Community Shootaround

The breaking news on Monday, as reported by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, that Stephen Curry would be named the league’s Most Valuable Player again came as no surprise. The only mystery regarding Curry’s second straight MVP is whether anyone else got a first-place vote after the Warriors’ historic season.

As for Curry’s health, there’s plenty of uncertainty. Curry has only appeared in two of the Warriors’ eight postseason games, first because of an ankle injury and currently due to a sprained right MCL. Golden State managed to win four of those six games, but his absence may be wearing on the club, as evidenced by its 12-point loss to Portland in Game 3 on the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.

Curry returned to action Monday night, but it’s fair to wonder how the injuries will affect him going forward. Physically, he may not have full mobility until he can rest and rehab in the offseason.

Moreover, it’s always difficult for an athlete to completely trust their body if there’s any lingering pain or fear that certain movements could aggravate the injury.

The Warriors certainly don’t have an easy road to a second straight title, even if Curry is feeling spry. They’ve got to get past the pesky Trail Blazers, and face either a veteran, deep perennial contender in the Spurs or a revived, hungry Thunder unit with two of the league’s top players.

Should they survive that acid test, they’ll probably see the Cavs and their trio of stars, who have been playing lights out thus far in the playoffs.

This leads us to our question of the day: Can the Warriors still repeat if Stephen Curry isn’t 100% healthy the remainder of the postseason?

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.

Another head coaching job became available earlier today when the Grizzlies parted ways with Dave Joerger. “After careful consideration, I concluded that a change was needed to foster the strong culture required to achieve sustainable, long-term success for this organization, the city and our fans,” said GM Chris Wallace. “On behalf of the Grizzlies organization I would like to thank Dave for his work and time in Memphis. We wish Dave and his family all the best and success as he moves forward in his career.”

Joerger reportedly asked management for permission to interview for other vacancies with an eye on openings in Sacramento and Houston. Joerger led the Grizzlies to a 42-40 record this season with a makeshift roster that saw 28 different players suit up for them because of various injuries and trades. Without stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, Memphis wasn’t able to win a game in the playoffs. Management applauded his coaching ability, but they reportedly did not see eye-to-eye on personnel matters. “Being an NBA head coach is about more than just coaching a 48-minute game,” Wallace said.

If you were Joerger, what coaching vacancy would you target? Would you want to coach DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento, where just getting to the playoffs may grant you job security? Would you want the challenge of trying to bring a James Harden-led Rockets team to the finals in a Western Conference that’s so strong at the top? Maybe you prefer Indiana or New York. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We look forward to what you have to say!

The Lakers reportedly have interest in signing Festus Ezeli, who is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason. While the big man could likely garner more playing time elsewhere, Ezeli prefers to re-sign with the Warriors, believing he’ll inherit a job in the starting lineup once Andrew Bogut‘s contract expires after next season, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Golden State has the ability to match any offer for Ezeli, though several league executives have suggested that it will take a three-year, $50MM deal for any team to secure the 26-year-old center.

While Ezeli remains a solid option off the bench, the 6’11” former Vanderbilt player has struggled with injuries throughout his career, only appearing in 170 regular season games since becoming the 30th overall pick in the 2012 draft. A left knee surgery helped limit him to 46 regular season appearances this year. Still, he’s impressed when he’s made it onto the court, and his performance in Tuesday’s playoff game was vital to Golden State’s win over Portland.

Ezeli’s agent, Bill Duffy, reportedly talked him out of signing what would have been a team-friendly extension with the Warriors last fall, but the center said shortly after extension discussions broke down that he wants to remain with Golden State for his entire career. Warriors assistant GM Kirk Lacob had suggested in January that the team would be willing to pay whatever is necessary to retain Ezeli. The Warriors may find it difficult to keep him, given they already have more than $73MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $92MM salary cap. The Lakers have much greater flexibility with only $23MM in guaranteed salary. Plus, they will have an opening at center with Roy Hibbert hitting free agency.

This brings me to the topic for today: How much do you think Festus Ezeli is worth for his next contract?

The center has career averages of 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and one block per game in 14.1 minutes per appearance. His career shooting numbers are .513/.000/.557. While those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, they represent a small sample size of what Ezeli may be capable of if given additional playing time. But is his potential worth the risk of signing him to a long-term deal for upward of $14MM-$16MM per season? That is the question that prospective suitors will need to ask themselves, and the same is true for the Warriors, who could benefit by keeping their roster as intact as possible, given the team’s success and stellar chemistry.

But what say you? Is Ezeli a starting-caliber center in your eyes? What do you believe a fair contract would look like for the big man? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

The NBA is about to enter its most exciting and unpredictable offseason in recent memory thanks to the projected jump in the salary cap to upward of $92MM. There will likely be more than a few deals inked this summer that will have folks around league scratching their heads. One player who is reportedly in line for such a pact is the Pelicans’ Ryan Anderson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Anderson is reportedly considering a change of scenery this summer when he hits the open market. Teams expressing interest in Anderson leading up to the February trade deadline included the Wizards, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Kings and Suns. It’s unclear just how many of those teams will pursue Anderson this summer, with Washington acquiring Markieff Morris, Detroit landing Tobias Harris, Channing Frye ending up in Cleveland and Jeff Green now a member of the Clippers as a result of various deadline trades.

The stretch four is expected to attract a salary starting of $16MM-$18MM when he hits the market this summer, which is quite a princely sum for a player with a career 13.1 points per game scoring average who isn’t a strong defender or rebounder. But with the league placing a premium on bigs who can stretch the floor on offense, Anderson is certainly hitting free agency at the right time.

That brings me to the topic for today: What is the maximum annual salary that Ryan Anderson is worth on his next contract?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject, as well as to chime in on where you think Anderson will be playing next season. We look forward to what you have to say.

The NBA has not seriously looked at expansion in recent years and seems content with its current 30-team setup. The league hasn’t added an expansion team since 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats were created.

That’s a shame for major cities currently without NBA franchises that have the capability of supporting them.

Commissioner Adam Silver recently addressed the topic and doubted that expansion would be coming any time soon. Current owners feel that adding franchises would detract from their global following.

“The way the owners see expansion at the moment is really the equivalent of selling equity in the [league],” Silver said.

Silver also admitted that not all of the current teams are “must-see experiences” and that additional teams would lead to a watered-down product with the top talent spread thin. However, Silver did not shoot down the possibility of expansion.

“I don’t think the there is any doubt that at some point we will turn back to looking at whether we should grow the league,” he said.

That process could be accelerated during negotiations with the National Basketball Players’ Association, which has every incentive to add more high-paying jobs through expansion.

Seattle, which lost its franchise to Oklahoma City, would certainly get serious consideration if the NBA decided to expand. But plenty of other cities can also make strong cases for inclusion. St. Louis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Buffalo, San Diego, Louisville, Nashville and Kansas City all seem like viable options, as many of those cities previously had NBA or ABA franchises.

Las Vegas has been clamoring for a major pro sports franchise and the NBA could even take an international view. Regular season games have been played in London with an enthusiastic response. Logistics aside, that would be a bold step for a league that has always taken a worldwide view with its product.

This leads us to our question of the day: If the NBA decides to expand in the near future, which city is most deserving of a franchise?

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.