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Playoff, Lottery Implications For Wednesday’s Games

April 12th, 2017 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Wednesday is the last day of the 2016/17 regular season, and for many teams, there’s not a whole lot to play for tonight. A number of playoff seeds are already locked in, while other teams have been out of contention for weeks. The Hawks, Nets, Wizards, Bucks, and Cavaliers are among the teams expected to rest players tonight, and that’s just in the Eastern Conference.

Still, nearly every single game on tonight’s slate will have some sort of impact on playoff or draft lottery seeding, and a couple playoff spots in the East remain up for grabs. As such, it’s worth running through each game on the slate and identifying the importance of each contest.

Our notes below relate to playoff seeding, draft lottery positioning, and traded draft picks that may be affected by tonight’s results. If a team’s draft pick might improve from No. 22 to No. 21 with a loss tonight, that’s not something we’d mention here. But if a team can improve its draft lottery odds with a loss, or if a traded pick will be impacted by a result, we’ve made a note of that.

For a full breakdown of draft positioning, be sure to check out our 2016/17 NBA reverse standings (note: our reverse standings don’t currently account for playoff tiebreakers, so they have the Heat in playoff position rather than the Bulls — those teams should be flipped).

Here’s what to watch for in tonight’s games:

Milwaukee Bucks (42-39) at Boston Celtics (52-29)

  • Playoff implications: Celtics clinch No. 1 seed in East with win (or Cavaliers loss).
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: None

Brooklyn Nets (20-61) at Chicago Bulls (40-41)

  • Playoff implications: Bulls clinch No. 7 seed in East with win and Pacers loss. Bulls clinch No. 8 seed with win and Pacers win (or loss and Heat loss). Bulls eliminated with loss and Heat win.
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Bulls enter draft lottery with loss and Heat win.

Toronto Raptors (50-31) at Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)

  • Playoff implications: Cavaliers clinch No. 1 seed in East with win and Celtics loss.
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Raptors will send their own 2017 first-round pick to Magic with win and Clippers loss. Raptors will send Clippers’ 2017 first-round pick to Magic with loss and Clippers win. If Raptors and Clippers both win (or lose), coin flip will determine which pick Magic receive.

Minnesota Timberwolves (31-50) at Houston Rockets (54-27)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Timberwolves‘ lottery odds will increase with loss and Knicks win. Timberwolves’ lottery odds will decrease with win and Mavericks or Kings loss.

Atlanta Hawks (43-38) at Indiana Pacers (41-40)

  • Playoff implications: Pacers clinch No. 7 seed in East with win (or with Bulls and Heat losses). Pacers clinch No. 8 seed with loss and either Bulls or Heat win. Pacers eliminated with loss and Bulls and Heat wins.
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Pacers enter draft lottery with loss and Bulls and Heat wins. If Pacers miss playoffs, their 2017 second-round pick (protected 45-60) will be sent to Nets.

Washington Wizards (49-32) at Miami Heat (40-41)

  • Playoff implications: Heat clinch No. 7 seed with win and Pacers and Bulls losses. Heat clinch No. 8 seed with win and Bulls win and Pacers loss (or with win and Pacers win and Bulls loss). Heat eliminated with loss (or with Pacers and Bulls wins).
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Heat enter draft lottery with loss or with Pacers and Bulls wins.

Philadelphia 76ers (28-53) at New York Knicks (30-51)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Sixers‘ lottery odds will increase with loss and Magic win. Sixers’ lottery odds will decrease with win and Magic loss. Knicks‘ lottery odds will decrease with win and Timberwolves loss.

Detroit Pistons (37-44) at Orlando Magic (28-53)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Magic‘s lottery odds will increase with loss and Sixers win. Magic‘s lottery odds will decrease with win and Sixers loss.

Denver Nuggets (39-42) at Oklahoma City Thunder (47-34)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Nuggets‘ lottery odds will decrease with win and Bulls or Heat loss.

Dallas Mavericks (32-49) at Memphis Grizzlies (43-38)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Mavericks‘ lottery odds will increase with loss and Timberwolves or Kings win. Mavericks‘ odds will decrease with win and Kings or Pelicans losses.

San Antonio Spurs (61-20) at Utah Jazz (50-31)

  • Playoff implications: Jazz clinch No. 4 seed in West with win and Clippers loss.
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: None

Los Angeles Lakers (26-55) at Golden State Warriors (66-15)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: None

Sacramento Kings (32-49) at Los Angeles Clippers (50-31)

  • Playoff implications: Clippers clinch No. 4 seed in West with win (or Jazz loss).
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Kings‘ lottery odds will increase with loss and Timberwolves or Mavericks wins. Kings‘ lottery odds will decrease with win and Mavericks or Pelicans losses. If Kings‘ lottery odds decrease, so too would their odds of keeping their top-10-protected 2017 first-round pick.

New Orleans Pelicans (33-48) at Portland Trail Blazers (41-40)

  • Playoff implications: None
  • Draft lottery/traded pick implications: Pelicans‘ lottery odds will increase with loss and Kings or Mavericks wins. If Pelicans‘ lottery odds increase, so too would their odds of keeping their top-three protected 2017 first-round pick.
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Send Your Best Blog Posts Our Way

April 12th, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Austin Kent

Hoops Rumors will be expanding how we engage with the basketball blogosphere and ramping up our current Hoops Links offerings. We love what the blog community means to the sports world and want to make sure that we shine a light on the best original content pumped out by journalists and fans alike.

Typically, we’ve posted our weekly round-up of the blogosphere’s best content on Sundays. That will change going forward so that we can publish our weekly celebration of the internet’s top material during the middle of the week when readers are chained to their cubicles desperate for distraction material.

Help us help you be that distraction material.

My name is Austin Kent and I’ll be the primary point of contact for this venture heading forward, you can get at me on Twitter at @AustinKent. With or without content submissions, I’ll be constantly scouring the web for the best blog content, the funniest material, and the most thought provoking analysis printed on this here contraption we call the internet.

If you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into an original long-form feature for your own independent blog, send it my way. If you know of a particularly entertaining post from a major networked blog, yeah, we want that too. At the end of the day, we want the highest quality content churned out by the fan community, regardless of the publication’s pedigree, and we want it all.

This is a green light to promote your favorite blogs, even if that blog is your own. Just be aware that we receive a significant volume of submissions and will only be able to share the best of the best with our readers.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to start generating content.

Twitter: @AustinKent
Email: HoopsRumorsTips@sports.ws

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts

April 11th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement didn’t undergo a significant overhaul during the latest round of negotiations between the league and the players’ union, but the NBA’s new two-way contract represents one major change. The two-way contract will allow clubs to retain the NBA rights for a couple extra players, bumping each team’s maximum roster size from 15 to 17, with those two new spots reserved for players on two-way contracts.

Up until now, teams have had the ability to assign certain players on their NBA rosters to the G League for assignments, but haven’t retained any NBA control over the rest of the players on their NBADL affiliates. Two-way contracts will change that, since they’re essentially G League contracts that allow a player’s NBA team to call him up for NBA assignments and prevent him from being poached by a rival NBA club.

Salary cap guru Larry Coon recently published a primer for two-way contracts over at ESPN.com, so with the help of his breakdown and the new CBA, we’ll present the key details on how these deals work. Let’s dive in…

Read more

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Key 2017 NBA Offseason Dates

April 10th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2016/17 regular season coming to an end, many teams have already shifted their focus to the offseason, and others will soon follow suit. With that in mind, it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the 2016/17 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months. Here’s a breakdown:

April 12 — Last day of regular season. Luxury tax penalties calculated based on payroll as of this day.

April 14 — Playoff rosters set (2:00pm CT).

April 15 — Playoffs begin.

April 24 — Deadline for early entrants to declare for draft (10:59pm CT).

May 9-14 — Draft combine.

May 16 – Draft lottery.

May 24 — Last day for early entrants to withdraw from draft and retain their NCAA eligibility.

June 12 — Deadline for early entrants to withdraw from draft (4:00pm CT).

June 18 — Latest possible date for end of NBA Finals.

June 22 — Draft day.

June 24 — Last day for potential restricted free agents to exercise player options.

June 26 — NBA awards show.

June 29 — Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options, unless individual contracts specify otherwise.

June 30 — Last official day of 2016/17 league year; last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.

July 1 — Official start of 2017/18 league year; July moratorium begins. Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams.

July 6 — July moratorium ends (11:00am CT); teams can begin officially signing players and making trades.

July 13 — Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

July 15 — Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned first-round picks; those players become free agents on July 16 if not tendered.

August 31 — Last day teams may waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2017/18 salaries.

September 5 — Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.

Late September (specific dates TBA) — Training camps open.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/1/17 – 4/8/17

April 8th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Austin Kent

Throughout the week, the Hoops Rumors staff likes to publish original content to supplement our news feed. Here are some of our favorites from the week that was.

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Community Shootaround: Shooting At The Buzzer In Decided Game

April 8th, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Austin Kent

Count Courtney Lee among the latest NBA players to complain about opponents putting up shots in the final seconds of a decided game. On Friday night the Grizzlies laid waste to Lee’s Knicks, culminating in rookie Wade Baldwin IV standing at half-court with the ball and a 10-point lead as the game clock neared expiration.

Just before time ran out, however, Baldwin hoisted a deep three and nailed it. The basket pushed the Grizzlies above the triple-digit mark earning Memphis fans in attendance free chicken.

Lee, unhappy to lose by 10 but considerably angrier losing by 13, went after the rookie but was thwarted by a handful of Grizzlies veterans.

“For him to do that, what are you doing it for, bro?,” Lee told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Think about the people who’s doing it. They got bad luck in this league. … I don’t know what made him want to do it.”

Lee’s reaction is a common one among NBA players but should it be?

Just last week Lance Stephenson incited his own commotion by adding a layup in the final seconds of a win over the Raptors. Then, Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan called the moot field goal “disrespectful to the game“. This, naturally, was followed up by Stephenson exposing an instance of DeRozan’s teammate Norman Powell doing similar to the Sixers earlier this season.

Ultimately, the NBA and fan community that drives it need to decide what is permissible in the waning seconds of a ball game and what’s just sour grapes. In response to the Stephenson/Raptors theatrics, Bobby Marks of The Vertical  tweeted “I’m so tired of these unwritten rules in basketball. If you don’t want a player to shoot at the end of the game then play some D.”

On one hand, it’s easy to empathize with players like Lee or DeRozan who see the unnecessary field-goal attempts as salt in the wounds of a fresh defeat. On the other, its a thin line expecting everybody to subscribe to the same unwritten rules of a game.

Should players adopt Marks’ stance and play defense if preserving a spread is so important to them? Or should players on the winning end know not to shoot when the game is out of reach?

Factors to consider are that some veterans will go so far as to let the shot clock expire before hoisting a shot at the buzzer resulting in their being assigned a turnover. Another is the fan factor, such as that which was in effect for Baldwin IV. Reaching certain point milestones, usually 100 points, can sometimes trigger benefits for fans in attendance. Does this impact the appropriateness of a last second basket?

You tell us in the comments below!

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Potential 2017 RFAs Whose Qualifying Offers Will Be Impacted By Starter Criteria

April 7th, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will go into effect on July 1, 2017, includes a number of changes to the free agent process, including some that apply specifically to restricted free agents. However, one aspect of restricted free agency unaffected by the new CBA is what’s referred to as the “starter criteria,” which can affect how much an RFA’s qualifying offer will be worth.

Here’s how the starter criteria works: A player who is eligible for restricted free agency is considered to have met the starter criteria if he plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency. A player can also meet the criteria if he averages either of those marks in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency. For instance, if a player started 50 games in 2015/16 and 35 in 2016/17, he’d meet the starter criteria, since his average number of starts over the last two seasons exceeds 41.

A player’s ability or inability to meet the starter criteria can affect the value of the qualifying offer he receives as a restricted free agent, as follows:

  • A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 15th overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A player picked between 10th and 30th who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the ninth overall pick would receive if he signed for 120% of the rookie scale.
  • A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to the amount the 21st overall pick would receive if he signed for 100% of the rookie scale.
  • For all other RFAs, the standard criteria determine the amounts of their qualifying offers.

Extending a qualifying offer to a player ensures that a team has the right of first refusal if he signs an offer sheet, and gives the player the option of signing that one-year QO. Generally, the value of a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer isn’t hugely important, since very few RFAs accept those offers outright. Still, those QOs can have an impact on a team’s salary cap outlook during July’s free agent period, so it’s worth checking in to see which potential RFAs will be eligible for higher or lower qualifying offers this summer.

Listed below are the top-14 picks on track for restricted free agency who have not met the starter criteria. These players will be eligible for qualifying offers worth $4,187,598.

Len and Noel had the worst QO luck this season. As the fifth and sixth overall picks in 2013, they would have been in line for qualifying offers worth about $6.4MM and $5.85MM, respectively. Instead, their QOs will be worth less than $4.2MM. Both players were very close to meeting the starter criteria too — they’ve started 77 games apiece in the past two years, so they’ll fall just short of the 82 required.

The players listed below are non-lottery first-round picks who will meet the starter criteria. That will make each of them eligible for a qualifying offer worth $4,588,840.

All four of these players were selected in the 20-26 range in the 2013 draft, and their QOs would’ve ranged from about $3.39MM to $3.22MM if they hadn’t met the starter criteria.

Here are the rest of the RFAs whose qualifying offers won’t necessarily be determined by the standard criteria:

  • Undrafted power forward JaMychal Green (Grizzlies) has met the starter criteria, putting him in line for a QO worth $2,820,497 instead of the more modest amount he would’ve received as a minimum-salary player.
  • Two players – Joe Ingles (Jazz) and Ben McLemore (Kings) – still have a chance to meet the starter criteria depending on how the season’s last four days play out. Ingles has played 1,848 minutes this season, meaning he would have to average about 38 MPG in Utah’s last four contests to reach 2,000, which is a tall order. McLemore may fall just short as well, as he currently sits at 79 starts over the last two seasons. He’ll need to start three of the Kings’ last four games in order to average 41 starts per year, but he has only been in Sacramento’s starting lineup twice since the start of March. (End-of-season update: Neither Ingles nor McLemore met the starter criteria.)
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Fantasy Hoops: Richardson, Frye, Lowry, Durant

April 5th, 2017 at 6:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Congratulations to those of you still competing in the championship round of your league! Hoops Rumors aims to help you bring home the crown. For those of you who are not as fortunate, we want to help you dominate in the daily fantasy realm.  Here are some fantasy notes and analysis from around the league:

  • Josh Richardson has seen his value rise while Dion Waiters sits on the sideline. He’s a nice streaming option for those season-long owners looking for blocks and steals, as he’s snatched 1.4 steals and swatted 1.6 shots per contest since Waiters went down. His price in daily is starting to creep up to his value, but he’s still a decent tournament play.
  • Tristan Thompson will miss the next couple games with a sprained thumb. Channing Frye will start in his place and becomes a valuable cheap option in daily.
  • Over the last 10 games, the Suns have given up 26.5 points per game to opposing point guards, which is the most in the league. Over that stretch, Phoenix has also allowed the highest field goal percentage to the position. Phoenix takes on Stephen Curry tonight and Russell Westbrook on Friday. Both players are worth the price tag in fantasy.
  • The Sixers have placed minutes restrictions on another player. Dario Saric, who is dealing with plantar fasciitis, will be limited to 24 minutes per night down the stretch. You’re still playing him in season-long leagues, but he’s a risky play in daily fantasy.
  • Kyle Lowry is suiting up tonight for the Raptors after missing time with a wrist injury. He’s playable for those still in the fantasy playoffs, but may not be the best play in daily until we see what kind of minutes/role he’s handed.
  • I don’t expect Kevin Durant to return good value in daily fantasy when he returns to the court from his knee injury. That is until at least playoff time. He’s expected to play on Saturday, but he’ll be on a minutes restriction. Take a wait-and-see approach with him.

Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.

Statistics are current through Wednesday afternoon.

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Community Shootaround: Sixth Man Of The Year

April 5th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

There has been plenty of discussion and debate throughout the 2016/17 season about the top candidates for the Most Valuable Player award, with Russell Westbrook and James Harden among the players posting historic numbers. The Rookie of the Year award has also received its fair share of attention, with Joel Embiid receiving more support than a player who missed 50+ games typically would.

Most of the NBA’s other end-of-season awards haven’t been put under the microscope to the same degree, however, and that includes the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award. With the regular season just a week away from wrapping up, we want to take a closer look at the top candidates to be named the league’s top Sixth Man for 2016/17.

Currently, the two most viable candidates for the award play in Houston, where Lou Williams and Eric Gordon are first and second in scoring among players who have spent most of the season coming off the bench. Williams, who played for the Lakers up until the trade deadline, leads the way with 17.8 PPG on .436/.377/.875 shooting, while Gordon isn’t far behind, at 16.4 PPG on .412/.378/.835 shooting.

Both players fit the mold of a typical Sixth Man of the Year, representing dangerous outside scoring threats who ensure a team’s offense doesn’t fall off too badly when its second unit gets on the court. However, they aren’t the only players worthy of consideration.

Jamal Crawford and Jordan Clarkson also fit the bill of backcourt scorers off the bench, while Zach Randolph, Enes Kanter, and Greg Monroe are among the frontcourt offensive threats playing with their respective teams’ second units.

The offensive numbers posted by those players may receive more attention from voters, but versatile veterans like James Johnson and Andre Iguodala shouldn’t be overlooked either — they’re doing a little of everything, including playing tough defense.

Meanwhile, Wilson Chandler has enjoyed one of his best seasons in Denver, averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.5 RPG for the Nuggets, but the fact that he has started more than 30 games figures to hurt his case for serious consideration.

What do you think? Will Sixth Man of the Year come down to Williams vs. Gordon, and if so, which one should take home the hardware? Do you think another player deserves to be seriously considered? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

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Community Shootaround: UNC Players In The NBA

April 3rd, 2017 at 8:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams came to Chapel Hill in 2003 and he’s led the school to four national title games. During his time at the program, he’s sent countless UNC prospects to the NBA, but not one of the players have made an All-Star game, as Jonathan Tjarks of the Ringer notes.

That led Hoops Rumors to wonder: Out of all the Roy Williams-coached UNC players in the NBA, who’s the best?

Ty Lawson may be the leading candidate. The Nuggets traded away Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony at the 2010/11 deadline and the move gave Lawson an opportunity to take control of the franchise. From 2011 to 2015, Lawson averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field and he helped Denver reach the playoffs each season. However, the franchise never won a playoff series while Lawson was the starter.

Danny Green is the most accomplished choice. He has a championship ring with the Spurs and he’s one of the best active UNC products. His role in San Antonio should allow him to be productive for the next several years, giving him longevity over players like Lawson. However, he’s never been an NBA team’s top option, which hurts his candidacy for the distinction.

Marvin Williams is another excellent role player who could be considered the best. He’s never lived up to his No.2 overall draft pick status, but he’s currently one of the Hornets’ most important players.

Harrison Barnes has the potential to be the best NBA player who Roy Willaims coached at UNC. He didn’t get the opportunity to showcase his all of his ability until he signed with the Mavericks this past offseason. He’s scoring 19.5 games in an expanded role in Dallas and he’s sporting an auspicious 16.6 player efficiency rating.

Does Raymond Felton belong in the conversation? How about John Henson? Let us know who you think is the best NBA player to play under Roy Williams at UNC. Is it one of the aforementioned names or is there another player who should be considered the best? Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts. We look forward to what you have to say!

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