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Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?

December 3rd, 2013 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The futility of the Eastern Conference has been a major theme of the first few weeks of the NBA season. Eastern teams have now played the equivalent of a full season’s worth of games against Western Conference clubs, and have compiled an abysmal 23-60 record, good for a .277 winning percentage.

As bad as the East has been, the Southeast and Central divisions at least each have an elite team at the top of the standings. The Pacers are off to a 16-2 start, while the defending champions in Miami have gone 14-3. In the Atlantic, however, the division-leading Raptors are just 6-10.

Toronto was expected to be a borderline playoff contender this season, and many pundits pegged the Celtics and 76ers for spots near the bottom of the conference. The Atlantic’s two New York teams have been the real disappointments, combining to go just 8-25 so far. The Knicks have lost nine games in a row and are now tied for the NBA’s worst record at 3-13, and the Nets’ 5-12 mark isn’t much better.

It’s easy to say that at least one of the New York teams will turn things around, but we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the season, and neither team has shown signs of improvement so far. When we asked over the weekend whether the Nets and Knicks would make the playoffs, the most popular answer suggested neither team would earn a spot.

So what do you think? Which team ultimately ends up at the top of the division that’s on pace to be the worst ever in any major North American sport?

Poll: Will Nets And Knicks Make The Playoffs?

November 30th, 2013 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

Is it time to panic in New York? While there’s still a long way to go in this NBA season, we are nearly at the quarter-mark and the dreadful starts for the Nets and Knicks cannot be ignored. The Nets fell to 4-12 last night with a dreadful loss in Houston thanks to their matador defense and lack of ball movement on the other end of the floor. The Knicks, meanwhile, dropped their eighth straight contest, losing 97-95 on the road to the Nuggets after Carmelo Anthony‘s last second shot to force overtime missed. New Yorkers aren’t known for their patience and as both teams languish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, both Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson find themselves on the hotseat.

While everyone is still busy chuckling at Kidd’s “cup-gate” scandal, the Nets have much larger problems facing them at this juncture of the season. Under Kidd, the Nets look like a team without direction or motivation and frankly, they look downright old. Granted, there have been injuries. Deron Williams and key reserves Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry are still sidelined with TBD return dates. Center Brook Lopez was out for seven games with a tweaked ankle before coming back last night to have the only solid performance of anyone wearing black and white. Still, the team looked out of sorts before the injury bug hit. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett appear to be fractions of what they used to be and without those two clicking, this team isn’t going to get very far. And in case you’re thinking that the Nets’ deep-pocketed ownership will sign off on another pricey acquisition between now and the trade deadline, think again. Mikhail Prokhorov has made it clear that the team is at its absolute spending limit. The Nets also don’t really have first-round picks that they can deal thanks to the Celtics blockbuster.

While some Nets fans might be wondering why Kidd was given the reins as head coach this summer, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says the club desperately misses his veteran leadership. Maybe he’s right. The Knicks bent over backwards to re-sign last season’s Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith and upgraded their frontcourt with Andrea Bargnani, but they’ve stumbled badly out of the gate. If the Knicks can’t right the ship, it could have repercussions that go far beyond the 2012/13 season. It’s hard to envision Anthony, a free agent at season’s end, turning down the likes of the Lakers to stay with a lottery-bound Knicks squad.

Still, it’s a long season. How do you see it all playing out for the Nets and Knicks?

Should The Cavs Trade Dion Waiters?

November 27th, 2013 at 6:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dion Waiters never started a game in two years at Syracuse, but that didn’t stop the Cavs from drafting him fourth overall in 2011. He was generally regarded as a top-10 pick prior to the draft despite his status as a reserve for the Orange, so while Cleveland’s decision to draft him at No. 4 was surprising, it wasn’t a shock. The 6’4″ guard started 48 of the 61 games he played for the Cavs last season and quickly established himself as a scoring force, going for 28 points in an upset of the Clippers just a week into his NBA career.

Waiters wound up averaging 14.7 points per game last season, and in spite of his shaky outside shot and defensive shortcomings, it seemed like he and Kyrie Irving would form the backcourt of the future for the Cavs. Now, a month into his second season, he might be on the move. It appears there’s a degree of motivation from both sides for a trade. Waiters reportedly engaged in a heated argument recently with Tristan Thompson and isn’t tight with Irving, while the Cavs have removed him from their starting lineup and appear to be at the very least entertaining offers for their prize from last year’s draft.

Waiters might not be a fit in Cleveland, where his need to play with the ball in his hands conflicts with Irving and fellow guard Jarrett Jack, who’s signed to a long-term deal. Still, he’s just 21 years old, and it’s doubtful that the Cavs could make him the centerpiece of a trade for anyone with quite as much upside.

The Cavs could always find a sweetheart deal from a desperate team, but barring an unexpected offer, perhaps Cleveland is giving up on the recent No. 4 overall pick much too soon. He’s shown improvement this season, raising his three-point accuracy from 31.0% to 38.9%. Of course, if Waiters is a poor fit with his teammates on and off the court, his value might never be higher. So, let us know whether you think the Cavs should take the best offer they can find for Waiters in the near future, or hang on to a player they thought worthy of the fourth overall pick just 17 months ago. Cast your vote, and share more of your thoughts on the issue in the comments.

Poll: Will Lakers Add A Max Free Agent?

November 26th, 2013 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Since Kobe Bryant signed a two-year extension with the Lakers yesterday, reactions have poured in, with many observers questioning whether the team will be able to build a championship-caliber roster around Kobe’s massive salary. GM Mitch Kupchak believes L.A. still has enough flexibility to put together a contender (Twitter link via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report), and Kobe’s deal still leaves the club with room for another max-salary free agent in 2014.

However, having the room to add a free agent doesn’t necessarily ensure one will sign in L.A. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are frequently cited as the team’s two likeliest targets, but LeBron currently looks like a long shot to leave Miami, and Carmelo would probably have to turn down more years and money from New York if he chose the Lakers.

Outside of those two stars, there are several other players who could be free agents in 2014, and could receive a salary at or near the max: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay, Eric Bledsoe, Greg Monroe, and Gordon Hayward are among them. But none of those players are assured of max deals, and many will be restricted free agents, meaning their current teams could match any offer sheets from the Lakers.

As Kevin Pelton observed today in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, there may be better fits for the Lakers on the market in the summer of 2015. Kevin Love is expected to hit free agency at that point, and players like Brook Lopez and Rajon Rondo could be available as well. The Lakers won’t have the flexibility to add a max free agent in 2014 and another one in 2015, but if they hang on to their cap space for an extra year, they could make a big splash in ’15.

What do you think? Will the Lakers land a max free agent in 2014 or 2015? Or will they make do with several smaller, complementary pieces around Kobe until his new deal expires?

Poll: Will Jason Kidd Survive Season As Nets Coach?

November 24th, 2013 at 8:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Maybe experience does mean a lot. After a summer in which the Nets were linked to everyone from Phil Jackson to Jeff Van Gundy to Stan Van Gundy, the Nets went way outside of the box when they hired the recently-retired Jason Kidd. The deal brought Kidd back to the franchise where he enjoyed some of his greatest successes – back-to-back Eastern Conference championships, a second-place MVP finish – but things haven’t gone quite the same way on the sidelines.

The Nets were widely picked to take the Atlantic Division in 2013/14 with the Knicks being left in their dust. Early on in the season, both New York teams are spiraling with the Nets being at 3-10 and the Knicks at 3-10. While a good chunk of the blame certainly falls on the shoulders of the Nets’ aging core, many observers feel that Kidd is simply lost on the bench. Mikhail Prokhorov‘s abrupt firing of P.J. Carlesimo and summer spending spree are indications that he’s not the most patient man in the world. If the Nets can’t turn things around, the seat will certainly get warmer underneath the point guard-turned-coach. Will Kidd last the season in Brooklyn?

Poll: Will Bulls Ever Win Title With Rose On Max Deal?

November 23rd, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

It appears Derrick Rose will have two options for surgery on his right knee, and sources tell K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that Rose is likely to choose the one that will keep him out longer. That presents the strong possibility that the point guard could miss the rest of the season, a loss that would likely knock the Bulls out of title contention in 2013/14.

Part of the reason Rose might opt for the surgery that could keep him out this season would be its long-term benefits for his 25-year-old body, since the other procedure could compromise his ability on the court. Still, more than two years removed from the last season in which he played in more than 60% of his team’s games, it’s worth wondering if Rose can ever regain his MVP form.

There are rumors of a rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management, while Rose and soon-to-be free agent Luol Deng apparently have their resentments toward the front office as well. Even before Rose’s latest injury, it was been “widely assumed” the Bulls would shake up their roster next summer, Johnson writes. Perhaps those changes will come about sooner if Rose is indeed ruled out for the year, as the Bulls could try to shed salary via trades and slip beneath the luxury tax threshold, though that’s just my speculation.

Still, there’s reason for optimism in Chicago. The Bulls have a first-round pick coming from the woe-begotten Bobcats, and they have the rights to heralded European prospect Nikola Mirotic. Jimmy Butler is coming off a breakout season and could be an emerging star on the wing. Butler nonetheless has a ways to go before he becomes the sort of player that Rose once was.

Title hopes in the NBA fall and rise with superstars, and Rose might not fit into the superstar category anymore. Regardless, he’ll be paid like one through 2017. His maximum-salary deal, a product of the collective bargaining agreement rule that goes by Rose’s own name, still has $77.9MM on it, including this season. As the Knicks are realizing with an injury-ravaged Amar’e Stoudemire, it’s hard to build a championship roster with such a large contract committed to someone who can’t live up to it.

Many picked the Bulls to win it all this year, but less than a month into the regular season, can you see this team winning a title at all while Rose’s current contract is on the books? Let us know, and feel free to elaborate on the issue in the comments.

Poll: Should Mavericks Consider Dealing Dirk?

November 23rd, 2013 at 9:05am CST by Zachary Links

Not only is Dirk Nowitzki the heart and soul of the Mavericks, he is one of four players in the league today holding a no-trade clause. It’s certainly not likely that the Mavericks will be moving the 35-year-old big man, but in a league where some called for the Lakers to use the amnesty clause on Kobe Bryant, nothing can be ruled out. Yesterday, Mavs owner Mark Cuban told reporters that Rockets GM Daryl Morey inquired about Dirk this summer after signing Dwight Howard. While Cuban suspects that it may have been a little bit of smack talk from Houston after they beat out their intra-state rivals for the summer’s top free agent, there could have been some legitimacy behind the request. The Lakers have also come calling about Dirk, though no offer was made in that instance either.

So far, everything is looking up in Dallas this season. The Mavs are 9-4 and offseason pickup Monta Ellis is arguably playing the best basketball of his life.. Franchise cornerstone Nowitzki is faring pretty well himself, averaging 20.4 PPG though 13 games while shooting 47.8% from the floor, a number that is consistent with his career average. Still, the 35-year-old Nowitzki is in the final year of his contract and earning $22.7MM this season. One has to imagine that he’ll take a pay cut to stay with the Mavericks, the only NBA team he’s ever known, but that’s not an absolute given. While the veteran is playing well, should Dallas open up the phone lines and give some thought to trading Dirk?

Poll: Who Should The Kings Trade?

November 20th, 2013 at 8:06pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

The Kings have been listed all season as a team looking to be active in the trade market but yesterday reports surfaced that Sacramento is “aggressively” pursuing trade possibilities well before the February deadline. The Kings seem to be shopping their veteran players in order to get more draft picks and younger players to build a team around Ben McLemore and DeMarcus Cousins.

Veteran players on the Kings roster include:

Marcus Thornton (28.3 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG)
John Salmons (24.4 MPG, 4.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
Chuck Hayes (9.2 MPG, 0.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG)
Jason Thompson (20.5 MPG, 6.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG)
Luc Mbah a Moute (18 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG)
Travis Outlaw (15.1 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG)

Additionally, Jimmer Fredette (12.0 MPG, 3.0 PPG, 2.3 APG) has been listed as a potential candidate that the Kings will be looking to ship away this season considering they declined his 2014/15 team option.

Playing the role of Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro who do you think the Kings should trade this season?

Poll: Will Lamar Odom Return To The NBA This Season?

November 20th, 2013 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

After a troubling summer in which Lamar Odom spent equal time on TMZ and ESPN, a return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season seemed highly unlikely. Thankfully, Odom appears to have gotten his life back on track and his comeback could happen sooner rather than later. Last week, we learned that even though they remain wary of Odom’s alleged hard drug use and DUI arrest, the Lakers and Clippers are both keeping him in mind. Shortly thereafter, Odom met for almost two hours with Doc Rivers and Clippers front office officials after a team practice, leaving players with the impression that he was about to sign with the club. While that’s not quite the case, the odds look a whole lot better after a month of solid workouts from the 34-year-old.

They say that beggars can’t be choosers, but the veteran forward is apparently telling friends that he’ll only come back to play for the Clippers. Rivers & Co. have kept mum on the issue so far, but Jared Dudley handicaps the odds of Odom signing with the Clips at “100%”. We know how Jared is voting – how about you?

Poll: Should Celtics Trade Rajon Rondo?

November 19th, 2013 at 8:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

A summer story line resurfaced this weekend with a report that the Knicks had attempted to trade for Rajon Rondo. The injured point guard is the final remaining link to the Celtics’ last championship team, and when Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers all exited this summer, rumors surfaced that Rondo could be next. Celtics GM Danny Ainge denies having conversations with the Knicks and insists that he hasn’t fielded calls about Rondo from any NBA team. Whether or not that’s true, it seems scuttlebutt about the four-time All-Star will persist.

Rondo is under contract for close to $12MM this season and about $12.9MM in 2014/15. It’s one of the most team-friendly deals in the league for a player of his caliber, but it only has two seasons left, and will likely have expired by the time the Celtics are ready to compete again. Still, Rondo’s the team’s best player, and he’s never played for another franchise. One opposing GM believes the Celtics would seek a major star in return for Rondo if they were to deal him away, so perhaps Ainge feels confident enough about the prospect of re-signing him in 2015 to pass up all but the most generous of trade offers.

What do you think Ainge’s strategy should be? Should he cash out the team’s best asset now while he’s under team control on a bargain contract? Or should he make Rondo the centerpiece of his rebuilding effort even though the point guard can bolt in two years? Let us know with a vote, and elaborate on your opinion in the comments.