Community Shootaround: Joakim Noah
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
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.
Community Shootaround: Next Rockets Coach
In the 1970s, Mike D’Antoni used to compete against Paul Silas on the court. Now he’s competing against Silas’ son for the Rockets’ head coaching job.
Hornets assistant Stephen Silas is receving serious consideration for the position, according to a report Friday by Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Silas impressed GM Daryl Morey and owner Leslie Alexander in a pair of interviews and is now rivaling D’Antoni, who was once thought to be the clear favorite.
Silas is among the youngest 16-year veterans ever in the coaching profession, having started his career with the original Charlotte Hornets at age 27. He is also very much in demand. Silas has an interview scheduled Monday with Warriors coach Steve Kerr about becoming his lead assistant, and the Trail Blazers have been granted permission to talk with Silas about becoming Terry Stotts’ top assistant.
Although D’Antoni and Silas are co-front runners in Houston, the Rockets haven’t stopped the interview process. They will talk to Spurs assistant James Borrego on Monday, and plan to bring in Magic assistant Adrian Griffin as well. Former Cavs coach David Blatt, Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian, Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell and current Rockets assistant Chris Finch were among the others interviewed. TNT analyst Kenny Smith and former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy are no longer considered candidates for the position.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Who should the Rockets hire as their next coach? Should they take a veteran like D’Antoni, whose free-flowing offense paved the way for much of what Houston does now? Should it be Silas, who seems ready for the opportunity after more than a decade and a half as an assistant? Will Borrego or Griffin shake up the status quo, or is there someone else who should be considered?
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: Frank Vogel
The Magic hired Frank Vogel to be their head coach earlier today. Vogel will receive roughly $22MM over the next four seasons and the team is hoping he can develop its young core. The coach will inherit a team that won 35 games and has some nice pieces in place, but the current roster likely won’t yield one All-Star over the next few seasons.
Vogel compiled a record of 250-181 as the head coach of the Pacers. He also made back-to-back conference finals appearances in 2013 and 2014. He was able to interview for the Knicks vacancy before they offered the job to Jeff Hornacek and had he waited until next season to coach, he certainly would have garner interest among teams looking for a new head coach.
So that leads us to tonight’s question: Are the Magic a good fit for Frank Vogel or should he have waited for a better head coaching gig? 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: No. 3 Pick
If LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram are clearly the best two prospects in this year’s draft, then the Sixers and Lakers were the big winners at Tuesday’s lottery. Mock drafts may be split over whether Simmons or Ingram will be the better pro, but they virtually all agree that those will be the top two picks — in one order or the other.
So where does that leave the Celtics?
Boston is beginning to reap the harvest of a nine-player trade with Brooklyn in 2013 that saw the Nets give away a parcel of draft picks for aging veterans Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. It was a short-sighted deal by Brooklyn GM Billy King that eventually cost him his job as the franchise deteriorated. Boston will get unprotected first-round picks from the Nets this year and in 2018, along with the opportunity — which now seems like a certainty — to swap first-rounders next season. Brooklyn stumbled to a 21-61 record this year, the third-worst mark in the league, and the Celtics hung on to the third pick Tuesday after all the ping-pong balls dropped.
What should their next move be?
ESPN’s Chad Ford has Boston grabbing Kentucky combo guard Jamal Murray at No. 3 in his latest mock draft, calling it a tough choice between him, Kris Dunn of Providence and Buddy Hield of Oklahoma. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Dragan Bender, a power forward out of Bosnia, rated third overall, but hasn’t updated his mock draft to include the lottery results or to consider team needs.
It’s generally agreed that apart from diminutive All-Star Isaiah Thomas, Boston has a roster filled with average to good players but very little star power. With Thomas, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley on hand and the possible return of Evan Turner, any rookie guard will have to fight for playing time in the Celtics’ backcourt.
That brings us to tonight’s question: What should the Celtics do with their pick? Is Murray the best answer? Is Dunn, Hield or Bender? Or if you think a trade is a better option, who should they target and what would it take to get a deal done?
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: Phil Jackson
The Knicks’ hiring of Phil Jackson as team president in March of 2014 was met with much initial excitement because of his Hall-of-Fame credentials as a coach. But there was some skepticism regarding how well he would fare as an executive, a role in which he had no prior experience. Team owner James Dolan certainly went all-in on the Zen Master, inking Jackson to a five-year, $60MM contract, a record salary for an executive.
New York has gone 49-115 under Jackson’s watch, and the fanbase, as well as star forward Carmelo Anthony, are growing increasingly restless. Jackson has often appeared aloof and on occasion, disinterested, which calls into question his commitment to the franchise. The executive didn’t help matters last week by failing to attend the annual college scouting combine last week in Chicago, though he may have done so in order to interview head coaching candidate Frank Vogel in Los Angeles.
Despite the Knicks not owning a pick in this year’s draft, the team could potentially purchase or acquire one via trade. By not attending the combine, Jackson may have missed an important opportunity to observe first-hand some of the talent that may be available. Even if the team is unable to snag a pick this June, Jackson declining to travel to Chicago — whatever the reason, doesn’t inspire confidence from the team’s fans, nor prospective free agents, many of whom will make their decisions based on what organization will give them the best opportunity to win.
This brings me to today’s topic: Should James Dolan, regardless of the money still owed Phil Jackson, part ways with the team president?
This offseason will be a defining one for Jackson as an executive. If he fails to make some significant additions to the roster this summer, it could usher in a complete rebuild of the team, as well as make it all the likelier that Jackson will opt out of his deal after the 2016/17 campaign. But should Dolan entrust such a critical task to Jackson, or should the owner step in and find someone new to lead the team into the future? If you believe Jackson should go, who should the team target to replace him. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Community Shootaround: Miami Heat
The Heat will head into the offseason after losing Game 7 to the Raptors on Sunday. Considering all the injuries the team endured, one can argue that winning 48 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals qualifies as a successful season. The team will head into the offseason with several question marks and some big decisions to make.
Should the team offer Hassan Whiteside a max contract? There’s reportedly considerable debate within the organization over that question. Yet, Miami is rightfully waiting to see if Kevin Durant is interested in joining the team before making any decision. The Heat have to wonder if they will need another starting power forward, as they fear Chris Bosh won’t ever be medically cleared. Bosh has slightly under $76MM left on his deal over the next three seasons and should he be forced to retire, the team won’t see any cap relief until at least February 2017.
Miami has other decisions to make this offseason. Can the backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic produce a championship contender? Should the franchise prioritize re-signing Joe Johnson? What about Luol Deng? What kind of contracts should each receive? Tonight’s shootaround is all about the Heat. Let us know what you would do if you were sitting in Pat Riley’s chair.
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: Nate McMillan
Pacers president Larry Bird had seen enough of Frank Vogel and his old-style offense. While other teams were spreading the court, moving the ball and raining down threes, Indiana was doing something more traditional — and slow.
It didn’t matter that Vogel had made the playoffs in five of his six seasons on the Pacers’ bench, missing only in 2014/15 when a broken leg sidelined Paul George for virtually the entire season. It didn’t matter that Vogel produces top 10 defensive teams every year or that at age 42 he has developed a reputation as one of the NBA’s best coaches.
None of that mattered because Bird didn’t like the product he saw on the court and wanted things to change.
So he’s apparently hiring one of Vogel’s assistants.
The Pacers were finalizing contract details Saturday night with Nate McMillan, who has been serving as an assistant coach with the team since 2013. McMillan has nearly 12 years of head coaching experience in Seattle and Portland, where his teams were usually the complete opposite of what Bird says he’s looking for. None of McMillan’s teams ever managed to average 99 points per game.
Indiana had better alternatives, contends Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star, who notes that Brian Shaw already has a strong relationship with George, Mike D’Antoni virtually patented the type of offense that Bird desires and David Blatt and Mark Jackson are playoff-level coaches who deserve another chance.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Is Nate McMillan a good choice to be the Pacers’ next coach? If Bird was unhappy with Vogel, does it make sense to promote someone from his staff? And if not McMillan, who should Indiana have tried to hire?
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: Duncan, Ginobili, Parker
In a league of constant change, one thing we could count on was the San Antonio Spurs.
Tim Duncan was always going to be the Big Fundamental, effortlessly banking in shots while dominating the boards and protecting the paint. Manu Ginobili was the balding Argentinian guard with the quirky game who knew how to keep defenders off balance and drove coach Gregg Popovich crazy with his shot selection, even when they went in. Tony Parker was the speedy French guard who knew how to get into the lane and had endless tricks for making shots over taller defenders.
The Spurs’ Big Three have rewritten the NBA history books in their combined 48 years of service. They helped bring five titles to San Antonio, although only Duncan was there for the first one. They set a league record for the most career wins by three teammates. They made the Spurs a postseason fixture, with a run of playoff appearances that dates back to Duncan’s rookie season. They played the game the right way — sharing the ball, helping on defense, making the extra pass — and became an example that coaches across the world could point to. They were called boring, but the fans in San Antonio never got tired of watching them. They were classy in victory and defeat. They were dependable. They were always there.
But now they may not be.
After 67 regular-season wins, the Spurs saw their playoff run end in shocking fashion Thursday with a one-sided loss to the Thunder in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series. There will be no sixth title coming to San Antonio this year and no dream matchup with the 73-win Warriors. As the younger, more athletic Thunder raced past the Spurs, it felt like not just the end of the series, but the end of an era.
Duncan and Ginobili both said they will wait to make decisions on retirement. Duncan, 40, has a player option for next season worth nearly $6.4MM, including incentives. Ginobili, 38 with another birthday looming in July, has a player option at a little more than $2.9MM. Parker’s situation is more complicated, as he is signed for the next two seasons at $14,445,313 and $15,453,126. He will turn 34 this week and the Spurs may want to start rebuilding if Duncan and Ginobili don’t return. There are already rumblings that San Antonio will make a run at Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley when he hits free agency in July.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Have we seen the last of the Big Three in San Antonio? Do you expect Duncan and Ginobili to end their careers or will they take one more shot at another title? And will the Spurs try to find a taker for Parker and go in a different direction at point guard?
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: Kenneth Faried
Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried saw his playing time dip this season thanks to the emergence of big men Joffrey Lauvergne, Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic, as well as late season struggles with soreness in his back. The 26-year-old made 67 appearances for the team this season and averaged 12.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per outing. While those numbers weren’t far off his career averages, the energetic forward didn’t appear to be a good fit in coach Michael Malone‘s offense at times, which raises some questions about his long-term future in Denver.
Faried has three years and more than $38.764MM left on the extension he signed in 2014. The forward’s salary is likely end up below market value after the expected free agent feeding frenzy that is set to occur this summer, courtesy of the significant increase in the salary cap that is set to kick in, which is good for the team. But if Faried is forced into a reserve role in the future it could prove to be a distraction if he is unwilling to accept the change, as Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders noted.
This brings me to today’s topic: Should the Nuggets look to trade Kenneth Faried this summer?
Take to the comments section to share your thoughts on whether or not Denver should hang onto Faried at all costs, or if you believe it is time for the team to find a new home for the player. If you are of the mind that Faried should be shipped out, regale us with your trade ideas for him. We look forward to what you have to say.