Anderson Varejao is having an outstanding season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 15.1 PPG and 15.3 RPG. It has been reported that, should the Cavs decide to move the 30-year-old Brazilian, he would likely be the most sought-after player on the trade market. The return the Cavs could get for Varejao could be substantial, meaning there may be a major incentive to move him if they can surround Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters with more young talent. However, some believe he is valued too highly within the Cleveland organization to move at this time.
What do you think? Would it be smart for the Cavs to look into a Varejao trade? Vote in the poll and weigh in with what you think a package could look like in the comments.
When I made my predictions for the 2012/13 NBA season, I anticipated the Spurs and Heat meeting in next June's NBA Finals. Given how far off the rails many of my other predictions have already gone, I don't expect that one to pan out either, but the two teams are off to good enough starts that it's still a real possibility. As such, last night's Spurs/Heat game in Miami had the chance to be a Finals preview.
Well, except for the fact that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green weren't in the building, having been sent home by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich earlier in the day. The Spurs still managed to make things interesting, holding a lead late in the game, but the Heat eventually closed out a 105-100 victory.
Reactions around the league to Popovich's decision have been divided, with some defending his decision to rest his stars during a stretch when the Spurs were required to play four road games in five nights.
"I don’t think Pop was in the wrong,"saidLeBron James. "It’s not in the rules to tell you that you can’t not send your guys here or send your guys home. But the commissioner will make his decision and everybody else will deal with it."
Indeed, NBA commissioner David Stern took exception to Popovich's approach, releasing an official statement prior to the game to express his displeasure: "I apologize to all NBA fans. This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming."
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel agreed with Stern, arguing that Popovich was thumbing his nose at paying fans and TNT, each of whom support the NBA and help "pay all the ridiculous salaries." On the other hand, as LeBron pointed out, there's certainly no rule that says the league has the right to step in and tell a coach how to manage his team — Popovich rested his starters on multiple occasions last season, and the NBA didn't say anything about it.
Where do you fall on this issue? Do you mind Popovich sending healthy players home?
When the 76ers acquired Andrew Bynum in a four-way blockbuster back in August, they were praised by most pundits for having secured a player capable of being a franchise cornerstone. Bynum was viewed as the NBA's second-best center, and the trade ensured that the league's best center, Dwight Howard, would no longer be playing in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, the deal has yet to pay dividends in Philadelphia. Bynum's ongoing knee problems have prevented him from making his 2012/13 debut, and the 25-year-old is said to be out "indefinitely." At this point, it's easy to second-guess the summer blockbuster, questioning whether the Sixers could have acquired a more reliable star, rather than one with an injury history, for a package that included Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, and a future first-round pick.
But it is that simple? It's not as if Bynum's stint with the Sixers can be written off already. He could return later this season, and even if he doesn't, perhaps his health concerns mean Philadelphia will be able to lock him up next summer at a reduced price. Additionally, it didn't seem as if the Iguodala-led Sixers were a legit title contender as constructed. Danny Pommels of CSNPhilly.com wrote yesterday that the Sixers are a better team without AI, and that the deal was still a worthwhile one.
So what do you think? Should the 76ers have stood pat and moved forward this season with Iguodala, hoping that further development from Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner took the team to the next level? Should they have sought out the next-best deal for Iguodala, even if it didn't involve landing a potential franchise player like Bynum? Or do you think, taking into account the previous roster's ceiling and Bynum's long-term upside, that the trade still makes sense for Philadelphia?
Now that we’re almost a month into the season, it’s time we look at a few guys who’ve shown serious improvements in their game so far. Who do you think has come the farthest?
Last night, the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies to dip back below .500 on the season. Afterward, coach Mike D'Antoni, 1-2 in his brief Lakers tenure, took a jab at Pau Gasol, standing by his decision to bench him in the fourth quarter and questioning the big man's conditioning. It's not the first time Gasol has drawn such criticism from his coach, as Ramona Shelburne noted via Twitter that Phil Jackson used try to get under the Spaniard's skin at times. Still, D'Antoni's comments seem destined to spark another round of Gasol trade rumors, just a week or so after a report by Marc Stein of ESPN.com denied speculation about a deal with the Hawks.
The Lakers have beenlinked to Raja Bell and Mickael Pietrus in the last 48 hours, and it seems like GM Mitch Kupchak and company are poised to make some kind of move. Still, Steve Nash will likely be returning from injury soon, and the team's roster coming into the season was perhaps the most impressive in the league. Nash has only appeared in two games so far, so maybe a change would be premature, since the team really hasn't had a chance to play together. How do you think the Lakers should approach their personnel? Let us know below, and feel free to share ideas in the comments.
It's Thanksgiving Day, and based on the first month of action in the NBA, fans of some teams have more reason to be thankful than others. Supporters of the Grizzlies, Knicks, and Clippers, for instance, have to be pleased with the way the season has started.
Heading into the year, the general consensus suggested that the Heat, Celtics, Thunder, Lakers, and Spurs were the big five title contenders. However, a few weeks into the season, that group of legit contenders isn't quite so clear-cut.
The Grizzlies enjoyed an early eight-game winning streak that included victories over the Heat, Knicks, and Thunder. The Knicks knocked off the Heat as well, and beat the Spurs in San Antonio en route to an 8-2 start. And the Clippers' season has already featured two wins over the Spurs, along with victories against the Heat, Lakers, and the aforementioned Grizzlies.
All three clubs have looked better than expected so far, but are you ready to include them in that group of elite teams that have a chance at a championship? Weigh in below with your thoughts.
Brandon Roy's comeback attempt is off to an inauspicious start. He's out for a month after undergoing right-knee surgery today, having already missed the last four games for the Wolves. In the five contests in which he has appeared, he didn't look like his old self, averaging just 5.8 points on 31.4% shooting in 24.4 minutes per game.
He signed a two-year, $10.43MM contract this summer, but only the first year is guaranteed. The second year can become guaranteed if Roy hits at least one of two benchmarks this season: playing 1,400 or more minutes or appearing on the active list for 65 or more games this season. Both will be tall orders for him now. Roy could also have triggered a guarantee for 2013/14 if he were sidelined for any ailment other than his knees, but alas, that's already by the boards.
So, in light of Roy's latest surgery, what do you think of the decision of GM David Kahn and Wolves management to take a flier on Roy this season? Vote below, and if you have other ideas about Roy's deal, let us know in the comments.
November 17th, 2012 at 10:04pm CST by Michael Pina
Granted, we're only about an eighth of the way through the 2012/13 season, but enough basketball has been played to gauge how well some of the league's stars are impacting their teams. Who do you think is the MVP so far?
Yesterday, I examined some early returns on the biggest free agent contracts signed this summer, noting that at least a couple of them were looking a little shaky early in the season. Eric Gordon's injury woes and Roy Hibbert's on-court struggles have ensured that those contracts look the worst of the maximum-salary deals handed out in the offseason.
If I'd kept going down the list of free agent signees though, I would've come cross a few more players who are off to poor starts after signing for big bucks. Ersan Ilyasova has recorded a dismal 4.4 PER for the Bucks so far after inking a five-year contract to remain with the club. Landry Fields' and Jeff Green's deals were panned even when they were signed, and neither looks a whole lot better now — Fields is sidelined with an elbow injury, while Green is off to a slow start in Boston.
Is there a specific summer free agent signing that you believe is headed for disaster? Submit your vote in the poll and weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts.
Although the season is only a little over two weeks old, a handful of teams have already seen players go down with significant injuries. The Pacers, Timberwolves, and Warriors are among the clubs to lose players for three months or more, having all lost key contributors at shooting guard or small forward.
All three teams have been linked to potential replacements since their players suffered their respective injuries, with free agents like Mickael Pietrus and Josh Howard discussed as possibilities, along with trade candidates such as Raja Bell. So far, none of three teams have made a move, but each club has the flexibility to do so, with fewer than 15 fully guaranteed contracts on the books.
Today's poll question is this: Which of these three clubs most needs to add a player on the wing? Granger is the biggest star of the three, but he should be back in time for the second half for the Pacers, whereas the Warriors will be without Rush all season. Meanwhile, Budinger isn't necessarily a top scorer in Minnesota, but with a handful of players already sidelined by injuries, the T-Wolves may be the team in most immediate need of a replacement.
So which club do you think most needs to make a move?