I chose not to do a mock draft because I think there will be a lot of trades this year. Also the amazing variance on this year's prospects make for a wide open draft this time around.
Personally I would rank the prospects: 1) Luka Doncic (how is he not everyone else's #1? This guy is already a badass (*)), 2) Marvin Bagley (his scoring and fluidity with the ball impressed the hell out of me), 3) Deandre Ayton (neck and neck with Bagley, I just slightly preferred the Duke guy to the Arizona guy), 4) Michael Porter (not everyone's cup of tea and there are questions about his health, but he's got the potential to be better than Ben Simmons), 5) Mo Bamba (I'm starting to buy the hype), 6) Wendell Carter (the best bet to be a pleasant surprise), 7/8) Mikal Bridges and Kevin Knox (Bridges feels like a dependable 3-and-D guy, while I think Knox can become a for-real filler upper in the right system), 9) Jaren Jackson (I think he'll be a reliable player but I don't think his upside is as high as the others), 10) Trae Young (honestly I don't like his chances to succeed but his upside is worth a shot I guess).
Yeah, I skipped Collin Sexton (Alabama) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky) and only tacked on Young at the end. I just wasn't that impressed with the guards this year and since the rest of the draft is packed with combo guards, I don't see why you'd pass up on those potentially transcendent big men at the top of the draft. If you think these guards are better than the rest of the pack, then you've got to pick one but I don't think Young, Sexton or SGA are all that more interesting than, say, Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech) or Lonnie Walker (Miami). Unless I had one of the top 8 picks, I'd trade down and take my chances with multiple dips in the pool of interesting 2nd rounders.
As far as the 2nd round goes, I'm curious about Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Elie Okobo (France), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Dznan Musa (Bosnia), Arnolda Kubolka (Lithuania) and, man, I'm telling you, if Malik Newman (Kansas) is the 60th pick, that's an unbelievable steal. Also, I got a weird feeling Jacob Evans (Cincinnati) ends up being a super badass.
I wouldn't be shocked if the Suns took Doncic at #1 (nor would I be shocked if they traded him later in the evening), I'd be kinda shocked if the Kings did not take Doncic at #2 and even though everyone would put together trade packages for Dallas if Doncic slips to #5, I think the Mavs would take Doncic instead of trading the pick.
I can absolutely see the Grizzlies packaging #4 with Chandler Parsons. I can see the Magic swapping #6 for the Clippers' #12 and #13 (or the Sixers flipping #10 to the Clippers). I don't really see any scenario where the Cavs end up signing the #8 pick (that is trade bait with or without Lebron). I can see the Knicks overpaying to trade up from #9. I can see the Hornets trading down from #11 (how about #11 and #55 to Denver for #14, #43 and Juan Hernangomez?).
I don't see Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) getting traded on draft night simply because I don't think the Spurs would want a draft pick for him. The #4 pick and Chandler Parsons for Kawhi? You must be crazy! (How about this crazy pointless trade idea: Grizzlies get Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol; Spurs get (very specific, so this only works after the picks are made) Luka Doncic (#4), Elie Okobo (#32), Grizzlies 2019 1st round draft pick, 2021 unprotected pick swap and Chandler Parsons. Spurs then target Derrick Favors and JJ Reddick in free agency leaving them: PG Patty Mills, SG Reddick, SF Doncic, PF Aldridge, C Favors with Murray, Okobo, Green, Anderson, Bertans, Ginobli, Parsons, Lauvergne off the bench....nah, Parsons is too expensive to make that work)
The Wizards may want to move Marcin Gortat but they're not giving up #15 to move him (may not be the greatest pick but whoever they get will be too cheap to pass up).
I don't see the Wolves making any moves on draft night because 1) I don't see Towns moving at all and 2) why move Wiggins for a draft pick when Thibs got nothing out of the picks from 2017 (Justin Patton) and 2016 (Kris Dunn)?
Pointless trade idea: Kings get Luol Deng, #25, #39, #47 and Lakers 2019 1st round pick (which is shaping up to be a pretty weak draft); Lakers get a 2023 2nd round draft pick
The Kings would have Zeebo, Koufos and Shumpert coming off next summer and only Cauley-Stein to re-sign, Deng wouldn't kill their cap and they could use every draft pick they can get. (Lakers would want Cauley-Stein but I'd say no to that). The Lakers are in free agent mode, not draft pick mode, this deal would be a minimal price to pay to free up cap space.
We'll see how the trades shake out but it seems to me the big winner tomorrow night should be the Suns. With #1, #16 and #31 have a real chance to get better at a reasonable cost. We'll see if they do.
(*) Did you see Barkley's comment about Doncic? Something along the lines of, if he's 19 and already won a championship and an MVP it means the competition isn't any good and therefore Doncic is overrated. *smh* So I guess Barkley's inability to win a championship and the fact he didn't win an MVP til 30 are examples of his greatness...?
Showing posts with label 2017-18. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017-18. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (*)
Trade
Hornets receive Timofey Mozgov (2yrs/$32.7m), the #45 pick and a 2021 2nd round pick; Nets receive Dwight Howard (1yr/$23.8m)
The Hornets save money this year (but not next year), get an extra pick in Thursday's draft and get rid of one of the most unpopular players in recent memory. Mozgov is quite a bit cheaper right now but that extra year on his deal instantly becomes next summer's big problem (I'd be willing to be he'll get stretched). Hey, man, Mozgov had moments when he was a rebounding machine and not a bad down-low scorer. If he can give the Hornets some semblance of that, then this is a big win for the Hornets. And if the Hornets move on from Kemba Walker (I expect that trade announcement to be coming any day now), then the plethora of 2nd round combo guards might make that #45 pick come in handy.
Howard gives the Nets one year of looking like they're trying to win and then helps clear the decks for next summer when they'll--finally!--have some money to spend and probably a top ten pick. (I was already thinking it so I'll go ahead and get it down now: Lebron and Durant together in Brooklyn...yeah, I think that's a for-real thing. And even if not, it's what everyone will be talking about next spring)
A weird-looking trade but I'm inclined to say it's a good move for both teams. The Nets get rid of their worst contract and get to pretend like they have a big star, without damaging their chances at a good draft pick and even creating a little free agent buzz in the process (no pun intended); the Hornets get rid of a guy they can't stand, save a little money while doing so and get a bite at the 2nd round apple. Not bad.
Fired
Pistons fire GM Jeff Bower
The Pistons are cleaning house, Bower's days were clearly numbered after the Blake Griffin deal, which was the ownership choosing to ride a popular star rather than actually build a basketball team. The roster is tighter than (fill in your own joke) and the draft is in 48 hours, so not sure what a GM would do for them right now.
Sixers accept resignation of GM Bryan Colangelo
Funny how quick this story came and went. So some reporter discovered a Twitter account that seemed to look like Colangelo, wacky hijinks ensue, investigation discovers that it was Colangelo's wife. Colangelo's dad (a Sixer advisor) reportedly raised hell behind the scenes (why is he still getting a paycheck from the Sixers?) but couldn't save the disgraced GM or his better half. Fortunately for ol' Bryan this happened shortly before the Trump-Kim summit, the World Cup and the draft, all of which have mercifully pushed him from the Twittersphere. Look, the guy inherited the Process (handed to him by his dad), got no value for Jahlil Okafor, wildly overpaid for Markelly Fultz and....well....nothing else. To be blunt: the Sixers fucked up by getting rid of Sam Hinkie to begin with and frankly they ought to sue the NBA for foisting the Colangelo clan on them as an attempt to class up Philly. For now it seems Coach Brown will run the draft and the free agency but Hinkie is still out there looking for a job (just sayin').
Hired
Raptors hired Nick Nurse as new coach
Word is Quicken Arenas has already prepared a sign for next year's playoffs reading "Good Night, Nurse!" (Heh heh, sorry, couldn't help myself) So the Raptors got rid of Casey to bring in his assistant? This was to...shake things up while maintaining continuity...? Ehhhhh....I don't know Nurse, don't want to cast aspersions, but I don't see the point of this move.
Pistons hired Dwane Casey as new coach
This is fine. The Pistons were looking for a retread coach for the next 3 years, Casey is arguably the top of the list at the moment. Their roster is locked up for the foreseeable future, they should be close to a playoff team, so for now they need a caretaker who can squeeze out efficiencies around the margins. Casey did brilliant things with Toronto's bench last season, if he can do that again in Detroit, then maybe--just maybe!--.they'll get swept by the Cavs next year. Hey, for Detroit that would actually look like a pretty good season.
Options exercised
Iman Shumpert (Kings), Darrell Arthur (Nuggets), Jodie Meeks (Wizards), Dwayne Dedmon (Hawks) all exercised player options to return to their teams
Uh....yeah....those guys are all better off staying where they are. I can see Shumpert being a regular rotation guy for the Kings, whereas I can't see Meeks playing basketball ever again. Arthur and Dedmon are both trade chips though for different reasons: Arthur because the Nuggets would like to save money and Dedmon because he could be an interesting addition for a playoff team looking to thicken their bench.
Rudy Gay (Spurs) has declined his player option
His contract for next year was (around) $8.5m which is probably about the maximum he could make. But if Kawhi leaves, then San Antonio will not be a fun place to be and he probably fancies himself as a contributor on of them new 'super teams'. I could see him with the Lakers, maybe the Sixers but if none of the big moves we imagine take place this summer, he could find himself getting minutes in Brooklyn.
Kyle O'Quinn (Knicks) has declined his player option
Hmmmm....I kinda like O'Quinn and the money was not terribly high (I wanna say $4.5m) but in a year with so many big men at the top of the draft, it feels like a tough time for him to get himself a new gig. The buzz is the Warriors want him and just that hint of interest is perhaps worth a gamble.
Waived
Cavs waive London Perrantes
Cavs need every penny they can squeeze this summer. Don't know Perrantes but wouldn't be a shock to see him in Summer League for the Cavs or back with the Cavs in pre-season.
(*) I typically don't update these posts but there were a coupla news items today that I thought I'd shoe horn into yesterday's post.
Hornets receive Timofey Mozgov (2yrs/$32.7m), the #45 pick and a 2021 2nd round pick; Nets receive Dwight Howard (1yr/$23.8m)
The Hornets save money this year (but not next year), get an extra pick in Thursday's draft and get rid of one of the most unpopular players in recent memory. Mozgov is quite a bit cheaper right now but that extra year on his deal instantly becomes next summer's big problem (I'd be willing to be he'll get stretched). Hey, man, Mozgov had moments when he was a rebounding machine and not a bad down-low scorer. If he can give the Hornets some semblance of that, then this is a big win for the Hornets. And if the Hornets move on from Kemba Walker (I expect that trade announcement to be coming any day now), then the plethora of 2nd round combo guards might make that #45 pick come in handy.
Howard gives the Nets one year of looking like they're trying to win and then helps clear the decks for next summer when they'll--finally!--have some money to spend and probably a top ten pick. (I was already thinking it so I'll go ahead and get it down now: Lebron and Durant together in Brooklyn...yeah, I think that's a for-real thing. And even if not, it's what everyone will be talking about next spring)
A weird-looking trade but I'm inclined to say it's a good move for both teams. The Nets get rid of their worst contract and get to pretend like they have a big star, without damaging their chances at a good draft pick and even creating a little free agent buzz in the process (no pun intended); the Hornets get rid of a guy they can't stand, save a little money while doing so and get a bite at the 2nd round apple. Not bad.
Fired
Pistons fire GM Jeff Bower
The Pistons are cleaning house, Bower's days were clearly numbered after the Blake Griffin deal, which was the ownership choosing to ride a popular star rather than actually build a basketball team. The roster is tighter than (fill in your own joke) and the draft is in 48 hours, so not sure what a GM would do for them right now.
Sixers accept resignation of GM Bryan Colangelo
Funny how quick this story came and went. So some reporter discovered a Twitter account that seemed to look like Colangelo, wacky hijinks ensue, investigation discovers that it was Colangelo's wife. Colangelo's dad (a Sixer advisor) reportedly raised hell behind the scenes (why is he still getting a paycheck from the Sixers?) but couldn't save the disgraced GM or his better half. Fortunately for ol' Bryan this happened shortly before the Trump-Kim summit, the World Cup and the draft, all of which have mercifully pushed him from the Twittersphere. Look, the guy inherited the Process (handed to him by his dad), got no value for Jahlil Okafor, wildly overpaid for Markelly Fultz and....well....nothing else. To be blunt: the Sixers fucked up by getting rid of Sam Hinkie to begin with and frankly they ought to sue the NBA for foisting the Colangelo clan on them as an attempt to class up Philly. For now it seems Coach Brown will run the draft and the free agency but Hinkie is still out there looking for a job (just sayin').
Hired
Raptors hired Nick Nurse as new coach
Word is Quicken Arenas has already prepared a sign for next year's playoffs reading "Good Night, Nurse!" (Heh heh, sorry, couldn't help myself) So the Raptors got rid of Casey to bring in his assistant? This was to...shake things up while maintaining continuity...? Ehhhhh....I don't know Nurse, don't want to cast aspersions, but I don't see the point of this move.
Pistons hired Dwane Casey as new coach
This is fine. The Pistons were looking for a retread coach for the next 3 years, Casey is arguably the top of the list at the moment. Their roster is locked up for the foreseeable future, they should be close to a playoff team, so for now they need a caretaker who can squeeze out efficiencies around the margins. Casey did brilliant things with Toronto's bench last season, if he can do that again in Detroit, then maybe--just maybe!--.they'll get swept by the Cavs next year. Hey, for Detroit that would actually look like a pretty good season.
Options exercised
Iman Shumpert (Kings), Darrell Arthur (Nuggets), Jodie Meeks (Wizards), Dwayne Dedmon (Hawks) all exercised player options to return to their teams
Uh....yeah....those guys are all better off staying where they are. I can see Shumpert being a regular rotation guy for the Kings, whereas I can't see Meeks playing basketball ever again. Arthur and Dedmon are both trade chips though for different reasons: Arthur because the Nuggets would like to save money and Dedmon because he could be an interesting addition for a playoff team looking to thicken their bench.
Sixers exercise team option on Richaun Holmes
I kinda like Holmes but he doesn't play much. He's still on a very affordable rookie contract, so it's a low cost move for continuity but I wonder if we'll see him more next year.
Rudy Gay (Spurs) has declined his player option
His contract for next year was (around) $8.5m which is probably about the maximum he could make. But if Kawhi leaves, then San Antonio will not be a fun place to be and he probably fancies himself as a contributor on of them new 'super teams'. I could see him with the Lakers, maybe the Sixers but if none of the big moves we imagine take place this summer, he could find himself getting minutes in Brooklyn.
Kyle O'Quinn (Knicks) has declined his player option
Hmmmm....I kinda like O'Quinn and the money was not terribly high (I wanna say $4.5m) but in a year with so many big men at the top of the draft, it feels like a tough time for him to get himself a new gig. The buzz is the Warriors want him and just that hint of interest is perhaps worth a gamble.
Waived
Cavs waive London Perrantes
Cavs need every penny they can squeeze this summer. Don't know Perrantes but wouldn't be a shock to see him in Summer League for the Cavs or back with the Cavs in pre-season.
(*) I typically don't update these posts but there were a coupla news items today that I thought I'd shoe horn into yesterday's post.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
2017-18 NBA Finals
Both conferences went to Game Seven this year (for the first time since 1979) and both were decided by....crappy shooting. The Celtics just never got hot enough to hang with Lebron and the Rockets went ice cold in the second half, after over-performing in the first half. And so Cavs-Warriors IV begins tonight. This was my pre-season prediction and my prediction at the end of the regular season, so not a shocker, though the Cavs and Warriors struggled more this season than previous years.
We know what the Cavs are: Lebron and a bunch of other guys (which may or may not included Kevin Love). The Warriors at the top are the same as ever but the back end is not as good as years passed. But the story is still the same: if the Warriors shoot well, they'll probably win; if not, then the Cavs can hang around and have a chance.
The Warriors aren't as deep as previous models, they are dangerously susceptible to injury to one of their main guys (as losing Iguodala against the Rockets showed) but barring that should have enough offense to beat anyone. The Cavs are still figuring it out together (I can see this exact same squad being much better next year, oddly enough) and go as far as Lebron can carry them. He's carried them this far but Smith, Hill, Clarkson, or Thompson will need to score in addition to Love and Korver. I think Love and Thompson are the Cavs' best chance to create mismatches (though not necessarily points). I think the Warriors can more or less shut down Korver and Smith and they can outrun any addition brought by Hill or Clarkson. Draymond isn't as good as past years but Durant and Klay should be enough to outlast the Cavs.
I'll take Warriors in 5. I like the home team to win each of the first three games, then Golden State to steal Game Four in Cleveland and wrap it up in 5. I'll take Curry as the MVP, with this rationale: in their previous championships it was the third option guy (Iguodala, Durant) that won the MVP's but this is now Durant's team with Klay as the second banana and Curry as the bonus. Curry hasn't shot all that well yet, I think he blows up in this series and reminds everyone he's the king.
We know what the Cavs are: Lebron and a bunch of other guys (which may or may not included Kevin Love). The Warriors at the top are the same as ever but the back end is not as good as years passed. But the story is still the same: if the Warriors shoot well, they'll probably win; if not, then the Cavs can hang around and have a chance.
The Warriors aren't as deep as previous models, they are dangerously susceptible to injury to one of their main guys (as losing Iguodala against the Rockets showed) but barring that should have enough offense to beat anyone. The Cavs are still figuring it out together (I can see this exact same squad being much better next year, oddly enough) and go as far as Lebron can carry them. He's carried them this far but Smith, Hill, Clarkson, or Thompson will need to score in addition to Love and Korver. I think Love and Thompson are the Cavs' best chance to create mismatches (though not necessarily points). I think the Warriors can more or less shut down Korver and Smith and they can outrun any addition brought by Hill or Clarkson. Draymond isn't as good as past years but Durant and Klay should be enough to outlast the Cavs.
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Post-season)
The extended (player option)
Wesley Matthews (Mavs)
I believe this upcoming season will be for $18.6m and, uh, yeah, he's not getting that from any other team in the league, so no-brainer that he stays in Dallas. Helluva player....when he's healthy. Perhaps the Mavs get Doncic at #5, swing a move for Deandre Jordan, Dennis Smith takes off, Coach Carlyle is revitalized and Matthews has a great veteran season for Dirk's finale. Not impossible, the Mavs are a team that prefer winning to losing and this 'rebuilding' thing is not something they want to get used to, so if Matthews can stay healthy, never know, the Mavs might be a pleasant surprise next season.
Wesley Johnson (Clippers)
I believe he's coming back for $6.4m, which is probably a number he could outdo in most off-seasons. But this summer is gonna be tight, I think there will be more trades than splashy free agent moves, so Johnson is probably better off grabbing the money to stay in LA (which also positions him better to get traded). The Clippers were interesting this year, I think they'll make moves this summer, 50/50 whether Johnson actually plays with the Clippers next season.
Kosta Koufos (Kings)
I believe he'll be coming back for $8.7m, which is probably about right for Koufos. I watched the Kings a lot this year and I like Koufos, he fits the mix of vets/youth that they got going there (I thought Vince Carter was unnecessary and getting rid of George Hill was the #1 priority the minute they signed Hill last summer, but neither will be back, which is good). Koufos is a limited 4 (maybe 5 in a small lineup) but has pretty good hands, pretty good feet, knows where he's supposed to be, decent defender, decent rebounder and he's there night after night. He's a good professional player and I think the Kings are smart to keep him at a very reasonable number. I don't expect the Kings to be all that busy this summer, they've got a #2 pick to throw into the youth movement, maybe a random vet to replace Vince and Hill, but I don't expect major trades or moves from Sactown.
The extended (team option)
TJ McConnell (Sixers)
Great move! I watched the Sixers a lot this year and McConnell off the bench was one of my favorite things to watch all season--not just the playoffs. Look, teams need a 2nd string PG, he's not the guy that's gonna win you the championship or sell t-shirts, but he's a necessary part of a team's regular season rotation and having a really good backup PG is what the really good teams have (Shaun Livingston with Warriors, for example) and I think McConnell is one of the best backup PG's in the league. Indeed, I would've signed him longer. Rather picking up this option, I believe the Sixers could have extended him further: they could throw a 5yr/$24m deal at him (say $5m, $5m, $6m, $6m, $2m/player option in the 5th year), see if he says no. I love this guy, the fans love this guy, he's been through the process and he's gonna be a contributor for years to come, he gets the team and all the players and how they work and since I think his recognition with the fans is going to be a skewing factor in his value to the team, if I was the Sixers, I'd go ahead and groom him as an asst coach or front office guy. Great move by the Sixers.
The released
Jamal Crawford (Wolves)
I think he turned down his player option to return to the Wolves. A good divorce, I think. Signing him last summer was not a good move, playing him as much as they did was not a good move, bringing him back for another year would not have been a good move. Crawford maybe thinks he can still get paid to play basketball. He's one of those guys that to the average fan looks like an athlete, looks like a ball player, but real basketball nerds know this guy is just wasting shots out there. He's not a terrible player but Coach Thibs empowered him to do too much and the next team he goes to (he always seemed like a Memphis Grizzlie kinda player to me) would do well to rein him in.
Jordan Mickey (Heat), Tyler Cavanagh (Heat)
I remember Mickey at LSU, helluva rebounder. He's bounced around a bit in the NBA for the last coupla years but I don't recall ever seeing him play as a pro. And I don't know who Cavanagh is. I reckon they'll be both at Summer League.
The retired
Andrew Bogut (Lakers), Nick Collison (Thunder)
Yeah, Bogut reached his last bit of use a coupla years back for the Warriors. It's still kinda weird to see the Warriors without him in there, he was the initial building block of that squad. He was a smart player, a good player and he had a good career. Collison was a Sonic for life, that won't be forgotten. I suspect Collison will be a Thunder front office guy soon enough. Though I've long disparaged Udonis Haslem's presence in Miami, I've become a fan of the lingering veteran in recent years: I loved the way KG was used in Minnesota (til Thibs came along), I've been digging Dirk in Dallas and I guess San Antonio will squeeze a few more years out of Ginobli. Sometimes those guys need to be in uniform to have their influence, some guys don't translate into coaches or scouts or GM's. But some will move up the ladder just fine and I can see Collison being one of those guys, wouldn't be surprised if he's a coach or GM in the next few years.
The fired
Jeff Hornacek (Knicks)(4.12.18)
It wasn't that long ago that Hornacek was the talk for Coach of the Year in Phoenix. Then that front office blew up and left him holding the bag. Which replayed itself in New York. So is Hornacek a good coach sabotaged by crazy front offices or is he culpable in his firings? Who knows? At the moment Detroit and Toronto are the only openings; in the former Hornacek would be set up as another patsy, in the latter he becomes the next guy that wins in the regular season and gets destroyed by Lebron in the playoffs (....could work).
Frank Vogel (Magic) (4.12.18)
Vogel built a reputation as a defensive guru with the Pacers but when it came time to pay him like a guru, GM Larry Bird demurred, electing to let him ply his trade elsewhere. Orlando was not the ideal landing spot for Vogel because their roster management has been pretty awful the last few years. So now he's looking for a job. Oh well.
Steve Clifford (Hornets) (4.13.18)
Coach Cliff had some nice moments in Charlotte and some dud moments, hard to tell what kind of a coach he is or what kind of coach the Hornets need. Either way it's time for both coach and team to find out what they can do in some other context.
Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) (4.25.18)
Coach Bud was greatly admired for a while but the last coupla years were spent trying to restructure the Hawks roster with an eye to the future (....namely a future somewhere other than Atlanta for Bud). The Hawks have a coupla nice young players but they'll be in the bottom of the East for the foreseeable future. Probably best for coach and team to part ways.
Stan Van Gundy (Pistons) (5.7.18)
I wasn't sure whether the Pistons would fire Stan Van or not. The team itself is basically hamstrung by contracts for the next year, so they can either get a new coach for their new look now or let Stan Van play out the last year on his deal and part ways then. I dunno, it kinda doesn't feel like it matters either way. The Pistons as constituted are in play for the last few playoff spots in the East, the roster is solid if not spectacular, with good health and a consistent game plan, they should probably be a playoff team in the East and should certainly be above the bottom of the barrel. A new coach gives a new direction, a new form for the current players but the old coach is less expensive and takes most of the blame of the so-so team on the court. It was a tough call but the Pistons decided to move on and are now looking for a coach. As for Stan Van, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on ESPN next year.
Dwane Casey (Raptors) (5.11.18)
Coach Casey has been much embattled over the last few years in Toronto. I tend to think he's the best part of the Raptors and the worst part, too. He got them to a #1 seed this year by expertly handling his bench; but he got them spanked in the playoffs (again!) because he couldn't make adjustments or make use of that vaunted depth. Oh well. I'm sure Casey will get another shot and there's a 50/50 chance he'll be good at it (Pistons could use a guy like Dwane).
The hired
JB Bickerstaff (Grizzlies) (4.27.18)
I watched the Grizzlies for zero minutes this past season. The Grizzlies are in a place where they're paying Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons an ungodly amount of money and have no bench whatsoever. They have the #4 pick in the coming draft, which should land them a somebody (if Michael Porter is still there at #4, Grizz should be all over him). I'd say Bickerstaff's job is to develop #4, figure out how to get anything out of Parsons and ease the Grizz faithful for the coming years of no more Conley or Gasol (still one of the tradebait-i-est players in the league). Bickerstaff was the interim last year, I guess he knows what he's in for, and considering that their 2019 1st round pick is top 8 protected, there's no pressing need to actually be any good next year.
Igor Kokoskov (Suns) (5.2.18)
The only detail from his resume that grabbed me: used to coach Luca Doncic in Europe. Personally I'm all in on Doncic, of everyone in this draft he is clearly the most likely to produce in the NBA, as close to a guarantee as you're gonna find. The Suns may well pass on him at #1 but I don't think they should and bringing Kokoskov indicates they won't. (And does this indicate an interest in French PG Elie Okobo at the #31?) I don't know Kokoskov but if he knows Doncic I've got to assume that's his selling point.
David Fizdale (Knicks) (5.3.18)
Fizdale was brought into Memphis a coupla years ago to pump some new blood into the old legs. But he clashed with the vets (Marc Gasol reportedly) and got forced out. Might not have been the worst move for his career. Now Fizdale is the new man-with-a-plan for Madison Square. He's got Porzingis, Nkilitina and the #9 pick to work with. Ehh, I think it'll be another rough year for the Knicks but if Fizdale can put his stamp on the team that would be impressive.
Hornets (James Borrego) (5.10.18)
Borrego has been as asst in San Antonio for the last three years but had a period of interim coaching duty with the Magic before that. I have no idea if he's the right guy for the Hornets. Seeing that Clifford had the same record the last two years in Charlotte kinda suggests that the Hornets are about a 36-win, don't ya think? If Borrego can get them to 45, he'd be a hero, but getting them to 40 might be enough for a playoff spot. The Hornets have moves to make this summer and up through next summer, this team could look totally different soon.
Lloyd Pierce (Hawks) (5.11.18)
I have no idea who Pierce is, I assume he specializes in developing the youth because that's what his job is gonna be for a while. The Hawks owe the Cavs a 1st roud pick but they're top-10 protected for the next two years; Atlanta should easily be in the bottom 10 next year, but the year after that is where they might have to put forth a little tanking effort to add another top ten pick to this roster. For this draft they have #3, #19, #30, #34, so they should be bringing in some interesting youth. If they were to Philly-like shut down that #3 pick for a year, they would pretty much guarantee a top ten pick next year and really give the youth movement a kick in 2019-20. I'm just sayin': I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks really pulled out the stops to suck this year, like trading away Shroeder and Bazemore and shutting down Taurean Prince. We'll see, but I think it's gonna be another long year in Atlanta.
Mike Budenholzer (Bucks) (5.16.18)
Coach Bud has long been one of the darlings of the NBA nerd crowd and I never quite understod why. He led a coupla magical years (Teague, Korver, Caroll, Horford, Millsap really tore it up for a while) but one could argue he just got lucky and didn't navigate the aftermath all that well or you could say he was the architect who even perfectly constructed his own exit. Either way, he got the plum gig this year: coaching Giannis Antetokounpo. Nice! My gut is Coach Bud can go a long way to clear up inefficiencies on the offensive end and make Giannis the badass MVP he is clearly meant to be; and though I'm sanguine about the defensive end, if the Bucks score better then they'll be better and become a worthy foe for the Sixers, Celtics and Lebron. Though Bud's charms have been largely lost on me, I still think this is a good move, he's the right coach for this job.
Steve Clifford (Magic) (5.30.18)
Ehhhhhhh.....if I was a Magic fan, I don't think I'd be too excited about this. Coach Cliff was an asst there for many years, perhaps he's plugged in a way that I can't see, perhaps he is the guy to lead them and build a culture there for years to come. But....ehhhhh.....I dunno, man. This does not seem like the guy for this job. The Magic need a coach for the long haul, they need a coach that they get behind and stay behind. If Cliff is that guy, well...okay. But, if not, then he's just filling time until they find that guy.
The re-hired
Alvin Gentry (Pelicans) (4.23.18)
Blasting through the Blazers in the 1st round pretty well made this happen, I reckon. By all accounts, Gentry is an extremely affable guy in person and has done good things in the NBA over the years. The Pelicans live and die on their supporting cast and Gentry seems to do pretty well with them.
Brett Brown (Sixers) (5.29.18) (extended through 2021-22)
They brought in Brown as the tank commander in the early years of the Process and, personally, I'm glad they've committed to keeping him around during the next phase. I thought the Sixers got demonstrably better throughout the season, they built well on lessons learned and I think getting knocked around by the Celtics at the end was quite a lesson for them. We'll see how they grow going forward but I like Brown and I think it's good he's gonna get a chance to be there for it.
Pistons, Raptors still without a coach (though rumors are Dwane Casey could be the guy in Detroit).
Upstairs
Mikhail Prokhorov transferred 49% of Nets ownership to Joe Tsai; hired Pablo Prigioni, Tiago Splitter as assistants
Russian oligrachs always need money and I suspect Prokhorov just wasn't as into basketball as he thought he might be. He gambled big on KG and Pierce and lost, which sent the team into a tailspin for at least a few more years. He probably imagined owning an NBA team to be every bit as sexy fun as owning a Premiership squad or an NFL team but in the NBA when you fuck up the roster, it stays fucked up for a while. And it gets expensive. The Nets are just a tangible asset now rather than the toy chest he thought he was getting. Oh well, time for new blood.
Wesley Matthews (Mavs)
I believe this upcoming season will be for $18.6m and, uh, yeah, he's not getting that from any other team in the league, so no-brainer that he stays in Dallas. Helluva player....when he's healthy. Perhaps the Mavs get Doncic at #5, swing a move for Deandre Jordan, Dennis Smith takes off, Coach Carlyle is revitalized and Matthews has a great veteran season for Dirk's finale. Not impossible, the Mavs are a team that prefer winning to losing and this 'rebuilding' thing is not something they want to get used to, so if Matthews can stay healthy, never know, the Mavs might be a pleasant surprise next season.
Wesley Johnson (Clippers)
I believe he's coming back for $6.4m, which is probably a number he could outdo in most off-seasons. But this summer is gonna be tight, I think there will be more trades than splashy free agent moves, so Johnson is probably better off grabbing the money to stay in LA (which also positions him better to get traded). The Clippers were interesting this year, I think they'll make moves this summer, 50/50 whether Johnson actually plays with the Clippers next season.
Kosta Koufos (Kings)
I believe he'll be coming back for $8.7m, which is probably about right for Koufos. I watched the Kings a lot this year and I like Koufos, he fits the mix of vets/youth that they got going there (I thought Vince Carter was unnecessary and getting rid of George Hill was the #1 priority the minute they signed Hill last summer, but neither will be back, which is good). Koufos is a limited 4 (maybe 5 in a small lineup) but has pretty good hands, pretty good feet, knows where he's supposed to be, decent defender, decent rebounder and he's there night after night. He's a good professional player and I think the Kings are smart to keep him at a very reasonable number. I don't expect the Kings to be all that busy this summer, they've got a #2 pick to throw into the youth movement, maybe a random vet to replace Vince and Hill, but I don't expect major trades or moves from Sactown.
The extended (team option)
TJ McConnell (Sixers)
Great move! I watched the Sixers a lot this year and McConnell off the bench was one of my favorite things to watch all season--not just the playoffs. Look, teams need a 2nd string PG, he's not the guy that's gonna win you the championship or sell t-shirts, but he's a necessary part of a team's regular season rotation and having a really good backup PG is what the really good teams have (Shaun Livingston with Warriors, for example) and I think McConnell is one of the best backup PG's in the league. Indeed, I would've signed him longer. Rather picking up this option, I believe the Sixers could have extended him further: they could throw a 5yr/$24m deal at him (say $5m, $5m, $6m, $6m, $2m/player option in the 5th year), see if he says no. I love this guy, the fans love this guy, he's been through the process and he's gonna be a contributor for years to come, he gets the team and all the players and how they work and since I think his recognition with the fans is going to be a skewing factor in his value to the team, if I was the Sixers, I'd go ahead and groom him as an asst coach or front office guy. Great move by the Sixers.
The released
Jamal Crawford (Wolves)
I think he turned down his player option to return to the Wolves. A good divorce, I think. Signing him last summer was not a good move, playing him as much as they did was not a good move, bringing him back for another year would not have been a good move. Crawford maybe thinks he can still get paid to play basketball. He's one of those guys that to the average fan looks like an athlete, looks like a ball player, but real basketball nerds know this guy is just wasting shots out there. He's not a terrible player but Coach Thibs empowered him to do too much and the next team he goes to (he always seemed like a Memphis Grizzlie kinda player to me) would do well to rein him in.
Jordan Mickey (Heat), Tyler Cavanagh (Heat)
I remember Mickey at LSU, helluva rebounder. He's bounced around a bit in the NBA for the last coupla years but I don't recall ever seeing him play as a pro. And I don't know who Cavanagh is. I reckon they'll be both at Summer League.
The retired
Andrew Bogut (Lakers), Nick Collison (Thunder)
Yeah, Bogut reached his last bit of use a coupla years back for the Warriors. It's still kinda weird to see the Warriors without him in there, he was the initial building block of that squad. He was a smart player, a good player and he had a good career. Collison was a Sonic for life, that won't be forgotten. I suspect Collison will be a Thunder front office guy soon enough. Though I've long disparaged Udonis Haslem's presence in Miami, I've become a fan of the lingering veteran in recent years: I loved the way KG was used in Minnesota (til Thibs came along), I've been digging Dirk in Dallas and I guess San Antonio will squeeze a few more years out of Ginobli. Sometimes those guys need to be in uniform to have their influence, some guys don't translate into coaches or scouts or GM's. But some will move up the ladder just fine and I can see Collison being one of those guys, wouldn't be surprised if he's a coach or GM in the next few years.
The fired
Jeff Hornacek (Knicks)(4.12.18)
It wasn't that long ago that Hornacek was the talk for Coach of the Year in Phoenix. Then that front office blew up and left him holding the bag. Which replayed itself in New York. So is Hornacek a good coach sabotaged by crazy front offices or is he culpable in his firings? Who knows? At the moment Detroit and Toronto are the only openings; in the former Hornacek would be set up as another patsy, in the latter he becomes the next guy that wins in the regular season and gets destroyed by Lebron in the playoffs (....could work).
Frank Vogel (Magic) (4.12.18)
Vogel built a reputation as a defensive guru with the Pacers but when it came time to pay him like a guru, GM Larry Bird demurred, electing to let him ply his trade elsewhere. Orlando was not the ideal landing spot for Vogel because their roster management has been pretty awful the last few years. So now he's looking for a job. Oh well.
Steve Clifford (Hornets) (4.13.18)
Coach Cliff had some nice moments in Charlotte and some dud moments, hard to tell what kind of a coach he is or what kind of coach the Hornets need. Either way it's time for both coach and team to find out what they can do in some other context.
Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) (4.25.18)
Coach Bud was greatly admired for a while but the last coupla years were spent trying to restructure the Hawks roster with an eye to the future (....namely a future somewhere other than Atlanta for Bud). The Hawks have a coupla nice young players but they'll be in the bottom of the East for the foreseeable future. Probably best for coach and team to part ways.
Stan Van Gundy (Pistons) (5.7.18)
I wasn't sure whether the Pistons would fire Stan Van or not. The team itself is basically hamstrung by contracts for the next year, so they can either get a new coach for their new look now or let Stan Van play out the last year on his deal and part ways then. I dunno, it kinda doesn't feel like it matters either way. The Pistons as constituted are in play for the last few playoff spots in the East, the roster is solid if not spectacular, with good health and a consistent game plan, they should probably be a playoff team in the East and should certainly be above the bottom of the barrel. A new coach gives a new direction, a new form for the current players but the old coach is less expensive and takes most of the blame of the so-so team on the court. It was a tough call but the Pistons decided to move on and are now looking for a coach. As for Stan Van, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on ESPN next year.
Dwane Casey (Raptors) (5.11.18)
Coach Casey has been much embattled over the last few years in Toronto. I tend to think he's the best part of the Raptors and the worst part, too. He got them to a #1 seed this year by expertly handling his bench; but he got them spanked in the playoffs (again!) because he couldn't make adjustments or make use of that vaunted depth. Oh well. I'm sure Casey will get another shot and there's a 50/50 chance he'll be good at it (Pistons could use a guy like Dwane).
The hired
JB Bickerstaff (Grizzlies) (4.27.18)
I watched the Grizzlies for zero minutes this past season. The Grizzlies are in a place where they're paying Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons an ungodly amount of money and have no bench whatsoever. They have the #4 pick in the coming draft, which should land them a somebody (if Michael Porter is still there at #4, Grizz should be all over him). I'd say Bickerstaff's job is to develop #4, figure out how to get anything out of Parsons and ease the Grizz faithful for the coming years of no more Conley or Gasol (still one of the tradebait-i-est players in the league). Bickerstaff was the interim last year, I guess he knows what he's in for, and considering that their 2019 1st round pick is top 8 protected, there's no pressing need to actually be any good next year.
Igor Kokoskov (Suns) (5.2.18)
The only detail from his resume that grabbed me: used to coach Luca Doncic in Europe. Personally I'm all in on Doncic, of everyone in this draft he is clearly the most likely to produce in the NBA, as close to a guarantee as you're gonna find. The Suns may well pass on him at #1 but I don't think they should and bringing Kokoskov indicates they won't. (And does this indicate an interest in French PG Elie Okobo at the #31?) I don't know Kokoskov but if he knows Doncic I've got to assume that's his selling point.
David Fizdale (Knicks) (5.3.18)
Fizdale was brought into Memphis a coupla years ago to pump some new blood into the old legs. But he clashed with the vets (Marc Gasol reportedly) and got forced out. Might not have been the worst move for his career. Now Fizdale is the new man-with-a-plan for Madison Square. He's got Porzingis, Nkilitina and the #9 pick to work with. Ehh, I think it'll be another rough year for the Knicks but if Fizdale can put his stamp on the team that would be impressive.
Hornets (James Borrego) (5.10.18)
Borrego has been as asst in San Antonio for the last three years but had a period of interim coaching duty with the Magic before that. I have no idea if he's the right guy for the Hornets. Seeing that Clifford had the same record the last two years in Charlotte kinda suggests that the Hornets are about a 36-win, don't ya think? If Borrego can get them to 45, he'd be a hero, but getting them to 40 might be enough for a playoff spot. The Hornets have moves to make this summer and up through next summer, this team could look totally different soon.
Lloyd Pierce (Hawks) (5.11.18)
I have no idea who Pierce is, I assume he specializes in developing the youth because that's what his job is gonna be for a while. The Hawks owe the Cavs a 1st roud pick but they're top-10 protected for the next two years; Atlanta should easily be in the bottom 10 next year, but the year after that is where they might have to put forth a little tanking effort to add another top ten pick to this roster. For this draft they have #3, #19, #30, #34, so they should be bringing in some interesting youth. If they were to Philly-like shut down that #3 pick for a year, they would pretty much guarantee a top ten pick next year and really give the youth movement a kick in 2019-20. I'm just sayin': I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks really pulled out the stops to suck this year, like trading away Shroeder and Bazemore and shutting down Taurean Prince. We'll see, but I think it's gonna be another long year in Atlanta.
Mike Budenholzer (Bucks) (5.16.18)
Coach Bud has long been one of the darlings of the NBA nerd crowd and I never quite understod why. He led a coupla magical years (Teague, Korver, Caroll, Horford, Millsap really tore it up for a while) but one could argue he just got lucky and didn't navigate the aftermath all that well or you could say he was the architect who even perfectly constructed his own exit. Either way, he got the plum gig this year: coaching Giannis Antetokounpo. Nice! My gut is Coach Bud can go a long way to clear up inefficiencies on the offensive end and make Giannis the badass MVP he is clearly meant to be; and though I'm sanguine about the defensive end, if the Bucks score better then they'll be better and become a worthy foe for the Sixers, Celtics and Lebron. Though Bud's charms have been largely lost on me, I still think this is a good move, he's the right coach for this job.
Steve Clifford (Magic) (5.30.18)
Ehhhhhhh.....if I was a Magic fan, I don't think I'd be too excited about this. Coach Cliff was an asst there for many years, perhaps he's plugged in a way that I can't see, perhaps he is the guy to lead them and build a culture there for years to come. But....ehhhhh.....I dunno, man. This does not seem like the guy for this job. The Magic need a coach for the long haul, they need a coach that they get behind and stay behind. If Cliff is that guy, well...okay. But, if not, then he's just filling time until they find that guy.
The re-hired
Alvin Gentry (Pelicans) (4.23.18)
Blasting through the Blazers in the 1st round pretty well made this happen, I reckon. By all accounts, Gentry is an extremely affable guy in person and has done good things in the NBA over the years. The Pelicans live and die on their supporting cast and Gentry seems to do pretty well with them.
Brett Brown (Sixers) (5.29.18) (extended through 2021-22)
They brought in Brown as the tank commander in the early years of the Process and, personally, I'm glad they've committed to keeping him around during the next phase. I thought the Sixers got demonstrably better throughout the season, they built well on lessons learned and I think getting knocked around by the Celtics at the end was quite a lesson for them. We'll see how they grow going forward but I like Brown and I think it's good he's gonna get a chance to be there for it.
Pistons, Raptors still without a coach (though rumors are Dwane Casey could be the guy in Detroit).
Upstairs
Mikhail Prokhorov transferred 49% of Nets ownership to Joe Tsai; hired Pablo Prigioni, Tiago Splitter as assistants
Russian oligrachs always need money and I suspect Prokhorov just wasn't as into basketball as he thought he might be. He gambled big on KG and Pierce and lost, which sent the team into a tailspin for at least a few more years. He probably imagined owning an NBA team to be every bit as sexy fun as owning a Premiership squad or an NFL team but in the NBA when you fuck up the roster, it stays fucked up for a while. And it gets expensive. The Nets are just a tangible asset now rather than the toy chest he thought he was getting. Oh well, time for new blood.
2017-18 NBA Pointless Trade Idea
Wolves get 2019 #6 pick, Magic 2020 1st round pick, Aaron Gordon (sign and trade); Magic get SF Jimmy Butler, Coach Tom Thibodeau
The Wolves get three new talents to throw in the youth mix and a chance to get out from under what a disaster Thibs has been for their culture. For Minnesota this is about un-doing what Thibs built and trying to get back to what Flip left behind.
I've long thought that since the Magic have never been a destination for free agents they may as well invest long term in a coach to build a culture, so that every draft and every summer you know you're looking for a certain type of player. Personally I don't think Thibs is that coach, but other people might. There are players that want to play Thibs style, go ahead and bring him in and let him do whatever he wants for the next 3 years and remold the roster around his style, then extend him again even if you don't much care for what he's done. Jimmy Butler gives Orlando the biggest baddest star they've had since Dwight Howard left town. For the Magic this is a chance to be slightly better than the Denver Nuggets (well, I mean not right away but eventually....yeah).
(Actually, it's too late now, the Magic hired Steve Clifford as coach. Oh well, this was on my mind for a while, thought I'd go ahead and throw it out here anyway)
The Wolves get three new talents to throw in the youth mix and a chance to get out from under what a disaster Thibs has been for their culture. For Minnesota this is about un-doing what Thibs built and trying to get back to what Flip left behind.
(Actually, it's too late now, the Magic hired Steve Clifford as coach. Oh well, this was on my mind for a while, thought I'd go ahead and throw it out here anyway)
Monday, April 30, 2018
2017-18 NBA Playoffs (2nd round)
East
Sixers-Celtics
The Sixers mercilessly battered the Heat in five games and looked like one of the best teams of the post-season; the Celtics kept Giannis at bay and never succumbed to the Bucks' strategy of slogging game play. The Celtics got great work from the Horford-Brown-Tatum line but if Brown is hurt (out for Game One at least), that's gonna be tough for them to make up. They got Marcus Smart back, they got Terry Rozier full-on minutes as the team leader and they do have the best coach in the sport in Brad Stevens, but I'm not seeing them outscoring the Sixers four out of seven times. I like the Sixers in 6: either Game One or Two in Boston, win both games back in Philly and then wrap it up back home in six. The Celtics got savvy, though, it would be a great win for them if they could halt the Philly youth.
Cavs-Raptors
Well, well, well. The Raptors winning Game Six in Washington was, I think, a big win for a team that needs all the big wins they can get; the Cavs going seven games against the Pacers, only surviving because Lebron did everything is, on the other hand, a worrying sign. Lebron has had played more minutes this year than ever before and logged more games in the 1st round than ever before and has fewer reliable teammates than ever before. If any single player can will their squad past the #1 team in the conference it is Lebron. And if there's any #1 seed that's just dying to give a series away it is the Raptors. I think the Raptors are more complete than the Pacers so if they just stay straight, they're on track to get to seven games with the Cavs. Who ya got in Game Seven? That's a tough one, I'll take the Raptors in 7. That said, if Lebron wants to win, it certainly could happen.
West
Pelicans 101-123 Warriors
Warriors played their most complete game in several weeks and the Pelicans looked shellshocked out there. If Iguodala shoots like that again and Looney and Livingston give good minutes off the bench, then the Pelicans could be in quick trouble. But I don't think it'll be that easy for the Warriors. I think the Pelicans came into this first game with a boxer's mentality: they wanted to take a few hits and see if they could roll with it. The answer is no. They need to came out swinging, scoring or at least controlling the offense. I think they can do that and if so, they can put the Warrior role players in the spin cycle and run up points at a more efficient clip. This series isn't over, I don't think Game One is representative of what the Pelicans can do, while I thought it was showed the Warriors at near perfection.
Jazz 96-110 Rockets
If the Jazz don't get Ricky Rubio back soon, then this series could be over. The Rockets control the ball, they are in control. My feeling was that the Rockets would struggle to score and the consistent Jazz would hang and then surpass them; that's not what happened in Game One. And without Rubio, it'll be tough for the Jazz to get their roll going. That said, I still have faith that the Rockets will give the Jazz the opportunity to hang around, which could be enough for the Jazz to get back into it. The Jazz have enough to beat the Rockets but they need Harden and Paul to falter.
Sixers-Celtics
The Sixers mercilessly battered the Heat in five games and looked like one of the best teams of the post-season; the Celtics kept Giannis at bay and never succumbed to the Bucks' strategy of slogging game play. The Celtics got great work from the Horford-Brown-Tatum line but if Brown is hurt (out for Game One at least), that's gonna be tough for them to make up. They got Marcus Smart back, they got Terry Rozier full-on minutes as the team leader and they do have the best coach in the sport in Brad Stevens, but I'm not seeing them outscoring the Sixers four out of seven times. I like the Sixers in 6: either Game One or Two in Boston, win both games back in Philly and then wrap it up back home in six. The Celtics got savvy, though, it would be a great win for them if they could halt the Philly youth.
Cavs-Raptors
Well, well, well. The Raptors winning Game Six in Washington was, I think, a big win for a team that needs all the big wins they can get; the Cavs going seven games against the Pacers, only surviving because Lebron did everything is, on the other hand, a worrying sign. Lebron has had played more minutes this year than ever before and logged more games in the 1st round than ever before and has fewer reliable teammates than ever before. If any single player can will their squad past the #1 team in the conference it is Lebron. And if there's any #1 seed that's just dying to give a series away it is the Raptors. I think the Raptors are more complete than the Pacers so if they just stay straight, they're on track to get to seven games with the Cavs. Who ya got in Game Seven? That's a tough one, I'll take the Raptors in 7. That said, if Lebron wants to win, it certainly could happen.
West
Pelicans 101-123 Warriors
Warriors played their most complete game in several weeks and the Pelicans looked shellshocked out there. If Iguodala shoots like that again and Looney and Livingston give good minutes off the bench, then the Pelicans could be in quick trouble. But I don't think it'll be that easy for the Warriors. I think the Pelicans came into this first game with a boxer's mentality: they wanted to take a few hits and see if they could roll with it. The answer is no. They need to came out swinging, scoring or at least controlling the offense. I think they can do that and if so, they can put the Warrior role players in the spin cycle and run up points at a more efficient clip. This series isn't over, I don't think Game One is representative of what the Pelicans can do, while I thought it was showed the Warriors at near perfection.
Jazz 96-110 Rockets
If the Jazz don't get Ricky Rubio back soon, then this series could be over. The Rockets control the ball, they are in control. My feeling was that the Rockets would struggle to score and the consistent Jazz would hang and then surpass them; that's not what happened in Game One. And without Rubio, it'll be tough for the Jazz to get their roll going. That said, I still have faith that the Rockets will give the Jazz the opportunity to hang around, which could be enough for the Jazz to get back into it. The Jazz have enough to beat the Rockets but they need Harden and Paul to falter.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
2017-18 NBA Playoffs (2nd round)
West
Pelicans-Warriors
The Pelicans were the best team in the 1st round, destroying the Blazers in every way for four straight games. Not much depth (man, Solomon Hill was kinda awful and Ian Clark is more hindrance than help) but their main rotation looks like the best in the league right now. The Warriors don't have anything to stop Anthony Davis (Draymond is not the answer), might lose Klay Thompson's brilliance if Jrue Holiday keeps up his torrid defensive work, won't deter playoff Rondo (doesn't matter who his opponent is), and could be matched if Mirotic can keep up his hot hand. The Warriors never looked into it this season, coasted at the outset and then seriously coasted after it was clear the Rockets were gonna take the top spot. With Durant, Steph, Klay and Draymond they still have enough to be the best in the league but they haven't shown that yet. Against the Spurs Durant was Durant and Klay was terrific but outside of a nice showing from JaVale McGee, the rest of the cast didn't show: Steph hasn't played in almost a month, Draymond is more bluster than brilliance lately, Iguodala is a shell of himself and Livingston is merely competent. I thought the Spurs would wake them up but the Spurs without Kawhi aren't much of a team. So they've continued to coast. The Warriors were my pre-season pick to win it all and my pick again at the beginning of the playoffs, obviously I think they are (or can be) the best. But I haven't seen them play like the best in so long and outside of their main four guys, I have no faith in their bench (and only marginal faith in Draymond or Steph right now), and they did not get the 1st round wake up call I thought they needed. This is tough because I was so impressed with the Pelicans and we're only now seeing what Anthony Davis can do. I gotta go with the Warriors in 7 under the assumption that this is the wakeup call they need (but, man, if Holiday shuts down Klay....whew, this series gets very close).
Jazz-Rockets
I've never had faith in the playoff capabilities of James Harden or Chris Paul and I think without those two at their best the Rockets don't have much else to go on. Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon are solid and have moments of going above and beyond but I haven't been blown away by any of them lately. Gerald Green can fill it up but he can also get over his skis and Joe Johnson frankly doesn't fit the way the Rockets play and I think won't contribute much. I like Clint Capela as much as the next guy but he needs a lot of service from Chris Paul to be really effective and PJ Tucker is a dirty work guy, not a game changer. You may think that after the way they dusted off the Wolves with some truly sub-standard performances from Harden and Paul that my thesis is actually already disproved; but I say no, that just shows what a mess the Wolves are. The Jazz in that sense are the anti-Wolves: they play as a team, they know their roles and no one overdoes it. On their end I'm a little worried about Rubio hobbling out of their last game against OKC, it is Rubio and Ingles as the big brothers that create the framework for Donovan Mitchell to succeed. Favors and Gobert can easily counter Capela and keep Harden honest on the inside. (And I can't help noting Alec Burks lighting it up in his brief appearances in Games One and Six; he's been there so long and fallen so far out of favor, you know he wants a chance to gets some work in) So it comes down to shooting: if the Rockets shoot the lights out, they should win easily; but if they struggle from the perimeter, the Jazz have a real shot. Some are pointing to the regular season dominance Houston exhibited over Utah but I would point out that all four of those games were early in the season before the true emergence of Mitchell, so I don't think they're representative of who these teams are now. I had OKC beating the Rockets in the 2nd round (that was my pre-season pick and my pre-playoffs pick, too), so I'm open to the idea that the Rockets won't move on. My gut is the Jazz aren't quite ready to do it but since this is all about the Rockets and not their opponent, that doesn't even matter. The Jazz just took out OKC--who I already thought was better suited for the playoffs than the Rockets. So I'll take the Jazz in 6. I think Harden and Paul flounder, the Rockets have no second option and the Jazz play their game and succeed.
East
Bucks-Celtics (Game Seven)
The home team has won every game so far. I predicted as much and so I'm not shocked by this development. The emergence of Jaysun Tatum and Jaylen Brown flanking Al Horford has been the framework for the Celtics--and it's a good one! Adding in Marcus Smart gives them a little more grit, should make 2-3 plays that cement the lead. Baynes will reliably contribute. The high risk/reward wild cards are Marcus Morris and Terry Rozer: if they just play hard, they'll be fine but if they try to do too much, they could shoot the Bucks back into the game. The Bucks are Giannis...and I dunno, some other guys. Khris Middleton has played well, Malcolm Brogdon has been good, Tony Snell and Tyler Zeller have been fine but in a Game Seven I don't see them as difference makers. And the surprise contribution of Thon Maker in Milwaukee will not translate to Boston. Eric Bledsoe hasn't been great, not sure that he makes any great improvement in the final game. The Bucks have one move they can make and that is to maximize Jabari Parker. Parker has been good, if inconsistent so far, but if he blows up tonight, he can make the different for the Bucks. Ehh, I'm betting that doesn't happen. I'll go with the Celtics.
Pacers-Cavs (Game Seven).
The Cavs go as far as Lebron drags them. If Lebron gets that vacant look in his eyes, then the whole stadium will feel it. If he's scuffling, if he's passing instead of attacking, if he's lingering on the bench instead of playing his regular 45 minutes, everyone will know and the Cavs will clench up. The Pacers will be liberated and they will run wild. That's the scenario for a Cavs loss. The scenario for a Cavs win is Lebron doing everything and doing it better than the entire other team. If the Pacers just play a smart, consistent game, they will put a lot of pressure on Lebron and that's the very dangerous place for the Cavs: if Lebron has to do it all by himself and he comes up short....man, he ain't gonna be back with the Cavs next year. I don't know who wins this game. I guess I'd go with the Cavs but the nightmare scenario is brewing.
Pelicans-Warriors
The Pelicans were the best team in the 1st round, destroying the Blazers in every way for four straight games. Not much depth (man, Solomon Hill was kinda awful and Ian Clark is more hindrance than help) but their main rotation looks like the best in the league right now. The Warriors don't have anything to stop Anthony Davis (Draymond is not the answer), might lose Klay Thompson's brilliance if Jrue Holiday keeps up his torrid defensive work, won't deter playoff Rondo (doesn't matter who his opponent is), and could be matched if Mirotic can keep up his hot hand. The Warriors never looked into it this season, coasted at the outset and then seriously coasted after it was clear the Rockets were gonna take the top spot. With Durant, Steph, Klay and Draymond they still have enough to be the best in the league but they haven't shown that yet. Against the Spurs Durant was Durant and Klay was terrific but outside of a nice showing from JaVale McGee, the rest of the cast didn't show: Steph hasn't played in almost a month, Draymond is more bluster than brilliance lately, Iguodala is a shell of himself and Livingston is merely competent. I thought the Spurs would wake them up but the Spurs without Kawhi aren't much of a team. So they've continued to coast. The Warriors were my pre-season pick to win it all and my pick again at the beginning of the playoffs, obviously I think they are (or can be) the best. But I haven't seen them play like the best in so long and outside of their main four guys, I have no faith in their bench (and only marginal faith in Draymond or Steph right now), and they did not get the 1st round wake up call I thought they needed. This is tough because I was so impressed with the Pelicans and we're only now seeing what Anthony Davis can do. I gotta go with the Warriors in 7 under the assumption that this is the wakeup call they need (but, man, if Holiday shuts down Klay....whew, this series gets very close).
Jazz-Rockets
I've never had faith in the playoff capabilities of James Harden or Chris Paul and I think without those two at their best the Rockets don't have much else to go on. Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon are solid and have moments of going above and beyond but I haven't been blown away by any of them lately. Gerald Green can fill it up but he can also get over his skis and Joe Johnson frankly doesn't fit the way the Rockets play and I think won't contribute much. I like Clint Capela as much as the next guy but he needs a lot of service from Chris Paul to be really effective and PJ Tucker is a dirty work guy, not a game changer. You may think that after the way they dusted off the Wolves with some truly sub-standard performances from Harden and Paul that my thesis is actually already disproved; but I say no, that just shows what a mess the Wolves are. The Jazz in that sense are the anti-Wolves: they play as a team, they know their roles and no one overdoes it. On their end I'm a little worried about Rubio hobbling out of their last game against OKC, it is Rubio and Ingles as the big brothers that create the framework for Donovan Mitchell to succeed. Favors and Gobert can easily counter Capela and keep Harden honest on the inside. (And I can't help noting Alec Burks lighting it up in his brief appearances in Games One and Six; he's been there so long and fallen so far out of favor, you know he wants a chance to gets some work in) So it comes down to shooting: if the Rockets shoot the lights out, they should win easily; but if they struggle from the perimeter, the Jazz have a real shot. Some are pointing to the regular season dominance Houston exhibited over Utah but I would point out that all four of those games were early in the season before the true emergence of Mitchell, so I don't think they're representative of who these teams are now. I had OKC beating the Rockets in the 2nd round (that was my pre-season pick and my pre-playoffs pick, too), so I'm open to the idea that the Rockets won't move on. My gut is the Jazz aren't quite ready to do it but since this is all about the Rockets and not their opponent, that doesn't even matter. The Jazz just took out OKC--who I already thought was better suited for the playoffs than the Rockets. So I'll take the Jazz in 6. I think Harden and Paul flounder, the Rockets have no second option and the Jazz play their game and succeed.
East
Bucks-Celtics (Game Seven)
The home team has won every game so far. I predicted as much and so I'm not shocked by this development. The emergence of Jaysun Tatum and Jaylen Brown flanking Al Horford has been the framework for the Celtics--and it's a good one! Adding in Marcus Smart gives them a little more grit, should make 2-3 plays that cement the lead. Baynes will reliably contribute. The high risk/reward wild cards are Marcus Morris and Terry Rozer: if they just play hard, they'll be fine but if they try to do too much, they could shoot the Bucks back into the game. The Bucks are Giannis...and I dunno, some other guys. Khris Middleton has played well, Malcolm Brogdon has been good, Tony Snell and Tyler Zeller have been fine but in a Game Seven I don't see them as difference makers. And the surprise contribution of Thon Maker in Milwaukee will not translate to Boston. Eric Bledsoe hasn't been great, not sure that he makes any great improvement in the final game. The Bucks have one move they can make and that is to maximize Jabari Parker. Parker has been good, if inconsistent so far, but if he blows up tonight, he can make the different for the Bucks. Ehh, I'm betting that doesn't happen. I'll go with the Celtics.
Pacers-Cavs (Game Seven).
The Cavs go as far as Lebron drags them. If Lebron gets that vacant look in his eyes, then the whole stadium will feel it. If he's scuffling, if he's passing instead of attacking, if he's lingering on the bench instead of playing his regular 45 minutes, everyone will know and the Cavs will clench up. The Pacers will be liberated and they will run wild. That's the scenario for a Cavs loss. The scenario for a Cavs win is Lebron doing everything and doing it better than the entire other team. If the Pacers just play a smart, consistent game, they will put a lot of pressure on Lebron and that's the very dangerous place for the Cavs: if Lebron has to do it all by himself and he comes up short....man, he ain't gonna be back with the Cavs next year. I don't know who wins this game. I guess I'd go with the Cavs but the nightmare scenario is brewing.
Monday, April 16, 2018
2017-18 NBA Playoffs (Game One Reactions)
Spurs 92-113 Warriors
The Warriors kinda took a while to get going but their defense got them in the game and Klay and Durant were both too money for the Spurs to keep up with. I thought the Spurs old timers unit (Pau, Gay, Manu, Parker) were generally better than the starters, which is not a good sign. The Spurs just didn't shoot well, they never had any kind of edge, and Patty Mills marking Kevin Durant is not gonna work. I thought the Spurs would test the Warriors but I don't think so--which may be dangerous for the Warriors. Outside of Durant, Klay and McGee (and moments of Draymond), I really didn't think the rest of the team was that great, the ball movement isn't there yet and stifling Patty Mills and Tony Parker is not like going against Lillard or Westbrook. The Warriors need to get punched in the face but I don't think the Spurs are the team to do it, just not enough offense to keep up. I'll take the Warriors in 5 (maybe 4), could be Popovich has something brilliant up his sleeve but at this point even pulling Kawhi out of a hat wouldn't beat the Warriors.
Wizards 106-114 Raptors
The Raptors looked good enough for a Game One, though they let the game get closer than they should have in the 4th. Wall is such a speed demon that he controls all when he's in a groove but he still struggles to score and if too much of the load falls to guys like Oubre or Porter than the Wizards are in trouble. I thought Morris was great and Wall and Beal had moments but the rest of the cast didn't do much (I normally wouldn't say this but, man, seemed like the refs were going after Gortat, a few phantom fouls on him). The Raptors were okay, they can play better but considering their usual tentative play in opening games, this was a good W for them. And probably an indication that they are indeed way better than the Wizards. We'll see, but I'd be surprised if the Wizards won Game Two.
Heat 103-130 Sixers
The Heat were up at halftime and I couldn't figure out why. The game stayed close through much of the 3rd quarter, then the Sixers just ran off and left them. That made sense to me. It felt like Simmons, Saric and Belinelli were getting anything they wanted and Ilyasova and Covington were contributing, too. And for the Heat, Olynyk played well, James Johnson had moments and Wade pitched in from the bench, but otherwise they never really got anything going. Felt like the Sixers should've pounded them from beginning to end and though it looks like they did, this game was really a lot closer than the score suggests. I think the Sixers win Game Two (wouldn't be surprised to see the Heat regroup and take both games in Miami, though).
Pelicans 97-95 Blazers
I thought this was a tough one to figure: I thought the Blazers were awful--like really awful--and still could've (maybe should've) won the game. So were the Pelicans lucky to pull this out? Or can they keep stifling the Blazers? I honestly can't tell. I think they're the two closest matched teams in the post-season, wouldn't be surprised if they play 6 more games just like this one. I gotta think the Blazers will win Game Two.
Bucks 107-113 (OT) Celtics
I think every game is gonna be tight in the 4th quarter, chippy as hell, back and forth and I think I still like the Bucks to pull out the series. Without Kyrie to build a lead and Smart to do some dirty work, I just don't think the Celtics are equipped to handle this. The Bucks are better in the mud and as great a coach as Stevens is, I don't think his mind works in un-perfect conditions. I think all of these games are gonna come down to luck and tenacity and I think the Bucks are built to work harder in those conditions. Doesn't mean they'll win but I picked them to win the series and I'll stick with them. I wouldn't be surprised if Game Two goes into OT, as well.
Pacers 98-80 Cavs
I didn't watch the Pacers once this year (thanks, Obama!) but my gut is that how they played today is who they are: they attack the basket, they play tight D and they scramble for loose balls. They're built around Oladipo and they know who they are. So for them I don't think today was any kind out of body experience. Lebron tends to like to blast through the 1st round, he knows his own team's strengths and weaknesses and after a long regular season, he knows how to size up a soft 1st round opponent and take them out quickly. So today's performance was...uh....not good. They looked kinda Raptors-like out there today against a Pacer team that was just playing their game. I thought the Cavs would be ready for action and have the Pacers' number, but that is not what happened. Not a good sign for the Cavs. I wanna say I'd be shocked if the Pacers took Game Two...but I wouldn't.
Jazz 108-116 Thunder
This one got much closer at the end than this game actually was (man, when Alec Burks came off the bench and got hot at the last minute it reminded me that he had fallen so far out of the Jazz rotation that I had to be reminded he still existed). This is a match between the prim and proper kid that shows up for school every day and is the teacher's pet but doesn't actually learn anything (Jazz) against the slackass student who blows everything off but is good at taking tests (Thunder). This is test time and last night's game was the perfect example: Jazz got out to a big lead, Thunder came back and were up buy halftime, then dominated the 2nd half so thoroughly that they let the Jazz come back and make it close in the end. The Jazz started well and finished well but during the bulk of the game the Thunder were too much for them. I expect all the games to be like this, with the Jazz stealing one or two are home. I expect the Thunder to take Game Two (though don't be surprised if they fail to cover the spread if they're up by 20 with 3 minutes to go).
Wolves 101-104 Rockets
There's a moment early in this game that says it all about Chris Paul's performance: Paul jukes his man in the lane, steps out to get a wide open 15 footer, then at the last second twists his whole body around to pass to Harden, who is double covered and loses the ball out of bounds. I told ya Paul sucked in the playoffs but I didn't expect to suck this early. And while I don't expect Paul to be this bad for the rest of this series, I also don't expect Clint Capela to go for 24 and 12 every night either. This good shouldn't have been this close when you consider that the Wolves didn't even play good! And Chris Webber is right: why the hell Towns standing over in the corner all the time? And why does Jamal Crawford get so much playing time? The fact that Butler and Crawford are the only Wolves with (+) minutes just shows how flawed the +/- system is, because they were both terrible in this game and the idea that the Wolves prospered in their presence is an utter fluke. (I used to love the Wolves but they've been Thibbed, now they're the most boring, most frustrating team in the league *sigh*) I'm still convinced the Rockets are gonna fail but not yet. I reckon they'll win Game Two by a wide margin.
The Warriors kinda took a while to get going but their defense got them in the game and Klay and Durant were both too money for the Spurs to keep up with. I thought the Spurs old timers unit (Pau, Gay, Manu, Parker) were generally better than the starters, which is not a good sign. The Spurs just didn't shoot well, they never had any kind of edge, and Patty Mills marking Kevin Durant is not gonna work. I thought the Spurs would test the Warriors but I don't think so--which may be dangerous for the Warriors. Outside of Durant, Klay and McGee (and moments of Draymond), I really didn't think the rest of the team was that great, the ball movement isn't there yet and stifling Patty Mills and Tony Parker is not like going against Lillard or Westbrook. The Warriors need to get punched in the face but I don't think the Spurs are the team to do it, just not enough offense to keep up. I'll take the Warriors in 5 (maybe 4), could be Popovich has something brilliant up his sleeve but at this point even pulling Kawhi out of a hat wouldn't beat the Warriors.
Wizards 106-114 Raptors
The Raptors looked good enough for a Game One, though they let the game get closer than they should have in the 4th. Wall is such a speed demon that he controls all when he's in a groove but he still struggles to score and if too much of the load falls to guys like Oubre or Porter than the Wizards are in trouble. I thought Morris was great and Wall and Beal had moments but the rest of the cast didn't do much (I normally wouldn't say this but, man, seemed like the refs were going after Gortat, a few phantom fouls on him). The Raptors were okay, they can play better but considering their usual tentative play in opening games, this was a good W for them. And probably an indication that they are indeed way better than the Wizards. We'll see, but I'd be surprised if the Wizards won Game Two.
Heat 103-130 Sixers
The Heat were up at halftime and I couldn't figure out why. The game stayed close through much of the 3rd quarter, then the Sixers just ran off and left them. That made sense to me. It felt like Simmons, Saric and Belinelli were getting anything they wanted and Ilyasova and Covington were contributing, too. And for the Heat, Olynyk played well, James Johnson had moments and Wade pitched in from the bench, but otherwise they never really got anything going. Felt like the Sixers should've pounded them from beginning to end and though it looks like they did, this game was really a lot closer than the score suggests. I think the Sixers win Game Two (wouldn't be surprised to see the Heat regroup and take both games in Miami, though).
Pelicans 97-95 Blazers
I thought this was a tough one to figure: I thought the Blazers were awful--like really awful--and still could've (maybe should've) won the game. So were the Pelicans lucky to pull this out? Or can they keep stifling the Blazers? I honestly can't tell. I think they're the two closest matched teams in the post-season, wouldn't be surprised if they play 6 more games just like this one. I gotta think the Blazers will win Game Two.
Bucks 107-113 (OT) Celtics
I think every game is gonna be tight in the 4th quarter, chippy as hell, back and forth and I think I still like the Bucks to pull out the series. Without Kyrie to build a lead and Smart to do some dirty work, I just don't think the Celtics are equipped to handle this. The Bucks are better in the mud and as great a coach as Stevens is, I don't think his mind works in un-perfect conditions. I think all of these games are gonna come down to luck and tenacity and I think the Bucks are built to work harder in those conditions. Doesn't mean they'll win but I picked them to win the series and I'll stick with them. I wouldn't be surprised if Game Two goes into OT, as well.
Pacers 98-80 Cavs
I didn't watch the Pacers once this year (thanks, Obama!) but my gut is that how they played today is who they are: they attack the basket, they play tight D and they scramble for loose balls. They're built around Oladipo and they know who they are. So for them I don't think today was any kind out of body experience. Lebron tends to like to blast through the 1st round, he knows his own team's strengths and weaknesses and after a long regular season, he knows how to size up a soft 1st round opponent and take them out quickly. So today's performance was...uh....not good. They looked kinda Raptors-like out there today against a Pacer team that was just playing their game. I thought the Cavs would be ready for action and have the Pacers' number, but that is not what happened. Not a good sign for the Cavs. I wanna say I'd be shocked if the Pacers took Game Two...but I wouldn't.
Jazz 108-116 Thunder
This one got much closer at the end than this game actually was (man, when Alec Burks came off the bench and got hot at the last minute it reminded me that he had fallen so far out of the Jazz rotation that I had to be reminded he still existed). This is a match between the prim and proper kid that shows up for school every day and is the teacher's pet but doesn't actually learn anything (Jazz) against the slackass student who blows everything off but is good at taking tests (Thunder). This is test time and last night's game was the perfect example: Jazz got out to a big lead, Thunder came back and were up buy halftime, then dominated the 2nd half so thoroughly that they let the Jazz come back and make it close in the end. The Jazz started well and finished well but during the bulk of the game the Thunder were too much for them. I expect all the games to be like this, with the Jazz stealing one or two are home. I expect the Thunder to take Game Two (though don't be surprised if they fail to cover the spread if they're up by 20 with 3 minutes to go).
Wolves 101-104 Rockets
There's a moment early in this game that says it all about Chris Paul's performance: Paul jukes his man in the lane, steps out to get a wide open 15 footer, then at the last second twists his whole body around to pass to Harden, who is double covered and loses the ball out of bounds. I told ya Paul sucked in the playoffs but I didn't expect to suck this early. And while I don't expect Paul to be this bad for the rest of this series, I also don't expect Clint Capela to go for 24 and 12 every night either. This good shouldn't have been this close when you consider that the Wolves didn't even play good! And Chris Webber is right: why the hell Towns standing over in the corner all the time? And why does Jamal Crawford get so much playing time? The fact that Butler and Crawford are the only Wolves with (+) minutes just shows how flawed the +/- system is, because they were both terrible in this game and the idea that the Wolves prospered in their presence is an utter fluke. (I used to love the Wolves but they've been Thibbed, now they're the most boring, most frustrating team in the league *sigh*) I'm still convinced the Rockets are gonna fail but not yet. I reckon they'll win Game Two by a wide margin.
Friday, April 13, 2018
2017-18 NBA (Awards and pre-season predictions)
MVP
Lebron James (Cavs). In 2015 and 2017 I thought the MVP should've been James Harden because he is the most efficient scoring machine the league has seen in ages. That guy either makes the pass, gets his shot or gets fouled--if you don't foul him, he's just gonna beat you. I'm not a huge fan of his game (I've warmed to him some, used to find him incredibly boring to watch) but he's successful and I think controls a game as well as anyone over the last few years. This year he seems very likely to finally get his much-deserved MVP after guiding the Rockets to the best record in the league.
That said...my pre-season pick for MVP was Lebron James and I'll stick with that. Lebron played all 82 games for a rag-tag team that entered the season after trading away its 2nd best player (for a...bag of magic beans), endured injuries to most of the rest of the supporting cast, had a major upheaval at the trade deadline and even lost their coach for a stretch in March. Meanwhile, Lebron had one of the finest years of his career and held the team together, readying them for a run through the struggling Eastern Conference. In raw numbers, Lebron was one of only three players in the top 20 in Rebounds, Assists and Steals, led the league in Minutes Played, 2nd in the league in FGA (shooting at 54%) and compared to Harden had more Assists, Blocks and and fewer Personal Fouls (oh, and check out my Defensive Player of the Year blurb down below). In short, he played a fuller, more complete season than Harden on a much shakier team. Harden had the better team record but then again Harden had the better team (adding Chris Paul while Lebron lost Kyrie Irving). Yes, we're in a stretch when frankly Lebron and Harden both deserve the MVP pretty much every year. But this year I'd take Lebron James. 2nd: James Harden, 3rd: Anthony Davis (Pelicans), 4th: Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks), 5th: Damien Lillard (Blazers)/Donovan Mitchell (Jazz).
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis (Pelicans). Led the league in Blocks (by a laaaaaaarge margin!), led the league in Steals + Blocks (only player with over 300), 6th overall in Defensive Rebounds (5th overall in Total Rebounds), 3rd overall in FTA (shot 83%), had a solid Asst:TO rate and was not near the league leaders in Personal Fouls. Played a high level all year long on both ends of the court.
My pre-season pick was Kawhi Leonard (Spurs), of whom I wrote: "I think Kawhi will have a big year, I'll take him for DPOY". Yeah, uh, wrong on that one. But I also wrote: "Wouldn't be surprised to see (Anthony) Davis become more of a defense-first guy" in mentioning him as a possible DPOY pick. Oddly, of the others I mentioned in my pre-season blurb, only Drummond and Antetokounpo were worthy of mention. I thought the other usual suspects all kinda fell to the side this year: Rudy Gobert (Jazz) played too few games, Deandre Jordan (Clippers) had nice numbers but nothing superlative, Draymond Green (Warriors) was off the leaderboard in most of the crucial stats, Hassan Whiteside (Heat) seemed to complain more than play this year. I think Gobert will win but, I dunno man, he didn't play enough. Davis carried his team, I'd reward him first.
1st team all-defense: G: Ben Simmons (Sixers), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), F: Lebron James (Cavs), Anthony Davis (Pelicans), C: Andre Drummond (Pistons)
2nd team all-defense: G: Jrue Holiday (Pelicans), Josh Richardson (Heat), F: Paul George (Thunder), Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks), C: Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Rookie of the Year
Ben Simmons (Sixers). Its easy to say it was a two-man race this year but...no...it was Ben Simmons all the way. He led all rookies in Minutes Played, Free Throw Attempts, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, and was top 4 in Blocks and Field Goal Attempts. No one else even comes close. Let me state for the record that, for me, the ROY is a forward-looking rather than backward-looking award, meaning that I think the award is not who had the best rookie season (which was Simmons, incidentally) but who showed the most promise for future badassness. Considering that Simmons is already better than the rest of his class--and he can't shoot worth a shit!--I'm convinced that he still has great room for improvement (indeed, as great as this kid was this year, he deserves to be publicly flogged for his truly abysmal free throw shooting, Coach Brown needs to convince him that he's hurting his team by being so awful at so basic a feature of the game). And leading the hapless-for-as-long-as-anyone-can-remember Sixers to 3rd place in the East is a staggering achievement. Honestly, even considering anyone else would make you look foolish in front of your children.
But for those that want to reach for Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) instead, let me say: 1) No, Simmons was better; 2) Yes, Simmons is a rookie (not even sure what that line of thinking was meant to yield); 3) considering that I see this award as forward-looking, I'd be more inclined to put Mitchell lower on my list rather than higher. In ranking the rookies this year I came up with a clear top 9 (and then a tie for 10th):
1) Simmons (Sixers), 2) Mitchell (Jazz), 3) Jayson Tatum (Celtics) (really impressed with his effort, his demeanor, his skills and his chances to get even better), 4) Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) (I waaaaaay underestimated this kid, good skills all over the court, good head on his shoulders, important leader on a bad Bulls team), 5) Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) (dang, that kid can score, gonna get better too), 6) Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) (I loved this kid's feel for the game, I kinda think if he was swapped with Tatum on the Celtics this year, there wouldn't have been much difference), 7) Dennis Smith (Mavs) (yeah, his defense is kinda terrible, he shot too much, he tried to do too much, but he was all alone on that team but he can put on a show and I think he's got room to greatly improve his efficiency and leadership), 8) Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) (must admit: I didn't watch the Grizzlies once this year, my take on him is completely based on his stats, which were solid but I gotta give him an Incomplete on the eye test), 9) John Collins (Hawks) (man his team was terrible but he showed flashes of a young Dwight Howard, great rebounder, good shot blocker, decent offensive game, I think he's gonna be good). And at 10th I had a toss up of: De'Aaron Fox (Kings) (had moments this year which suggest he could be a real crafty PG), Josh Jackson (Suns) (I thought he was the best pure athlete in last year's draft and he kinda showed that, just needs to learn to shoot better and he'll be all right), Lonzo Ball (Lakers) (went from overrated to underrated and back again a few times this year, the hype that surrounded him led to unrealistic expectations and a poor sense of evaluation, but in the end I think he's gonna be pretty good and a Laker for a long time), Frank Nkilitina (Knicks) (not great season but tantalizing to be sure, he looks like a defensive wizard, could turn into a version of Donovan Mitchell which the Knicks sorely need).
Let me return to my Mitchell screed above: as good as Mitchell was I think he's much closer to reaching his full potential than anyone else in my top nine and he's on a more complete team than any of those other guys, too. So not only was Mitchel not the best this past year, I'm not completely convinced he'll even be in the top ten of this class when all is said and done. Dang! Kinda seems like I hate Donovan Mitchell, don't I? Not at all, I love his game actually, I just think the hype in his direction isn't nearly as deserved as it seems. Mitchell had a great rookie year and he was as important to his new team as any rookie (well, any rookie not named Simmons). But I think the Donovan Mitchell we've already seen is the Donovan Mitchell we're going to get. And the Utah Jazz may well have peaked in this incarnation--indeed, it was the unexpected contribution of Mitchell that made this Jazz team as good as they were--so are we sure that Mitchell will get better? Or that the Jazz will get better? No and no. I'm inclined to think that Tatum has room to get better on a team that will play for championships, I think Markkanen and Collins have the potential to carry even heavier loads going forward, Smith could still turn into a super star and Kuzma and Bogdanovic have great room to get better as their teams get better (ditto with Fox and Ball and Nkilitina). So in that sense, rather than putting Mitchell ahead of Simmons, I'm more inclined to put him behind everyone else. (Yeah....I said it)
I mentioned most of these guys in my pre-season blurb, where I took Simmons as the winner. I also mentioned Jonathon Isaac (Magic) who was hurt for much of the season and Malik Monk (Hornets) who was a serious disappointment. But I failed to mention Markkanen, Brooks and Collins, who were all much better than I anticipated. Pretty good rookie class considering I never even mentioned Jarret Allen (Nets) or Bam Adebayo (Heat), who both had fine rookie campaigns.
6th Man of the Year
Lou Williams (Clippers). Wow....just wow. No idea Lou still had it in him but he was as money off the bench as anyone in this league. Got himself a long term contract out of it, too. I didn't see it coming but, frankly, he's the obvious choice. I'd have to say Will Barton (Nuggets), Kyle Kuzma (Lakers), Bobby Portis (Bulls), Eric Gordon (Rockets) and Marco Belinelli (Hawks/Sixers) are the only others even worth mentioning and none of them merit consideration ahead of Williams.
My pre-season pick was Marcus Smart (Celtics), with suggestions to keep an eye on Terry Rozier (Celtics) and Donovan Mitchell (Jazz). Smart was in and out of the lineup all year long and did not put up particularly notable numbers. But in my defense let me suggest that Smart is the ultimate 'eye test' player: he doesn't put up big numbers and isn't a very good shooter but when you watch the Celtics they certainly look better when he's in there. (PJ Tucker (Rockets) has a similar effect: the box score doesn't show much but your eyes will see the difference he makes) Curious to see what the Celtics do with Smart this off-season; surely they'll let him go but, man, I think they'll miss him if he's not there next year.
Most Improved
Victor Oladipo (Pacers). This one is an easy call. Trading Oladipo for Paul George seemed like the steal of the century at the time, but that apparently inspired Oladipo to remake his game (and his body!) and after a few intriguing but frustrating years in the league, he finally had the bust-out season that he looked capable of when he came out of Indiana back in the day.
I didn't research this category much and I didn't do a pre-season pick for this but I'd also suggest another ex-Russell Westbrook teammate: Taj Gibson (Wolves). Yeah, Taj probably played too much but he does a lot for that team and still has more left in the tank than I would've thought.
Coach of the Year
Dwayne Casey (Raptors). Last year the Raptors played well and remolded their roster to finally go toe-to-toe with their hated rivals, the Cavs. The result: the Cavs whipped them in 4--and none of the games were close! It was as severe a thrashing as I can recall: the Raptors rolled in with maximum swagger and firepower and got treated like an extra in a Scorsese film. The salary cap was maxed in a way that allowed for no movement last summer, too, since the team that got rolled had no choice but to run out the same zombies chasing the same ghosts. And yet, Coach Casey managed to get his team to a whole new level with just the right mix of strategy and encouragement and a deft handling of the best bench in the league. I was never terribly impressed with Casey but this year I thought he elevated his game and brought his team to a whole new level and though there are a lot of good choices this year, I really that Casey had the single biggest impact on his team's success. (Now...what happens when Lebron comes to town this year...?)
This is a tough category because there were a lot of coaches that really had great years. I suspect Brad Stevens (Celtics) will win, but Quin Snyder (Jazz) will get a lot of love, as will Nate MacMillan (Pacers) and Brett Brown (Sixers) and Terry Stotts (Blazers). Of course, Mike D'antoni (Rockets) had the best record and though perennial favorite Gregg Popovich (Spurs) had his worst season in as long as anyone can remember, he may actually have been more impressive this year than ever before.
My pre-season picks were Steve Clifford (Hornets) and Mike Malone (Nuggets) on the thinking that their teams could make big moves. In the case of the Hornets...I dunno, I just had this weird premonition that the Dwight Howard thing was gonna work (I know, right?) and that Clifford would look like a genius. Didn't happen, in fact Coach Cliff got fired today (hey, better than hanging around Dwight Howard for another year). As for the Nuggets, they had moments of up and moments of down and one could argue they did make the playoffs: their 82nd game was a win-and-in contest that didn't fall their way. But though the Nuggets have pieces and a great home court advantage, expecting them to go deep in the Western Conference was a bit of a chimera on my part. I certainly don't think Malone will get any Coach of the Year votes but I don't expect him to get fired either.
Executive of the Year
Daryl Morey (Rockets) (with Danny Ainge (Celtics) a very close 2nd). Bringing in Chris Paul was a masterstroke and he's the one that did--and getting it done required a million little moves that are long since forgotten. But it was the move that elevated his star to MVP-level and his team to the best record in the league. Kudos, gotta give up to the best.
I figured this award would be a race between Danny Ainge (Celtics) and Sam Presti (Thunder), though I gave Ainge the edge because he was fielding a top notch squad entirely of his own making whereas Presti made (I thought) one trade too many. Speaking of, doesn't Kevin Pritchard (Pacers) have to get some votes here? 4 of their 6 top scorers weren't on the roster the year before and swapping Paul George for Victor Oladipo didn't seem like a great move at the time but it sure made the Pacers a better team. I was impressed by Koby Altman's (Cavs) moves at the trade deadline and with Neil Olshey (Blazers) not making any panic moves (sometimes you've got to trust what you've put togeter).
Lebron James (Cavs). In 2015 and 2017 I thought the MVP should've been James Harden because he is the most efficient scoring machine the league has seen in ages. That guy either makes the pass, gets his shot or gets fouled--if you don't foul him, he's just gonna beat you. I'm not a huge fan of his game (I've warmed to him some, used to find him incredibly boring to watch) but he's successful and I think controls a game as well as anyone over the last few years. This year he seems very likely to finally get his much-deserved MVP after guiding the Rockets to the best record in the league.
That said...my pre-season pick for MVP was Lebron James and I'll stick with that. Lebron played all 82 games for a rag-tag team that entered the season after trading away its 2nd best player (for a...bag of magic beans), endured injuries to most of the rest of the supporting cast, had a major upheaval at the trade deadline and even lost their coach for a stretch in March. Meanwhile, Lebron had one of the finest years of his career and held the team together, readying them for a run through the struggling Eastern Conference. In raw numbers, Lebron was one of only three players in the top 20 in Rebounds, Assists and Steals, led the league in Minutes Played, 2nd in the league in FGA (shooting at 54%) and compared to Harden had more Assists, Blocks and and fewer Personal Fouls (oh, and check out my Defensive Player of the Year blurb down below). In short, he played a fuller, more complete season than Harden on a much shakier team. Harden had the better team record but then again Harden had the better team (adding Chris Paul while Lebron lost Kyrie Irving). Yes, we're in a stretch when frankly Lebron and Harden both deserve the MVP pretty much every year. But this year I'd take Lebron James. 2nd: James Harden, 3rd: Anthony Davis (Pelicans), 4th: Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks), 5th: Damien Lillard (Blazers)/Donovan Mitchell (Jazz).
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis (Pelicans). Led the league in Blocks (by a laaaaaaarge margin!), led the league in Steals + Blocks (only player with over 300), 6th overall in Defensive Rebounds (5th overall in Total Rebounds), 3rd overall in FTA (shot 83%), had a solid Asst:TO rate and was not near the league leaders in Personal Fouls. Played a high level all year long on both ends of the court.
My pre-season pick was Kawhi Leonard (Spurs), of whom I wrote: "I think Kawhi will have a big year, I'll take him for DPOY". Yeah, uh, wrong on that one. But I also wrote: "Wouldn't be surprised to see (Anthony) Davis become more of a defense-first guy" in mentioning him as a possible DPOY pick. Oddly, of the others I mentioned in my pre-season blurb, only Drummond and Antetokounpo were worthy of mention. I thought the other usual suspects all kinda fell to the side this year: Rudy Gobert (Jazz) played too few games, Deandre Jordan (Clippers) had nice numbers but nothing superlative, Draymond Green (Warriors) was off the leaderboard in most of the crucial stats, Hassan Whiteside (Heat) seemed to complain more than play this year. I think Gobert will win but, I dunno man, he didn't play enough. Davis carried his team, I'd reward him first.
1st team all-defense: G: Ben Simmons (Sixers), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), F: Lebron James (Cavs), Anthony Davis (Pelicans), C: Andre Drummond (Pistons)
2nd team all-defense: G: Jrue Holiday (Pelicans), Josh Richardson (Heat), F: Paul George (Thunder), Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks), C: Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Rookie of the Year
Ben Simmons (Sixers). Its easy to say it was a two-man race this year but...no...it was Ben Simmons all the way. He led all rookies in Minutes Played, Free Throw Attempts, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, and was top 4 in Blocks and Field Goal Attempts. No one else even comes close. Let me state for the record that, for me, the ROY is a forward-looking rather than backward-looking award, meaning that I think the award is not who had the best rookie season (which was Simmons, incidentally) but who showed the most promise for future badassness. Considering that Simmons is already better than the rest of his class--and he can't shoot worth a shit!--I'm convinced that he still has great room for improvement (indeed, as great as this kid was this year, he deserves to be publicly flogged for his truly abysmal free throw shooting, Coach Brown needs to convince him that he's hurting his team by being so awful at so basic a feature of the game). And leading the hapless-for-as-long-as-anyone-can-remember Sixers to 3rd place in the East is a staggering achievement. Honestly, even considering anyone else would make you look foolish in front of your children.
But for those that want to reach for Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) instead, let me say: 1) No, Simmons was better; 2) Yes, Simmons is a rookie (not even sure what that line of thinking was meant to yield); 3) considering that I see this award as forward-looking, I'd be more inclined to put Mitchell lower on my list rather than higher. In ranking the rookies this year I came up with a clear top 9 (and then a tie for 10th):
1) Simmons (Sixers), 2) Mitchell (Jazz), 3) Jayson Tatum (Celtics) (really impressed with his effort, his demeanor, his skills and his chances to get even better), 4) Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) (I waaaaaay underestimated this kid, good skills all over the court, good head on his shoulders, important leader on a bad Bulls team), 5) Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) (dang, that kid can score, gonna get better too), 6) Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) (I loved this kid's feel for the game, I kinda think if he was swapped with Tatum on the Celtics this year, there wouldn't have been much difference), 7) Dennis Smith (Mavs) (yeah, his defense is kinda terrible, he shot too much, he tried to do too much, but he was all alone on that team but he can put on a show and I think he's got room to greatly improve his efficiency and leadership), 8) Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) (must admit: I didn't watch the Grizzlies once this year, my take on him is completely based on his stats, which were solid but I gotta give him an Incomplete on the eye test), 9) John Collins (Hawks) (man his team was terrible but he showed flashes of a young Dwight Howard, great rebounder, good shot blocker, decent offensive game, I think he's gonna be good). And at 10th I had a toss up of: De'Aaron Fox (Kings) (had moments this year which suggest he could be a real crafty PG), Josh Jackson (Suns) (I thought he was the best pure athlete in last year's draft and he kinda showed that, just needs to learn to shoot better and he'll be all right), Lonzo Ball (Lakers) (went from overrated to underrated and back again a few times this year, the hype that surrounded him led to unrealistic expectations and a poor sense of evaluation, but in the end I think he's gonna be pretty good and a Laker for a long time), Frank Nkilitina (Knicks) (not great season but tantalizing to be sure, he looks like a defensive wizard, could turn into a version of Donovan Mitchell which the Knicks sorely need).
Let me return to my Mitchell screed above: as good as Mitchell was I think he's much closer to reaching his full potential than anyone else in my top nine and he's on a more complete team than any of those other guys, too. So not only was Mitchel not the best this past year, I'm not completely convinced he'll even be in the top ten of this class when all is said and done. Dang! Kinda seems like I hate Donovan Mitchell, don't I? Not at all, I love his game actually, I just think the hype in his direction isn't nearly as deserved as it seems. Mitchell had a great rookie year and he was as important to his new team as any rookie (well, any rookie not named Simmons). But I think the Donovan Mitchell we've already seen is the Donovan Mitchell we're going to get. And the Utah Jazz may well have peaked in this incarnation--indeed, it was the unexpected contribution of Mitchell that made this Jazz team as good as they were--so are we sure that Mitchell will get better? Or that the Jazz will get better? No and no. I'm inclined to think that Tatum has room to get better on a team that will play for championships, I think Markkanen and Collins have the potential to carry even heavier loads going forward, Smith could still turn into a super star and Kuzma and Bogdanovic have great room to get better as their teams get better (ditto with Fox and Ball and Nkilitina). So in that sense, rather than putting Mitchell ahead of Simmons, I'm more inclined to put him behind everyone else. (Yeah....I said it)
I mentioned most of these guys in my pre-season blurb, where I took Simmons as the winner. I also mentioned Jonathon Isaac (Magic) who was hurt for much of the season and Malik Monk (Hornets) who was a serious disappointment. But I failed to mention Markkanen, Brooks and Collins, who were all much better than I anticipated. Pretty good rookie class considering I never even mentioned Jarret Allen (Nets) or Bam Adebayo (Heat), who both had fine rookie campaigns.
6th Man of the Year
Lou Williams (Clippers). Wow....just wow. No idea Lou still had it in him but he was as money off the bench as anyone in this league. Got himself a long term contract out of it, too. I didn't see it coming but, frankly, he's the obvious choice. I'd have to say Will Barton (Nuggets), Kyle Kuzma (Lakers), Bobby Portis (Bulls), Eric Gordon (Rockets) and Marco Belinelli (Hawks/Sixers) are the only others even worth mentioning and none of them merit consideration ahead of Williams.
My pre-season pick was Marcus Smart (Celtics), with suggestions to keep an eye on Terry Rozier (Celtics) and Donovan Mitchell (Jazz). Smart was in and out of the lineup all year long and did not put up particularly notable numbers. But in my defense let me suggest that Smart is the ultimate 'eye test' player: he doesn't put up big numbers and isn't a very good shooter but when you watch the Celtics they certainly look better when he's in there. (PJ Tucker (Rockets) has a similar effect: the box score doesn't show much but your eyes will see the difference he makes) Curious to see what the Celtics do with Smart this off-season; surely they'll let him go but, man, I think they'll miss him if he's not there next year.
Most Improved
Victor Oladipo (Pacers). This one is an easy call. Trading Oladipo for Paul George seemed like the steal of the century at the time, but that apparently inspired Oladipo to remake his game (and his body!) and after a few intriguing but frustrating years in the league, he finally had the bust-out season that he looked capable of when he came out of Indiana back in the day.
I didn't research this category much and I didn't do a pre-season pick for this but I'd also suggest another ex-Russell Westbrook teammate: Taj Gibson (Wolves). Yeah, Taj probably played too much but he does a lot for that team and still has more left in the tank than I would've thought.
Coach of the Year
Dwayne Casey (Raptors). Last year the Raptors played well and remolded their roster to finally go toe-to-toe with their hated rivals, the Cavs. The result: the Cavs whipped them in 4--and none of the games were close! It was as severe a thrashing as I can recall: the Raptors rolled in with maximum swagger and firepower and got treated like an extra in a Scorsese film. The salary cap was maxed in a way that allowed for no movement last summer, too, since the team that got rolled had no choice but to run out the same zombies chasing the same ghosts. And yet, Coach Casey managed to get his team to a whole new level with just the right mix of strategy and encouragement and a deft handling of the best bench in the league. I was never terribly impressed with Casey but this year I thought he elevated his game and brought his team to a whole new level and though there are a lot of good choices this year, I really that Casey had the single biggest impact on his team's success. (Now...what happens when Lebron comes to town this year...?)
This is a tough category because there were a lot of coaches that really had great years. I suspect Brad Stevens (Celtics) will win, but Quin Snyder (Jazz) will get a lot of love, as will Nate MacMillan (Pacers) and Brett Brown (Sixers) and Terry Stotts (Blazers). Of course, Mike D'antoni (Rockets) had the best record and though perennial favorite Gregg Popovich (Spurs) had his worst season in as long as anyone can remember, he may actually have been more impressive this year than ever before.
My pre-season picks were Steve Clifford (Hornets) and Mike Malone (Nuggets) on the thinking that their teams could make big moves. In the case of the Hornets...I dunno, I just had this weird premonition that the Dwight Howard thing was gonna work (I know, right?) and that Clifford would look like a genius. Didn't happen, in fact Coach Cliff got fired today (hey, better than hanging around Dwight Howard for another year). As for the Nuggets, they had moments of up and moments of down and one could argue they did make the playoffs: their 82nd game was a win-and-in contest that didn't fall their way. But though the Nuggets have pieces and a great home court advantage, expecting them to go deep in the Western Conference was a bit of a chimera on my part. I certainly don't think Malone will get any Coach of the Year votes but I don't expect him to get fired either.
Executive of the Year
Daryl Morey (Rockets) (with Danny Ainge (Celtics) a very close 2nd). Bringing in Chris Paul was a masterstroke and he's the one that did--and getting it done required a million little moves that are long since forgotten. But it was the move that elevated his star to MVP-level and his team to the best record in the league. Kudos, gotta give up to the best.
I figured this award would be a race between Danny Ainge (Celtics) and Sam Presti (Thunder), though I gave Ainge the edge because he was fielding a top notch squad entirely of his own making whereas Presti made (I thought) one trade too many. Speaking of, doesn't Kevin Pritchard (Pacers) have to get some votes here? 4 of their 6 top scorers weren't on the roster the year before and swapping Paul George for Victor Oladipo didn't seem like a great move at the time but it sure made the Pacers a better team. I was impressed by Koby Altman's (Cavs) moves at the trade deadline and with Neil Olshey (Blazers) not making any panic moves (sometimes you've got to trust what you've put togeter).
Thursday, April 12, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (End of regular season)
Debuts
120 debuts this year, way up from last year's 88. There were 731 debuts in the previous 10 years, making for an average of 73 a year. So the amount of debuts has been steadily rising over the years with an explosion this year. Will the explosion continue? I don't see why not. More athletes are coming out of the NCAA each year and going into steadily expanding G-League, Chinese League, Australian League and thriving European leagues. Basketball is doing well around the world these days, I hope it continues and I think it will. I suspect the NBA putting more controlling efforts into USA basketball and the G-League will also eventually spawn a re-structuring of the NCAA system (which has always kinda sucked but appears to be ready for a major implosion; no matter happens, us Kentuckians expect the good times to keep rolling).
Waivings/Signings
Omri Casspi (Warriors) waived. (I thought Casspi was a natural fit for the Warriors, played 53 games this year, decent efficiency for a 14MPG guy; but he's been inactive for almost a month, guess the Warriors weren't confident he'd be available for the post-season; 50/50 whether he's plays in the league next year, I reckon)
Xaviers Silas (Celtics) waived. (Celtics needed to secure a roster spot, I assume)
MarShon Brooks (Grizzlies) signed 2yr contract. (Man, the PG/SG-desperate Grizzlies are really reaching deep these days. Even briefly had Marquis Teague; I assume this is roster manipulation)
Larry Drew (Cavs) waived; Kendrick Perkins (Cavs) signed for the playoffs. (I guess Drew was just a placeholder for the guy they always wanted; good lord, Perkins is out of the mothballs and ready for action; hey, if Amy Irving can pop up in a Soderbergh film, there's always room for the Perk)
Suspensions
Nerlens Noel (Mavs) and Thabo Sefolosha (Jazz) both suspended for violating the league drug policy. (weed, right?; Nerlens was always a whispered weedhead, never had that about Thabo before)
Injuries
Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs) out after ankle surgery. (Announced he'd be back for one more year; hey, he can still score, he's still unguardable, but he's already pretty horrible on defense; gotta say: I'm rooting for Luka Doncic to fall to Dallas)
Kyrie Irving (Celtics) knee surgery, presumably out for the entire playoffs. (Without Kyrie (and Smart) the Celtics have virtually no chance to go too deep, but if he can return, I wouldn't write off the Celtics just yet)
Isiah Whitehead (Nets) had wrist surgery; out of the rest of the year. (Didn't play much this year, sorta promising rookie season the year before, hopefully he heals up and gets back next year, Nets need all the bodies they can get)
Denzel Valentine (Bulls) had knee surgery; missed the last week of the season. (I like Valentine, hope he's ready for next year; he's not a Summer Leaguer, is he?)
Hirings
Mitch Kupchak named Hornets GM. (One of the all-time greats, we'll see if he's still got the magic; guess Jordan wanted a proper basketball man to run the show; if he can move Howard and Batum he'd be a favorite for Exec of the Year; but if he dedicates himself to the Triangle Offense, that would be a bad sign)
Firings
Knicks have fired coach Jeff Hornacek. (Rumors tend to lean toward Mark Jackson, though an attempt at Villanova's Jay Wright could be in the offing (if I were Wright, I'd stay at Villanova, keep the magic going there for as long as you can, the NBA will always be there)).
Magic fire coach Frank Vogel. (Personally I think this is a mistake--possibly. Look, the Magic for whatever reason have trouble luring free agents, so if they can't build around players, why not build around a coach? Perhaps Vogel wasn't the coach they want to build around. Okay, but even if he's not, I think they should stick with him anyway in hopes he can build a culture. The front office isn't doing it, the players aren't there, might as well make this a coach's team. At any rate, whoever the next coach is, I would suggest sticking by him regardless of what happens because that team doesn't seem to be building toward anything good)
120 debuts this year, way up from last year's 88. There were 731 debuts in the previous 10 years, making for an average of 73 a year. So the amount of debuts has been steadily rising over the years with an explosion this year. Will the explosion continue? I don't see why not. More athletes are coming out of the NCAA each year and going into steadily expanding G-League, Chinese League, Australian League and thriving European leagues. Basketball is doing well around the world these days, I hope it continues and I think it will. I suspect the NBA putting more controlling efforts into USA basketball and the G-League will also eventually spawn a re-structuring of the NCAA system (which has always kinda sucked but appears to be ready for a major implosion; no matter happens, us Kentuckians expect the good times to keep rolling).
Waivings/Signings
Omri Casspi (Warriors) waived. (I thought Casspi was a natural fit for the Warriors, played 53 games this year, decent efficiency for a 14MPG guy; but he's been inactive for almost a month, guess the Warriors weren't confident he'd be available for the post-season; 50/50 whether he's plays in the league next year, I reckon)
Xaviers Silas (Celtics) waived. (Celtics needed to secure a roster spot, I assume)
MarShon Brooks (Grizzlies) signed 2yr contract. (Man, the PG/SG-desperate Grizzlies are really reaching deep these days. Even briefly had Marquis Teague; I assume this is roster manipulation)
Larry Drew (Cavs) waived; Kendrick Perkins (Cavs) signed for the playoffs. (I guess Drew was just a placeholder for the guy they always wanted; good lord, Perkins is out of the mothballs and ready for action; hey, if Amy Irving can pop up in a Soderbergh film, there's always room for the Perk)
Suspensions
Nerlens Noel (Mavs) and Thabo Sefolosha (Jazz) both suspended for violating the league drug policy. (weed, right?; Nerlens was always a whispered weedhead, never had that about Thabo before)
Injuries
Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs) out after ankle surgery. (Announced he'd be back for one more year; hey, he can still score, he's still unguardable, but he's already pretty horrible on defense; gotta say: I'm rooting for Luka Doncic to fall to Dallas)
Kyrie Irving (Celtics) knee surgery, presumably out for the entire playoffs. (Without Kyrie (and Smart) the Celtics have virtually no chance to go too deep, but if he can return, I wouldn't write off the Celtics just yet)
Isiah Whitehead (Nets) had wrist surgery; out of the rest of the year. (Didn't play much this year, sorta promising rookie season the year before, hopefully he heals up and gets back next year, Nets need all the bodies they can get)
Denzel Valentine (Bulls) had knee surgery; missed the last week of the season. (I like Valentine, hope he's ready for next year; he's not a Summer Leaguer, is he?)
Hirings
Mitch Kupchak named Hornets GM. (One of the all-time greats, we'll see if he's still got the magic; guess Jordan wanted a proper basketball man to run the show; if he can move Howard and Batum he'd be a favorite for Exec of the Year; but if he dedicates himself to the Triangle Offense, that would be a bad sign)
Firings
Knicks have fired coach Jeff Hornacek. (Rumors tend to lean toward Mark Jackson, though an attempt at Villanova's Jay Wright could be in the offing (if I were Wright, I'd stay at Villanova, keep the magic going there for as long as you can, the NBA will always be there)).
Magic fire coach Frank Vogel. (Personally I think this is a mistake--possibly. Look, the Magic for whatever reason have trouble luring free agents, so if they can't build around players, why not build around a coach? Perhaps Vogel wasn't the coach they want to build around. Okay, but even if he's not, I think they should stick with him anyway in hopes he can build a culture. The front office isn't doing it, the players aren't there, might as well make this a coach's team. At any rate, whoever the next coach is, I would suggest sticking by him regardless of what happens because that team doesn't seem to be building toward anything good)
Thursday, April 5, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 24)
Injuries
Tom Benson, owner of the Pelicans (and Saints), is out for the rest of the year (and all future years). He was a dancing fool and a beloved soul in the most soulful town in the world. Godspeed.
Michael Carter-Williams (Hornets) out for the year after shoulder surgery.
Wes Matthews (Mavs) likely done for the year with a broken leg.
Daniel Theis (Celtics) likely done for the year with knee injury. (Will Theis be playing in Summer League?)
Kent Bazemore (Hawks) out for the year with knee bruise. (Shut him down, no need to risk accidentally winning games down the stretch)
Raul Neto (Jazz) out for the season with fractured wrist. (Would've provided depth in the playoffs)
Avery Bradley (Clippers) likely done for the year with a sports hernia. (Do the Clippers have any interest in re-signing him?)
Marcus Smart (Celtics) out for the year with a thumb injury. (Ouch! Smart is the ultimate eye test player: his numbers are not impressive but when you watch the Celtics, you can't help but notice that they're better when he's in there. I assume he won't be back with the Celtics next year, curious to see how they'll replace him)
Tyronn Lue (Cavs) has missed the last 8 games with unspecified health concerns. Is expected to return any day now.
Antonio Blakeney (Bulls) out for the year with wrist injury.
Kyrie Irving (Celtics) is out indefinitely after knee surgery. Should be back for the playoffs.
Steph Curry (Warriors) is out indefinitely with sprained knee (and nagging ankle injury?). Likely to miss the 1st round of the playoffs.
Dennis Shroder (Hawks) out for the year with a sprained ankle. (Shut him down!)
Moe Harkless (Blazers) out indefinitely after knee surgery. (Hmmm, back for the playoffs? They'll need everyone to throw at the Warriors)
Alexis Ajinca (Pelicans) out for the year after knee surgery.
Milos Teodosic (Clippers) out for the year with plantar fascia. (Isn't that what he had at the beginning of the year?)
Isiah Thomas (Lakers) out for the year with that hip injury. (Buzz is the Lakers want him back, kinda doubt they'll pay him what he wants)
Joel Embiid (Sixers) out indefinitely with fractured orbital bone. (Hate to see any kind of injury but it was probably time to ease back his minutes heading into the playoffs. Should be back for the 1st round)
Troy Williams (Knicks) out for the year with a broken jaw. (Ouch)
Just today it was announced that Kyrie Irving (Celtics) will not be returning this season. (The Celtics are already without Marcus Smart and relying heavily on Jayson Tatum--having a helluva season but still a rookie--not surprising that the Celtics figure it was best to shut Kyrie down and come back strong next year)
Signings
Derrick Rose (Wolves) signed for the rest of the year. (I dunno, man, I don't think he's got much to offer here but Coach Thibs is loyal to his soldiers)
Wade Baldwin (Blazers) signed for the rest of the year. (I thought he was intriguing draft prospect a coupla years back but if he couldn't catch on with the Guard-desperate Grizzlies, doesn't feel like he's gonna hang around)
Troy Williams (Knicks) signed 2yr/$1.8m. (Uhhhh....I don't know who he is or what the Knicks expect of him)
Shaq Harrison (Suns) signed 2yr/$1.5m. (Another PG in Phoenix? Is this a roster manipulation move?)
Antonius Cleveland (Hawks) signed for the rest of the year. (Already bounced around quite a bit for a rookie. Hawks need bodies for now)
Ramon Sessions (Wizards) signed for the rest of the year. (PG depth for the playoff run)
Georgios Papagiannis (Blazers) signed 2yr/undisclosed. (A castoff from the Grizzlies and another from the Kings to round out the Summer League squad?)
Jaylen Morris (Hawks) signed 2yr/undsiclosed. (The Hawks really need bodies)
Sean Kilpatrick (Bulls) signed a 3yr/$6.2m. (Hmmmm, not sure this was necessary. Either they found a player they really like or this is a roster manipulation)
Travis Wear (Lakers) signed for the rest of the season. (I kinda liked Wear with the Knicks a while back, nice to see him back in the league)
Rodney Purvis (Magic) signed 2 yr/undisclosed. (I haven't understood anything the Magic has done in at least 3-4 years now)
Tim Quarterman (Rockets) signed 2yr/undisclosed. (Now this I'm certain is a roster manipulation, Daryl Morey being the master of such moves)
Waivings
Rashad Vaughn (Magic), Mirza Teletovic (Bucks), Derrick Williams (Lakers), Brandan Wright (Rockets), James Young (Sixers), CJ Fair (Bulls), Brice Johnson (Grizzlies), Le'Bryan Nash (Rockets) have all been waived. (Le'Bryan Nash was in the NBA?)
Debuts
Up to 115 debuts this year: Chris Boucher (Warriors), Jameel Warney (Mavs), Damion Lee (Hawks), Rodney Purvis (Magic), Justin Patton (Wolves).
NCAA Final (Michigan 62-79 Villanova)
I slacked off the last 4 weeks giving my attention to the college game for a while. In the championship game, Michigan hit shots early on and kept pace with Villanova (who quickly blew out Kansas in the semi-final game), felt like we were gonna get a competitive game. But Nova was up by halftime and dominated the 2nd half. Throughout the season I thought Virginia was the best team, while Duke and Arizona had the most talent top to bottom. But Villanova was top quality, too, and in the tourney they tightened up and made quick work of Alabama, West Virginia and Texas Tech--all quality squads--in addition to Kansas and Michigan. Another impressive tournament run. Villanova is starting to get on my nerves (that's how you know they're good).
Tom Benson, owner of the Pelicans (and Saints), is out for the rest of the year (and all future years). He was a dancing fool and a beloved soul in the most soulful town in the world. Godspeed.
Michael Carter-Williams (Hornets) out for the year after shoulder surgery.
Wes Matthews (Mavs) likely done for the year with a broken leg.
Daniel Theis (Celtics) likely done for the year with knee injury. (Will Theis be playing in Summer League?)
Kent Bazemore (Hawks) out for the year with knee bruise. (Shut him down, no need to risk accidentally winning games down the stretch)
Raul Neto (Jazz) out for the season with fractured wrist. (Would've provided depth in the playoffs)
Avery Bradley (Clippers) likely done for the year with a sports hernia. (Do the Clippers have any interest in re-signing him?)
Marcus Smart (Celtics) out for the year with a thumb injury. (Ouch! Smart is the ultimate eye test player: his numbers are not impressive but when you watch the Celtics, you can't help but notice that they're better when he's in there. I assume he won't be back with the Celtics next year, curious to see how they'll replace him)
Tyronn Lue (Cavs) has missed the last 8 games with unspecified health concerns. Is expected to return any day now.
Antonio Blakeney (Bulls) out for the year with wrist injury.
Kyrie Irving (Celtics) is out indefinitely after knee surgery. Should be back for the playoffs.
Steph Curry (Warriors) is out indefinitely with sprained knee (and nagging ankle injury?). Likely to miss the 1st round of the playoffs.
Dennis Shroder (Hawks) out for the year with a sprained ankle. (Shut him down!)
Moe Harkless (Blazers) out indefinitely after knee surgery. (Hmmm, back for the playoffs? They'll need everyone to throw at the Warriors)
Alexis Ajinca (Pelicans) out for the year after knee surgery.
Milos Teodosic (Clippers) out for the year with plantar fascia. (Isn't that what he had at the beginning of the year?)
Isiah Thomas (Lakers) out for the year with that hip injury. (Buzz is the Lakers want him back, kinda doubt they'll pay him what he wants)
Joel Embiid (Sixers) out indefinitely with fractured orbital bone. (Hate to see any kind of injury but it was probably time to ease back his minutes heading into the playoffs. Should be back for the 1st round)
Troy Williams (Knicks) out for the year with a broken jaw. (Ouch)
Just today it was announced that Kyrie Irving (Celtics) will not be returning this season. (The Celtics are already without Marcus Smart and relying heavily on Jayson Tatum--having a helluva season but still a rookie--not surprising that the Celtics figure it was best to shut Kyrie down and come back strong next year)
Signings
Derrick Rose (Wolves) signed for the rest of the year. (I dunno, man, I don't think he's got much to offer here but Coach Thibs is loyal to his soldiers)
Wade Baldwin (Blazers) signed for the rest of the year. (I thought he was intriguing draft prospect a coupla years back but if he couldn't catch on with the Guard-desperate Grizzlies, doesn't feel like he's gonna hang around)
Troy Williams (Knicks) signed 2yr/$1.8m. (Uhhhh....I don't know who he is or what the Knicks expect of him)
Shaq Harrison (Suns) signed 2yr/$1.5m. (Another PG in Phoenix? Is this a roster manipulation move?)
Antonius Cleveland (Hawks) signed for the rest of the year. (Already bounced around quite a bit for a rookie. Hawks need bodies for now)
Ramon Sessions (Wizards) signed for the rest of the year. (PG depth for the playoff run)
Georgios Papagiannis (Blazers) signed 2yr/undisclosed. (A castoff from the Grizzlies and another from the Kings to round out the Summer League squad?)
Jaylen Morris (Hawks) signed 2yr/undsiclosed. (The Hawks really need bodies)
Sean Kilpatrick (Bulls) signed a 3yr/$6.2m. (Hmmmm, not sure this was necessary. Either they found a player they really like or this is a roster manipulation)
Travis Wear (Lakers) signed for the rest of the season. (I kinda liked Wear with the Knicks a while back, nice to see him back in the league)
Rodney Purvis (Magic) signed 2 yr/undisclosed. (I haven't understood anything the Magic has done in at least 3-4 years now)
Tim Quarterman (Rockets) signed 2yr/undisclosed. (Now this I'm certain is a roster manipulation, Daryl Morey being the master of such moves)
Waivings
Rashad Vaughn (Magic), Mirza Teletovic (Bucks), Derrick Williams (Lakers), Brandan Wright (Rockets), James Young (Sixers), CJ Fair (Bulls), Brice Johnson (Grizzlies), Le'Bryan Nash (Rockets) have all been waived. (Le'Bryan Nash was in the NBA?)
Debuts
Up to 115 debuts this year: Chris Boucher (Warriors), Jameel Warney (Mavs), Damion Lee (Hawks), Rodney Purvis (Magic), Justin Patton (Wolves).
NCAA Final (Michigan 62-79 Villanova)
I slacked off the last 4 weeks giving my attention to the college game for a while. In the championship game, Michigan hit shots early on and kept pace with Villanova (who quickly blew out Kansas in the semi-final game), felt like we were gonna get a competitive game. But Nova was up by halftime and dominated the 2nd half. Throughout the season I thought Virginia was the best team, while Duke and Arizona had the most talent top to bottom. But Villanova was top quality, too, and in the tourney they tightened up and made quick work of Alabama, West Virginia and Texas Tech--all quality squads--in addition to Kansas and Michigan. Another impressive tournament run. Villanova is starting to get on my nerves (that's how you know they're good).
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 20)
Signings/Waivings
Sixers waived Trevor Booker to sign Ersan Ilyasova for the rest of the season. (Is this an upgrade? Ilyasova will shoot 3's but he's not very good at them...so....not sure I see the point of this; also, if you're keeping score at home, this is the conclusion of the Jahlil Okafor drafting, no?)
Lakers waive Corey Brewer, who was then signed by the Thunder for the rest of the year. (Brewer gives the Thunder a little scoring off the bench but he's not a replacement for Andre Roberson and probably conflicts with Melo, so not this doesn't strike me as a great fit (unless they convince Melo to move to China or something))
Wolves waive Shabazz Muhammad, who was then signed by the Bucks for the rest of the season. (Bazz has nice moments, think of him as Jeff Green 2.0, could be a nice low risk pickup for the Bucks)
Injuries
Josh Hart (Lakers) out indefinitely with a fractured left hand. (Hart had a nice season, averaging about 20MPG, not bad for a rookie; doesn't seem like he'll be back for the rest of this year, will we see him in Summer League?)
Danilo Gallinari (Clippers) out at least 2 weeks with fractured right hand. (Puts a dent in the Clippers playoff hopes but should be back by the end of the season)
Debuts
Up to 110 debuts this season with Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Grizzlies) and Jaylen Morris (Hawks) joining in.
Sixers waived Trevor Booker to sign Ersan Ilyasova for the rest of the season. (Is this an upgrade? Ilyasova will shoot 3's but he's not very good at them...so....not sure I see the point of this; also, if you're keeping score at home, this is the conclusion of the Jahlil Okafor drafting, no?)
Lakers waive Corey Brewer, who was then signed by the Thunder for the rest of the year. (Brewer gives the Thunder a little scoring off the bench but he's not a replacement for Andre Roberson and probably conflicts with Melo, so not this doesn't strike me as a great fit (unless they convince Melo to move to China or something))
Wolves waive Shabazz Muhammad, who was then signed by the Bucks for the rest of the season. (Bazz has nice moments, think of him as Jeff Green 2.0, could be a nice low risk pickup for the Bucks)
Injuries
Josh Hart (Lakers) out indefinitely with a fractured left hand. (Hart had a nice season, averaging about 20MPG, not bad for a rookie; doesn't seem like he'll be back for the rest of this year, will we see him in Summer League?)
Danilo Gallinari (Clippers) out at least 2 weeks with fractured right hand. (Puts a dent in the Clippers playoff hopes but should be back by the end of the season)
Debuts
Up to 110 debuts this season with Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Grizzlies) and Jaylen Morris (Hawks) joining in.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 19)
Firings
Rich Cho (Hornets) fired as General Manager.
(Gotta be honest: I totally missed this story) The Hornets are a weird squad. My pre-season thoughts were that they actually had a shot at being vastly better than expected: if Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker perfectly meshed together, then I thought it would leave room to maximize everyone else's skills. Well....didn't happen. Kemba's actually having a pretty good season but no one else is meshing or maximizing and as a result the Hornets are the same sloppy mess that most people (including me deep down) thought they'd be. Was Rich Cho to blame? Ehh, my gut is Michael Jordan runs that team, but he's not getting fired so it was time for Jordan to find a new partner in crime (Mitch Kupchak?). In general Cho had an okay run in his 7 season with the Hornets. I think the Hornets' peak during this period was the 2013-14 season when Al Jefferson went off accompanied by the sneaky good one-year brilliance of Josh McRoberts; I think the Hornets have been searching for that McRoberts replacement ever since, never found it and were never able to make the most of anyone else in the last few years. But the one season was a bit of a fluke and during this period they haven't been able to really develop any young players.
Singings/Waivings
(10-day contract season is fully underway, I'll generally skip these unless an interesting move catches my eye)
Fines
Mark Cuban (Mavs) was fined $600,000 for suggesting in an interview that the Mavs' best strategy for the rest of the year was to tank. (I think the fine is a little excessive considering 1) the Mavs were already going to lose a lot of games going forward anyway and 2) well...I mean...he's right, isn't he?)
Injuries
Jimmy Butler (Wolves) had successful meniscus surgery on left knee. Out 4-6 weeks. (Time for Andrew Wiggins to do his best Jimmy Butler impression)
Avery Bradley (Clippers) diagnosed with sports hernia, day to day. (Hmmm, those are notoriously difficult to play through, no word yet on how this affects his season but it may take him out of extended action)
Debuts
4 new debuts: Walt Lemon Jr (Pelicans), Shaquille Harrison (Suns), Trey McKinney-Jones (Pacers), Andrew White (Hawks)
Up to 108 NBA debuts this year, by far more than usual over the last 10 years and that's with 20-25 games left and 10-day contract period gearing up. I'm not sure what the single season record for debuts is but I think you have to go back to the very early days of the NBA,
Rich Cho (Hornets) fired as General Manager.
(Gotta be honest: I totally missed this story) The Hornets are a weird squad. My pre-season thoughts were that they actually had a shot at being vastly better than expected: if Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker perfectly meshed together, then I thought it would leave room to maximize everyone else's skills. Well....didn't happen. Kemba's actually having a pretty good season but no one else is meshing or maximizing and as a result the Hornets are the same sloppy mess that most people (including me deep down) thought they'd be. Was Rich Cho to blame? Ehh, my gut is Michael Jordan runs that team, but he's not getting fired so it was time for Jordan to find a new partner in crime (Mitch Kupchak?). In general Cho had an okay run in his 7 season with the Hornets. I think the Hornets' peak during this period was the 2013-14 season when Al Jefferson went off accompanied by the sneaky good one-year brilliance of Josh McRoberts; I think the Hornets have been searching for that McRoberts replacement ever since, never found it and were never able to make the most of anyone else in the last few years. But the one season was a bit of a fluke and during this period they haven't been able to really develop any young players.
Singings/Waivings
(10-day contract season is fully underway, I'll generally skip these unless an interesting move catches my eye)
Fines
Mark Cuban (Mavs) was fined $600,000 for suggesting in an interview that the Mavs' best strategy for the rest of the year was to tank. (I think the fine is a little excessive considering 1) the Mavs were already going to lose a lot of games going forward anyway and 2) well...I mean...he's right, isn't he?)
Injuries
Jimmy Butler (Wolves) had successful meniscus surgery on left knee. Out 4-6 weeks. (Time for Andrew Wiggins to do his best Jimmy Butler impression)
Avery Bradley (Clippers) diagnosed with sports hernia, day to day. (Hmmm, those are notoriously difficult to play through, no word yet on how this affects his season but it may take him out of extended action)
Debuts
4 new debuts: Walt Lemon Jr (Pelicans), Shaquille Harrison (Suns), Trey McKinney-Jones (Pacers), Andrew White (Hawks)
Up to 108 NBA debuts this year, by far more than usual over the last 10 years and that's with 20-25 games left and 10-day contract period gearing up. I'm not sure what the single season record for debuts is but I think you have to go back to the very early days of the NBA,
Thursday, February 22, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (All-Star Week)
No moves to report this week as everyone has been taking the week off (though I half expected to see that Fergie's ear for music was out for the rest of the year). Though it is a bit beyond halfway through the season, now seems like a good time to look over my pre-season predictions.
MVP
I went with Lebron (Cavs), not a bad pick, he's certainly in the running. But clearly for now James Harden (Rockets) is the MVP. His efficiency is still incredible and now with Chris Paul, he finally has a foil with whom to breeze through the regular season. I expect Lebron and Harden to be the top two vote-getters although I suppose one could argue Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks) may well have another gear to get to and if you're looking for a crazy longshot I guess Anthony Davis (Pelicans) and Blake Griffin (Pistons) have potential for miracle-working. Otherwise, I can't really point to anyone on those Warriors or Celtics squads, DeRozan (Raptors) and Jimmy Butler (Wolves) are having great years but not MVP-type years, the Wizards seem to be better without John Wall, and no one else in the west really stands out.
Rookie of the Year
I'll still go with Ben Simmons (Sixers) though Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) has certainly been impressive lately; Simmons is still leading all rookies in pretty much everything (except PPG in which he's 2nd to Mitchell). After those two I'd rank them Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) (way better than I thought he'd be), Jaysun Tatum (Celtics) (I'd say Markannen is more important to his team but Tatum is already a reliable contributor on a really good team), Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) (kid can shoot), Dennis Smith (Mavs) (perhaps I'm overrating him a little because the Mavs are so...nothing right now, but the kid's a badass), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) (I watch a lot more of the Kings than I should and I think this kid's really fucking good, perhaps I'm overrating him but I suspect no one else is watching him), Lonzo Ball (Lakers) (he started out overrated, then went through an underrated period, out for while and feels like people are finally properly rating him; so will he close the season over- or underrated?). After that I've really liked DeAaron Fox (Kings), OG Anunoby (Raptors), Bam Adebayo (Heat), John Collins (Hawks), Frank Ntilikina (Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies), Josh Jackson (Suns), Josh Hart (Lakers), Daniel Theis (Celtics). (Pleased to report that in my preview I never once mentioned Markelle Fultz (Sixers)).
Defensive Player of the Year
Kevin Durant (Warriors) and Anthony Davis (Pelicans) are honestly the only two I could come up with. (I dunno, does it seem like no one's playing defense this year?) Kawhi (Spurs) hasn't played, Gobert (Jazz) was out for a long stretch, Deandre Jordan (Clippers) has been more noted for trade talk than blocked shots and the Celtics play a solid team defense but there are no particular standours. Demarcus Cousins (Pelicans) was having a great year at both ends but he's out now.
6th Man
I never would've thought it...but gotta go with Lou Williams (Clippers). He's having another great season off the bench. There's a lot of season left though, still time for Eric Gordon (Rockets), Julius Randle (Lakers), Jordan Clarkson (Cavs), Rodney Hood (Cavs) to shine out. And keep an eye on my man Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings).
Coach of the Year
I cannot go with Mike D'Antoni (Rockets) or Dwayne Casey (Raptors), I'm just not convinced that they're good coaches. Nor can I go with Ty Lue (Cavs) or Steve Kerr (Warriors). It's typical to go with the top of the table coaches but I'm not buying it. My pre-season picks were Steve Clifford (Hornets) because I thought there was a slight chance that the Hornets could be vastly improved (uh....nope) and Mike Malone (Nuggets) because I thought he held the key to maximizing the team. Well, Clifford is clearly out but I'm sticking with Malone. And in the East I'll go with Nate MacMillan (Pacers), a surprise pick for sure, but the Pacers are way better than I would've thought possible and you gotta credit the coach with getting the most out of a weird collection of players trying to replace a legend. That said, Brad Stevens (Celtics) will have to lot of say in whether the Celtics can hold off the Cavs and/or catch the Raptors. And with the crazy tightness in the West, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gregg Popovich (Spurs) get some votes this year (or none at all).
Executive of the Year
I assumed either the Thunder and the Celtics had this in the bag based on their bang-up off-seasons. But gotta give the Cavs credit for pulling off some nifty moves at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Thunder have shown sparks but still haven't quite found their groove yet. The Celtics are still in the running (mainly because I still like them to finish ahead of the Cavs) but they've been struggling lately leaving room for the new look Cavs to bust out in the East. I also still like the Kings moves this year: redeeming the overpriced asset that was George Hill was a move well done and cuttung bait on Papagiannis looks like a waste but one could argue it was a mature and gutsy move.
East
I had Celtics, Raptors, Cavs, Wizards as the top 4; feels like the Raptors will hold on to the top spot but I like the Celtics to hold off the Cavs. Next I had Heat, Bucks, Hornets, Pistons; the Pacers have overachieved and the Sixers are ahead of schedule it seems to me, but the Bucks are where they ought to be and the Heat are only slightly off the pace. As for the Pistons, I dunno, I never know what to do with them, maybe they're good or maybe not, I dunno. And, well, I went out on a limb that the Hornets would be a surprise this year....no, they kinda suck just like they were supposed to. And the Knicks, Bulls, Nets, Magic and Hawks are all on track.
West
I had the Warriors, Thunder, Rockets and Spurs as the top 4; and so far I'm not too far off. The Rockets are better than I thought they'd be (though I'm still dubious of them as a playoff team), and the Warriors are still awesome (but haven't yet showed much killer instinct). But #3 through #10 right now are seperated by only 4.5 games so anything's possible going forward--yes, even the Spurs falling completely out of the post-season! I didn't believe in the Pelicans and though they've got a playoff spot at the moment, I still don't believe in them. I initially predicted Nuggets, Clippers, Wolves, Jazz but I can't see the Clippers being there at the end (Lou Williams for MVP if they do). The Wolves are looking at home games in the post-season, I'm still in on the Thunder, I think the Jazz have room to get better (after getting in a good groove lately). So that last playoff spot is down to the Blazers, Pelicans and Clippers and out of those three, I gotta go Blazers.
New post-season prediction
Raptors over Sixers (the youngsters will give the Raptors just enough of a test)
Celtics over Heat (Heat are wacky but the Celtics will get it done)
Cavs over Wizards (you know Lebron always sweeps the 1st round, right?)
Bucks over Pacers (fun series, I like the Bucks' athleticism to pull it out)
Rockets over Blazers (Rockets have too much offense)
Warriors over Jazz (Jazz will give the Warriors a good test)
Thunder over Nuggets (Thunder in 5)
Wolves over Spurs (Unless Kawhi comes back with a chip on his shoulder, I don't like the Spurs)
Raptors over Bucks (fun series!)
Cavs over Celtics (I like the Celtics, but they're not ready to beat Lebron)
Rockets over Wolves (Wolves aren't ready, Rockets will run them out)
Warriors over Thunder (best series of the post-season)
Cavs over Raptors (yeah...are you ready for another Raptor sweep?)
Warriors over Rockets (I don't believe in the Rockets as a playoff team, Warriors will be ready)
Warriors over Cavs in 6 (Warriors will be ready to show off that they're still the best)
MVP
I went with Lebron (Cavs), not a bad pick, he's certainly in the running. But clearly for now James Harden (Rockets) is the MVP. His efficiency is still incredible and now with Chris Paul, he finally has a foil with whom to breeze through the regular season. I expect Lebron and Harden to be the top two vote-getters although I suppose one could argue Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks) may well have another gear to get to and if you're looking for a crazy longshot I guess Anthony Davis (Pelicans) and Blake Griffin (Pistons) have potential for miracle-working. Otherwise, I can't really point to anyone on those Warriors or Celtics squads, DeRozan (Raptors) and Jimmy Butler (Wolves) are having great years but not MVP-type years, the Wizards seem to be better without John Wall, and no one else in the west really stands out.
Rookie of the Year
I'll still go with Ben Simmons (Sixers) though Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) has certainly been impressive lately; Simmons is still leading all rookies in pretty much everything (except PPG in which he's 2nd to Mitchell). After those two I'd rank them Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) (way better than I thought he'd be), Jaysun Tatum (Celtics) (I'd say Markannen is more important to his team but Tatum is already a reliable contributor on a really good team), Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) (kid can shoot), Dennis Smith (Mavs) (perhaps I'm overrating him a little because the Mavs are so...nothing right now, but the kid's a badass), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) (I watch a lot more of the Kings than I should and I think this kid's really fucking good, perhaps I'm overrating him but I suspect no one else is watching him), Lonzo Ball (Lakers) (he started out overrated, then went through an underrated period, out for while and feels like people are finally properly rating him; so will he close the season over- or underrated?). After that I've really liked DeAaron Fox (Kings), OG Anunoby (Raptors), Bam Adebayo (Heat), John Collins (Hawks), Frank Ntilikina (Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies), Josh Jackson (Suns), Josh Hart (Lakers), Daniel Theis (Celtics). (Pleased to report that in my preview I never once mentioned Markelle Fultz (Sixers)).
Defensive Player of the Year
Kevin Durant (Warriors) and Anthony Davis (Pelicans) are honestly the only two I could come up with. (I dunno, does it seem like no one's playing defense this year?) Kawhi (Spurs) hasn't played, Gobert (Jazz) was out for a long stretch, Deandre Jordan (Clippers) has been more noted for trade talk than blocked shots and the Celtics play a solid team defense but there are no particular standours. Demarcus Cousins (Pelicans) was having a great year at both ends but he's out now.
6th Man
I never would've thought it...but gotta go with Lou Williams (Clippers). He's having another great season off the bench. There's a lot of season left though, still time for Eric Gordon (Rockets), Julius Randle (Lakers), Jordan Clarkson (Cavs), Rodney Hood (Cavs) to shine out. And keep an eye on my man Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings).
Coach of the Year
I cannot go with Mike D'Antoni (Rockets) or Dwayne Casey (Raptors), I'm just not convinced that they're good coaches. Nor can I go with Ty Lue (Cavs) or Steve Kerr (Warriors). It's typical to go with the top of the table coaches but I'm not buying it. My pre-season picks were Steve Clifford (Hornets) because I thought there was a slight chance that the Hornets could be vastly improved (uh....nope) and Mike Malone (Nuggets) because I thought he held the key to maximizing the team. Well, Clifford is clearly out but I'm sticking with Malone. And in the East I'll go with Nate MacMillan (Pacers), a surprise pick for sure, but the Pacers are way better than I would've thought possible and you gotta credit the coach with getting the most out of a weird collection of players trying to replace a legend. That said, Brad Stevens (Celtics) will have to lot of say in whether the Celtics can hold off the Cavs and/or catch the Raptors. And with the crazy tightness in the West, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gregg Popovich (Spurs) get some votes this year (or none at all).
Executive of the Year
I assumed either the Thunder and the Celtics had this in the bag based on their bang-up off-seasons. But gotta give the Cavs credit for pulling off some nifty moves at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Thunder have shown sparks but still haven't quite found their groove yet. The Celtics are still in the running (mainly because I still like them to finish ahead of the Cavs) but they've been struggling lately leaving room for the new look Cavs to bust out in the East. I also still like the Kings moves this year: redeeming the overpriced asset that was George Hill was a move well done and cuttung bait on Papagiannis looks like a waste but one could argue it was a mature and gutsy move.
East
I had Celtics, Raptors, Cavs, Wizards as the top 4; feels like the Raptors will hold on to the top spot but I like the Celtics to hold off the Cavs. Next I had Heat, Bucks, Hornets, Pistons; the Pacers have overachieved and the Sixers are ahead of schedule it seems to me, but the Bucks are where they ought to be and the Heat are only slightly off the pace. As for the Pistons, I dunno, I never know what to do with them, maybe they're good or maybe not, I dunno. And, well, I went out on a limb that the Hornets would be a surprise this year....no, they kinda suck just like they were supposed to. And the Knicks, Bulls, Nets, Magic and Hawks are all on track.
West
I had the Warriors, Thunder, Rockets and Spurs as the top 4; and so far I'm not too far off. The Rockets are better than I thought they'd be (though I'm still dubious of them as a playoff team), and the Warriors are still awesome (but haven't yet showed much killer instinct). But #3 through #10 right now are seperated by only 4.5 games so anything's possible going forward--yes, even the Spurs falling completely out of the post-season! I didn't believe in the Pelicans and though they've got a playoff spot at the moment, I still don't believe in them. I initially predicted Nuggets, Clippers, Wolves, Jazz but I can't see the Clippers being there at the end (Lou Williams for MVP if they do). The Wolves are looking at home games in the post-season, I'm still in on the Thunder, I think the Jazz have room to get better (after getting in a good groove lately). So that last playoff spot is down to the Blazers, Pelicans and Clippers and out of those three, I gotta go Blazers.
New post-season prediction
Raptors over Sixers (the youngsters will give the Raptors just enough of a test)
Celtics over Heat (Heat are wacky but the Celtics will get it done)
Cavs over Wizards (you know Lebron always sweeps the 1st round, right?)
Bucks over Pacers (fun series, I like the Bucks' athleticism to pull it out)
Rockets over Blazers (Rockets have too much offense)
Warriors over Jazz (Jazz will give the Warriors a good test)
Thunder over Nuggets (Thunder in 5)
Wolves over Spurs (Unless Kawhi comes back with a chip on his shoulder, I don't like the Spurs)
Raptors over Bucks (fun series!)
Cavs over Celtics (I like the Celtics, but they're not ready to beat Lebron)
Rockets over Wolves (Wolves aren't ready, Rockets will run them out)
Warriors over Thunder (best series of the post-season)
Cavs over Raptors (yeah...are you ready for another Raptor sweep?)
Warriors over Rockets (I don't believe in the Rockets as a playoff team, Warriors will be ready)
Warriors over Cavs in 6 (Warriors will be ready to show off that they're still the best)
Friday, February 9, 2018
2017-18 NBA Trade Deadline recap
The moves
Bulls get Noah Vonleh; Blazers get draft rights to Milocan Rakovic and cash
Bulls get Willie Reed; Pistons get Jameer Nelson and rights to 2022 2nd round pick swap
Cavs get 2024 2nd round pick; Heat get Dwayne Wade
Cavs get Rodney Hood, George Hill, rights to Arturis Gudaitis; Jazz get Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose;
Kings get Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert, Cavs 2020 2nd round pick, cash
Cavs get Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson; Lakers get 2018 1st round pick, Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye
Grizzlies get Brice Johnson, undisclosed 2nd round pick; Pistons get James Ennis
Hawks get Okaro White; Heat get Luke Babbitt
Knicks get Emmanual Mudiay, 2018 2nd round pick; Nuggets get Devin Harris, 2018 2nd round pick; Mavs get Doug McDermott
Suns get Elfrid Peyton; Magic get 2nd round pick
Pelicans get Rashad Vaughn; Nets get Dante Cunningham
Raptors get Malachi Richardson; Kings get Bruno Caboclo
Also, Tony Allen waived by the Bulls, Greg Monroe signs with the Celtics
Team by team
Bulls -- Picked up a last look at Noah Vonleh (his 3rd team though still on his rookie contract), Willie Reed (who has already been waived) and all it costs them was the recently received Jameer Nelson (who would've been waived anyway), a 2nd round pick swap (2nd round pick swap? Is that a thing?), and some cash. Well, along with Omer Asik, they picked up a lot of veteran bodies down low, to go with Robin Lopez, they surely have depth there now (of course, they're all injury-prone). Not sure what these moves do for them but they don't cost much, so worth a try, I reckon.
Cavs -- They did the most to remake their team, which clearly needed to happen. Brought in George Hill (I like the move, gives them a confident ball handling PG that can score and play D off the bench), Rodney Hood (streaky shooter but can fill it up on any given night), Larry Nance Jr (active young scorer down low), Jordan Clarkson (much maligned but I think he's a good fit for the Cavs, a confident reliable presence off the bench), a 2nd round pick (top 55 protected meaning it's basically worthless) and the rights to Arturo Gudaitis (AKA future trade filler). I think all four of those guys will help the Cavs. And all they had to give up was mostly addition by subtraction: Isaiah Thomas (hmmm, well that was a disaster, huh? He was hurt most of the time, he was divisive in the locker room and he wasn't very good on the court, getting rid of Thomas was more important than getting anything in return), Jae Crowder (another part of the Kyrie trade that never really fit in with the Cavs), Dwayne Wade (okay I'll say it: he's virtually useless at this point in his career, surprised the Heat took him back), Channing Frye (always thought he could've be more useful to the Cavs than they ever let him be, felt to me like he was more valuable than just trade filler), Derrick Rose (meh, he never did get into the swing of things in Cleveland), Iman Shumpert (though I was never much of a Shump fan, he did serve a worthwhile need to the Cavs that doesn't really get replaced in any of these moves), a 2018 1st round pick (not a big deal, the Cavs don't draft particularly well to be honest) and 2020 2nd round pick (probably a worthless pick anyway). I kinda love these moves for the Cavs, I think they've brought in a raft of hungry, underappreciated players and shipped out a pile of lethargic overrated players. The Cavs are still in the driver's seat in the Eastern playoffs.
Hawks -- Okaro White, ladies and gentlemen! The future starts now! Honestly I don't know who Okaro White is but I do know Luke Babbitt and White is probably just fine. Not sure what this move does for either team but it doesn't look like it'll hurt anything.
Grizzlies -- Brought in a rookie (I kinda like Brice Johnson with the Tarheels, never saw him with the Pistons) for a vet that's been hanging around forever (Ennis has been around been never really played anywhere). Got themselves a bonus 2nd round pick, which isn't bad, they need every lottery ticket they can get.
Jazz -- Brought in Derrick Rose (soon to be waived? They don't really need another ball hogging PG) and Jae Crowder (I think he can be useful to the Jazz, his defense and veteran presence can lift a young team), though it cost them Rodney Hood (inconsistent but damn good at times, I guess they weren't planning on bringing him back) and Joe Johnson (agitating for a trade/waiving, I'm sure) and they sent out cash to make this happen? Hmmm....I guess they needed to do this because I'm not seeing these moves as upgrades.
Heat -- Back comes Dwayne Wade (not as old as Udonis Haslem...can't think of anything else nice to say about him) and Luke Babbitt (uhhh....I'm guessing he has a hot girlfriend....can't think of anything else to say about him). Neither of these moves make the team better (or, to be fair, worse I guess). All it cost them was Okaro White (minor character on Starsky & Hutch, right?) and a 2024 top-55 protected 2nd round pick (the farthest away possible move to make, meaning its basically just imaginary), so...whew, almost like they didn't make a move, isn't it? Yeah, they brought back the hometown fave Hall of Famer but hard to imagine they win a single extra game because of him.
Kings -- Brought in Bruno Caboclo (big man project making Giannis Papagiannis expendable), Joe Johnson (who I assume will be waived any day now) and Iman Shumpert (I kinda like his potential for veteran presence in this youth movement, he can be a good player for them), they also get a bunch of cash and a 2020 2nd round pick from the Cavs (already earmarked for a European stash pick, I'm sure). And all it cost them was George Hill (I still believe in Hill but on this team I thought he was utterly worthless, not a good fit for where they are and what they need to be doing, his absence is a welcome addition) and Malachi Richardson (never really found his place in Sacramento). Great day for the Kings!
Suns -- Brought in Elfrid Peyton (not sure they bring him back next year but they do need PG depth for the rest of the year) and give up only a 2nd round pick. A temporary fill-in for a pick that was not likely to help them and if they can get a good deal on Peyton, they may well bring him back.
Lakers -- Brought in Isaiah Thomas (wouldn't be surprised if they waive him, he doesn't serve any purpose for them and has the chance to be a real bring-down in the locker room) and Channing Frye (again, I think Frye would've be useful for the Jazz but not for the Lakers, I'm guessing they'll use him for minutes rather than waive him) and a 1st round pick (won't be a great pick but Larry Nance and Kyle Kuzma show the Lakers have an ability to make the most of those late 1st rounders). Gave up on Jordan Clarkson (like him, don't love him, Lakers need cap room to go after free agents) and Larry Nance (that kinda hurts, man, I think Nance is pretty good and fit the Lakers well, but worth it to make salary cap space).
Knicks -- Brought in Emmanuel Mudiay (who just wasn't gonna make it in Denver), worth another look in New York, I guess. And sent out Doug McDermott (follow me now: when McDermott scored, the Knicks won games; not saying he was the most important player on the team but was helpful when effective, I think he can still be a good player in the NBA). And swapped 2nd round picks. I dunno, I don't really see the point of this since both contracts are expiring and the Knicks may well have a better 2nd round pick. Not sure what this does for the Knicks, seems to me they need all the scoring they can get rather than PG depth. And if they're just looking to save money, why not dump the entire roster?
Magic -- Got a 2nd round pick for Elfrid Peyton. Since they weren't bringing back Peyton, I guess they did well to get something for him. I like those early 2nd round picks, maybe the Magic can do something with it.
Mavs -- Pick up Doug McDermott (Dirk replacement?) for Devin Harris (you may remember him from that classic Brooks/Reiner routine "The 2000 Year Old Point Guard"). I like McDermott, I wouldn't be surprised is the Mavs re-sign him this summer.
Nuggets -- Brought in Devin Harris as a veteran version of Emmanual Mudiay and (likely) upgraded their 2nd round pick. Not really much difference but Harris replaces the veteran leadership they gave away with Jameer Nelson earlier in the year. A minimal move but not a bad one.
Pistons -- Brought in Jameer Nelson (nice veteran PG off the bench) and James Ennis (nice veteran practice player) for a guy they never really played there (Willie Reed) and a rookie that never found his space (Brice Johnson), and upgraded their 2022 2nd round pick for good measure. Not much of a move but probably fits them a little better for now.
Raptors -- Brought in Malachi Richardson (gives them some Guard depth, I suppose, hasn't done much yet in the league). Sent out Bruno Caboclo (I've liked his work in int'l play but he has yet to do much in the NBA). They've known for a while that Caboclo wasn't going to work so they redeemed him for a few years of a SG to develop. Ehh, I guess this move is something they wanted.
Pelicans -- Brought in Rashad Vaughn (disappointing so far but young enough to be intriguing, I suppose) while sending out the veteran Dante Cunningham. Both contracts were expiring so I'm not sure what this does for them unless they think can develop Vaughn.
Nets -- Brought in Dante Cunningham for a guy that never actually played for them (Rashad Vaughn). In a sense this completes their previous deal with the Bucks, I guess they just like the chances of getting something out of Cunningham more than Vaughn.
Bulls get Noah Vonleh; Blazers get draft rights to Milocan Rakovic and cash
Bulls get Willie Reed; Pistons get Jameer Nelson and rights to 2022 2nd round pick swap
Cavs get 2024 2nd round pick; Heat get Dwayne Wade
Cavs get Rodney Hood, George Hill, rights to Arturis Gudaitis; Jazz get Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose;
Kings get Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert, Cavs 2020 2nd round pick, cash
Cavs get Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson; Lakers get 2018 1st round pick, Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye
Grizzlies get Brice Johnson, undisclosed 2nd round pick; Pistons get James Ennis
Hawks get Okaro White; Heat get Luke Babbitt
Knicks get Emmanual Mudiay, 2018 2nd round pick; Nuggets get Devin Harris, 2018 2nd round pick; Mavs get Doug McDermott
Suns get Elfrid Peyton; Magic get 2nd round pick
Pelicans get Rashad Vaughn; Nets get Dante Cunningham
Raptors get Malachi Richardson; Kings get Bruno Caboclo
Also, Tony Allen waived by the Bulls, Greg Monroe signs with the Celtics
Team by team
Bulls -- Picked up a last look at Noah Vonleh (his 3rd team though still on his rookie contract), Willie Reed (who has already been waived) and all it costs them was the recently received Jameer Nelson (who would've been waived anyway), a 2nd round pick swap (2nd round pick swap? Is that a thing?), and some cash. Well, along with Omer Asik, they picked up a lot of veteran bodies down low, to go with Robin Lopez, they surely have depth there now (of course, they're all injury-prone). Not sure what these moves do for them but they don't cost much, so worth a try, I reckon.
Cavs -- They did the most to remake their team, which clearly needed to happen. Brought in George Hill (I like the move, gives them a confident ball handling PG that can score and play D off the bench), Rodney Hood (streaky shooter but can fill it up on any given night), Larry Nance Jr (active young scorer down low), Jordan Clarkson (much maligned but I think he's a good fit for the Cavs, a confident reliable presence off the bench), a 2nd round pick (top 55 protected meaning it's basically worthless) and the rights to Arturo Gudaitis (AKA future trade filler). I think all four of those guys will help the Cavs. And all they had to give up was mostly addition by subtraction: Isaiah Thomas (hmmm, well that was a disaster, huh? He was hurt most of the time, he was divisive in the locker room and he wasn't very good on the court, getting rid of Thomas was more important than getting anything in return), Jae Crowder (another part of the Kyrie trade that never really fit in with the Cavs), Dwayne Wade (okay I'll say it: he's virtually useless at this point in his career, surprised the Heat took him back), Channing Frye (always thought he could've be more useful to the Cavs than they ever let him be, felt to me like he was more valuable than just trade filler), Derrick Rose (meh, he never did get into the swing of things in Cleveland), Iman Shumpert (though I was never much of a Shump fan, he did serve a worthwhile need to the Cavs that doesn't really get replaced in any of these moves), a 2018 1st round pick (not a big deal, the Cavs don't draft particularly well to be honest) and 2020 2nd round pick (probably a worthless pick anyway). I kinda love these moves for the Cavs, I think they've brought in a raft of hungry, underappreciated players and shipped out a pile of lethargic overrated players. The Cavs are still in the driver's seat in the Eastern playoffs.
Hawks -- Okaro White, ladies and gentlemen! The future starts now! Honestly I don't know who Okaro White is but I do know Luke Babbitt and White is probably just fine. Not sure what this move does for either team but it doesn't look like it'll hurt anything.
Grizzlies -- Brought in a rookie (I kinda like Brice Johnson with the Tarheels, never saw him with the Pistons) for a vet that's been hanging around forever (Ennis has been around been never really played anywhere). Got themselves a bonus 2nd round pick, which isn't bad, they need every lottery ticket they can get.
Jazz -- Brought in Derrick Rose (soon to be waived? They don't really need another ball hogging PG) and Jae Crowder (I think he can be useful to the Jazz, his defense and veteran presence can lift a young team), though it cost them Rodney Hood (inconsistent but damn good at times, I guess they weren't planning on bringing him back) and Joe Johnson (agitating for a trade/waiving, I'm sure) and they sent out cash to make this happen? Hmmm....I guess they needed to do this because I'm not seeing these moves as upgrades.
Heat -- Back comes Dwayne Wade (not as old as Udonis Haslem...can't think of anything else nice to say about him) and Luke Babbitt (uhhh....I'm guessing he has a hot girlfriend....can't think of anything else to say about him). Neither of these moves make the team better (or, to be fair, worse I guess). All it cost them was Okaro White (minor character on Starsky & Hutch, right?) and a 2024 top-55 protected 2nd round pick (the farthest away possible move to make, meaning its basically just imaginary), so...whew, almost like they didn't make a move, isn't it? Yeah, they brought back the hometown fave Hall of Famer but hard to imagine they win a single extra game because of him.
Kings -- Brought in Bruno Caboclo (big man project making Giannis Papagiannis expendable), Joe Johnson (who I assume will be waived any day now) and Iman Shumpert (I kinda like his potential for veteran presence in this youth movement, he can be a good player for them), they also get a bunch of cash and a 2020 2nd round pick from the Cavs (already earmarked for a European stash pick, I'm sure). And all it cost them was George Hill (I still believe in Hill but on this team I thought he was utterly worthless, not a good fit for where they are and what they need to be doing, his absence is a welcome addition) and Malachi Richardson (never really found his place in Sacramento). Great day for the Kings!
Suns -- Brought in Elfrid Peyton (not sure they bring him back next year but they do need PG depth for the rest of the year) and give up only a 2nd round pick. A temporary fill-in for a pick that was not likely to help them and if they can get a good deal on Peyton, they may well bring him back.
Lakers -- Brought in Isaiah Thomas (wouldn't be surprised if they waive him, he doesn't serve any purpose for them and has the chance to be a real bring-down in the locker room) and Channing Frye (again, I think Frye would've be useful for the Jazz but not for the Lakers, I'm guessing they'll use him for minutes rather than waive him) and a 1st round pick (won't be a great pick but Larry Nance and Kyle Kuzma show the Lakers have an ability to make the most of those late 1st rounders). Gave up on Jordan Clarkson (like him, don't love him, Lakers need cap room to go after free agents) and Larry Nance (that kinda hurts, man, I think Nance is pretty good and fit the Lakers well, but worth it to make salary cap space).
Knicks -- Brought in Emmanuel Mudiay (who just wasn't gonna make it in Denver), worth another look in New York, I guess. And sent out Doug McDermott (follow me now: when McDermott scored, the Knicks won games; not saying he was the most important player on the team but was helpful when effective, I think he can still be a good player in the NBA). And swapped 2nd round picks. I dunno, I don't really see the point of this since both contracts are expiring and the Knicks may well have a better 2nd round pick. Not sure what this does for the Knicks, seems to me they need all the scoring they can get rather than PG depth. And if they're just looking to save money, why not dump the entire roster?
Magic -- Got a 2nd round pick for Elfrid Peyton. Since they weren't bringing back Peyton, I guess they did well to get something for him. I like those early 2nd round picks, maybe the Magic can do something with it.
Mavs -- Pick up Doug McDermott (Dirk replacement?) for Devin Harris (you may remember him from that classic Brooks/Reiner routine "The 2000 Year Old Point Guard"). I like McDermott, I wouldn't be surprised is the Mavs re-sign him this summer.
Nuggets -- Brought in Devin Harris as a veteran version of Emmanual Mudiay and (likely) upgraded their 2nd round pick. Not really much difference but Harris replaces the veteran leadership they gave away with Jameer Nelson earlier in the year. A minimal move but not a bad one.
Pistons -- Brought in Jameer Nelson (nice veteran PG off the bench) and James Ennis (nice veteran practice player) for a guy they never really played there (Willie Reed) and a rookie that never found his space (Brice Johnson), and upgraded their 2022 2nd round pick for good measure. Not much of a move but probably fits them a little better for now.
Raptors -- Brought in Malachi Richardson (gives them some Guard depth, I suppose, hasn't done much yet in the league). Sent out Bruno Caboclo (I've liked his work in int'l play but he has yet to do much in the NBA). They've known for a while that Caboclo wasn't going to work so they redeemed him for a few years of a SG to develop. Ehh, I guess this move is something they wanted.
Pelicans -- Brought in Rashad Vaughn (disappointing so far but young enough to be intriguing, I suppose) while sending out the veteran Dante Cunningham. Both contracts were expiring so I'm not sure what this does for them unless they think can develop Vaughn.
Nets -- Brought in Dante Cunningham for a guy that never actually played for them (Rashad Vaughn). In a sense this completes their previous deal with the Bucks, I guess they just like the chances of getting something out of Cunningham more than Vaughn.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
2017-18 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 16)
(Just one day before the trade deadline)
Trades
Pelicans get SF Nikola Mirotic, 2018 2nd round pick, 2021 2nd round pick swap; Bulls get C Omer Asik, SG Tony Allen, PG Jameer Nelson, 2018 1st round pick
The Pelicans have desperately needed wing scoring ever since they got Anthony Davis and Mirotic will be a step up for now, the two more years on his contract are very reasonable; and two 2nd round picks (50/50 they ever get either of them) are a nice bonus for getting off of Omer Asik's contract (worst in the NBA?). As for the Bulls, getting rid of Mirotic was an internal need and a 1st round pick (only top 5 protected) is probably all they needed to pull the trigger. As for Asik, well, he did have his best years in a Bulls uniform, maybe he could get some of that magic back (though I'm not betting on it). I would assume they could waive Nelson and Allen, who could go on to be bench-depth for playoff teams (Cavs seem to love guys like this).
Bucks get C Tyler Zeller; Nets get SG Rashad Vaughn, 2018 2nd round pick
I kinda like Tyler Zeller, gives the Bucks good big man depth. Whereas Vaughn never developed into a worthwhile shooting guard, though he'll get another chance in Brooklyn. As for the pick, the Nets still need every lottery ticket they can get (especially since they're still smarting from missing out on Kyle Kuzma).
Hornets get C Willy Hernangomez; Knicks get C Johnny O'Bryant, 2020 2nd round pick, 2021 2nd round pick
I like Hernangomez, who became expendable when the Knicks received Enes Kanter last summer. I admired O'Bryant when he was at LSU but he's never been much more than a pair of long legs on the bench in the NBA. The Knicks seem to have acquired the Sam Hinkie fetish for 2nd round picks (though I can't help thinking they could've done better for Hernangomez). Low cost flyer for the Hornets.
Tyreke Evans (Grizzlies), Avery Bradley (Clippers), Marcus Smart (Celtics) and Marco Belineli (Hawks) still expected to be traded in the next 12 hours or so.
Signings/Waivings
Jarrell Eddie (Celtics), Deandre Liggins (Pelicans), Nigel Hayes (Lakers), Quincy Pondexter (Bulls), Greg Monroe (Suns), Larry Drew (Sixers) all got waived.
Expected Greg Monroe to sign with the Celtics by now (I suppose they're waiting til after the trade deadline?).
Josh Gray (Suns), Emeka Okafor (Pelicans) signed to 10-day contracts.
NBA's latest rookie and a former Rookie of the Year.
Clippers sign SG Lou Williams to 3yr/$24m extension.
This was a surprise, they were expected to trade Williams, flip the script by signing him long term instead. Lou is getting up in age but he's showing he can stay play and I think its a reasonable deal for the Clippers going forward. (And he's still tradeable, right?)
Injuries
Isiah Canaan (Suns) out for the rest of the year with a broken ankle. (Really gnarly injury and they just signed him, too)
John Wall (Wizards) out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery. (Ouch! That's a tough loss for the Wizards. At their best they're a top 4 team, without Wall it's going to be really tough to get home court advantage in the playoffs; but he should be back in time to give them a late push into the playoffs)
Malcolm Brogden (Bucks) out 6-8 weeks with torn quadriceps. (Bucks will struggle with lack of depth without Brogden but it appears he'll be back by the post-season)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) out for the year with a torn ACL. (Damn. Well Knicks went from potential buyers to definite sellers at the trade deadline)
Debuts
3 new debuts this week to bring the total of new rookies to 101: Josh Gray (Suns), Reggie Hearn (Pistons), Erik McCree (Jazz)
Trades
Pelicans get SF Nikola Mirotic, 2018 2nd round pick, 2021 2nd round pick swap; Bulls get C Omer Asik, SG Tony Allen, PG Jameer Nelson, 2018 1st round pick
The Pelicans have desperately needed wing scoring ever since they got Anthony Davis and Mirotic will be a step up for now, the two more years on his contract are very reasonable; and two 2nd round picks (50/50 they ever get either of them) are a nice bonus for getting off of Omer Asik's contract (worst in the NBA?). As for the Bulls, getting rid of Mirotic was an internal need and a 1st round pick (only top 5 protected) is probably all they needed to pull the trigger. As for Asik, well, he did have his best years in a Bulls uniform, maybe he could get some of that magic back (though I'm not betting on it). I would assume they could waive Nelson and Allen, who could go on to be bench-depth for playoff teams (Cavs seem to love guys like this).
Bucks get C Tyler Zeller; Nets get SG Rashad Vaughn, 2018 2nd round pick
I kinda like Tyler Zeller, gives the Bucks good big man depth. Whereas Vaughn never developed into a worthwhile shooting guard, though he'll get another chance in Brooklyn. As for the pick, the Nets still need every lottery ticket they can get (especially since they're still smarting from missing out on Kyle Kuzma).
Hornets get C Willy Hernangomez; Knicks get C Johnny O'Bryant, 2020 2nd round pick, 2021 2nd round pick
I like Hernangomez, who became expendable when the Knicks received Enes Kanter last summer. I admired O'Bryant when he was at LSU but he's never been much more than a pair of long legs on the bench in the NBA. The Knicks seem to have acquired the Sam Hinkie fetish for 2nd round picks (though I can't help thinking they could've done better for Hernangomez). Low cost flyer for the Hornets.
Tyreke Evans (Grizzlies), Avery Bradley (Clippers), Marcus Smart (Celtics) and Marco Belineli (Hawks) still expected to be traded in the next 12 hours or so.
Signings/Waivings
Jarrell Eddie (Celtics), Deandre Liggins (Pelicans), Nigel Hayes (Lakers), Quincy Pondexter (Bulls), Greg Monroe (Suns), Larry Drew (Sixers) all got waived.
Expected Greg Monroe to sign with the Celtics by now (I suppose they're waiting til after the trade deadline?).
Josh Gray (Suns), Emeka Okafor (Pelicans) signed to 10-day contracts.
NBA's latest rookie and a former Rookie of the Year.
Clippers sign SG Lou Williams to 3yr/$24m extension.
This was a surprise, they were expected to trade Williams, flip the script by signing him long term instead. Lou is getting up in age but he's showing he can stay play and I think its a reasonable deal for the Clippers going forward. (And he's still tradeable, right?)
Injuries
Isiah Canaan (Suns) out for the rest of the year with a broken ankle. (Really gnarly injury and they just signed him, too)
John Wall (Wizards) out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery. (Ouch! That's a tough loss for the Wizards. At their best they're a top 4 team, without Wall it's going to be really tough to get home court advantage in the playoffs; but he should be back in time to give them a late push into the playoffs)
Malcolm Brogden (Bucks) out 6-8 weeks with torn quadriceps. (Bucks will struggle with lack of depth without Brogden but it appears he'll be back by the post-season)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) out for the year with a torn ACL. (Damn. Well Knicks went from potential buyers to definite sellers at the trade deadline)
Debuts
3 new debuts this week to bring the total of new rookies to 101: Josh Gray (Suns), Reggie Hearn (Pistons), Erik McCree (Jazz)
Sunday, February 4, 2018
2017-18 NFL (Super Bowl)
Jags 20-24 Pats
I thought the Pats would get out of the gate quick and they didn't. FG on the opening drive but then struggled on their next few drives while the Jags cranked it up and got out to a quick 14-3 lead. The Pats were able to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half and I still thought they were in line to get a big win. As good as Jax had played up to that point, it still felt like Brady could get hot and bury them. But the Pats continued to struggle on offense through the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th the Jags went up 20-10 and the stadium was deathly quiet. Then Gronk got knocked out of the game (I thought it was a headhunting hit, the kind of hit that was celebrated when I was kid but now just leads to hand-wringing and NYT op-ed pieces (well....unless its the Patriots)) and Lewis fumbles the ball away after a well-executed trick play (personally I didn't think it was a fumble, I was kinda surprised they gave the ball to the Jags). The Jags had their shot there to put the game away but they failed to get a 1st down and had to punt. From there Brady gets the 2 TD's needed to win (Amendola was the man making catch after catch and a big punt return with the game on the line) and the Pats are going on to another Super Bowl while the Jags are headed to the off-season (wondering how to replace Blake Bortles). The Jags just ran out of gas in the 2nd half, Bortles played well for 3 quarters and the D was mostly really good but they just couldn't make it last.
Vikings 7-33 Eagles
The Vikings started well with a solid drive ending in a TD. I thought it was important they start quick and they did and when they stuffed the Eagles on their first possession, it felt like the Vikings were on their way. Then on the next possession, Case Keenum got hit on a throw, Eagles picked it off and ran it back for a TD (brilliant run by the corner), tying the game. From there, the Vikings just disappeared and the game was already over. It kinda played out like a college basketball game where one team gets hot right before halftime then stays hot and the next thing you know they're up by 20 with 15 minutes to go. Yeah, it was like that. The Eagles got in a groove and stayed in the groove and the Vikings were just buried before they could even respond. Nick Foles was fantastic, the Eagles O-line pushed the Vikings (#1 defense in the league) around and the Eagle D was in Keenum's face all day. Great win for the Eagles.
Super Bowl
Though the AFC championship game did not start the way I thought it would, I'll go back to it: I think the Pats start quick today. Though Pats tend to start slow in Super Bowls, I think the Eagles D starts a little soft and the Pats are able to get out to a 10-0 lead right away. From there I think the Eagles take over. The Eagle offense, even without Carson Wentz, was dynamic enough to make mincemeat of the Vikings D and while Belichick is a defensive genius, I kinda think Mike Zimmer is too and he had way more talent. And on the other side I think the Eagles are deeper and more solid than the Jags defense. I think the Eagles get in Brady's face early and often (and I can see Gronk getting dirty-played again right away). The more I think about it, the more I think the Eagles win relatively easily. I thought that last year about the Falcons...and, well, it should've gone that way. This year I think the Eagles O-line can control the Pats leaving Foles enough room to make plays and I think the Eagles D will keep the running game from being relevant, knock Gronk out of the game and keep Brady backpedaling. At the moment the line is Pats -5.5, over/under of 47.5. I was going to say Eagles 24-21 but I think it's a bigger than that. I'll say Eagles 30-21, I'll go with the Eagles and the over.
I thought the Pats would get out of the gate quick and they didn't. FG on the opening drive but then struggled on their next few drives while the Jags cranked it up and got out to a quick 14-3 lead. The Pats were able to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half and I still thought they were in line to get a big win. As good as Jax had played up to that point, it still felt like Brady could get hot and bury them. But the Pats continued to struggle on offense through the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th the Jags went up 20-10 and the stadium was deathly quiet. Then Gronk got knocked out of the game (I thought it was a headhunting hit, the kind of hit that was celebrated when I was kid but now just leads to hand-wringing and NYT op-ed pieces (well....unless its the Patriots)) and Lewis fumbles the ball away after a well-executed trick play (personally I didn't think it was a fumble, I was kinda surprised they gave the ball to the Jags). The Jags had their shot there to put the game away but they failed to get a 1st down and had to punt. From there Brady gets the 2 TD's needed to win (Amendola was the man making catch after catch and a big punt return with the game on the line) and the Pats are going on to another Super Bowl while the Jags are headed to the off-season (wondering how to replace Blake Bortles). The Jags just ran out of gas in the 2nd half, Bortles played well for 3 quarters and the D was mostly really good but they just couldn't make it last.
Vikings 7-33 Eagles
The Vikings started well with a solid drive ending in a TD. I thought it was important they start quick and they did and when they stuffed the Eagles on their first possession, it felt like the Vikings were on their way. Then on the next possession, Case Keenum got hit on a throw, Eagles picked it off and ran it back for a TD (brilliant run by the corner), tying the game. From there, the Vikings just disappeared and the game was already over. It kinda played out like a college basketball game where one team gets hot right before halftime then stays hot and the next thing you know they're up by 20 with 15 minutes to go. Yeah, it was like that. The Eagles got in a groove and stayed in the groove and the Vikings were just buried before they could even respond. Nick Foles was fantastic, the Eagles O-line pushed the Vikings (#1 defense in the league) around and the Eagle D was in Keenum's face all day. Great win for the Eagles.
Super Bowl
Though the AFC championship game did not start the way I thought it would, I'll go back to it: I think the Pats start quick today. Though Pats tend to start slow in Super Bowls, I think the Eagles D starts a little soft and the Pats are able to get out to a 10-0 lead right away. From there I think the Eagles take over. The Eagle offense, even without Carson Wentz, was dynamic enough to make mincemeat of the Vikings D and while Belichick is a defensive genius, I kinda think Mike Zimmer is too and he had way more talent. And on the other side I think the Eagles are deeper and more solid than the Jags defense. I think the Eagles get in Brady's face early and often (and I can see Gronk getting dirty-played again right away). The more I think about it, the more I think the Eagles win relatively easily. I thought that last year about the Falcons...and, well, it should've gone that way. This year I think the Eagles O-line can control the Pats leaving Foles enough room to make plays and I think the Eagles D will keep the running game from being relevant, knock Gronk out of the game and keep Brady backpedaling. At the moment the line is Pats -5.5, over/under of 47.5. I was going to say Eagles 24-21 but I think it's a bigger than that. I'll say Eagles 30-21, I'll go with the Eagles and the over.
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