Community Shootaround

After months of worries about the elite talent that was skipping the Summer Olympics, followed by concerns over a few close games, Team USA will leave Rio de Janeiro as the undisputed king of the basketball world.

The Americans re-established their dominance this afternoon with a 96-66 battering of Serbia in the gold medal game. It was a statement victory for the U.S. squad, which had eked out a three-point win over the Serbians earlier in the tournament when a last-second shot bounced off the rim.

Team USA won without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis, who skipped the Games because of a combination of injuries, desire for rest and other unstated reasons. But this was no “B team” that represented the United States in Rio. All-Stars abounded on an American squad that was challenged at times, but never seemed destined to walk away with anything less than gold.

After the lopsided victory in the final game, USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo issued a challenge to the rest of the world, relays Sam Amick of USA Today.

“I’m all for raising the bar for global basketball,” he said. “The more interest in basketball on all levels, I’m for. I’m a lifer in the game. I love the game. Basketball is the No. 2 sport in the world, [but] we just need to see these other countries get their acts together and become more competitive.

“I’d love to see that. Everyone would love to see that. I’m not going to be making excuses for anyone about our [dominance]. Someone said to me [after the game], one of the officials said to me, ‘You know next time you play, you ought to play with four.’ And I said, ‘No, maybe the other teams better get their act together and compete.’”

Those are strong words, and the Americans will need a strong team to back them up, which brings us to tonight’s question: Which 12 players will represent the United States at the 2020 Games in Tokyo? After four Olympic appearances, Carmelo Anthony is out, announcing his retirement from the international game today. James said this week that he was having regrets about not playing, so he may be back in four years at age 35. The rest of this year’s team is relatively young and all may want to return in 2020, but others who skipped this time may want a shot and some younger players may be in the mix by then.

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

The words “super team” are normally directed at the Cavaliers, Warriors or Spurs. However, Derrick Rose thinks the Knicks also deserve that designation.

Rose, who was traded from Chicago to New York in June, not only made the statement, but recently backed it up when he was given the chance to reconsider. “I feel like if you’re in any team in the NBA — it don’t have to be the NBA, it could be the college level, high school level — you should believe in yourself and have the confidence in yourself that you’re playing on a super team anywhere,” Rose said. “So I have a lot of confidence, and I’m not taking that back.”

So maybe Rose’s statement was more about confidence building than an actual assessment. But the Knicks do have a lot of talent for a team that won just 32 games last season:

• Start with Rose, who was the league MVP in 2011 and was a three-time All-Star before tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs. He appeared in 66 games last season, which was the most since the injury.
• Joakim Noah, who signed with New York as a free agent, is a two-time All-Star and has been a productive center throughout his nine-year career. He finished fourth in the MVP voting for the 2013/14 season.
• Carmelo Anthony is an 11-time All-Star and was the league’s scoring champion in 2012/13. Even at age 32, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous offensive threats.
• Kristaps Porzingis appears headed for stardom after a meteoric start to his NBA career. The 7’3″ Latvian was a unanimous choice for NBA All-Rookie first team honors and was runner-up in the balloting for Rookie of the Year.

That may not be a super team, but it’s certainly the core of a much improved team that may reach the playoffs. Throw in new additions Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings and a new coach in Jeff Hornacek, and the Knicks could be ready for a major jump in the standings.

That brings us to tonight’s question: How good will the Knicks be in 2016/17 and is there any validity to Rose’s “super team” comments? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

The Pistons took a low-key approach to the offseason. Content with the young pieces assembled over the past two seasons, head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy opted to improve his bench.

Detroit did pursue one top-level free agent, Al Horford, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. So, Van Gundy made some under-the-radar signings, essentially splitting up the salary-cap room available to ink three reserves — point guard Ish Smith, power forward Jon Leuer and center Boban Marjanovic.

Smith should be a major upgrade as the backup to Reggie Jackson. The Pistons had aging Steve Blake at that spot during the second half of last season. Leuer is also expected to play a major role and gives the club more versatility up front compared to the player he’s replacing, Anthony Tolliver.

Van Gundy is banking on improvements from within as his young core grows together. Jackson just finished his first season as a full-time starter. Combo forward Tobias Harris, acquired at the trade deadline, will now have a full season to blend in with the starting unit.

The Pistons are also expecting big things from second-year swingman Stanley Johnson, who jumped right into the rotation as a rookie and flashed some star potential.

The whole roster revolves around center Andre Drummond, who led the league in rebounding despite free throw shooting woes that often kept him on the bench during crunch time.

The Pistons will have very little cap space next summer unless they dump some salary, so the players on the current roster need to build on the franchise’s first playoff appearance in seven seasons.

This leads us to our question of the day: Did the Pistons do enough this offseason to become serious contenders in the Eastern Conference?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

There was little reason to expect stardom from C.J. McCollum during his first two NBA seasons. After being taken 10th overall out of Lehigh in the 2013 draft, McCollum got into just 38 games with the Trail Blazers during his rookie year and averaged 12.5 minutes per night. In his second season, those numbers increased to 62 games and 15.7 minutes of playing time.

But then Wesley Matthews left in free agency last summer and opened a door for the 6’4″ shooting guard. McCollum responded by moving into the starting lineup, averaging 20.8 points per night, shooting 42% from 3-point range and joining Damian Lillard to form one of the league’s most dynamic young backcourts.

McCollum was a runaway choice as the NBA’s Most Improved Player, easily outdistancing Kemba Walker and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the postseason voting. He cashed in on his success last month, agreeing to a five-year extension with the Blazers worth $106MM.

It’s an award that often leads to financial success. McCullom joins an impressive list of recent winners — Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Paul George, Ryan Anderson and Kevin Love — who all signed max or near-max deals sometime after winning the honor.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Who will be named the Most Improved Player for 2016/17? Who has the right mixture of talent and opportunity to follow in the footsteps of McCollum and the other winners?

Will someone step forward to replace the massive void left by Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City? Or by Dwyane Wade in Miami? Will it be someone leading a team on the rise like Utah or Orlando? Or will it be a relatively obscure player on one of the league’s younger teams?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Kevin Durant says, “We’ve got to figure out how we can be better.”

“There’s no letting up in this kind of a tournament,” Klay Thompson warned after Sunday’s narrow win over France. “We gave them too many good looks around the basket and got complacent on defense.

“These international guys really know how to move and really know how to cut,” explains Paul George. “It’s more about how they’re running their offense. It’s wearing us down.”

These aren’t the type of quotes that American fans expected to be reading as group play wrapped up in the Summer Olympics. After a series of blowouts in their exhibition schedule followed by convincing wins over China and Nigeria in their first two Olympic contests, the Americans seemed on their way to an easy gold medal.

But a tough and experienced Australian team gave them their first test last Wednesday. Team USA trailed by five points at halftime and was challenged throughout the game before pulling away late in a 98-88 victory. Serbia provided another crack in the Americans’ invincibility Friday night, falling 94-91 as Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s last-second 3-pointer bounced off the rim. The U.S. improved to 5-0 Sunday with an unimpressive three-point win over a French team that played without Tony Parker.

There are many theories about what has gone wrong in Rio, ranging from shot distribution to defensive breakdowns to faulty player rotations. But it’s also possible that the American team was overrated heading into this tournament and the rest of the world was underrated. Nearly all of these teams have been playing together for years and understand the finer points of international competition.

Regardless of how they got here, the Americans are unbeaten and head into the medal round as the top seed from Group A. Depending on the results of tonight’s contest between Lithuania and Croatia, the U.S. will face either Argentina or the Croatians in the quarterfinals. They will be a heavy favorite no matter who the opponent is and they are still the most likely team in Rio to come home with the gold medal.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Will the United States get the three wins it needs to capture gold or is there a team that will give the Americans their first Olympic loss since 2004? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

There may be plenty of NBA players at the Summer Olympics, but it doesn’t take long to realize that these aren’t NBA games. They’re shorter, for starters, lasting just 40 minutes instead of 48, with the number of fouls for disqualification cut from six to five. But that’s just one of many adjustments that pro players had to make when they started playing internationally 24 years ago. Here are few other key areas in which FIBA rules are different:

• Fewer time outs. When NBA games are close, the final minutes often drag out because both teams have saved so many time outs. The NBA gives each team six full time outs per game, along with one 20-second time out per half and three more in overtime. FIBA rules provide two timeouts in the first half, three in the second half and one extra for each overtime.
• No live-ball time outs. The only time that time outs are permitted is when the clock is already stopped, and they must be called by the bench through the scorer’s table. That means players can’t call time out when they’re trapped and teams can’t stop the clock before each posession in the final minutes.
• Shorter 3-point line. The FIBA 3-pointer is measured at 6.25 meters [or 20 feet, 6.25 inches], compared to between 22 feet and 23 feet, 9 inches in the NBA. The closer line makes for an easier shot, but it also puts more pressure on defenses to defend the 3-point line.
• Basket interference: In international play, the ball is fair game once it hits the rim, and both teams are free to guide it through or knock it away. In the NBA, the ball must clear the cylinder before anyone can touch it.
• Zone defense. There are no defensive three-seconds calls in FIBA basketball. Teams can play any type of zone they want and can keep all five defenders in the lane for the entire possession if they think that’s the best strategy.
• Shorter shot clock on offensive rebounds. In the NBA, an offensive rebound means a new 24-second clock, but in FIBA it is only reset to 14 seconds. That speeds up the action and can help teams trying to come from behind late in a game.
• Fewer jump balls. FIBA uses the possession arrow just like college basketball. The only jump ball takes place at the start of the game.

That brings us to our question for tonight: Which of these rules would you like to see brought to the NBA and how would they improve the pro game?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

For years, the idea of a sellout crowd packing Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena to watch Kevin Durant hasn’t been big news. But when it happens on Feburary 11th, it will be one of the most important nights of the season.

The NBA released its schedule for 2016/17 this week, and Durant’s return to OKC to face his former fans is among the highlights. Durant shook the franchise on July 4th when he announced he was joining the Warriors, and Thunder fans have been waiting for the new schedule to see which date they should circle on their calendars.

But Durant wasn’t the only big name to change teams this offseason, and there are many more eventful nights on the schedule. Along with Durant’s return, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated ranks these as the most intriguing games to watch:

• Warriors at Cavaliers, December 25th: These teams have met in the last two NBA finals and may be headed for a third. But first, they will be part of the annual ABC/ESPN Christmas marathon. The addition of Durant should add spice to an already intense rivalry.
• Knicks at Cavaliers, October 25th: It may be Cleveland’s most anticipated home opener ever as the city will raise its first championship banner in any sport since 1964.
• Cavaliers at Warriors, January 16th: LeBron James and company will make their first trip back to Oracle Arena since winning Game 7 of the finals.
• Bulls at Heat, November 10th: Miami fans still may not be over the shock of Dwyane Wade leaving town by the time this game tips off. Wade’s career with the Heat included 13 seasons and three NBA titles, and he remains a fan favorite no matter what uniform he wears.
• Rockets at Lakers, October 26th: The reality of the post-Kobe Bryant era settles in as L.A. plays its first home game without him on the roster since 1996.
• Pelicans at Spurs, October 29th: There will be a similar situation in Texas, as San Antonio starts its first season without Tim Duncan since 1997.
• Knicks at Bulls, November 4th: Chicago native Derrick Rose comes to town in a visiting uniform for the first time in his NBA career. Accompanying him will be long-time Bulls center Joakim Noah.
• Spurs at Warriors, October 25th: Both teams were chasing history for most of last season before Golden State got there with 73 wins. With Durant gone from Oklahoma City, there’s a good chance these will be the top two teams in the West again.
• Lakers at Sixers, December 16th: The top two picks in the draft, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, square off for the first time in the NBA.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Which game are you most anticipating next season and why? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony indicated that if his professional basketball career were to end without him winning an NBA championship, he’d still consider it a success if he walked away with three Olympic gold medals and an NCAA title. “I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I’ve given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals,” Anthony said.

Anthony has long been a polarizing player among fans, thanks to his gaudy statistics and lack of playoff success over the course of his career. The tale of the tape on the forward’s NBA career thus far is: In 902 career regular season games Anthony has averaged 24.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists to accompany a shooting line of .453/.344/.812. He’s a nine-time NBA All-Star, has won an NBA scoring title (2013) and is one of the more versatile players the league has ever seen on the offensive side of the game. But…he’s only made it out of the first round of the playoffs twice in his 13-year career.

The player whose career I’ve often compared Anthony’s to is former Hawks great, Dominique Wilkins. While Melo’s game is certainly different from the “Human Highlight Film’s,” Wilkins is a prime example of a star whose statistics never translated into an NBA title. To further illustrate my point, take a gander at Wilkins’ career numbers, which are eerily similar to Anthony’s. In 1074 career regular season contests, Wilkins notched averages of 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists to go along with his shooting line of .461/.319/.811. Wilkins enjoyed a bit more playoff success, advancing past the first round on four occasions during his time in Atlanta, but never past the second round.

I reference Wilkins because despite never having won an NBA title, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006 and is generally regarded as one of the greats of the game, though not in the same conversation as Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc. Unless the Knicks strike gold in the near future, it appears that Anthony is also destined to end his career with an impressive stat line, but no ring to silence his detractors.

This brings to today’s topic, which is a two-parter: What will Carmelo Anthony‘s NBA legacy be if he fails to win a title during his career? And if he indeed fails to lead a team to a championship, is he worthy of being inducted into the Hall Of Fame?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

The Sixers, with the first overall pick in June, landed one of the most highly-touted college players of the last several years, adding former LSU forward Ben Simmons to their roster. Simmons’ performance in Summer League action already has Sixers fans salivating at his potential, but the No. overall pick isn’t the only Philadelphia player with a chance at the 2016/17 Rookie of the Year award.

As Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweeted last month, the 76ers actually believe three candidates for the Rookie of the Year award, though Simmons is the only one of the trio actually drafted this year. Croatian forward Dario Saric, a 2013 lottery pick, is arriving in Philadelphia after spending several seasons developing overseas, while Joel Embiid, 2014’s third overall pick, is hoping to finally be healthy after two lost seasons.

While the Sixers are probably the team most likely to have the 2016/17 Rookie of the Year on their roster, there are a few other intriguing contenders. Second overall pick Brandon Ingram figures to see plenty of action right away on a fairly young Lakers team, and the same might be true for players like Timberwolves point guard Kris Dunn (No. 5 pick) and Nuggets shooting guard Jamal Murray (No. 7).

Of course, the most polished player to be taken in the top 10 of this year’s draft was former Oklahoma sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who will join a Pelicans team that lost Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson and badly needed some outside shooting. Hield, who will turn 23 later this year, is perhaps more NBA-ready than many of his fellow 2016 first-rounders.

It’s still too early to get a clear idea about which rookies will see the most playing time, and which ones will be given the opportunity to make the biggest impact. But what’s your early read on the situation? Which first-year player do you think is headed for a Rookie of the Year award?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on this year’s crop of rookies. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.