Poll: How Long Will Collins Coach The Sixers?
The 76ers dropped their sixth straight game last night, an embarrassing 14-point home loss to the 16-41 Magic, and Philadelphia's latest defeat was a breaking point for head coach Doug Collins. As John Schuhmann of NBA.com details, Collins' post-game performance was one for the ages, as the Sixers coach questioned whether his players came back from the All-Star break ready to play and stressed that there's nothing wrong with the team's off-court preparation.
"I don’t want you to feel like I’m up here blaming. I don’t want you to think I’m making excuses," Collins finally said about 10 minutes into the press conference, but the comments that preceded that certainly suggested a significant amount of frustration with his players.
Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote a month ago that Collins was "apopletic" after one particularly bad loss, and that many executives around the league were wondering if the coach was approaching his breaking point, so Collins' post-game speech wasn't entirely unexpected. Mannix added at the time that the Sixers job appears to be Collins' as long as he wants it, but as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News points out (via Twitter), coaches often don't last long after that sort of performance, meaning it could just be a matter of time until Collins and the Sixers "part ways."
The Sixers exercised their 2013/14 option on Collins prior to this season, so the coach will still have a year remaining on his contract at season's end. But as Grantland's Bill Simmons and SBNation's Tom Ziller noted last night (Twitter links), in three previous head coaching stints, Collins has never lasted longer than three years. He's currently in his third season in Philadelphia, and I'd imagine Sixers management will want to talk to Collins about the future after last night's performance.
So what do you think? Will this "rock-bottom" moment for the Sixers lead to Collins and the team parting ways, or will the two sides push through a disappointing stretch and continue their relationship beyond this season?
How long will Doug Collins continue coaching the Sixers?
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Until the end of this season 48% (266)
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Until the end of his contract (through 2013/14) 29% (158)
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Beyond his current contract 12% (66)
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He won't finish this season 11% (59)
Total votes: 549
Poll: Who Was The Trade Deadline’s Biggest Loser?
We recently looked at the trade deadline's big winners, now the discussion shifts towards who lost out, whether it be by no action or a bad move.
Who Was The Trade Deadline's Biggest Loser?
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Sacramento Kings 43% (395)
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Los Angeles Lakers 29% (271)
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Washington Wizards 11% (102)
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Los Angeles Clippers 9% (84)
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Phoenix Suns 8% (75)
Total votes: 927
Poll: Who Was The Trade Deadline’s Biggest Winner?
Now that the trade deadline deals are all wrapped up, it's time to speculate on who the biggest winners were. Which team do you think placed themselves in the best situation?
Who Was The Trade Deadline's Biggest Winner?
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Houston Rockets 41% (464)
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Boston Celtics 23% (259)
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Milwaukee Bucks 21% (240)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 8% (87)
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New York Knicks 5% (51)
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Portland Trail Blazers 2% (27)
Total votes: 1,128
Poll: Most Surprising Deadline Non-Deal
12 trades were completed this week, to go along with a pair of Grizzlies moves that were finalized in January. While 14 deals is above average for an NBA trading season, deadline day still felt a little disappointing, given the lack of impact moves.
Josh Smith, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis, Andrea Bargnani, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard were among the big-name players involved in trade rumors that didn't end up being moved. So today's poll question is this: What was the most surprising non-deal of the deadline? Whether it's a specific player not being moved or a team standing pat, make your pick below or feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Which non-deal surprised you most?
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Hawks not trading Josh Smith 55% (876)
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Jazz keeping both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson 19% (295)
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Lakers not making a trade 7% (112)
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Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo all staying in Boston 6% (94)
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Raptors not moving Andrea Bargnani 5% (74)
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Bulls not making a trade 4% (66)
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Nets not trading Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks 4% (62)
Total votes: 1,579
Poll: Should The Suns Trade Jared Dudley?
The All-Star game is in progress and if you take a look at the Western Conference team, you’ll notice that the Suns are not among the teams represented. Phoenix is 17-36 and their splash page of their website invites fans to come and get acquainted with the Suns players, which is a great idea in October, but says quite a bit about the state of the team in February. There are bright spots for the Suns, however, and Jared Dudley is among them.
Dudley’s contract is a solid value as he’ll earn $4.25MM per season through 2014/15 with a player option for the same amount in the following year. His game may be unspectacular, but he brings hard-nosed play and quality outside shooting at a reasonable price, making him an attractive bench piece for several teams. The Knicks, Jazz, and Grizzlies are all said to have varying degrees of interest and it makes perfect sense for the rebuilding Suns to listen on offers.
However, as a rebuilding team, its not always easy to find quality players that, you know, actually want to be there. While many players in Dudley’s position would probably be pushing hard for a mid-season trade, the forward said this weekend that he wants to help turn things around in Phoenix.
“I don’t care what anyone tells you. If you’re on a team that’s losing the way we are, people should be frustrated, annoyed, but still upbeat at practice to want to get better…I am frustrated that we’re losing. I’m tired of seeing the same mistakes. But I’m willing to put the work in to make those mistakes be very limited, if not at all,” said the 27-year-old.
As a quality, reasonably-compensated complementary piece, Dudley holds a good amount of trade value. At the same time, he’s exactly the kind of player (and contract) that a rebuilding club would probably like to keep around. Should the Suns trade him this week?
Should The Suns Move Dudley?
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Yes 69% (595)
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No 31% (268)
Total votes: 863
Poll: Do You Believe Brandon Jennings?
So within the same day, we have a report from ESPN's Chad Ford that Brandon Jennings wants out of Milwaukee and, six hours later, a report from ESPN's Chris Broussard citing texts from the Bucks point guard that deny he hopes to be traded. Which is it? Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught up with Jennings at his locker before tonight's game against Philadelphia.
"As long as I'm in a Bucks uniform, I'm going to play every night for the Bucks. I'm trying to get out of this shooting slump that I'm in. Every player goes through it," Jennings said, adding the following:
"Just because I got a new agent, that doesn't mean I'm trying to leave Milwaukee or I'm unhappy. That has nothing to do with it. It was just a time for a change and it was a decision me and my family made. So all these stories coming out about me not wanting to be here and this and that, I never said that. That never came out of my mouth. If anything, I've always said I love Milwaukee."
There are clearly several possibilities here. Jennings could be genuinely upset about the Ford report because he loves Milwaukee and wants to stay. On the other side, the Ford report could be right on and Jennings is refuting it in order to save face with the Bucks fans that have supported him for more than three years now. Or, in what is probably the most likely scenario, the truth is somewhere in between and Jennings has enjoyed his time in Milwaukee and will consider staying, but is definitely also eyeing greener (and bigger) pastures.
What do you think? Feel free to accompany your vote with your opinion in the comments section.
Do You Believe Brandon Jennings?
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No, he desperately wants out 52% (571)
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Neither, he will legitimately consider the Bucks but probably leaves 39% (437)
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Yes, he wants to stay in Milwaukee 9% (100)
Total votes: 1,108
Poll: What Will Nets Do At Trade Deadline?
As I noted yesterday when I rounded up the latest rumors out of Brooklyn, last summer's most active team in free agency appears to be one of the league's more active teams in trade talks as next week's deadline approaches. The Nets have been linked to Ben Gordon, Josh Smith, and Paul Millsap, among other potential trade targets.
While the Nets likely wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a trade that brought in reinforcements, it's unclear if they have the assets to make a move for a player of Smith's or Millsap's caliber. Kris Humphries and his $12MM salary would likely have to be included in any deal to match salaries, and other than MarShon Brooks and perhaps a handful of future draft picks, the Nets don't have a ton of attractive, tradeable assets.
A target like Gordon may be more attainable since, like Humphries, he's overpaid and still has another year remaining on his contract. But according to a New York Daily News report yesterday, the Nets have "cooled" on Gordon due to concerns about his defense.
GM Billy King has said the Nets won't make a trade for the sake of making a move, but the team showed last summer, and at last season's trade deadline for that matter, that it's not afraid to take a risk. So what do you think? Will the Nets find a way to make a big splash at this year's deadline, or are they more likely to stand pat?
What will the Nets do at the trade deadline?
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Acquire Josh Smith 27% (247)
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Acquire Paul Millsap 25% (228)
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Acquire Ben Gordon 20% (188)
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Acquire someone else 16% (147)
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Stand pat 12% (112)
Total votes: 922
Poll: Will Lakers Make A Trade Before Deadline?
The Lakers face a difficult situation heading into the All-Star Break with the trade deadline less than two weeks away. With the news of Pau Gasol's lack of availability for the next 6-8 weeks and Dwight Howard's inability to stay 100 percent healthy, Los Angeles must determine if being active in the trade market may make sense for the team.
Some pundits have argued that the Lakers's system under head coach Mike D'Antoni would be a bad fit for incoming players at this point in the season. Additionally, the Lakers' best trade piece, Gasol, no longer has any value so long as he is recovering from his foot injury. Internally, Earl Clark has emerged as a key contributor for the Lakers after merely being a throw-in in the Howard trade last year, but Los Angeles may need more if it hopes to reach the playoffs.
As mentioned earlier today, D'Antoni plans to speak with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak regarding the team roster while in Miami on Sunday. The Lakers will be able to make a trade thanks to the disabled player exception which gives them the opportunity to acquire a player making up to $1.88MM this season. While Los Angeles may not have a wealth of financial flexibility to make a trade before the deadline, the question still remains whether they will make it.
Will Lakers Make A Trade Before Deadline?
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Yes 62% (751)
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No 38% (467)
Total votes: 1,218
Poll: Who’s Most Likely To Get Traded?
Going from the several bits of news from ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein's Weekend Dime report, which marquee player do you think is most likely to get traded before the deadline?
Who's Most Likely To Get Traded?
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Josh Smith 34% (747)
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J.J. Redick 29% (634)
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Pau Gasol 21% (471)
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Tyreke Evans 9% (200)
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Paul Pierce 6% (140)
Total votes: 2,192
Poll: Will Allen Iverson Play In The NBA Again?
It's been nearly three years since Allen Iverson last appeared in an NBA game, and even longer since he played a full season. Nonetheless, the 2001 MVP still holds out hope of making a comeback, and a D-League team recently offered him the opportunity to get that comeback underway.
However, it doesn't appear that a stint with the Texas Legends is in the cards for Iverson. AI tweeted yesterday that while he views the D-League as a "great opportunity," it's not the route for him. While Iverson played briefly in Turkey in 2010/11, his pride and his salary demands have seemingly prevented him from showcasing his skills for a European or D-League squad since then.
Iverson's manager, Gary Moore, told the Associated Press yesterday that Iverson would like to pursue a role with the 76ers once his playing career is officially over, but cautioned that the 37-year-old wasn't ready to officially retire quite yet. Moore told USA Today that his client is still working out and may explore the possibility of playing in the NBA later this season.
"Hopefully, one day, he'll get an opportunity to possibly join a team and help a team — come off the bench and maybe give a team some very valuable minutes in this playoff stretch," Moore said. "I'm not a guessing man, but if I had to bet, I would surely feel like Allen is going to try and get himself in shape to return sometime this year."
At age 37 and nearly three years removed from NBA action, it seems highly improbable that Iverson could earn a spot on an NBA roster without proving that he can still be healthy and effective in the D-League or in international play. But we did see Rasheed Wallace make a comeback at age 38 this season, and 'Sheed, like Iverson, hadn't played NBA ball since the 2009/10 season.
So what do you think? Will we ever see Iverson play in another NBA game, or is it about time he officially announced his retirement?
Will Allen Iverson play in the NBA again?
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Yes 67% (2,514)
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No 33% (1,242)
Total votes: 3,756