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Poll Results: 2018 All-NBA Teams

By | at April 23, 2018 10:10 am

In an NBA season packed with incredible performances and remarkable statistical achievements, we wanted to let you make the call on which 15 players are most deserving of All-NBA recognition.

Last Monday, we opened voting for the All-NBA First Team. We moved on to the Second Team on Wednesday, and then opened the polls for the Third Team on Friday. The results of all those polls are in, so let’s check them out.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

Your top vote-getters in the final round of polling that didn’t quite earn spots on the Third Team: DeMar DeRozan (Raptors), Kyrie Irving (Celtics), Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves), Al Horford (Celtics), and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets).

My personal All-NBA choices would look pretty similar to yours, albeit with a few small changes. Booker was an out-of-left-field choice for the Third Team here, and I’d expect DeRozan or Irving to take his place in the actual voting. I’d want to make room for Oladipo on the Second Team, likely at Curry’s expense — Curry was phenomenal, but only appeared in 51 games, which hurts his case. Rudy Gobert also didn’t play a full season, appearing in just 56 games, but his defense was so game-changing for the Jazz that I’d be tempted to put him on the Third Team in place of Towns.

What do you think? Do you disagree strongly with any of these choices? Do you expect major discrepancies when the official All-NBA teams are announced? Let us know in the comments section!

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Poll: 2018 All-NBA Third Team

By | at April 20, 2018 11:19 am

In an NBA season packed with incredible individual performances, we’re letting you decide which 15 players are most deserving of All-NBA recognition.

On Monday, we opened voting for the All-NBA First Team, and 36 hours later, we had answers for which five players you believe deserve spots on that team. On Wednesday, we published polls for the All-NBA Second Team, and we have now have our five players for that squad too. While there were some clear-cut winners in the Second Team polls, the results at guard – where the top three finishers were within 23 votes – were particularly interesting.

Here are the voting results so far:

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

While your First Team picks didn’t include any players who missed more than 10 games this season, you were a little more willing to reward exceptional injury-shortened performances on the Second Team. Durant and Embiid appeared in just 68 and 63 games, respectively, while Curry only played 51. If those three players had been able to stay healthy for a full 80+ games, they would’ve been strong candidates for spots on the First Team.

We’re moving on today to the All-NBA Third Team, so cast your votes below for the two guards, two forwards, and one center that you believe are most deserving of being named to that squad. Don’t forget that a few players — including Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford — qualify at two positions.

You’ll have until Monday morning before we close this round of voting and round up the final results. You can also select two players apiece in the guard and forward polls, so be sure to take advantage of that.

Who should be on the All-NBA Third Team?

Guards:

Who are your All-NBA Third Team guards?

  • Devin Booker (Suns) 17% (364)
  • Victor Oladipo (Pacers) 17% (364)
  • DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) 16% (355)
  • Kyrie Irving (Celtics) 11% (237)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 11% (233)
  • Chris Paul (Rockets) 7% (149)
  • Klay Thompson (Warriors) 5% (116)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 5% (109)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 4% (92)
  • Kyle Lowry (Raptors) 3% (60)
  • Jrue Holiday (Pelicans) 2% (49)
  • Kemba Walker (Hornets) 2% (43)

Total votes: 2,171

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team guards.

Forwards:

Who are your All-NBA Third Team forwards?

  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 26% (378)
  • Paul George (Thunder) 23% (339)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 18% (266)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 11% (155)
  • Draymond Green (Warriors) 9% (128)
  • Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 5% (77)
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks) 4% (55)
  • Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 2% (31)
  • Blake Griffin (Clippers/Pistons) 2% (26)
  • Tobias Harris (Pistons/Clippers) 1% (17)

Total votes: 1,472

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team forwards.

Center:

Who is your All-NBA Third Team center?

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 31% (235)
  • Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 16% (122)
  • Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 15% (116)
  • DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans) 10% (76)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 9% (65)
  • Clint Capela (Rockets) 7% (54)
  • Andre Drummond (Pistons) 6% (44)
  • Steven Adams (Thunder) 5% (38)
  • DeAndre Jordan (Clippers) 1% (9)

Total votes: 759

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Third Team center.

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Poll: Which Team Will Win The East?

By | at April 19, 2018 4:04 pm

The Cavaliers have been the perennial favorites to win the Eastern Conference since LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, but that’s not the case at the moment. After the first two games of each first-round series, the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv have the Raptors as the frontrunners to come out of the East, followed in close succession by the Cavs and Sixers.

The Raptors took care of business during their two home games against the Wizards, while the Cavs and Sixers split their home games against Indiana and Miami, respectively. As such, it makes sense that the Raptors would be a slightly better bet to advance for now, but it’s still jarring to see a LeBron team considered an underdog of any sort in the East.

Still, even though the Cavs aren’t viewed as the favorites to win the East – at least for the time being – those same oddsmakers at Bovada consider them a much stronger bet than the Pacers to make a deep postseason run. While Cleveland is about a 5-to-3 bet to come out of the East, Indiana’s odds are just 28-to-1.

The Heat (33-to-1), Wizards (80-to-1), and Bucks (80-to-1) are even longer shots than the Pacers, and even the Celtics, who are missing stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, come in at just 20-to-1. In other words, oddsmakers view the East as a three-team race featuring the Cavs, Raptors (5-to-4), and Sixers (a little over 3-to-1).

LeBron’s squad has pulled a Jekyll-and-Hyde act all year, so it’s hard to say which team will show up going forward. Even when James enjoyed a vintage performance in Game 2 vs. Indiana, racking up 46 points, the Cavs still only won by three.

The Raptors and Sixers have questions of their own though. The Raptors have never beaten James in the postseason, and lost to the Cavs twice in the second half of the 2017/18 regular season. The Sixers’ top players lack playoff experience, and Joel Embiid‘s health remains something of a question mark.

The upshot? We should have the most wide-open Eastern Conference postseason in years, with a handful of viable Finals contenders.

What do you think? Will James and the Cavs continue to hold serve in the East? Will the Raptors or Sixers take the conference crown this year? Or will a dark-horse candidate represent the East in the Finals?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to make your predictions!

Which team will win the East?

  • Toronto Raptors 36% (394)
  • Philadelphia 76ers 25% (270)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 20% (223)
  • Boston Celtics 12% (136)
  • Indiana Pacers 3% (29)
  • Milwaukee Bucks 2% (21)
  • Miami Heat 2% (20)
  • Washington Wizards 1% (9)

Total votes: 1,102

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Poll: 2018 All-NBA Second Team

By | at April 18, 2018 9:31 am

In an NBA season packed with incredible individual performances, we’re letting you decide which 15 players are most deserving of All-NBA recognition.

On Monday, we opened voting for the All-NBA First Team, and we now have our answers for which five players you believe deserve spots on that team — sort of. Anthony Davis‘ multi-position eligibility at forward and center complicated matters. While our voters were in an agreement that he deserved a spot on the All-NBA First Team, Davis received nearly as many votes at forward as he did at center, winning the voting at center and placing second as a forward.

For our purposes, we’ll leave Davis at center, where he earned slightly more votes, but it’ll be interesting to see whether these results foreshadow a positional split in the actual All-NBA race.

Here are the voting results so far:

All-NBA First Team

Harden, James, and Davis were the leading vote-getters here and look to me like locks to earn spots on the All-NBA First Team, assuming Davis’ positional split isn’t a factor. Westbrook and Antetokounmpo are probably the favorites to fill out the top five too, though they’ll face stiff competition for those last guard and forward slots on the First Team.

We’re moving on today to the All-NBA Second Team, so cast your votes below for the two guards, two forwards, and one center that you believe are most deserving of being named to that squad. Don’t forget that a few players – including LaMarcus Aldridge, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler – qualify at two positions.

You’ll have about 48 hours for this round of voting before we move on to the All-NBA Third Team on Friday morning. You’ll also have the opportunity to select two players apiece in the guard and forward polls, so be sure to take advantage of that. And if there’s a player not listed below that you believe deserves All-NBA consideration, be sure to mention him in the comments section too — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our All-NBA Third Team polls later this week.

Guards:

Who are your All-NBA Second Team guards?

  • Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 17% (325)
  • Stephen Curry (Warriors) 17% (322)
  • DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) 16% (302)
  • Victor Oladipo (Pacers) 13% (254)
  • Kyrie Irving (Celtics) 9% (171)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 9% (168)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 3% (66)
  • Chris Paul (Rockets) 3% (65)
  • Klay Thompson (Warriors) 3% (52)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 3% (51)
  • Devin Booker (Suns) 2% (37)
  • Kyle Lowry (Raptors) 2% (34)
  • Jrue Holiday (Pelicans) 1% (28)
  • Kemba Walker (Hornets) 1% (16)
  • Bradley Beal (Wizards) 1% (14)
  • Lou Williams (Clippers) 1% (13)
  • Goran Dragic (Heat) 1% (12)

Total votes: 1,930

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team guards.

Forwards:

Who are your All-NBA Second Team forwards?

  • Kevin Durant (Warriors) 39% (667)
  • LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 17% (287)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 14% (236)
  • Paul George (Thunder) 10% (169)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 6% (103)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 5% (78)
  • Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 3% (53)
  • Draymond Green (Warriors) 2% (42)
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks) 1% (21)
  • Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 1% (18)
  • Tobias Harris (Pistons/Clippers) 1% (14)
  • Blake Griffin (Clippers/Pistons) 1% (10)

Total votes: 1,698

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team forwards.

Centers:

Who is your All-NBA Second Team center?

  • Joel Embiid (Sixers) 39% (345)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 20% (180)
  • Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 7% (63)
  • Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 7% (62)
  • LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 5% (48)
  • DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans) 5% (43)
  • Andre Drummond (Pistons) 4% (39)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 4% (38)
  • Clint Capela (Rockets) 4% (31)
  • Steven Adams (Thunder) 3% (28)
  • DeAndre Jordan (Clippers) 1% (7)

Total votes: 884

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team center.

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Poll: What’s Next For Spurs, Kawhi Leonard?

By | at April 17, 2018 11:00 am

Throughout a rocky 2017/18 season, even as rumors of discord between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs persisted, most reports out of San Antonio have suggested that a long-term union between the two sides remains the most likely outcome. Multiple reporters over the course of the season indicated that the Spurs would likely put a Designated Veteran Extension offer on the table for Leonard during the offseason.

However, that’s no longer a lock. In his latest piece for The San Antonio Express-News, Mike Finger observes that a super-max offer still seemed like a slam dunk as of month or two ago, but he admits it’s not a certainty anymore. In fact, Finger writes, it might be a surprise if the Spurs do extend that offer to Leonard.

Given the Spurs’ history of stability, the Leonard situation this season has been fascinating. It stems from a disagreement between the Spurs’ medical staff and Leonard’s own doctors about the state of his quadriceps injury — the Spurs have cleared the star forward to return, but his doctors haven’t done so, and he still doesn’t feel comfortable enough to play.

As part of his rehab, Leonard is currently in New York, away from the Spurs as they battle the Warriors in the first round of the postseason. Finger suggests the team is fine with Leonard’s absence, but the optics aren’t great, and Gregg Popovich‘s comments after Monday’s Game 2 loss were interpreted by some observers as a subtle dig at his absent star — even though they were ostensibly intended as praise for LaMarcus Aldridge.

“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long,” Popovich said, per Sam Amick of USA Today. “He’s led our team at both ends of the floor. He doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court. He just plays through everything. I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night. He’s been fantastic.”

It’s worth noting that Aldridge was in a somewhat similar position to Leonard a year ago, having broached the possibility of a trade out of San Antonio during the 2017 offseason. However, a meeting and a few conversations between Aldridge and Popovich allowed the two sides to work out their issues, with the Spurs’ big man ultimately signing an extension before the season got underway.

As Finger writes, there’s still hope that the Spurs and Leonard could follow a similar path. However, at this point, the situation is “too complicated to work out with one phone call.” Finger speculates that it would probably take a series of conversations – with both sides reiterating their commitment to one another – for the Spurs and Leonard to comfortably move forward.

The Spurs are just two losses away from officially starting their offseason, at which point addressing the Leonard situation will become the franchise’s top priority. It’s not clear how this will play out, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Leonard inks an extension in the offseason — at this point, it also wouldn’t be a total shock if he has played his last game at the Spur.

What do you think? Will the Spurs work things out with Leonard like they did with Aldridge before him? Or will the team decide to move on from its best player a year before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency? Vote below in our poll and share your thoughts in the comment section!

What will the Spurs do with Kawhi Leonard this offseason?

  • Trade him 65% (987)
  • Sign him to an extension 26% (403)
  • Keep him (no extension) 9% (139)

Total votes: 1,529

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

28 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Hoops Rumors Polls San Antonio Spurs

Poll: 2018 All-NBA First Team

By | at April 16, 2018 4:00 pm

James Harden‘s offensive dominance for the Rockets this season may earn him his first MVP award, but he was hardly the only NBA star putting up astounding numbers this year, The sheer number of impressive individual performances in 2017/18 makes this year’s All-NBA decisions tougher than ever — no matter which 15 players earn spots on the three All-NBA teams for 2018, worthy candidates will miss the cut.

Still, we want you to do your best to identify which 15 players are the most deserving of All-NBA recognition this year. Over the next few days, we’ll be running a handful of polls to let you make your selections for this year’s All-NBA teams.

We’re starting today with the First Team. Polls for the guards, forwards, and center are below — you’ll have the opportunity to pick two players apiece in the guard and forward polls. We’ll leave today’s polls open for at least 24 hours before naming the players with the most votes to our All-NBA First Team and moving on to voting for the Second Team.

Vote for your All-NBA picks below, and then take to the comments section to explain your reasoning. And if there are a player not listed below that you believe deserves All-NBA consideration, be sure to mention him in the comments section too — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our Second and Third Team polls.

(Note: In instances where players saw significant minutes at multiple positions, I’ve attempted to defer to the NBA’s classification. For instance, on the league’s official All-NBA ballot, DeMar DeRozan was only eligible at guard, rather than guard and forward, but Ben Simmons was listed at both positions.)

Guards:

Who are your All-NBA First Team guards?

  • James Harden (Rockets) 40% (897)
  • Russell Westbrook (Thunder) 21% (469)
  • Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 9% (211)
  • Stephen Curry (Warriors) 7% (158)
  • Kyrie Irving (Celtics) 5% (103)
  • DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) 4% (87)
  • Victor Oladipo (Pacers) 4% (83)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 4% (82)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 1% (29)
  • Devin Booker (Suns) 1% (20)
  • Klay Thompson (Warriors) 1% (20)
  • Chris Paul (Rockets) 1% (18)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 1% (17)
  • Bradley Beal (Wizards) 1% (12)
  • Kyle Lowry (Raptors) 0% (11)
  • Lou Williams (Clippers) 0% (10)
  • Jrue Holiday (Pelicans) 0% (9)
  • Kemba Walker (Hornets) 0% (8)
  • Goran Dragic (Heat) 0% (4)
  • C.J. McCollum (Trail Blazers) 0% (4)

Total votes: 2,252

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team guards.

Forwards:

Who are your All-NBA First Team forwards?

  • LeBron James (Cavaliers) 35% (709)
  • Anthony Davis (Pelicans) 22% (439)
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 20% (412)
  • Kevin Durant (Warriors) 14% (281)
  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 3% (58)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 1% (21)
  • Paul George (Thunder) 1% (18)
  • Draymond Green (Warriors) 1% (17)
  • LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 1% (14)
  • Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 1% (14)
  • Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves) 1% (13)
  • Tobias Harris (Pistons/Clippers) 1% (12)
  • Khris Middleton (Bucks) 0% (9)
  • Blake Griffin (Clippers/Pistons) 0% (8)
  • Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 0% (5)

Total votes: 2,030

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team forwards.

Centers:

Who is your All-NBA First Team center?

  • Anthony Davis (Pelicans) 42% (441)
  • Joel Embiid (Sixers) 23% (238)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 10% (104)
  • Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 5% (50)
  • Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 5% (48)
  • LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) 3% (29)
  • Clint Capela (Rockets) 3% (27)
  • Al Horford (Celtics) 2% (24)
  • Andre Drummond (Pistons) 2% (23)
  • Steven Adams (Thunder) 2% (22)
  • DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans) 2% (20)
  • DeAndre Jordan (Clippers) 1% (12)
  • Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers) 0% (5)

Total votes: 1,043

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA First Team center.

8 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Denver Nuggets Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

By | at April 11, 2018 11:34 am

The NBA’s playoff race has been a wild one this year, and there are still dozens of potential scenarios for the final version of this year’s NBA standings.

Still, while we may have to wait until the end of tonight’s slate to determine seeds and first-round matchups, 15 of 16 playoff spots have been clinched, leaving just one final slot available. And to make matters simpler, that last spot will be decided in a single game, with the Timberwolves hosting the Nuggets in a winner-take-all contest tonight.

The Nuggets and Timberwolves enter tonight’s action with matching 46-35 records, so the loser of the regular season finale will be a hard-luck lottery team, while the winner could end up as high as No. 6 in the Western standings. It’s the NBA’s first winner-gets-in, loser-gets-eliminated regular season finale since 1997, according to the league (Twitter link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press).

Denver has recent history on its side heading into the end-of-season showdown. The Nuggets have won six consecutive games while battling for their postseason lives, beating the Thunder, Bucks, Pacers, Clippers, and Trail Blazers during that stretch — the other win during that streak came against the Timberwolves, last Thursday in Denver.

Conversely, the Timberwolves have struggled during the season’s second half after looking like a potential top-four seed earlier in the year. Since getting to 31-18 on January 22, Minnesota has posted a mediocre 15-17 record.

Of course, the Wolves were without star forward Jimmy Butler for most of that stretch, and Butler’s back now. So is Paul Millsap, who missed a huge chunk of the season for the Nuggets, and Gary Harris, who was recently sidelined for 11 games with a knee injury. In other words, with the possible exception of Taj Gibson, who is dealing with a sore neck, both teams figure to be at full strength tonight.

The Timberwolves are slight favorites in the eyes of oddsmakers, and NBA.com’s experts favor Minnesota too, but that’s more about home-court advantage than the Wolves being the better team. This game could easily go either way.

What do you think? Which team will win tonight’s game and earn a spot in the NBA postseason, the Nuggets or the Timberwolves? Vote below and then jump into the comment section to share your two cents!

Which team will win and earn the West's final playoff spot?

  • Minnesota Timberwolves 60% (555)
  • Denver Nuggets 40% (369)

Total votes: 924

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Poll: Who Is 2017/18 NBA Coach Of The Year?

By | at April 10, 2018 11:19 am

While some of the NBA’s 2018 awards look like foregone conclusions – including James Harden for MVP and Victor Oladipo for Most Improved Player – there’s no shortage of viable candidates for the league’s Coach of the Year award. A handful of this season’s playoff teams have exceeded expectations or overcome major injury issues to lead their teams to the postseason.

Here are several of this year’s Coach of the Year candidates, along with a brief case for each of them:

  • Mike D’Antoni, Rockets (64-16): While D’Antoni hasn’t changed his approach significantly this season, his system continues to fire on all cylinders. The Rockets will finish with the NBA’s best record by far, and any coach who guides his team to a 65-win season deserves strong consideration for this award.
  • Dwane Casey, Raptors (59-22): After getting swept out of the 2017 playoffs and losing veterans like P.J. Tucker, Patrick Patterson, Cory Joseph, and DeMarre Carroll in the offseason, the Raptors were expected to perhaps take a step back. Instead, Casey had led a revamped offense and a dominant bench unit to the best season in franchise history.
  • Brad Stevens, Celtics (54-26): Besides overcoming Gordon Hayward‘s season-ending injury, Stevens and the Celtics have also worked injuries to several other key players, including Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart. Boston will ultimately end up with approximately the same record many experts anticipated, but the path to get there has been far more challenging than expected.
  • Brett Brown, Sixers (50-30): This was the year the Sixers had hoped to move out of the rebuilding phase, but simply getting to .500 would’ve been viewed as a success. Not only did the Sixers blow past .500, but they’re now in position to claim the No. 3 seed in the East and potentially improve by 24 games over last season’s 28-54 mark.
  • Nate McMillan, Pacers (48-33): Viewed as a borderline playoff team after trading Paul George to Oklahoma City, the Pacers got off to a decent start before slipping to 19-19 early in 2018. Skeptics may have predicted a finish out of the postseason at that point, but McMillan has guided Indiana to a 29-14 record since January 3, putting the team in position for a top-five seed.
  • Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers (48-33): A recent slump has brought the Blazers back down to the pack in the West, but as recently as a couple weeks ago, they looked like the third-best team in the West. That’s an impressive showing for a team that finished with a .500 record a year ago and didn’t make any major offseason roster changes.
  • Quin Snyder, Jazz (47-33): The Jazz have looked like this year’s version of the 2016/17 Heat, following up a poor first half with an incredible second-half run. The Heat’s 30-11 finish last season left them just short of the playoffs, but the Jazz have locked up a postseason berth with a staggering 28-5 run since since January 22.
  • Alvin Gentry, Pelicans (47-34): A season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins could have easily derailed the Pelicans’ playoff aspirations, but Gentry – with the help of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday – didn’t let that happen. New Orleans clinched a playoff spot on Monday night.
  • Gregg Popovich, Spurs (47-34): A perennial candidate for this award, Popovich will likely be passed over this year for the Spurs’ underwhelming record by their standards — this will be the club’s worst regular season record since 1997. Still, Popovich got San Antonio back to the postseason without Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games. That shouldn’t be overlooked.

ESPN’s panel of experts gives Casey the slight edge for the award, ahead of Stevens, Snyder, D’Antoni, and McMillan, in that order. But this figures to be a close vote, with upwards of one-third of the league’s coaches worthy of votes.

What do you think? Who is your pick for Coach of the Year? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to explain your choice!

Who should win the 2017/18 Coach of the Year award?

  • Brad Stevens (Celtics) 25% (295)
  • Brett Brown (Sixers) 24% (280)
  • Dwane Casey (Raptors) 17% (199)
  • Quin Snyder (Jazz) 12% (136)
  • Mike D'Antoni (Rockets) 9% (104)
  • Nate McMillan (Pacers) 5% (59)
  • Gregg Popovich (Spurs) 3% (35)
  • Someone else 3% (30)
  • Terry Stotts (Trail Blazers) 2% (29)
  • Alvin Gentry (Pelicans) 1% (15)

Total votes: 1,182

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

18 comments Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Who Is 2017/18 NBA Rookie Of The Year?

By | at April 9, 2018 11:21 am

The 2017/18 NBA rookie class has looked deep and impressive this season, with many players from last year’s draft already assuming key roles on their NBA clubs. However, the battle for this season’s Rookie of the Year has essentially been a two-man race for months. With apologies to Jayson Tatum and others, the vote will almost certainly come down to Ben Simmons vs. Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 draft, has done his part to help Jazz fans forget about Gordon Hayward‘s departure, averaging a team-high 20.5 PPG to go along with 3.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.5 SPG. After coming off the bench for several games near the start of the season, Mitchell has been a mainstay in Utah’s starting lineup since November, and had been a huge reason why the Jazz hold the No. 4 seed in the West — the team is 42-27 in games Mitchell starts.

While Mitchell’s rookie year has been outstanding, don’t count Simmons among those who will admit to being impressed by the Jazz guard. Asked by ESPN’s Chris Haynes which rookies around the NBA have caught his attention this season, Simmons promptly replied, “None.” The Sixers‘ point guard also didn’t mince words when asked about his own pick for Rookie of the Year.

“Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent,” Simmons told Haynes. “I think I have been playing solid all year. If you look at the numbers, you will see. People who know the game know.”

Simmons’ numbers are certainly worth mentioning. While he hasn’t scored at the same rate as Mitchell, posting 16.0 PPG for the year, 2016’s first overall pick has filled up the stat sheet with 8.2 APG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.7 SPG after missing the entire 2016/17 season. He has also made 54.7% of his shots from the field, though the fact that he has attempted just 11 three-pointers all season helps buoy that mark.

Like Mitchell’s Jazz, Simmons’ Sixers are in position to host a first-round playoff series, potentially as the No. 3 seed. And as good as the two rookies have been, they also both play alongside star centers – Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid – who have arguably been the 2017/18 MVPs for Utah and Philadelphia, respectively. In other words, Mitchell and Simmons have very similar – and virtually equally compelling – cases for being named the 2017/18 Rookie of the Year.

What do you think? Would you pick Mitchell or Simmons as the 2017/18 Rookie of the Year? Is there another candidate that you think has a case to be at the forefront of the discussion? Does the fact that Simmons had an extra year of NBA seasoning affect your pick at all, even though he’s technically eligible for the award?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Who should be the 2017/18 NBA Rookie of The Year?

  • Ben Simmons (Sixers) 56% (1,152)
  • Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 37% (758)
  • Somone else 7% (135)

Total votes: 2,045

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

25 comments Hoops Rumors Polls Philadelphia 76ers Utah Jazz

Poll: How Far Will Celtics Advance In Playoffs?

By | at April 5, 2018 5:51 pm

When Gordon Hayward went down with a season-ending ankle injury during the Celtics‘ first game of the 2017/18 season, the club’s fan base initially shifted its focus to next year, when Hayward would be fully recovered and youngsters like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would have another year of experience under their belts.

However, Hayward’s absence didn’t slow down the Celtics — the team was the No. 1 seed in the East for much of the season. Boston eventually ceded that top spot to the Raptors, but maintained a stranglehold on the No. 2 spot. And while the C’s may not have been a legit title contender without Hayward, there was a sense that the Kyrie Irving-led squad had a chance to make it out of the East.

Much of that hope was extinguished today when the Celtics announced that Irving would undergo another procedure on his knee that will sideline him for the postseason and keep him on the shelf for four or five months. The C’s will now head into the playoffs without either of their star veteran acquisitions from the 2017 offseason.

While the Celtics’ chances of making a deep playoff run look significantly diminished, it’s worth noting that the club hasn’t exactly fallen off a cliff without its star point guard in the lineup. Irving played his last game on March 11 vs. Indiana. Since then, the C’s have posted a respectable 7-4 record, with wins over the Thunder, Blazers, Jazz, and Raptors. Of their four losses, three were on the road against playoff teams (New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Toronto) and the fourth was a double-overtime nail-biter vs. the Wizards.

In other words, even without Irving and Hayward on the floor, the Celtics are a well-coached and dangerous team that will be a tough out in the playoffs.

Still, as ESPN’s Kevin Pelton writes, the club’s postseason run figures to be shorter than it would be for the average No. 2 seed. Pelton suggests that the Celtics should remain favorites in the first round against Miami, Milwaukee, or Washington, but may head into round two as underdogs.

What do you think? Can the Celtics still win a round or two – or even three – in the playoffs? Or will the injury bug ultimately result in an early exit for the East’s No. 2 seed? Vote in our poll and jump into the comment section below to weigh in!

How far will the Celtics go in the postseason?

  • Second round 51% (499)
  • First round 29% (284)
  • Eastern Finals 12% (117)
  • NBA Finals 8% (73)

Total votes: 973

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

16 comments Boston Celtics Hoops Rumors Polls
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