Hoops Rumors Polls

Yesterday, Hoops Rumors readers voted Brad Stevens of the Celtics the best offseason coaching hire in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers may demand a recount if and when they get their man in Spurs assistant Brett Brown, but for now we're heading west and exploring the other conference's offseason hires.

While there wasn't quite as much turnover as in the East, five Western teams replaced their head coaches, including three clubs who ranked in the top five in the Conference. Vinny Del Negro, George Karl, Lionel Hollins, Lindsey Hunter, and Keith Smart are out, and Doc Rivers (Clippers), Brian Shaw (Nuggets), Dave Joerger (Grizzlies), Jeff Hornacek (Suns), and Michael Malone (Kings) are in.

So what do you think? Which of those five new coaches will turn out to be the best choice? Which Western Conference hiring did you like best?

Since the end of the 2012/13 regular season, an incredible 13 NBA teams have made coaching changes. 12 of those clubs have replaced their old head coach with a new one, while the Sixers' search for Doug Collins' successor continues.

Of the 12 teams to hire a new head coach so far, seven come from the Eastern Conference, including four playoff teams (the Hawks, Nets, Celtics, and Bucks). The East's new bench additions consist of a former college coach (Brad Stevens), respected assistants getting their first chance as head coaches (Mike Budenholzer, Steve Clifford), former head coaches (Mike Brown, Maurice Cheeks, Larry Drew), and even one coach whose playing career had barely ended when he was hired (Jason Kidd).

The seven hirings so far certainly represent a wide variety of philosophies, and will be facing very different expectations in the first season with their new clubs. For coaches like Stevens and Clifford, developing young talent will be crucial, while others, like Cheeks and Kidd, will be tasked with making some serious noise in the East right away.

So, today's poll question is this: Which Eastern Conference coaching hire did you like best? Which new head coach do you think will have the most success with his new team, however that success may be defined?

With the Pacers upgrading their bench and adding Danny Granger, the Bulls getting Derrick Rose back, and the Nets overhauling their roster and adding a couple Hall of Fame caliber contributers, the Heat have some serious competition next season. 

Heading into 2014, is Miami even the favorite?

Earlier today, our own Chuck Myron compared this summer's one-year free agent deals to those of last summer and found a significant drop off in dollars.  Last summer, Chris Kaman cashed in a one-year, $8MM with the Mavs, Nick Young got $5.6MM from the Sixers, Chauncey Billups and the Clippers agreed to a $4.3MM pact, and J.J. Hickson signed for $4MM with the Blazers after a strong second half with Portland.  This year, it's a different story.

The complete list of 2013's one-year deals (excluding the ones for the veteran's minimum) is headlined by a deal that would have been in the middle of the pack last year:

• Elton Brand, Hawks, $4MM.
• Al-Farouq Aminu, Pelicans, $3.75MM.
• Chris Kaman, Lakers, $3.183MM.
• Greg Stiemsma, Pelicans, $2.676MM.
• Jermaine O'Neal, Warriors, $2MM.
• Toney Douglas, Warriors, $1.6MM.

These free agents may not have gotten as much money as they would have hoped, but they're all notable names who can boost their value for the summer of 2014 and beyond.  For the teams that signed them, they could be getting a tremendous value on a player who wants to impress in their walk year.  Based on how you expect them to perform while also taking their salary into account, we want to know how you rank these signings – from the club's perspective – from best to worst.

Click here for the results.

Earlier today on Twitter, Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy listed over a dozen notable unrestricted free agents who've yet to sign with a team. Who do you think is the best player left?

When we asked last week whether the Rockets would earn a spot in the 2014 NBA Finals, only about one in six of you said yes. That's a fairly strong signal that Houston isn't the favorite to come out of the Western Conference, but there doesn't appear to be a consensus on which team is the frontrunner.

Popular betting site Bovada.lv lists Oklahoma City as the team most likely to represent the West in the Finals, with 6-to-1 odds to capture the 2014 title. However, the Thunder have stood relatively pat this summer, while losing their best scorer off the bench (Kevin Martin). As Grantland's Zach Lowe outlined in his latest piece, many of OKC's main competitors in the West look at least as dangerous as they did last season, if not moreso.

Last year's Western champs, the Spurs, should remain a serious contender even as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili move into their late 30s, having tweaked the edges by adding players like Marco Belinelli and Jeff Pendergraph. Teams like the Clippers and Warriors added key complementary players like J.J. Redick and Andre Iguodala, respectively, and appear to be gaining on the conference's top teams. The Nuggets, having lost Iguodala could take a step back, but the club won 57 games last season, so even a moderate drop-off should leave Denver in the playoff picture. The Grizzlies, who might have the NBA's best defense, also can't be ruled out, especially after earning a spot in the Western Finals this year.

What do you think? Which team do you like to win the West next spring?