulted LeBron before getting rid of LBJ’s guy? Is it prudent for an owner to do what he can to make his superstar, who is arguably the best player of all-time, happy? LeBron James left Cleveland once before. Could behavior like this from the owner fuel LBJ’s already potentially wandering eye? Conversely, do you believe that players need not be involved in front office decisions like this one? Should players be divorced from personnel decisions?

We would love to see your thoughts reflected in the comments section.

Community Shootaround: Potential 76ers Big Three

June 17th, 2017 at 2:23pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Even if your mother always warned you not to get ahead of yourself, let’s get ahead of ourselves anyway. After all, Coach Klein did teach Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy that “what Mama don’t know, won’t hurt her.”

Classic movies from 1998 aside, the 76ers are reportedly close to trading for the Celtics‘ No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft. If completed, Philly would very likely select Markelle Fultz, the tantalizing University of Washington freshman with major upside. Can you imagine Fultz on the court with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons? The Sixers could boast three of the most promising young players in the NBA. Fultz is 19 years old, Simmons is 20, and Embiid is 23. Lest we forget, Philly also possesses promising 23-year-olds Dario Saric and Richaun Holmes on its youthful roster.

If Fultz’s workout with the Sixers (scheduled for 6 PM Eastern Time Saturday night) goes as well as expected, the trade could soon be finalized, and 76ers fans could witness their fantasy coming true of a Fultz-Simmons-Embiid big (and young) three. Today’s discussion question is: assuming the trade is completed and the Sixers wind up with Fultz, how special can this trio be together? What kind of obstacles do you expect them to face? If Brett Brown still elects to play Simmons at point guard, would that mostly help or hurt Fultz’s development on the court?

We’d love to hear your insight in the comment section.

Community Shootaround: Sixers Draft

June 11th, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

What the Sixers decide to do with the No. 3 overall pick could shape the entire draft, as I suggested in the team’s offseason preview. While it’s not a forgone conclusion that Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball go in the top-2, counting on any other outcome would be unwise.

Philadelphia has a tough decision to make with No. 3 and that leads us to tonight’s topic: Assuming Fultz and Ball are off the board, what should the Sixers do with their first round pick?

Malik Monk seems like a great fit because of his outside shooting, though it’s likely that he’ll be available in the latter half of the top-10, so trading down may be the best maneuver. If the team stays put, Josh Jackson could be the selection because of his tremendous upside or team president Bryan Colangelo could opt for the explosive skill-set of De’Aaron Fox.

Jayson Tatum is arguably the most pro-ready player in the draft and he could step in from day one alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to form a special young nucleus. If the team intends on playing the 2016 No. 1 overall selection at the point guard spot, having a slasher with Tatum’s repertoire on the wing will only help his development.

Philly could go in multiple directions on draft night and we’re putting you on the clock in tonight’s community shootaround. Tell us what you would do with the No. 3 overall pick in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!