Community Shootaround Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Draymond Green

June 12th, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will have to play Game 5 of the NBA Finals without Draymond Green, who was suspended today when the league assessed him a flagrant 1 foul for an encounter with LeBron James in Game 4.

League officials called Green’s actions a “retaliatory swipe of his hand to the groin” after he and James collided. The flagrant foul was Green’s fourth of the playoffs, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

“The cumulative points system is designed to deter flagrant fouls in our game,” NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe explained. “While Draymond Green’s actions in Game 4 do not merit a suspension as a standalone act, the number of flagrant points he has earned triggers a suspension for Game 5.”

Golden State has three double-digit wins in the series and has controlled the Finals except for a lopsided loss in Game 3. However, Green’s versatility is a major part of the Warriors’ effectiveness, and they won’t be the same team without him in the lineup.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Does Green’s absence in Game 5 give the Cavaliers a chance to win the series? The Warriors are returning home and will be aided by their raucous crowd, but the absence of Green gives Cleveland a fighting chance. If the Cavs can find a way to win Game 5 and then take Game 6 on their home court, that would set up a Game 7 next Sunday in Oakland. Is the series no longer a foregone conclusion, or will Golden State overcome Green’s absence and win the trophy Monday night?

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

Community Shootaround: Kevin Love

June 11th, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Cavaliers traded for Kevin Love two years ago, they hoped he was the missing piece to a championship team. But in this year’s finals, they’ve looked more like a champion when Love was missing.

Cleveland’s only win came in a Game 3 blowout with Love unable to play because of a concussion. He returned for Friday’s Game 4, but managed just 11 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes as the Cavs fell into a 3-1 hole.

Love came to Cleveland in a trade with Minnesota to form a new Big Three with Kyrie Irving and the returning LeBron James. But questions about his compatibility started almost immediately and grew louder as Andrew Wiggins, the key player sent to the Wolves in the deal, blossomed into the 2014/15 Rookie of the Year.

Love and the Cavs had a chance to end their uneasy partnership when he became a free agent last summer. Instead, he re-signed in Cleveland for about $110MM over five years, agreeing to terms shortly after the July 1st start of free agency. Later in the offseason, the Cavaliers committed $82MM over five years to Tristan Thompson, also a power forward.

With another championship slipping out of reach and a huge luxury tax payment due, speculation is growing that the Cavs might try to trade Love this summer. The Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey wrote in April that the Nuggets would be a willing partner, possibly parting with a group of young players who are a better fit for coach Tyronn Lue’s fast-paced offense. The Celtics, Trail Blazers, Suns, Wizards, Rockets, Mavericks, Magic and Hornets would also be interested, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation.

Love clearly wants to be in Cleveland and is irritated by the talk that the franchise needs to get rid of him to win a title. He showed his loyalty during free agency and doesn’t want to be dispatched now as a scapegoat.

“I don’t know how to answer it, because I have a couple bad games last series [against Toronto], tough games, and have to come back and do whatever I needed to do to help the team,” Love told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “Still, it’s just never enough.”

But the economic reality is that Love is owed $93MM over the next four seasons. Add in the more than $67.7MM the Cavs must pay Thompson over that span and the possibility that James will become a power forward as he gets older, and it’s easy to see that Cleveland is overloaded at one position.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Should the Cavaliers trade Love this summer, and where would be the best spot for him? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Cavs Winning The Finals?

June 6th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Cavs lost their first two games of the NBA Finals by a combined 48 points. Neither Klay Thompson nor Stephen Curry had monumental games for the Warriors. Instead, it was the team’s depth that mechanically wore down Cleveland. Perhaps there are some adjustments that coach Tyronn Lue can make, but it seems unlikely that this team can compete with all the talent that Golden State has.

So that brings us to tonight’s topic: Is there any way the Cavs can wins this series?

Could they decide to dust off Timofey Mozgov and attempt to recapture some of the success they had during last year’s finals where they went big and governed the paint? Kevin Love is talented, but he’s hasn’t played like a traditional big man since he was in Minnesota. Is it time to reduce his minutes? Love has the ability to be a major force and perhaps the Cavs can make adjustments in order to benefit from their $110MM big man without sending him to the bench. Perhaps there are better solutions to make this series more competitive.

Should Richard Jefferson being playing meaningful minutes at this point in his career? That’s where I’d begin if I were tasked with mustering up a comeback performance for Cleveland during these finals. Tell us what you would do. What adjustments would you make if you were in control of the Cavs?

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

Community Shootaround: Kevin Durant

June 5th, 2016 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that Kevin Durant‘s season has ended, the smart money seems to be on him re-signing with Oklahoma City this summer, probably on a two-year deal with a player option. That will allow him to become a free agent again next summer, when as a 10-year veteran and Tier Three Max player, he will be eligible for a five-year offer from the Thunder worth more than $200MM. It would also time his free agency with Russell Westbrook‘s and let both players decide at the same time if they want to remain in OKC.

But before Durant signs anything, he’s going to hear a lot of offers — from GMs and players alike. Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall both said this weekend that they plan to aggressively recruit Durant. James Harden will make a similar pitch in Houston, as will Carmelo Anthony in New York. Even media figures are getting into the game, as the Ringer’s Bill Simmons, a well-known Celtics fan, penned a column advising Durant that his path to the NBA Finals would be much easier in the East.

The Spurs, Heat and Warriors are the front-runners to land Durant if he does leave Oklahoma City, and all three can sell him on the luxury of remaining with a title contender. More remote possibilities include the Clippers, who would have to trade Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan to clear enough cap space, and the Lakers, who have plenty of cap room and a good young core in place, along with a tradition that Durant might find intriguing.

That brings us to tonight’s question: If Durant leaves the Thunder, where will he be playing next season? Should the Warriors be considered the favorites? Would he be better off in the Eastern Conference? Or is there another contender that we’ve overlooked?

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

Community Shootaround: Jeff Teague To The Sixers

June 4th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier this week, we learned that the Hawks and Sixers discussed a deal that would involve Jeff Teague going to Philadelphia and Nerlens Noel going to Atlanta. It was reported that Nik Stauskas and/or Robert Covington could also be on the move in the potential deal.

In tonight’s shootaround, tell us what you think about the rumored Teague-Noel deal and let us know your thoughts from each team’s perspective.

Should the Sixers bring aboard Teague in exchange for Noel and possibly other pieces or should they look to acquire a younger player who may better fit with the rest of the team’s core? Philadelphia reportedly has been shopping Jahlil Okafor and Noel with the goal of locating the best deal. Is this Teague trade it?

As for the Hawks, are they getting enough in return for an established veteran who was an All-Star last season and helped the team win three playoff series over the last two campaigns?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: 2016 NBA Finals

June 1st, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

The 2016 NBA Finals are set to get underway on Thursday, and despite some drama in recent weeks, particularly in the Western Conference, this year’s matchup is a repeat of last year’s NBA Finals, with the Warriors looking to defeat the Cavaliers for a second consecutive championship.

After setting an NBA regular-season record with 73 wins, the Warriors are the odds-on favorites to win the title. FiveThirtyEight.com currently gives Golden State a 69% chance to take the series, and those odds are about in line with those provided by Las Vegas line-makers (Twitter link), who have installed the Cavaliers as about 2-to-1 underdogs.

The Warriors are led by Stephen Curry, unanimously voted this season’s MVP, and Klay Thompson, who has looked like one of the league’s top players during the postseason, racking up an incredible 77 three-pointers so far (J.R. Smith is second, with 49). After eliminating the Rockets and Trail Blazers without Curry at full health, the Warriors stormed back from a 3-1 deficit against a very talented Oklahoma City team, and certainly look poised to repeat as champs.

Still, this Cavaliers team isn’t the same one Golden State dispatched in the 2015 Finals. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are fully healthy this time around, and outside of a brief hiccup in Toronto during the Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland has looked unstoppable so far in the playoffs. The Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors aren’t exactly a murderer’s row of postseason opponents, but the Cavs did what they were supposed to in those series, winning 12 of 14 games, and could be peaking at the right time.

“We’re better built to start the Finals than we were last year,” LeBron James said on Tuesday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “Doesn’t matter who it’s against. I mean, that’s not a headline. It’s obvious.”

Today’s topic is pretty straightforward: Who will win the NBA Finals? Does this version of the Cavaliers have a legit chance to pull off the upset, or are the Warriors simply too talented to let their record-setting season end with a loss in the Finals?

Cast your vote in our poll, and weigh in below in the comments section to share your predictions for the series!

(direct link to poll)

Community Shootaround: Three-Point Barrage

May 30th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Klay Thompson made a playoff-record 11 3-pointers to lead the Warriors’ comeback victory over the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. The way these playoffs have unfolded, Thompson’s record might not last this postseason.

The 3-point shot has been around since the 1979-80 season but in the last few years, it’s become much more prevalent. During this postseason, long-range shots have been fired up at a record pace.

The Cavaliers stormed into the Finals not so much on LeBron James‘ brute strength and versatility but on 3-point flurries. They are averaging 14.4 made 3-pointers in the postseason and hitting them at a 43.4% rate. Nearly 41% of their field-goal attempts have come from beyond the arc.

Not surprising, the Warriors are second on the list with an average of 12.2 made threes while shooting 39.9% from long range. A handful of teams in this postseason have averaged at least 30 3-point attempts per game and six more averaged at least 21 per contest.

It’s a stark contrast to what we saw just a few years ago. During the 2012 postseason, for example, the Heat won the championship with 3-point averages of 6.8 makes and 19.7 attempts with a 34.7% success rate. The Western Conference champion Thunder averaged 6.8 makes and 19.2 attempts with a 35.5% success rate.

Meanwhile, mid-range shooting and low-post play has been lost in the process. Most of the top teams lack a dominant post presence and when someone does post up, it’s usually to set up a kickout for another 3-point attempt.

The NBA Finals this season might resemble the 3-point shooting contest during All-Star weekend.

This leads us to our question of the day: Should the league make rule changes such as extending the 3-point line or widening the lane in order to de-emphasize the 3-point shot?

Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootarond: Bismack Biyombo

May 28th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Since the playoffs began back in mid-April, no player has done more to help himself in free agency than Raptors center Bismack Biyombo.

Stuck in a back-up role behind Jonas Valanciunas, Biyombo averaged 5.5 points and 8.0 rebounds during the regular season. But Valanciunas’ badly sprained ankle and Biyombo’s huge performance in his place have made the 6’9″ native of the Congo one of this summer’s most talked-about free agents.

Two months ago, the Raptors were hoping Biyombo would waive his player option and accept a $2.94MM contract for next season. But he demolished any chance of that with a 26-rebound, four-block performance in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. On the heels of a 17-point, 16-rebound effort in Game 7 against Miami, it established Biyombo as a dominant paint presence who was at his best when the games mattered most.

After Toronto’s season ended Friday, Biyombo announced his intention to opt out, a decision that could earn him more than five times the salary that he leaves behind. With a rising cap and a shortage of quality big men, it won’t be surprising if a team offers him a deal that starts at more than $16MM per year.

The situation was unthinkable when Biyombo signed with Toronto last summer. He was close to being a bust during his four seasons in Charlotte, averaging more than 27 minutes per game just once and topping 5 points per game only in his rookie season. That’s why the Raptors were able to get him cheaply, giving him about $3MM for this season, plus next year’s player option.

Biyombo’s sudden good fortune has put Toronto in a bind. Because his contract was so short, the Raptors don’t own Biyombo’s Bird rights, which means whatever money they offer him has to come out of cap room. Assuming DeMar DeRozan opts out, Toronto will have a little more than $70MM in salary for next season against an estimated $92MM cap. Unless they renounce DeRozan or gut the roster through trades, it’s hard to see how the Raptors get close to a $16MM offer.

Earlier today, Biyombo said he prefers to stay with in Toronto, but that might change once he studies the economic realities of the situation. No matter what personal feelings Biyombo may have for the city and the organization, he’s likely to end up with the highest bidder.

That brings us to tonight’s question, which is a two-parter: Where do you expect to see Biyombo playing next season and will he be able to live up to a giant contract? No matter how much the NBA moves to smaller lineups and 3-point shooting, there will always be a demand for rebounders and shot blockers. And with the cap soaring this summer, almost every team will have the money to offer at least one max contract.

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

Community Shootaround: Joakim Noah

May 25th, 2016 at 7:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bulls big man Joakim Noah is eligible for free agency this summer, and one teammate told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that Noah has been saying recently that he’s done with the organization once free agency begins, with the big man also adding that he “has no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction.” Noah, who has spent all of his nine NBA seasons in Chicago, won’t officially hit the open market until July, so if the Bulls want to re-sign him, there’s time to change the player’s mind. Chicago reportedly wants to retain Noah, with an April report indicating that the team may favor keeping Noah on a short-term deal rather than making a strong effort to re-sign Pau Gasol.

Noah underwent surgery on his separated left shoulder back in January, and while he should be ready to go for the 2016/17 campaign, he hasn’t played a game since that procedure. In 2015/16, he appeared in just 29 games, averaging 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per contest. The center also brings with him a number of intangibles that don’t show up in the box score on a nightly basis, which increases his overall value, but age and injury concerns may hamper Noah in landing a long-term deal this summer.

This brings me to the topic for today: Where will Joakim Noah be playing next season?

Will Noah be wearing a Bulls jersey in 2016/17 or do you see him heading elsewhere? What team is the best fit for the big man and what sort of contract will he land this offseason. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts, opinions and predictions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Community Shootaround: Sixers’ Offseason

May 23rd, 2016 at 10:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

After several years of tanking, the Sixers finally landed the No.1 overall pick during last Tuesday’s draft lottery. Now, they are faced with a critical decision that will shape the franchise for years to come. Coach Brett Brown said the team isn’t leaning toward any particular player, but the decision will likely come down to Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, whom Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors profiled earlier today. Many believe Simmons will be the pick and although he has the ball handling skills to play in the backcourt, he’s likely best suited at the power forward position.

Drafting Simmons would add to an already full frontcourt. The team expects to have Joel Embiid healthy and ready to play by the beginning of the 2016/17 season and it will likely have Dario Saric coming stateside to play his rookie season in Philadelphia. Despite all the turmoil Jahlil Okafor endured this season, he’s looks to be the team’s best player. Okafor clearly needs to play the center position, as does Nerlens Noel, who will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason. Finding minutes for everyone may prove to be a chore next season. So that leads us to tonight’s topic: How would you handle the team’s situation? Should the Sixers draft Simmons or Ingram with the No. 1 overall pick? Would you trade away one of the team’s big men and if so, which one and for what?

Let us know what you would do if you were sitting in GM Bryan Colangelo’s chair (likely the ergonomic office chair that Sam Hinkie left behind). Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.