Poll: Biggest NBA Story Of 2012
In his column yesterday for NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge listed what he felt were the 10 biggest NBA stories of 2012, including Linsanity, the Dwightmare, and the Lakers' drama in Los Angeles.
On New Year's Day, it seems appropriate to look back on the year that was, and the stories that dominated headlines for the last 12 months. Today's poll asks which story you felt was the biggest of the year. When you think about 2012 a few years down the road, what will be the first thing that comes to mind? LeBron James' first title? The Nets' move to Brooklyn? Jeremy Lin's magical run in New York? Or something else?
Weigh in with your thoughts in the poll and in the comments section.
What was the biggest NBA story of 2012?
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LeBron James' first title 24% (259)
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Linsanity 23% (248)
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Lakers' offseason splash and coaching drama 19% (210)
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The Dwightmare 14% (153)
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Oklahoma City trades James Harden 11% (116)
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David Stern announces retirement 3% (36)
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Nets move to Brooklyn 3% (32)
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New tax-heavy Collective Bargaining Agreement 2% (22)
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Other 1% (14)
Total votes: 1,090
Poll: Should The Rockets Waive Royce White?
Earlier today it was reported that Rockets rookie forward Royce White would decline his D-league assignment. In other news that's possibly related, the Rockets signed free agent forward James Anderson to a non-guaranteed three-year contract.
According to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen, White's contract is worth $1.6MM this season and $1.8MM next season, with both seasons guaranteed. If the Rockets cut him without showing cause, White would have to be paid the balance of the guaranteed two seasons of his contract. But they could try to show he had not fulfilled his contract.
Should they keep him around? Or is this situation too far gone?
Should The Rockets Waive Royce White?
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Yes 71% (756)
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No 29% (302)
Total votes: 1,058
Poll: Should Nets Have Fired Avery Johnson?
When the Lakers fired Mike Brown five games into the 2012/13 season, many observers felt that the team should have given Brown more time to get everyone on an overhauled roster on the same page. Avery Johnson received a little more time from the Nets than Brown did from the Lakers, but it was still a surprising decision.
The Nets fired Johnson mere weeks after he was named Coach of the Month for November, and Avery Johnson Jr. isn't the only one that feels the move was premature. The Nets were just 14-14 when the change was made, a pace not far off from what many predicted for the team, as Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed out yesterday. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich lamented the Nets' impatience with Johnson at San Antonio's shootaround today, calling Johnson a "very good coach" who was victimized by circumstances (link via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News).
On the other hand, the Nets were coming off a pair of embarrassing losses, and Deron Williams had publicly questioned Johnson's offensive system last week. Throw in Kris Humphries' demotion and the mixed results of Johnson's small-ball lineup, and there were enough factors in play to make a case that coaching decisions were becoming a real concern in Brooklyn.
What do you think? Should the Nets have given Johnson more time to right the ship, or was it time to make a change?
Should the Nets have fired Avery Johnson?
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No, he should have been given more time 78% (598)
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Yes, he wasn't a good fit with this team 22% (164)
Total votes: 762
Poll: Will The Nets Shop Kris Humphries?
After a red-hot start to the season, things have cooled down rather quickly in Brooklyn. The Nets are now 14-12 following today’s ugly win over the Sixers – not quite cause for absolute panic, but it’s certainly not the kind of record the Nets hoped to have after spending major money this summer. The Nets re-upped Deron Williams on a max deal, gave Gerald Wallace $40MM over four years, and inked Brook Lopez to a four-year, $60MM pact. This offseason’s biggest addition – All-Star guard Joe Johnson – is set to earn nearly $90MM through 2015/16. But the player being most scrutinized these days is forward Kris Humphries, who re-signed with the Nets on a two-year, $24MM deal.
Of course, Avery Johnson has taken his fair share of criticism from people in recent weeks (including a certain point guard wearing No. 8), but Humphries might be the biggest scapegoat on the floor. After starting more than 100 games for the Nets over the past two seasons, Humphries saw himself demoted to the bench in the midst of the club’s five-game slide. After getting back in the starting five for back-to-back games, the 27-year-old was left in his warmups this afternoon while Keith Bogans started in a downsized lineup with Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche offering support in the frontcourt.
Johnson says that Hump isn’t in the doghouse, but it’s hard to believe based on the way that he has been phased out of the rotation. Humphries has survived adversity before, from his lack of playing time in Utah, Toronto, and Dallas to the constant heckling that he endured last season thanks to a high-profile split with a certain Page Six mainstay. However, this might be a case where a trade will benefit both the player and the team.
Will The Nets Try To Trade Kris Humphries?
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Yes 85% (386)
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No 15% (67)
Total votes: 453
Best Potential Suitor For Cousins?
Whether or not the Kings' long-term plans involve DeMarcus Cousins, the team will eventually have to address the topic. Last season, just a few days after then-head coach Paul Westphal had barred Cousins from being with the team, Westphal had been fired in what some believed was management's way of resolving the issue of them not getting along. After a recent clash with current coach Keith Smart and a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, one could only wonder how Sacramento will try to handle this situation moving forward. Also, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com also points out that Cousins' decision to sever ties with agent John Grieg poses some significance, as Grieg was known to be somewhat of a good buffer between Cousins and Smart (Twitter link).
Similar to how Javale McGee and Andray Blatche have demonstrated in their respective post-Wizards careers, a change in scenery can possibly be beneficial for a young player who may not be in a situation that fits him best. In the event that the Kings were looking for a deal, which team would be the best suitor for Cousins?
Best Potential Trade Partner For Kings?
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Celtics 38% (659)
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Other 27% (480)
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Spurs 14% (242)
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Raptors 11% (198)
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Magic 10% (173)
Total votes: 1,752
How Long Should The Lakers Wait To Trade Gasol?
Pau Gasol is probably the biggest name on the trade market right now, and I tipped off this year's Hoops Rumors Trade Candidate series today by sizing up the prospects of a Gasol swap earlier today. With Steve Nash a game-time decision for tonight's Lakers-Warriors game, we'll soon see how L.A. plays with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Nash and Gasol all in the lineup for the first time under coach Mike D'Antoni's watch. Gasol has proven an awkward fit in D'Antoni's offense, but no one makes that system sing like Nash, who's known for his ability to make the players around him look better. When Nash was thinking of signing with the Lakers this summer, he told them he wanted to play with Gasol, so it seems that the point guard is confident he can make the pairing work.
Much was expected of the Lakers this year, but even after winning three straight, they're 12-14 and mired in 11th place in the Western Conference. With the red-hot Clippers in command of the Pacific Division, the Lakers could face an uphill battle for a high playoff seed. If Gasol continues to sputter in the team's offense after Nash returns, and the Lakers don't show signs of becoming the title contender everyone thought they'd be, how long can they wait to trade the 32-year-old Spanish big man? Let us know what you think.
How Long Should The Lakers Wait To Trade Gasol?
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Wait until the deadline. You never know who'll get desperate. 31% (204)
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Less than a month. Give the team a chance, but don't waste time. 26% (171)
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Don't trade him at all. Nash will reinvigorate Gasol, and all will be well. 25% (163)
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Not a minute more. They should trade him ASAP. 19% (124)
Total votes: 662
Who Should The Timberwolves Target?
With the Timberwolves now looking to fill a void at the wing position, we've heard today that Michael Redd and Chris Douglas-Roberts are among the options that the team could consider. Keeping in mind some of the available free agents who are capable of playing on the perimeter, who do you think the Timberwolves should go after?
Who Should The Timberwolves Target?
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Michael Redd 35% (256)
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Chris Douglas-Roberts 29% (211)
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Quentin Richardson 13% (96)
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Other 10% (73)
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Donte Greene 7% (51)
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Maurice Evans 6% (43)
Total votes: 730
Poll: Should The Sixers Trade Andrew Bynum?
Could the Sixers be looking to trade prized summer acquisition Andrew Bynum? Depends on who you ask. One NBA General Manager told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that the Sixers have been making trade inquiries about adding a starting caliber center. “They got to be a little panicked now,” the GM said. “They could get a really interesting deal for him. I could see them doing that.” Meanwhile, 76ers GM Tony DiLeo told Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers that he hasn’t been shopping Bynum as he wants to see what the team looks like at full strength. DiLeo reasons that the post-presence of Bynum will free up the perimeter shooters, boosting the club’s offense as a whole.
Bynum is currently earning $16.1MM, the final year of the four-year, $58MM contract he signed back in 2008 with the Lakers. The center figured to be in line for a five-year, $100MM deal this summer, but he obviously won’t fetch that kind of pact until he can prove that he is healthy and back to his old form. The Sixers could wait things out with Bynum to see if he can get back on the floor sometime before February 21st, or they could move him for an impact piece that can help in the short-term and possibly beyond 2012/13. Trading Bynum might be a tough sell considering that the Sixers parted ways with fan favorite Andre Iguodala, promising young center Nikola Vucevic, and the draft rights to Maurice Harkless to land him. However, it might be the best move for the Sixers for the long-haul.
Should The Sixers Trade Andrew Bynum?
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Yes 59% (571)
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No 41% (396)
Total votes: 967
Poll: Are The Knicks Title Contenders?
This offseason, it seemed as though all anyone in New York wanted to discuss was the departure of Jeremy Lin. Lin staying in New York appeared to be a mortal lock at one point, but when the Rockets extended the guard a heavily-backloaded three-year, $25MM deal, Glen Grunwald decided to go elsewhere. Lin's shadow would continue to loom over the team after the season got underway, but he's hardly a part of the fan discourse now.
Tonight at MSG, the Knicks are cruising to victory over the Lakers, en route to a 17-5 record and extending their home tally to 9-0. It was easy for some to dismiss the Knicks' hot start by pointing to a meager sample size a few weeks ago, but that's a tough case to make at the quarter-mark of the season. The Knicks are firing on all cylinders, and they've toppled quality teams like the Heat (twice), Spurs, and Nets.
How are they getting it done? As John Hollinger noted in one of his last pieces for ESPN.com, they're bombing away from three-point range at a clip that would have made a few ABA teams blush. Free agent pickups like Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, and Rasheed Wallace are paying off in spades even while Steve Novak seems to have come back down to earth this season. It also helps that they're getting stellar performances from Carmelo Anthony at the power forward position – play that Knicks fans say warrants MVP consideration.
But the question is, can the Knicks keep this up?
Are The Knicks Title Contenders?
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Yes 70% (519)
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No 30% (222)
Total votes: 741
Poll: The Lakers’ Point Guard Situation
After the Lakers lost their third straight game last night in Cleveland, falling to 4-8 during Mike D'Antoni's stint as head coach, rumors began to swirl suggesting that the team was thinking about adding another point guard.
The Lakers have a full 15-man roster, including four point guards, but Steve Nash has missed most of the season with a leg injury, and Darius Morris, Chris Duhon, and Steve Blake haven't been productive in his place. One of those players could be let go to make room for a new point guard, though all three are on guaranteed deals. Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom are the two Lakers whose deals aren't fully guaranteed.
Delonte West is perhaps the top point guard on the free agent market, with Eddie House, Jonny Flynn, and Mike James among the other uninspiring options available. The Lakers' top trade target appears to be Jose Calderon, who seems like a good fit for D'Antoni's system, but the Raptors would reportedly like to package him in a bigger deal if they move him. Los Angeles doesn't exactly have an abundance of trade assets at its disposal, so it's hard to see how the club could land a player with Calderon's talent and salary without turning it into a bigger move anyway.
As Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets, the Lakers are looking for a stopgap rather than a savior, with Nash on track to return in a couple weeks. On one hand, given Nash's timetable, it seems almost counter-productive to add a new point guard to the mix at this point, since by the time he gets familiar with the system, Nash should be ready to come back to the court. Conversely though, at age 38, there's no guarantee Nash will return on schedule and stay healthy for the remainder of the season, so an insurance policy could be crucial.
What do you think? How should the Lakers address their point guard problem? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section after submitting your vote.
What should the Lakers do at point guard?
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Try to make a trade (ie. for Jose Calderon) 40% (307)
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Sign a free agent (ie. Delonte West) 38% (295)
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Stand pat and wait for Steve Nash to return 22% (170)
Total votes: 772