Post-Free Agency Power Rankings Western Conference Part 1

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the first annual Post-Free Agency Power Rankings! This is part one of two of the rankings focusing on the Western Conference. Today’s post will focus on the bottom-half of the Western Conference, and the top/playoff teams will be ranked in a day or two. In the next few days, the Eastern Conference will get the spotlight and will be analyzed deeply by yours truly.

Let me clarify: I know what you’re thinking… Free agency is not even over yet! There is still time for impact players to switch teams and trades that could still happen!

Precisely. This is why I will be posting a power ranking closer to the beginning of the season, but consider this the much too early offseason rankings that are bound to change by the beginning of the NBA season.

15. Denver Nuggets:

Projected starting lineup-

PG Ty Lawson (see video clip)

SG Randy Foye

SF Wilson Chandler

PF Kenneth Faried

C Jusuf Nurkic

Analysis: The Nuggets do have some promising youngsters, like Mudiay, Nurkic, and Gary Harris, but I think that the talent is severely lacking on this team. With Ty Lawson clearly unhappy, I predict a very disappointing year from the Nuggets this season. They have not done much in free agency, but a deal for Lawson seems to be coming. Lawson’s asking price likely has plummeted, and I do not see a potential deal for him that will make the Nuggets drastically better this season. In a Western conference that seems to get more competitive every summer, the Nuggets will circle the drain with an unimpressive roster and an unhappy star.

14.  Los Angeles Lakers

Projected Starting Lineup-

PG Jordan Clarkson

SG D’Angelo Russell

SF Kobe Bryant

PF Julius Randle

C Roy Hibbert

Analysis: I will most certainly get some Lakers fans hating on me for this selection, but I just do not see the potential for success with this team. The good news is that the Lakers are a little better with the additions of Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass, but not by much. If Russell and Randle meet the massive expectations placed upon them, there is a chance that the Lakers can make a push for the eighth spot, but Randle and Russell will not be stars right away. Crafting rookies into elite NBA players is a process that takes time, and the Lakers must have patience and not expect immediate success after the first week of the season. An aging, fragile Kobe and a cast of young, inexperienced players spells a down year for this historically successful franchise. It’s tough to go from Aldridge, Love, and Jordan to Hibbert, Williams, and Bass.

13. Portland Trailblazers

Projected Starting Lineup-

PG Damian Lillard

SG CJ McCollum

SF Al-Farouq Aminu

PF Ed Davis/ Noah Vonleh

C Mason Plumlee

Analysis: For a team that lost four of its five starters and its number one option off the bench, the Blazers actually rebounded nicely. Not nicely enough to land them higher than 13 in a wildly competitive Western Conference, but landing Davis, Vonleh, Aminu, and Plumlee makes the future just a twinkle brighter. Lillard is hyper competitive and will keep the Blazers  in many games, but the lack of talent and depth will ultimately cause the Blazers to look ahead to the 2016 Draft. Tough to see such a large drop in the standings from one season to the next, but the quality drop off is significant, despite smart basketball moves in the draft and free agency.

12. Sacramento Kings:

Projected Starting Lineup-

PG Rajon Rondo

SG Ben McLemore/Bellinelli

SF Rudy Gay

PF Willie Cauley-Stein

C DeMarcus Cousins

Analysis: The Kings are currently the laughingstock of the NBA. Mind-boggling trades, a dispute between a star player and an experienced coach, a dysfunctional front office, and a bizarre trade situation that will force the front office to decide between the star player and the coach. Offense deficient WCS will be left wide open, causing double teams to be used against Boogie every time down the floor. Add to that the fact that Rondo is less than a shell of his former self and you have yourself a downright disaster of an NBA team. So what is it that is keeping the Kings at the 12 spot and not at 14 or 15? It is the simple fact that they have a top-15 player in the league. Despite his questionable personality, the Kings were playing well with the Boogie-Rudy combination and were cruising early in the season until Boogie’s injury. If they can show moderate flashes of that team from the beginning of last season, I do not see the Kings at the bottom of the Western Conference.

11. Phoenix Suns:

PG Brandon Knight

SG Eric Bledsoe

SF PJ Tucker

PF Markieff Morris

C Tyson Chandler

Analysis: This could be a very unpopular opinion, but I do not think that this Suns roster meshes well. Chandler shocked the basketball world when he opted to take his talents to Phoenix, causing a large push for Aldridge in Phoenix. The race to create cap room resulted in a trade sending Marcus Morris, Danny Granger, and Reggie Bullock to the Pistons, a deal that I am not a fan of. It is not the fact that I am in love with any of the players they got rid of (Bullock could turn out to be a decent role player, but neither Granger or Morris get me excited), but rather the chemistry lost over an unlikely dream of landing LA. Aldridge had an easy decision when the Spurs came knocking at his door, and getting rid of the second Morris brother to accomplish this may have destroyed what Markieff is able to do this year!! Maybe an overreaction but still. The Suns slumped at the end of 2015 and I expect that to carry over to next season, despite the addition of a talented, athletic (but aging) big like Chandler.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves:

 Projected Starting Lineup-

PG Ricky Rubio

SG Kevin Martin

SF Andrew Wiggins

PF Karl-Anthony Towns

C Gorgui Dieng

Analysis: Yes I may be a homer, but I think that a tenth place finish for the Timberwolves is definitely within reach. The Timberwolves are one of the most promising young teams (along with the Bucks and Jazz) and have lots of skilled players on the roster. With another year of experience, Wiggins and Zach Lavine look to make a leap, and veterans Kevin Garnett and Kevin Martin will help craft these young guns into professionals. The addition of European League MVP Nemanja Bjelica provides a unique X-factor to the roster, and Tyus Jones will fill the seats at the Target Center. If last season’s impressive rookies make a leap, the Timberwolves will be able to challenge for the eighth seed. Rubio needs to stay healthy to reach this type of success and KAT needs to perform
up to his first overall pick standards. This team will definitely be in the playoff hunt in the 2016-17 season.

9. Utah Jazz

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG Dante Exum

SG Alec Burks

SF Gordon Hayward

PF Derrick Favors

C Rudy Gobert

Analysis: Last season’s biggest surprise will take another leap, finishing the season just a game or two short of a playoff spot. It has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Jazz, but there seems to be the potential to move Burke for some assets to pave way for Bryce Cotton and Olivier Hanlan (who was one of the most underrated players in the draft). Rudy Gobert emerged as one of the top defenders in the league, Favors remains one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and Hayward played well throughout the year. The Jazz are an all-around solid team that has depth throughout the roster to compete for a playoff spot in the West. If we see the same Jazz team we saw after the all star break, I have confidence it will come down to the last few games to decide the eighth seed between the Jazz and the……..

Part 2 of the Western Conference coming soon.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @TheShotClockMN for sports tweets (some of them are real funny).

Feedback and discussion is encouraged through comments, DM’s, or emails (pmalin@hamilton.edu)

See you for part 2!

NBA Draft Superlatives

Along with thousands of other NBA fans, I tuned in on Thursday night to the NBA draft to see which talented prospect my team selected, hoping and praying that draft night would open up a new era of success and promise for my team. And along with all other NBA fans and personalities, I have an opinion on the events that transpired just a few nights ago.

So without further ado, here are my NBA Draft superlatives for the 2015 season.

BEST PICK OF THE NIGHT:

Justice Winslow SF Duke, #10 Miami Heat. The consensus for the best value pick in the draft. It would not have surprised me if Winslow had gone as high as the number four pick in the draft, but a slide to number ten to a Heat team that underperformed due to injuries late in the ’14-’15 season? Unthinkable. Winslow has the opportunity to become a top five player in this draft, and has real NBA skill. As Chad Ford discussed on a Grantland podcast the day after the draft, “Stanley Johnson talks the talk and Justice Winslow walks the walk”. Winslow is the real deal. The Heat look like a dangerous team headed into a weak Eastern Conference, and a talented all-around player like Winslow gives the second unit a much needed boost, while under the direction of an excellent coach and proven leader in Pat Riley. Surrounded by veteran talent to learn from and practice with, Winslow is primed for success in his rookie season and beyond.

Runner Up:

Emmanuel Mudiay PG China, #7 Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets received the runaway best prospect before the college basketball season this year. He gained valuable experience in China and got much stronger overseas. His game did not regress, which does not explain the drop on many teams’ draft boards in favor of Russell who spent the year very much in the media spotlight. If Mudiay had played at SMU this year, he very well could have been the #2 pick over Russell on Thursday. Great pick for the Nuggets. We’ll get to this selection later as well. 

Honorable Mention:

Rashad Vaughn SG UNLV- Bucks #17

Bobby Portis PF Arkansas- Bulls #22

R.J. Hunter SG Georgia State- Celtics #28

Montrezl Harrell PF Louisville- Rockets #32

WORST PICK OF THE NIGHT:

Willie Cauley-Stein C Kentucky #6 Sacramento Kings. In a last effort to convince Boogie Cousins to return to Sac-town, the Kings front office selected the defensive talent out of Kentucky. Cauley-Stein is an incredible defender. He can guard any position and can protect the paint as well as defend the pick-and-roll at an elite level. Unfortunately, he cannot do anything else well. He is unable to do anything productive on offense. Along with his difficulty on the offensive end, WCS has always struggled with the off-court aspect of basketball. He is an unpredictable personality that will most certainly notmesh perfectly with the likes of Boogie, Vivek, George Karl, and possibly Rondo… This has the makings of a disaster. It is reported that WCS and Boogie have some sort of relationship together, but we all witnessed what happened when the Heat chose Shabazz Napier in a last attempt to convince Lebron to stay in the South Beach (not that Shabazz has been a bad player). This just seems likea toxic move for a franchise that is toxic in nature. This decision is also worse considering that the likes of Mudiay and Winslow were still on the board.

Runner Up:

Frank Kaminsky C Wisconsin, #9 Charlotte Hornets. This is only a bad pick because of who was available at the slot. The Hornets were clearly set on the three-point shooting big man from Wisconsin in the draft, but when Justice Winslow dropped into Michael Jordan’s lap at number 9, they had the chance to select a future star. I understand why they made the pick (they had no one to spread the floor after McRoberts left) but I still think you take Winslow and make it work. Nothing against Kaminsky, I just do not see him as a star in this league. But he is an interesting character. 

 

Honorable Mention:

Larry Nance Jr. F Wyoming- #27 Lakers

Stanley Johnson SF Arizona- #8 Detroit

Myles Turner C Texas- #11 Pacers

BEST FIT:

 

Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay makes another appearance on the NBA draft accolades list winning the best fit award. With uncertainty surrounding Ty Lawson’s status with the team and a youth resurgence led by Jusuf Nurkic, Faried, and Gary Harris, Mudiay will likely enter the ’15-’16 season as a starting point guard for a team with low expectations for post-season success. He will be able to put his athleticism on full display on a team that loves to run in transition and push the tempo. He still has some problems with his shot, but I think that he fits in great with this young core on the Nuggets and really has an opportunity to succeed. They may not be the best team in the West next season, but it is a great landing spot for the young PG that played in China.

 Runner Up:

Karl-Anthony Towns C Kentucky, #1 Timberwolves. With the first pick in the NBA draft, the Timberwolves not only got the best player in the draft, but also filled a gaping hole in the roster. The Wolves desperately need a defensive presence in the paint that can protect the rim as well as spread the floor on the offensive end. Towns fits alongside the young core of talented athletes on the Wolves roster and makes Minnesota into one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA. Towns could be the starter in Minnesota on day one, but he also has time to learn from Garnett, who will gladly teach him what it is to be a professional.

Honorable Mention:

Justice Winslow

Cameron Payne PG Murray State- #14 Thunder

Tyus Jones PG Duke- #24 Timberwolves

Sam Dekker SG Wisconsin- #18 Rockets

Now we will run through some superlatives in a rapid-fire style:

MOST UNDERRATED:

Oliver Hanlan SG Boston College, #42 Utah Jazz. You’ll hear more from this kid in his NBA career. That is a guarantee. Hanlan is a steal at pick 42. If you do not believe me, check out this video clip… He accounted for roughly 100% of his team's offense. Exaggeration, but he was basically the only scoring option that BC had all season. 

Runner Up:

Montrezl Harrell PF Louisville, #32 Houston Rockets. Harrell is a great energetic player that will transition into a great rotation player/energy guy coming off the bench. Great bounce, great athleticism, and vast experience in big moments. This was a very smart pickup for the Rockets.

Honorable Mention:

Pat Connaughton SF Notre Dame,- #41 Nets

Rakeem Christmas PF Syracuse- #36 Cavaliers

Justin Anderson SF Virginia- #21 Mavericks

Terry Rozier PG Louisville- #16 Celtics

MOST OVERRATED:

Stanley Johnson. This is a tough one. Stanley Johnson was an impressive player at Arizona, but I think that he does not warrant the #8 pick in the draft. He has incredible size (6’6 and a 7’0 wing span). He was not an outstanding shooter in college, but scouts believe he will improve at the next level. Character questions related to his lack of motivation and focus have resulted in questions about his NBA prospects. Winslow is the far superior prospect here; he is much more polished and has real elite skill.

 

Runner up:

Kelly Oubre SF Kansas #15, Washington Wizards. Promising size and athleticism has led Oubre to be a highly touted prospect in the NBA his entire life. However, poor shooting and an inefficient season at Kansas showed that he is nowhere near a finished product.

Honorable Mention:

Devin Booker SG Kentucky-#13 Suns

Kevon Looney F UCLA- #30 Warriors

Larry Nance Jr.

BEST TRADE:

HORNETS ACQUIRE NICOLAS BATUM FROM BLAZERS FOR NOAH VONLEH AND GERALD HENDERSON. Hornets add an undervalued Batum coming off a rough ’14-’15 season in exchange for a possible Aldridge replacement and a back-up point guard. I love this deal for both teams.

Runner Up: Timberwolves get Tyus Jones for picks 31 and 36 (Cedi Osman and Rakeem Christmas). Hometown icon returns to Minnesota and Cavaliers get two decent players in exchange. Both sides win.

WORST TRADE:

Greivis Vasquez traded to Bucks for Norman Powell and a protected future first in 2017. Just not a fan of this deal for either team.

BIGGEST SURPRISE:

Kristaps Porzingis PF/C Sevilla, #4 New York Knicks.

Runner up:

D’Angelo Russell G Ohio State, #2 Lakers. Months leading to draft: Okafor, Okafor, Okafor, Okafor, Okafor, Okafor. Draft night: Russell it is.

Honorable Mention:

Rozier to Celtics.

Nance to Lakers.

BEST STORYLINE:

Satnam Singh C IMG Academy, #52 Mavericks. Congrats to Singh on being the first ever Indian to be drafted into the NBA! An awesome story to watch unfold.

Runner up:
The return of TYUS JONES TO MINNESOTA. Yes I am a homer… But he’s back!!!!!

BEST DRESSED:

The most important category in this article…

RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON. Whoa, look at those pants. 

Thank you all for reading. See you soon for the chaos that is the NBA free-agency!

By: Patrick Malin

Rumors Galore: Bledsoe, Boogie, and Wade

With the draft just around the corner, the usual onslaught of trade rumors and free agency shake-ups dominated the major sports news outlets. I’m here to take your hand and guide you through the chaos that was unleashed upon the basketball world today.

Item #1: Sources reported today that the Suns had offered Eric Bledsoe and the No. 13 overall pick for the New York Knicks for their No. 4 overall pick. There is a clear winner and loser in this deal.

WINNER: THE NEW YORK KNICKS. Eric Bledsoe is a talented, super-athletic playmaker who makes roughly 14 million dollars a year. He has proved he does not need to possess the ball to succeed, and would add some much needed energy and athleticism to a shaky Knicks roster. Plus, they get the 13^th pick in the draft, which could turn into an outside shooter like Frank Kaminsky or a rim-protecting big like Willie Cauley-Stein, Myles Turner, or Bobby Portis.

LOSER: ERIC BLEDSOE. Self-explanatory. Good luck on the Knicks.

Oh, and despite the fact that the Suns could get the leftovers of Mudiay, Porzingis, Hezonja, or possibly even Russell, they still seem to be receiving the short end of the stick. Knight, Bledsoe, the Morris twins, Alex Len, the No. 13 pick and Gerald Green has the makings of a borderline playoff team. However, taking away Bledsoe and adding an unproven rookie definitely does not catapult them into the playoffs. It is best for the Suns to stand pat and push for Marc Gasol or Greg Monroe this summer during free agency.

Item #2: As a Grantland fan, when the news scrolled down my timeline that a certain Kings big man appeared to be on the trade block, I most certainly exclaimed “BOOOOOOGGIEEEEEEEEE”. Shout out to Bill and Jalen, we miss you. 

Anyway, to sum up, ESPN is reporting that the Lakers, Magic, and Kings are discussing a three-way trade that would send Boogie Cousins to LA. I have never wanted something so badly in my life.

Boogie playing alongside Kobe and Swaggy P??

Vivek getting the No. 2 pick in the draft?? (Stauskas? Stauskas? STAUSKAS!!)

The Magic doing weird Magic things??

Who knows whether this deal will come to fruition, but I am praying to the basketball gods that it does. Cousins is one of the most talented big men in the NBA and I think we started to see that last year. He needs to leave the Kings, and whoever gets him will be happy they forked over whatever crazy asking price Vivek demands for Boogie’s services.

Item #3: Lastly, there is the question of Dwayne Wade. Various reports have tied the 33-year-old shooting guard to the Lakers as well as the Cavaliers (mostly based off of his Twitter and Instagram habits).

I have a news flash for Laker fans…

Wade is not going to be on the Lakers in 2015. Sorry. Why leave a starting line up of Dragic, Deng, Bosh, and Whiteside for one including Jeremy Lin, injury-riddled Kobe, and some combination of Julius Randle, Wes Johnson, Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer? Think it over and explain to me why that will happen…

 

That’s all I have for you all today. Thanks for reading as always.

THESHOTCLOCK

(Patrick Malin)

Tyler Harvey: A First Round Talent

Stephen Curry is dominating the NBA, making three after three, using his exceptional ball skills to create space to get his preferred shot off. Oh and he has a hilarious rapping and dancing daughter, which is pretty cool too. It seems like only yesterday that Curry was dropping on draft boards for his size, lack of defensive skill, and his relatively unknown college team.  

Let me quickly introduce you to Tyler Harvey.

Tyler Harvey was the NCAA’s leading scorer in 2014-15. He scored 23.1 points per game while shooting 43% from 3-point range, his third straight season shooting above 40%.  Many of his 128 3-point makes in ‘14-15 came from beyond the NBA 3-point line, including 6 in his second round appearance in the March Madness tournament against Georgetown.

Ever heard of him? Probably not.

Harvey attended Eastern Washington University, which has produced one NBA player in its history. Harvey led the EWU Swoops to a 26-9 regular season (the best regular season Big Sky team). He was the core of the 3^rd best offense in the NCAA, and the winner of the Big Sky Tournament Championship.

Wait a minute, you mentioned Steph Curry before. What was that all about?

In a world of gross exaggerations and dramatizing in the sports world… TYLER HARVEY IS THE NEXT STEPHEN CURRY.

Okay, maybe not. He is a talented shooter who evokes Steph Curry like comparisons and criticisms. Both were unimpressive collegiate defenders. Both are undersized for the 2 guard (Harvey is 6’4) and taller than most PG’s. Harvey is lower on most draft boards than Curry was when he entered the draft, but he could rocket up if his individual workouts impress NBA scouts and coaches. Both had the major upside of terrific jump shooting. Both were exceptional playmakers off the dribble.

This is important because the NBA has become a jump-shooting league. Sorry old-fashioned basketball lovers, it’s true. Floor spacing is becoming the most important aspect of the game of basketball, causing defensive headaches all game (just ask the Cavaliers). Steph Curry, the MVP of the league, is also the best 3-point shooter in the NBA. Teams like the Warriors, Cavs, and Hawks are successful because they have a plethora of players who can get free and knock-down shots at some of the best rates in the NBA. The 3-pointer is the key to success in the NBA. Harvey exerted his dominance in college at shooting 3’s and will do the same at the NBA level.

So somebody explain to me why is ball-handling, offensive creating and elite shooter Tyler Harvey predicted to go somewhere in the SECOND ROUND or maybe to go UNDRAFTED?!

Although he may not be ready to be selected in the lottery, Harvey, with his elite shooting ability and talent for shot creation, deserves to be drafted in the first round. The NBA is evolving and ball-handling knockdown shooters like Harvey are going to be at the forefront of this change.