SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #26 Washington Wizards

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #26 Washington Wizards

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by | Sep 26, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Some exciting news, the NBA Preseason is exactly a week and a day from today, officially starting on Friday, October 4th! We are getting that much closer to on-court action and that can only mean one thing: it is time for another entry into the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team countdown.

The team featured today on our daily list as team #26: the Washington Wizards.

As if their offseason boded even worse than the rest of the league, DC’s team has been shellacked by injuries, injuries, and more injuries. Things have been going bad, and I mean really bad, for the Wizards. Their ace on the mound of sorts, perennial all-star John Wall ruptures his Achilles last fall and is notably done for the year and for possibly a slew of games next year, and the guy who was supposed to sub in for him, Isaiah Thomas, is sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks with an injured thumb.

What’s making the D.C. situation even worse (no, not that D.C. situation on 1600 Penn Ave) is that their lone star, the other half of the vaunted backcourt that propelled the Wizards to multiple playoff runs is probably going to bounce from Washington before the season begins, or before the February trade deadline. Bradley Beal has not signed his 3 year/$111 million extension, which leads many to believe it’s not a matter of if he’ll reconsider signing, but where he will be traded.

Beal is being courted by a litany of suitors, and where he lands is going to tell the story of who’s contender status gets immediately boosted at season’s beginning, or after the mid-season trade deadline.

The Wizards are in no rush to fight for a playoff spot, so their plan of growing their young core while mixing in veteran parts as well as include some free pieces as a result of some draft trades seems to be the move at the minute.

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26. Washington Wizards (28-52) – An Impressive Draft, But Its Gonna Be A Long Year In D.C. Again

It’s looking more and more likely that the John Wall-Bradley Beal era is reaching its unwarranted end. We know the Wizards as an unlucky franchise, once getting to the mountaintop of challenging their division rival Boston Celtics to a game 7 to go to a conference finals, only to disappoint and come up short, even with all the star power that Wall and Beal brought to the nation’s capital. We don’t have even the slightest clue if John Wall will return to playoff form ever again pending his recovering Achilles (injured by slipping down the steps last season).

And, if Bradley Beal seeks elsewhere for contention, the 2019-20 Washington Wizards will not be a sight for sore eyes, to put it keenly.

Still, the show must go on and it’s not like there isn’t something to look forward to with this Wizards roster. New Wizards GM Tommy Shepherd struck gold piecing together Washington’s 2019 draft class in their first-round draft choice, picking up Rui Hachimura with the ninth overall pick. He will be a dandy to watch this year at the center position and Wizards fans can only expect greatness out of the 21-year old man out of Gonzaga.

The first-ever Japanese-born NBA Draft selection was an absolute beast in his three years under Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, posting up 19.7 points per game as the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and a Naismith Award finalist. His name really got etched into a flurry of headlines after he and his Zags knocked off the Zion Williamson-led Duke Blue Devils at the 2018 Maui Invitational. Also, as a member of the Japanese Men’s National Basketball Team, Hachimura averaged over 20 points per game in FIBA competition.

Standing at a lofty 6’8 and weighing at 234 lbs, Hachimura is a dangerous blend of swiftness and strength. Comparing sizes, he just about matches the frame of Kawhi Leonard when looking at length and hand sizes. But what’s most intriguing about the Japanese-born big man is his style of play: dominating inside of the arc. While he has time to improve his defensive IQ, he has shown he can make those strides in his offensive game as an improved shooter, low post scorer, and vertical floor spacer when involved in Pick and Roll sets.

Aside from their first-round pick, The Wizards also acquired Tennessee Small Forward Admiral Schofield in the second round of the 2019 draft. In his final year as a Volunteer, Schofield was one of the country’s most chiseled prospects as he became one of the best shooters and all-around threats in the SEC under head coach Rick Barnes.

Schofield played a significant role for Tennessee on the wing, doing much of his damage as a floor spacer and shooter off the dribble within the Volunteer’s motion sets, but showed the ability to do just about everything in his senior season exploiting mismatches, filling lanes in transition, and showing growth as a passer.

Just like his frontcourt cohort Grant Williams (first-rounder to Boston), the two were both scrappy defenders who brought intensity and effort on every defensive possession. More specifically, Schofield’s impressive footwork and lateral quickness to keep up with guards off of the switch was not the only attribute he brought to the Volunteers, but his ability to mix it up and defend the rim can benefit the defensive effort of the Wizards as a whole once he is etched into head coach Scotty Brooks’s rotation.

Assessing the rest of the Wizards’ combination of youth and experienced players, the Wizards still have Thomas Bryant at Center and Small Forward Troy Brown Jr., while bringing in Power Forward Davis Bertans from San Antonio and eight-year veteran and journeyman Ish Smith Jr. at the guard spot.

Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant will be expected to take on larger roles with the team as they enter their second and third years, respectively. Thomas Bryant will become a focal point of this year’s Wizards team on the defensive side of the ball. Ian Mahinmi will come in to be a defense and rebound specialist, but as the one-time heart and soul for the Indiana Hoosiers, Bryant has shown that he can be a threat on that end of the court as well. Averaging 18.2 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game, the Wizards saw his intensity and effort, and backed up the brinks truck for him, offering him a 3 year/$25 million dollar extension with the team this offseason.

As it goes for Troy Brown Jr., it looks like he’ll be the starting small forward on opening night for the Wizards. As a lottery pick in the 2018 draft, the Wizards are being patient in letting Brown turn into a reliable small forward, like how he did in his sophomore year at Oregon.

Other than Hachimura, Brown was clearly the best player on the Wiz’s Summer League roster. In his only full game, he put up 18 points and 15 rebounds, but he only shot 40.6 percent in Vegas. Though he too is struggling with injury woes at the moment and may not suit up for the preseason (just announced: 4 weeks with a calf strain), Brown may be good enough to go for their October opening and will not have any pressure of being an offensive focal point, making it easy to create space for Beal and Thomas to gain some efficient scoring opportunities.

When his rehabilitation is complete, Isaiah Thomas will have to hold down the point guard position until John Wall returns in 2020 or 2021. Though Wizards fans try their best to forget, we all remember the epic performances Isaiah Thomas put on as the Boston Celtics’ primary go-to option against the Wizards in the playoffs, and as a whole during Boston’s many trips to the conference finals and other deep playoff runs.

The 5-foot-9 guard’s game has been substantially hampered by his physical ailments after his hip surgeries, but being able to run the offense for a point guard hungry Washington Wizards team could be the ultimate opportunity for another memorable comeback story in Thomas’s career. He signed a veteran’s minimum deal just to get back on an NBA roster – following his discarding from the likes of the Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets in the past two seasons – and this may be his very last chance to make a splash as a spark of energy and inspiration on the offensive end.

We know Thomas to operate off of mismatches and seamlessly run a heavy-motion, pick and roll favored offense, create his own shot off a tight handle and get bucket after bucket when he’s on the mark. At his peak, Thomas had two incredible All-Star seasons with the Celtics, averaging 28.9 points per game. Keep in mind – he finished FIFTH in MVP voting back in 2017 among the league’s greats of James Harden and LeBron James. If he can just stay healthy for a full season, and if Bradley Beal is willing to stick around in D.C., IT will serve as the perfect tool next to Beal.

Also, the Wizards signed guard-forward C.J. Miles, who is coming into his 15th NBA season. A 2005 second-round selection by the Jazz, Miles is known for his outside shooting and helped a good amount of teams – Utah, Indiana, Cleveland, Toronto and most recently Memphis – with his vocal presence in locker rooms and leadership. There is strong potential for these veterans to mentor younger Wizards and boost the team’s confidence with or without the help of Beal.

Though they let go a majority of their role players like Tomas Satoransky, Kelly Oubre, and Jason Smith, the Wizards got some veteran pieces from trades with teams like the Lakers in the draft.

Washington acquired center Moritz “Mo” Wagner, forward Jemerrio Jones, guard Isaac Bonga and a 2022 second-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade involving the New Orleans Pelicans. As a second-round addition to the Lakers last year, Wagner put up 4.8 points a game but average 11.4 points and 4.6 rebounds as a temporary starter when Los Angeles’ injuries started piling up.

A team that would have otherwise been a lock as a postseason favorite a couple of years ago now has to slam the reset button, but do not be surprised if this prediction is completely incorrect.

In a perfect world, the already-established maturity of Rui Hachimura and Admiral Schofield will show itself in how they command the attention of their offense and show their mental intangibles on the defensive end (in other words, what staying in school for 3+ years will do for a player’s development), Isaiah Thomas is healthy all year-round and puts up numbers like he was still in Boston, Thomas Bryant becomes a household name and Bradley Beal decides to sign that extension and stick it out until his comrade John Wall is completely healed for next season.

Unfortunately, life almost never turns out perfect, so be prepared to see the Wizards lose a bunch of games this year with a predictable offense that will struggle to defend fastbreaks in transition.

After consecutive losses, their last, and most displeased superstar may head elsewhere to offer another contender his contributions en route to a chance at an NBA title, making the Wizards another doormat in the much more competitive Southeastern division. Then, the Wizards will be back to square one in trying to build a roster capable of making noise in the Eastern Conference.

The only thing Scotty Brooks, Tommy Shepherd and all of D.C. faithful can do is wait and hope for the best, as cliche as that sounds.

Sep 26, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #27 Memphis Grizzlies

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #27 Memphis Grizzlies

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by | Sep 25, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Day 4 of the NBA regular season countdown continues with today’s edition of the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 teams list, and at number 27 for day 27, the Memphis Grizzlies make their appearance on the countdown.

The Grizzlies are another rebuilding team, and after their all-time franchise scoring leader set his sights for Utah in free agency this past summer, supporters of the Grizz now look to the new quarterback of the offense, 2019 second-overall pick Ja Morant out of Murray State. He labels himself as a “Point Gawd”, and unless you’ve yet to take note of the hype, you believe him. The Grizzlies only won 33 games last season, but in regards to where they are as a revamping franchise, they may not be in a rebuild that much longer.

Memphis had an excellent 2019 draft in landing both Morant and what many prophesize to be a steal in Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke. The Jaren Jackson Jr. experiment looks to be off to a strong start as the 7-footer showed flashes of a proficient post game and effectiveness from outside the three-point line, averaging 13.8 points and 50.6 percent from the field. Where Jackson shined was through his game-altering defense, whose reactions to offensive threats being savant-like at times.

Whether as a rim protector, in which he flexed his 7 1/2′ foot wingspan, or on the perimeter, holding down the fortress when switched on shiftiest of ball-handlers, the Plainfield, NJ native and former Michigan State Spartan let Grizzlies fans know they picked the right guy, who possessed the highest potential and upside at the moment.

The Grizzlies may not be in postseason contention talks just yet, but by following the model of putting out their core of young pieces and letting them learn the flow of nightly NBA action, the old adage of the Grindhouse could be making its way back into the fold of the saturated Western conference.

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27. Memphis Grizzlies (26-56) – With The Grit N’ Grind Era At Its End, The Grizz Look To Their New Young Core

The duos of Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook and Jaren Jackson Jr./Ja Morant are, to poetically quote Maya Angelou, “more alike, than unalike”.

Think about it. In the first year of the roster reconstruction, you spend your first overall pick on a seven-footer that can send shots into the stands inside the paint, catapult long balls from downtown at an efficient percentage, be a nightmare to guard when switched onto them while holding their own when they have to defend the perimeter, and have an already technically-sound post scoring game, all at 19-going-on-20-years old?

And then the next year, you salvage some stock to acquire some extra picks, score another early pick from the draft lottery and use the pick on an explosive and electric point guard who would give you a triple-double on a command, equally dominating opposing defenses by displaying a bulldog mentality as a slasher, the mastermind of a floor general, the deadeye of a sniper anywhere on the floor, and the keen artistry of a pure shot creator?

That’s a Sam Presti-OKC-esque plan if I’ve ever seen one.

Looking at the numbers, Kevin Durant’s rookie season compared to Jackson’s isn’t that much off. Yes, the two put the ball in the basket in a bevy of different ways; Durant’s slim build not being quite effective to move bodies in the low post and Jackson not being that twitchy as a space creator to drill any look in the halfcourt, inside or outside. But in looking at the two’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER), which, if you’ve never heard of the advanced stat, ” sums up all a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns a per-minute rating of a player’s performance,” Durant’s (15.81) and Jackson’s (16.71) ratings are just around the same,with Jackson’s rookie PER being a little higher than KD’s.

And looking at the trajectory of KD’s career efficiency rating, and career path, since his 2008-09 rookie season, it’s safe to say things turned out pretty well for him. If Jaren Jackson Jr. lives up to his draft potential and takes the next step to superstardom in this league, as it looks like he’s already getting a headstart on that, I’ll have to use another quote: in the words of Draymond Green in the finals last year, “fun times are ahead” for the Grizz.

And then there’s the anticipation of the wait until Temetrius “Ja” Morant steps onto an NBA floor for the first time. And, no, we cannot wait that much longer for that to happen, either.

Ja possesses a dynamic, multifaceted skill set for a point guard at his age, and it’s quite startling how pro-ready he is after two years of collegiate ball in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morant averaged an astounding 24.5 points per game, 10 assists per game while collecting 5.7 rebounds per contest, Morant made it clear that putting his name on nationwide headlines was a necessity, especially with the number of his game-breaking highlights that went viral over the course of the 2018-19 college basketball season.

The attention was not given to Morant at the start of his freshman season in 2017-18, and scouts would not even fathom to turn their heads toward a 12 p.p.g. guard playing in a non-power-5 conference. Leading up to his breakout season with the Racers, Morant was projected to drop to a mid-first round selection had he left his Freshman season. But, after quickly became a household name due to those monstrous stats in his Sophomore season, he put on shows for the student sections of Racer Nation and was a staple on that late-night SportsCenter reruns.

He drove the vast majority of what Murray State did offensively last season, almost as if he carried the team on his back en route to the second round of the NCAA tournament. His accolades speak for themselves: A Naismith player of the year finalist, Ohio Valley Tournament champion, 2018-19 Bob Cousy Award (given to the nation’s top point guard), and he possessed the seventh-best scoring average in the nation while marking a new mark in the NCAA record book for the sixth-most assists in a season.

If his game can translate to the next level, we could have a potential all-star and All-NBA First Team selection in a few years at the Guard position, pending his health and proper development.

Alongside Jaren Jackson, Morant will complement and better the former 3rd overall pick, much like how Russell Westbrook was able to do so with Durant in Oklahoma City with his slashing, dishing and athletically-gifted scoring prowess.

As it goes for the rest of the young Grizzlies, well we may just have to see how their plan of teaching their young core the ropes of the nightly fight in the NBA, and what will be required of them, as contenders in the Western Conference. They dumped some big contracts of older pieces like Joakim Noah and will have to make some new cap space in the future, considering that between this coming summer and the summer of 2021, 14 of the 17 Grizzlies players will be on a new contract.

That includes the likes of Solomon Hill, Miles Plumlee, Jae Crowder, Josh Jackson (Team Option), Jaren Jackson Jr. (2-Year Team Option), Grayson Allen (2-Year Team Option), Andre Iguodala (who we all know is never going to play for the Grizzlies due to his buyout), Bruno Caboclo, Dillon Brooks, Ivan Rabb, and De’Anthony Melton.

That’s a lot, and it clearly shows the downside of relying on just the core of a young team. But it may be a necessary risk to take, and by spending some money now to keep that nucleus could benefit the Grizzlies in the long-run. Keep Jaren Jackson, Ja Morant, Josh Jackson, Brandon Clarke, and new Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones together will make the Grizzlies a formidable opponent in the Western Conference someday, but just not today.

Looking at the starting 5 of the Grizzlies next year, they’ll more than likely have Morant at the 1, third-year man out of Oregon Dillon Brooks at shooting guard, one of the newer Grizzlies in Small Forward Kyle Anderson (from the Spurs) Jaren Jackson at power forward and ex-Toronto Raptor Jonas Valunciunas at center.

Not bad, and their rotation looks promising, too. Adding a veteran piece like the 3-and D man Jae Crowder in their rotation is a big defensive addition for Memphis, as he also provides insight for the younger Grizzlies as to how to get to the postseason, considering he hasn’t missed out on one since 2013 as the Celtics, Cavaliers and Utah Jazz’s key small forward.

Another rotational piece, Josh Jackson comes over from the Suns after they traded him away, and he could provide more of the same on the defensive end, but not an offensive game.

His time in Phoenix was not good time, to put it euphemistically. But, this is his second, and probably last chance, to right his wrongs and assert himself as a worthy 2017 first-round selection. If he can right the ship, and improve his shooting percentages while cleaning up his image, it’s a low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Starting in his place is the veteran Kyle Anderson who could benefit the skill sets of his new teammates almost immediately. He has been known for his exceptional ball IQ and defensive intellect because well, Gregg Popovich was his coach before. Yet, we haven’t seen a full season out of Anderson in a Grizzlies uniform, since he only played 43 games last year because of a shoulder injury.

What will be interesting to observe is how their other first-round selection Brandon Clarke will fare in the NBA. Clarke was the second-most efficient player in college basketball (next to the phenom Zion Williamson, of course) and by sharing a frontcourt with new Wizards big man Rui Hachimura, the Gonzaga Bulldogs spent a lot of weeks holding that #1 spot on the AP Top 25 list last season, with the help of their esteemed senior leader, and Summer League MVP.

No, the Grizzlies will not be a playoff team this year, and will more than likely fall to the near-bottom of the stacked West. But, that’s not an entire cancellation of what Ja’s crew has to offer this year.

Think about this: the Thunder back in their inaugural season went 23-59 after drafting Russell Westbrook and in KD’s second year, back then with the opportunity to grow his chemistry with the UCLA guard, they both undertook the feel of pace of an NBA season, worked on their bodies and skillsets, and grew simultaneously to reach multiple conference finals, an NBA Finals appearance, all-star honors, and league MVPs.

Now, all of that success is not going to transpire right away for Jackson and Morant, but in following that model of trusting your youth’s evolution into prime NBA superstars over the course of a season or two, NBA history has told us a couple of positive tales about that model usually resulting in a lot of wins for your franchise in the future.

Sep 25, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #28 Cleveland Cavaliers

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #28 Cleveland Cavaliers

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by | Sep 24, 2019 | Featured, NBA

It’s another day closer to NBA Basketball, so it is only right the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team countdown continues. We are now 28 days away from the stuff that will count, but we are a little over a week away from postseason hoops! Until then, keep updated on where your favorite team falls on the list.

This time up, day 28 features the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On the path of a youthful rebuild (just like a good half-quarter of the league), the Cleveland Cavaliers felt the brute effect of LeBron James’ departure for sunnier skies for the second time around and are routinely found in this spot of inoperability without their ace on the floor. Bron leaves Cleveland, again, and after he leaves, the Cavs post the worst record in the league, again.

In 2010-11, the Cavs transformed from surefire title contender to a surefire lottery pick team with a 19-63 record following the departure of Cleveland’s prodigal son as a free agent. In 2018-19, lightning struck twice. The Cavaliers, fresh off four straight NBA Finals appearances, dissolved to another 19-63 record after James packed up to go ball in Tinseltown.

Even with the media centered around the Cleveland Cavaliers’ next direction headed forward following former Cavs GM David Griffin’s exile to New Orleans, and lone all-star Kevin Love’s steadfastness in Northeast Ohio looming in the air, they failed in the offseason in attracting any of the major household names once the free agency period opened.

However, there is something remotely remarkable about the potential and talent of this young bunch, that Cavs fans and skeptics alike will see in the limelight someday. It is fair if you write off the Cavaliers right now, but there will be no excuse to fully write off these Cavaliers in a couple of years. The duo of Darius Garland and the defensively-gifted “Young Bull” Collin Sexton, and the addition of a pretty strong 2019 draft class could spell less gloomy days in The Land for years to come.

But not right away.

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28. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-60) – The Kyrie Irving Method, Abridged

These days, hope in Believeland is teetering. LeBron heads out West, and it’s like the whole city just crumbles to rubble, with only the belief in their Browns, sitting at 1-2 on the year swiftly dwindling. Then, there’s the Cleveland Indians, who are in a every-game-is-a-playoff-game scenario, with the slightest mishap costing them a spot in the wild card. Cleveland has, like it always has been, become a bleak, joy-inept town just waiting for what feels like unavoidable disappointment, again.

At least there is Ohio State Football, right?

And leave it to the team that, yes, snapped that 52-year championship drought back in 2016 when the Cavaliers completed the greatest come from behind series win in league history, beating the then “greatest team of all-time” Golden State Warriors in seven, down 3 games to 1 to give some optimism to those Clevelanders. Since then, its been anything but magical for Cleveland.

Back-to-back-to-back finals losses to the grotesquely-buffed Warriors left LeBron with only one option in his final contract year with the Cavs: pack your bags and head to Tinseltown to salvage at least a couple more championship opportunities in the packed Western Conference.

What LeBron left behind was a roster tethered from his “decision 2.0”, though it was years in the making. Seemingly toxic relationships led to disagreements between players and upper management, forcing stars like Kyrie Irving to demand trades and staples like LeBron to grow untrustworthy of those running the organization. Inefficient coaching selections forced the Cavs to go in other directions, leading up to Tyronn Lue’s firing back in October following their 0-6 start in 2018 and Cleveland’s lack to retain Larry Drew’s as their head in command.

On top of all that, a severe, league-wide mistrust of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, left a huge blemish on Cleveland’s image that did nothing positive for being suitors for big-name free agents for the foreseeable future.

It is a new day and a fresh start in the land of the 2016 champs, and for good reason. New head coach coming from Michigan, or as Ohioans dub “that team up north” John Beilein is experiencing his first taste of NBA coaching after 37 years of instructing the collegiate level with gigs ranging from Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia, and 12 years at Michigan. Beilein never got around to winning a national title with the Wolverines, but visited a couple of Final Fours and won the Big Ten in consecutive seasons (2017, 18).

But the Cavaliers enter this year with uncertainty, and equal patience and pragmatism. It took the Cavs to trust an already developed pick and roll scorer and space creator to pick in Darius Garland, so that can only signify that they are willing to rebuild in the only way they know how to.

Hence, the Kyrie Irving method: rebuild the backcourt from the top down in the hopes that you can attract a max free agent someday, or have enough developed house tools

Garland’s game is eerily similar to that of Kyrie Irving. Only suiting up for six games as a Vanderbilt Commodore before a meniscus injury, Garland displayed skills that NBA scouts across the league drooled over. A marksman from deep, Garland shot 47.8 percent from 3 and averaged 16.2 points and 2.6 assists per game.

Garland was not afforded the chance to showcase his game in SEC play but displayed the jump shooting ability and offensive instincts that separated him from the pack as a High Schooler in his brief time under Commodores Head Coach Bryce Drew.

And also worth mentioning: his Dad, Winston Garland, played seven seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves. So, there is that extra voice of advice for Garland right at home when the regular season has its trials and tribulations we all know it to have on rookies.

Alongside the prospect will be Collin Sexton who, in his second year, will have more of a prominent role in the offense, even more than his rookie season. He had a good overall 2018, scoring 16.7 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Sexton ended his rookie season strongly as well, averaging 23.1 points and 3.4 assists per game on 43.8 percent shooting from deep and a 51.4 percent field goal percentage throughout Cleveland’s final 21 games.

The Cavs’ backfield could be a double-edged sword if the scoring ability of Garland lives up to all scouts’ expectations, considering that we already have a basis of understanding Sexton’s impact on the floor. It is directly similar to Neil Olshey’s procedure of building the fear-inducing Portland backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, where dual efficiency, ball-handling, space creation, heavy big man usage in pick and roll sets to open the floor, and nightly consistency reign supreme.

Current Cavs GM Koby Altman may be getting this, and possibly more, by throwing Garland into the starting lineup at season’s beginning, so that chemistry can be implemented right out of the gates.

But, just having offense only does so much, and though both are skilled at scoring the basketball, the Cavaliers finished dead last in the NBA in 2018-19 with a defensive rating of 116.8 points allowed per 100 possessions.

Another negative: Garland and Sexton are both under 6’5, so pairing two 6-foot-2 guys on the perimeter doesn’t seem to be an optimal way to get those numbers to look better. So if the Garland-Sexton duo is to perform optimally, they’ll have to start by essentially, being Lillard-McCollum version 2.0, and hope to get enough stops.

If you think about it, that’s possible, considering that both McCollum and Lillard are both 6’3 and have undoubtedly thrived in this small-ball era. Maybe we’ll see the same with the new young duo in the NBA.

The Cavaliers also picked up USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. and Belmont’s Dylan Windler at the 2019 draft, and they look to be etched into a rotation that is a decent blend of veterans and young, experienced pieces. The Cavs did not make a big splash in free agency and only picked up Jarell Martin from Memphis and Sindaris Thornwell from the Clippers, which are not meaningless acquisitions by the slightest.

The starting 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers is questionable, to say it nicely. And it may get worse, considering Kevin Love’s almost impending self-removal from Cleveland. He is 31 years old, entering his 11th season while coming off a toe injury that sidelined him for the rest of the 2018 season. With three years and $91.5 million still remaining on the four-year, $120 million extension he signed last summer, It is not a matter of if the Cavs are retaining Love, but rather when and where he will be dealt.

It could either be by the February trade deadline, or earlier, depending on how aggressive contenders want to sign the stretch big that averaged a double-double as a solid rebounder in just 23 games last year, even though he posted the second-worst overall shooting percentage of his career at 38.5 percent.

Looking at the Cavaliers roster, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love look to fill the frontcourt roles Beilein needs to run the offense. Thompson’s defensive ratings have been just short of adequate in recurring seasons, and his productivity that has dropped in the past couple of years is something to certainly monitor.

But, the development of projects in Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic, and the extensive versatility of Larry Nance Jr., is paramount to a healthy future for the Cavs’ frontcourt epidemic and maybe a little more important than keeping Thompson’s contract.

The best-case scenario for the 2019-20 Cleveland Cavaliers? John Beilein’s young Cavs – composed of Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, Kevin Porter Jr., and Ante Zizic – are healthy in April and their development will be witnessed for Cleveland fans to see as a result of their year-long process of growing together and offensively complimenting each other while significantly improving their 2018 defensive rating.

Garland and Sexton will put the NBA world on notice that the McCollum-Lillard stronghold of the East is a real and viable threat, and the Cavs will have pride in their homegrown talent, regardless if Kevin Love bounces.

The raw prospect of Kevin Porter will prove his doubters wrong, show his maturity to the world and prove to scouts he shouldn’t have slipped to the second round of the draft. Dylan Windler will keep his hot hand from college and be a knockdown role player who will develop into getting a bigger role in 2020 and beyond. And head coach John Beilein will transition into the fast-paced environment of an NBA head coach with simplicity just like he was able to at Michigan.

If things don’t turn out that way, the Cavs could be in an even deeper hole than they are now. We’d find out quickly that Darius Garland should have stayed in school, and Collin Sexton’s inefficiency on both ends of the ball could cause the Cavs to look elsewhere for a starting 2 guard. Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman may not be worth the hype going into their third years, veterans will ask their agents to direct them to the nearest exit out of Ohio as if they are the Miami Dolphins, and Beilein may find himself back coaching college basketball as the Cavs lose even more games than in 2018.

If we know a thing or two about the bleak history of Cleveland sports, it’s more often than not the latter is the most undergone. Yet in the past decade, optimism has placed its warm cloak on the “factory of sadness” in bunches with the success of the Indians, and a little bit with the Browns. Maybe fun times can be ahead in Quicken Loans Arena, and this time, with the production of a skilled backcourt, and without the help of that kid from Akron.

Sep 24, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #29 Phoenix Suns

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #29 Phoenix Suns

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by | Sep 23, 2019 | Featured, NBA

We are back with another edition of the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team analyses, and since we are 29 days left from the start of the regular season, why not continue the countdown until the new season? Coming in at No. 29, we have the Phoenix Suns.

A team that’s missed the playoffs every year since 2010, the Suns have been perceived as the league’s laughing stock, a pit stop of sorts when staggering squads need to get back on the winning track during a road trip. But will a new GM with championship experience, new coach and revitalized system shows promise and brighter days upon the valley, or more of the same, mundane tank show that Suns Basketball has become over the course of a decade?

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29. Phoenix Suns (19-63) – Some Good Pieces, But Not Competitive As A Unit Just Yet

The Suns are intriguing.

One one hand, a team awash with first-round talent, veteran-filled frontcourt rotations, and a scoring maestro at the 2 (who you could make a case as being top 3 at his position in the entire league) just look like long nights to be had if you have a road game at Talking Stick Resort Arena, on paper.

But more often than not, the harsh reality is almost always on the hand you don’t want it to be on. Giving Devin Booker that $158 Million extension in the July of 2018 sounded like a good idea, because well, let’s face it, what superstar of that magnitude would want to stick around all that failure for their entire career without the compensation to boot? The Suns were obligated to bring the brinks truck just to have him stick around for what is continuing to be a decade-long rebuild.

And conceivably so, the Suns are entering a ninth consecutive year out of the postseason and have finished among the bottom-five teams in the NBA for four straight seasons.

Keeping Booker had no risk-averse effects on the Suns’ cap situation. They desperately needed a point guard and were able to get one, but not the most complimentary piece for Devin Booker, at least not right now. They spent a hefty sum on now ex-Jazz guard Ricky Rubio, getting the 3-year, $52 million deal done back in June, and schematically, it does not provide any major upside for the Suns’ guard situation.

The Jazz moved in a different direction when they traded for Mike Conley before the draft, leaving Rubio to hit the open market. Phoenix took him in, with the hopes that he will play in a less-restrictive system with the Suns, who will, more than likely, attempt to run more pick-and-roll plays, and occasionally feed Devin Booker off drive-kick sets.

Rubio’s inconsistency has been the biggest red flag, dating back to when he suited up for the Timberwolves, but what he is not is a liability. Through his incremental adjustments to improve his shooting, however, he finished 2018 averaging 12.1 points per game, off 40.4 percent shooting and 30.1 percent from downtown. Not awful, but not terrible either. What shouldn’t be left out is the fact that he has never finished a season in his career averaging less than 7.3 assists per game.

We all know the Suns as a backcourt-producing franchise, with some of the most legendary names to ever grace a hardwood floor donning the Orange and purple. And the Suns, nearly since the beginning of the century, have not had a hyped backcourt in quite some time.

Great guard factions in Phoenix, such as Penny Hardaway/Jason Kidd (remember that?) and Kevin Johnson/Dan Majerle shined and made a bunch of prognosticators believe the hype, and not predictably prophesizing that the pair of Rubio and Booker will immediately live up to those iconic names, but you never know how much chemistry the two will have once they hit the floor together for the first time.

The Suns actually have a favorable bench when it comes to guard play as well. Their 2019 first-round draft selections in North Carolina’s Cameron Johnson (who amazingly shot 45.7 percent from deep in 2018-19!) and Ty Jerome, who was almost Devin Booker-esque in displaying his shot-creating skill as a high-IQ ball-handler during his four years at Virginia, show a bunch of promise being added to a bench that, with the experience, is correctly building to compete in the west someday.

As a result of last year’s mid-season trade to dump Trevor Ariza’s contract, Kelly Oubre Jr., came over from the Wizards and signed a two-year, $30 million deal to remain in Phoenix. Oubre should look to be aggressive in his first full year in a Suns uniform and in the new system, Suns coach Monty Williams should expect Oubre and Booker to be consistent playmakers and contribute to an already guard-heavy offense.

And then, you cannot forget to mention DeAndre Ayton’s sophomore season in the NBA. The first overall pick a little over a year ago posted up some solid numbers as the primary big in Igor Kokoskov’s system last year. In 30 minutes a night, Ayton scored 16.3 points per game while posting nightly double-doubles. The 7-footer has certain intangibles you just cannot teach and those were definitely magnified, and partially displayed, during Phoenix’s dismal 2018 campaign.

Yet, it was increasingly evident that Ayton was mismanaged in his usage last year by playing the center position, instead of playing the power forward role in which he was most comfortable playing at since his Arizona days. As the center, Ayton rarely got to display his outside shooting strengths, something Suns GM James Jones urges the second-year big to do next year.

It is a topic of relevance to continue to develop Ayton’s inside game, but taking the training wheels is a must if they want their prized possession of a big man to grow into an eventual superstar to take some attention off of Booker.

Speaking of the Suns’ big man depth, the team made some impressive strides to acquire rim protection and pick n’ rollers who can create some mismatches down low. Some key additions: Center Aron Baynes (trade with Boston), Power Forwards Dario Saric (trade with Minnesota), Frank Kaminsky (free agent, was with Charlotte), and Cheick Diallo (free agent, was with New Orleans).

But at the cost of picking up these pieces, the Suns had to shed a couple of projects in former 3rd overall pick Josh Jackson (trade to Memphis) and Dragan Bender (signed with Milwaukee). What’s worse, was that they traded developing two-way forward T.J. Warren and the 32nd pick to the Pacers just to clear cap space. Hopefully, the third-year Villanova man Mikal Bridges will fill in for the first-rounder and match, or exceed his production as a former two-time national champion with the Wildcats.

There is a new identity for the Suns, and possibly brighter days ahead in a couple of years. But for the 2019 season, expect the same old hoopla of a rebuilding organization. It is not like the Suns have a bad team. They are reconstructing in the correct, healthy way while placing enough pieces on the floor to show some fight.

It’s just that, the entire NBA, and more specifically the Western Conference, now packed with even more competition than ever before, has gotten that good.

Sep 23, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #30 Charlotte Hornets

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #30 Charlotte Hornets

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by | Sep 22, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Today is Sunday, September 22. Officially the second day of fall, yes, and indeed another Sunday where the collective sporting world will turn its head to the game on the Gridiron for week 3 of the NFL season. So, how is today significant you ask?

It means we are a complete month away from the opening of the 2019-2020 NBA regular season.

And how swiftly the year has transcended into its final quarter. Throughout the past 3 months without pertinent NBA action, we’ve seen assemblies of league titans on teams who otherwise would not even be in consideration of a playoff spot prior to their arrival, and hefty factions of superstars and dynastic rosters dissipate and seek contention elsewhere.

We expect annual facelifts of the league’s infrastructure, but not to this extent. This wild offseason rivaled, or toppled, the zaniness of the 2016 offseason when the then-new Collective Bargaining Agreement was settled amongst the higher-ups. Cap space skyrocketed for just about all 30 clubs since then, and large deals sprinkled across the league were done in multitudes. We saw the defending and repeating champion Golde State Warriors lose both of their finals MVPs in Kevin Durant to Brooklyn, and Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies (or more than likely, elsewhere, pending his eventual buyout with Memphis).

We have seen the former Thunder Buddies reunite in H-Town as Russell Westbrook rejoins James Harden, and becomes the last piece of the original OKC big four to relocate to a new contender. The Utah Jazz scored big in June by acquiring some backcourt help for Donavan Mitchell by signing Mike Conley Jr., the Grizzlies’ all-time franchise leader in points. Aside from Kevin Durant, the Nets

And what was easily the loudest bombshell to drop in almost a decade, the city of Los Angeles has become the nexus of all championship hopes in just a couple of months, with the new-look Clippers, after aligning together the fearsome tandem of 2-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, look to do battle with the new-look Lakers who picked up disgruntled all-star Anthony Davis via a requested trade from New Orleans.

Every roster across the league looks significantly different, as they should every year. Yet, with the roster overhauls stemming from this offseason, expectations for up-and-coming franchises are coming into fruition, regardless of a rebuilding season or playoff push.

With that in mind, We here at SneakerReporter are making a list of the top 30 teams ranked from worst to best, and for today and the next 29 days, see where your favorite team makes it on the countdown.

Starting off our list: the Charlotte Hornets.

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30. Charlotte Hornets (12-70) – With Their Lone Superstar Departed, Charlotte Must Rebuild

Hornets fans: do yourself a favor and really curb your expectations (as if you were not doing that already).

There is little to no reason to have any optimistic belief about the capabilities of a roster now without their all-star guard and only reliable piece of offense that can have plays drawn up for. Hornets owner Michael Jordan refused to offer him the max in persuading him to stay in Charlotte, and now Kemba Walker is in Boston and is now on the most talented roster he has been on since his UCONN days.

It is unfathomable to view any pragmatic solution to the firestorm that is Hornets basketball at the moment.  Sure, therein lies the athletic prowess of Miles Bridges, who could make a major leap in 2019 to be viewed as the No.1 guy Hornets coach James Borrego can depend on.

And then there is always the curious case of a certain Nicolas Batum, who posted his most efficient numbers in the league since 2014. So, there is a venerable case to be made regarding his ascension to his Portland form, but still plenty of reason to believe that he just does not have the intangibles to perform at his highest level anymore.

Last season, Batum averaged 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 31.4 minutes. His efficiency was much higher than usual, shooting 45 percent overall and 39 percent from deep. It was his lowest scoring average since his rookie season in 2008, but his highest efficiency since his second-to-last season with the Trailblazers.

Granted, this is a team that just missed the very cusp of competing in the postseason back in April, losing their playoff spot to the 8th seeded Detroit Pistons by a measly two games. And the obvious factor worth the mention: Kemba Walker was there. Also, Jeremy Lamb is headed to Indiana to strengthen their already strong backcourt composed of Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon. Those are 40 points a game (or more) subtracted from their offensive effort, making the Hornets attack that much more inept.

Taking his place is the former Boston backup guard Terry Rozier, widely dubbed “Scary Terry”. It may not be quite the picture-perfect fill-in for the three-time all-star and All-NBA Third Team selection, but it is something to work with.

Rozier finished 2018 averaging 9 points per game off 38.7 percent shooting from the field while coming off the bench. Rozier’s best numbers came in the 2017-2018 postseason as the Celtics were only a game away from advancing to the NBA Finals, though LeBron James’ Cavaliers had something to say about Boston’s title aspirations last year.

His exodus from Boston ended abruptly amidst publicized locker-room dysfunction and media speculation, but the past is in the past, so he says. Rozier brings substantial postseason experience and now has the opportunity to be what he has theorized himself to be: a go-to franchise point guard that can have an entire offense ran through his ball-handling, tenacity and scoring skillset.

The Hornets had a decent, not great, draft back in June, selecting Kentucky guard PJ Washington 12th overall in the first round. The 21-year-old initially tested the NBA Draft process last year. However, after learning that he was not likely to be picked in the first round, Washington returned to Kentucky for his sophomore season and vowed to become a better player.

The thing is, he became better. Washington went from averaging 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman to averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 as a sophomore. He made vast strides in his ability to both score from, and defend, the perimeter with his 6’7, 227-lb frame, and his impressive 7’2.5 wingspan, as well as bolster his ball-handling and rebounding. I mean, he knocked down 42 percent of his threes in his final year as a Wildcat, which almost seamlessly meshes with today’s conversation of how to develop into today’s ideal pick n’ pop stretch big.

Washington was a safe pick, a low-risk-and-high-reward selection for Charlotte, but if he lives up to or defies expectations of his draft stock, the combination of an uber-athletic Bridges-Washington frontcourt could be a vehemence to develop in the Hornets’ future.

The Hornets are a young team with potential. Sounds cliche’? That’s because that is all they are at the moment. And that is not a bad thing. With a bench including the likes of Cody Martin from Nevada, veterans Malik Monk, and Devonte’ Graham, do not expect Charlotte to make any noise in the East for years to come, as the development of their prospective pieces will tell the story.

It is increasingly evident the Hornets finish in the lower tier of Eastern conference contention this year and the ensuing years in the path to becoming a lottery pick team, but it is all a part of a process, or so Hornets fans hope.

Sep 22, 2019 No Comments